The OP is hitting on something that is bothering me as well. FFG gives too much info. The transparency is a double edged sword. We know it is on the boat, but it seems to be taking "too long."

This is where the transparency hurts. It is coming, other people got it first. It doesn't feel fair to those of that didn't go. Ouch my feels are hurt. ;-) Seriously though, it seems that if they were able to air that supply in while Aces is on the boat, it would have been better if it was timed to release shortly after Gen Con (and it may have been).

I for one just want an update. I would like to see anything, as one poster noted about the logistical issues. Anything that said, delayed due to x, would soothe my mild frustration at the apparently slowness of this release.

Robotech tactics suffered on the transparency front as well. Too much info, too much to do, and an unrealistic deadline. I did the kickstarter, and at this point, I don't even care anymore. My excitement is gone for that product because...X-WING!

Has anybody looked at FFG's online catalog recently. Out of the entire X-Wing range of products, they've only got four items. Seems there's some serious supply issues.

Shuddup and wait like the rest of us...

I love the long lead time! I know that as soon as a preview is up I can go to my flgs and start pre-ordering. And because of the lead time I'm not forced to put down two or three hundred all at once. Every paycheck I can order the three or four ships of each type I want. I can easily drop sixty a paycheck, I would be less inclined if I felt rushed to order it all at once!

Because drumming up some excitement for upcoming releases doesn't help build excitement, which can help get preorders to retailers.

Yes, they spoiled a bit too much with the announcements for the Aces packs. I think they have realized that error, since Wave 5 didn't have nearly as much spoiled in the initial announcement. Would the three articles (announcement + 2 previews) had been that bad if they hadn't been forced to preview it all before Gencon? I see Wave 6 being broken down into 6-7 articles, to last us quite a long time before everything is spoiled.

I don't think it is fair to blame FFG for people's attention span. I mean, a ton of the new Netrunner cycle was spoiled in the draft packs, yet, there still seems to be excitement when spoilers for the new packs hit before release.

And it comes down to FFG's philosophy, know what you buy. I mean, they are putting QR codes (I may have that wrong, not a Iphone user) on the LCG packs, that will take you to visual spoilers of what's in the pack. I would not be surprised to see that coming to X-wing.

I think they have realized that error, since Wave 5 didn't have nearly as much spoiled in the initial announcement.

But wave 5 isn't in stores yet, and us not likely to be so for at least a few more weeks, and they are already drumming up excitement for most wanted and wave 6. That isn't drumming up excitement for wave 5, that is killing it. Wave 6 is the new hotness, enthusiasm for wave 5 and rebel aces is already starting to wane (in fact, before gen con I had forgotten for a while that the pilots in rebel aces weren't already out, for a couple minutes I couldn't figure out where my jake Farrell card was.)

Building excitement with previews and spoilers is great, and I am all for it. But those previews should keep the focus on the next batch of products that is going to be released. The wave that is four release slots away should not be getting mentioned unless they absolutely have to, and even then just the names until those are the products that we should expect next.

As another refugee from games workshops rumour clampdown lunacy, where even there own stores have little to no idea of what is happening more than a week or two off, I really enjoy that FFG puts some time and love into showcases articles for their product. It feels like they take are putting some effort into the promotion sides of thing, and are using spoilers to actually sell us on x-wing expansions by virtue of their contents as opposed to assuming we will all just going to obediently open up our wallets every time a new release comes out purely on strength of past product and the Star Wars IP.

The problem for me is the complete unreliable lunacy of their release schedule, why promote a product that you are not even 100% sure what year let alone which quarter it will come out in? Feels like a lot of wasted effort, I loved the scum and villainy announcement but would of liked to of had a set date to plan my Wave 5 and rebel aces purchases before hearing about the next wave of releases.

The scum and villainy preview saved me from getting 4 rebel Z95's which i would had regretted (and even whined at bait and switch tactics). It seems to me that you people are getting frustrated because you like to buy just by impulse.

How is it killing it ? Seriously, wait until it gets released to see "how dead" it really is.

At this point, I'm going to be surprised if Wave 5 is out in time for Worlds (so have your anti-phantom or anti-falcon tech ready). I had hoped Aces would be out by now, but if it isn't off the boat this week I don't see it making the Q3 estimate. Not a huge deal, however if Scum isn't out by Christmas, I advocate riots.

Idonotreallyadvocateriots.

Some of you guys need to deal with Wizkids for a while. I promise you would appreciate FFG more.

Imagine Rebel Aces and Wave 5 were available at GenCon but that is the only opportunity to purchase them. On top of that they only have a handful to sell at the con and a lot of people who go weren't able to purchase them. I'm not even going to go into the bloated rarity schemes or hard to get tournament only pieces.

really great feedback guys,

appreciate your opinions,

im at the mind set of:

rebel aces? cool got to get me a couple of those, to:

wave 5? awesome I will get those too, now:

wave 6? the hell with aces, get wave 5 here so wave 6 gets here faster!!!

I totally lost interest in rebel aces.

I agree in the past releases things have gone great, and I do like the transparency but why so **** far out from release?

why do we have to wait so long after gen con to get the **** that apparently was ready for release at gen con?

that is my point, I understand you get a something special for gen con, but why do you get it months before the rest of the world?

that is what I think is BS. you paid for the factory time for these 2 waves and only ran enough for gen con? that could not have been economical.

not everyone has the ability to go to gen con for many reasons, why should they be punished for having a job or a life?

im not bitching because I feel they shouldn't get something special, im bitching because the rest of us have to wait for months for a product they have finished but didn't feel they needed to get to the fans other than those going to gen con.

personally i think if they are going to sell stuff at gen-con they should sell it at the other cons as well... or at least do "regional cons" so those of us that don't live anywhere near Indy have a chance at getting them.. or at least have them ready to sell to the general public a month after gen con or something like that... i know Orlando used to do a pretty big "Con" of some sort... same for Atlanta.. both areas support a HUGE gaming community and are far more accessible to folks who live in the south. I am sure folks who live out west can name few places as well... just my 2 cents.

What i dont understand is when people moan that stuff is out of stock.

I buy everything i can from my local games store (chimera Beeston) but if they dont have it and wont have a restock for weeks I get it off ebay. It's always available of ebay for around the same price as retail stores and often cheaper and with free shipping.

its only loyalty to supporting my local store that stops me buying *everything* off ebay.

Put it this was my second firespray i bought with everything except the upgrade cards (just didnt really need em as i only run one at a time but wanted to paint a second up as Scarlet) cost me about 50 per cent of the store price for one.

Gadge, because as you said, i want to support my local store, and not the online retailer who stocked 50 Falcons on a garage.

@Kiloden

I just don't get obsessed by it, and it is actually i am thankful for. I am not wondering was going on, checking constantly sites for it. I know and trust FFG for releasing the info soon enough so i don't need to be nervous when i actually buy something. I can get excited and the excitement can be diminished over time (like for scum right now), but when it is only a few weeks to get released, i will start building lists and get excited again, but atleast, i actually know 100% what is coming in the box. And that, as a customer, is just priceless for me.

We have to wait for the product that was available at Gencon, because we really, really, really don't want to pay the increase to the price that would happen if FFG flew their entire shipment over from China. All the releases that are that early are flown over as something special for Gencon.

I can't afford all I want currently, in fact, I only have 3 Wave 4 ships at the moment (1 E-wing and 2 Defenders). So, patience is a virtue to me. Even if when I have money again for the ships I want for Wave 4, I won't be too upset if it happens during a lull in stock. Because I know reprints will happen. And that I will get the ships I want eventually. And with the expanding line, the wait won't be nearly as a bad as it was last year. Patience seems to be a virtue with FFG (see Push the Limit or Advanced Sensors).

As for the far sight of releases, again, this is something that occurs with all of FFG's lines. I mean, for Netrunner, we will be starting to get information on the next cycle next month, while the current cycle of 6 packs isn't even out yet. All the while we have another big box expansion announced. The SWLCG isn't that bad, but that mainly seems to be due to some very bad delays. I much, much prefer FFG's deal, over Wizkids, where we will know the releases for almost a year ahead of time (I do believe they know up to June 2015 currently for Attack Wing). 6 months, with periodic previews is great fun. Sure, as they ramp up releases, it will get a bit confusing and some dissonance. But, I'm used to it with the LCGs.

As for delays, I do think California is having some labor disputes with dock workers, which may cause some product to remain on the boat.

Looks like September 25, according to this:

http://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-fantasy-flight-games-preview-september-2014

@sithborg

you almost got what I am trying to say, if they flew something over for gen con, then the product was done.

it should then be available for the rest of us by now. the factory run for wave 5 would not have been for just what they took to gen con, the site should already say on the boat.

that's what is frustrating me, it doesn't make sense to use factory time to run such a small sample, they had to of done a full run, but are sitting on the finished product for some reason.

I guess another thing that pisses me off are the jack asses who get these ships from gen con with the only intention of selling them for 3-4 times the price they paid for them. I will not pay that much, but others will and have. so in the end, you allow those at gen con the exclusive right to purchase these models and then resell them for big bucks, while the rest of us sit and wait for the container they are sitting on to finally ship.

am I being to critical? maybe. but **** it, people have the decimator and I don't, just because I couldn't go to the con.

again I say BS to that.

(wish there was a crying emoticon) anyone have a tissue?

could someone call a waaambulance?

boy this unhappy meal tastes great. the waaamburger and French cries are the best.

They aren't sitting on anything. As handy as their site is for tracking progress, we don't know the exact details. At the printers could mean a whole lot of different things. And the print run isn't completed at the same time. It is very obvious that they are shipped in waves, as with the brief HWK and Imperial Aces shortages. When it goes to shipping, it doesn't necessarily mean all the print run is being shipped from FFG.

Yes, some people were lucky to get it early. Same as those that got the Falcons and Firesprays at Worlds 2012, those that won the Kessel Run, bought Wave 3 last year at Gencon, and those that did well at Imdaar Alpha. But, unlike Wizkids, these are products that you will be able to get eventually. And anybody who do pay outrageous prices, whether for pre-release stuff or stuff waiting on a reprint, are foolish.

Patience is a virtue with FFG. Perhaps my financial situation only highlights this. You will get Rebel Aces and Wave 5.

I think the reality of production makes the wait tough, but you have to understand production times. They won't ship part of the order for Wave 5 unless they do so at request. I guarantee you that FFG paid a premium to get the first items off the line for their stock at GenCon. It was flown over, probably super expensively compared to the sea can(s) that get put on boats and shipped over.

Likely, the Factory hasn't fully filled the order yet. Perhaps they had a schedule and are now behind it for whatever reason. But it wasn't like they had all the models ready, and then shipped some by plane for FFG to take to GenCon and then it's sitting in the factory waiting.

They won't put half the order on the boat, it'll be/has been shipped when the order is full.

Jacob

@sithborg

you almost got what I am trying to say, if they flew something over for gen con, then the product was done.

Some of it was done. Not all of it. It is a split shipment on the PO. They ask the vendor to set aside a certain amount and they pay to have it sent via air. The same with the wave 5 stuff. The packaging and printing are the easy part, but the painting of the minis and the QC aspect probably takes a lot of time.

Like the wave 4 stuff, I wouldn't be surprised if they are trying to get the supply to all shipping points to have a single release for Aces and also for wave 5 (not counting Gencon). That was the speculation for wave 4 feeling like it was creeping. They do seem to want all regions to get product at the same time and that is not an easy task.

However, like you Kiloden, I want my new ships!