FFG Release Process

By megamen, in Star Wars: Armada

For those FFG veterans, what has FFG's release process like? Do they always move an item to "on the boat" as soon as t is 'actually' on the boat?

Do products usually stay on he boat for 8 weeks? How long After the product arrives does it usually take for it to get into your hands?

The reason I am asking. Is 8 weeks puts us to April 3 from today. Could the product already be on the boat, and someone just forgot to update the website?

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Usually, it goes from the printer to "on the boat". Then it takes about 8 weeks to hit the shelves.

I say "usually" because their last major release of Star Wars, Imperial Assault, just....appeared. Pretty much broke all the usual rules, and even came out in Europe a good time before the US. So....yeah.

In the past I have seen lag between when they update the upcoming page. I can't vouch for how good they are about keeping it up recently, but before they only seemed to update it weekly at best. Maybe even monthly.

My 2 cents: the only update to worry about is Now Available.

i dont have a clue.

that said ive read that the "on the boat" page is usualy the most precise source of info. i have also read that the CR90 was already "on boat" for 1 day until they set it back to factory which lets me think that some parts are already on boat or there while they wait for the whole thing (core and all wave one components) to be release ready simultaniously for the biggest impact/$$$ i assume.

i think it might also be worthwhile to compare release day and the previous dates of anouncements presenting the product for i.e. expansions for descent or similar big box + model + token + cards productes as i believe that the release process with so many projects would probably be streamlined and similar for other similar projects.

Does FFG have a good track record n meetin their release dates?

Usually, it goes from the printer to "on the boat". Then it takes about 8 weeks to hit the shelves.

I say "usually" because their last major release of Star Wars, Imperial Assault, just....appeared. Pretty much broke all the usual rules, and even came out in Europe a good time before the US. So....yeah.

I think you will find that might have been due to the major board game show in Essen just before its release. Wayland games apparently bought a bunch of stock off FFG there that they got on the market before Christmas.

Does FFG have a good track record n meetin their release dates?

Nope. Star Wars products have been the worst as well.

Does FFG have a good track record n meetin their release dates?

No, it really does not. The Upcoming page seems to be wildly optimistic about stuff. I'm fairly certain that we won't see Armada during Q1, but I'm not so pessimistic as to think that it will be Q3 either.

Also, last week the Imperial fighters were on the boat, and now they're back at the printers. I don't think that there were actually any containers lifted off the boat and sent back to the factory. I think it was a clerical error of the website managers.

I want to believe that there is a close relationship between what the Upcoming page tells us and what is actually happening in the land of logistics, but I can't say that I'm particularly confident that it's so.

Does FFG have a good track record n meetin their release dates?

I think you're better off treating the upcoming products page as more of a semi-firm guess than anything more reliable. At least until the status changes to shipping, that is.

I keep thinking back to the podcast where the X-wing guys said that updating a product to 'on the boat' is a very deliberate choice when they believe that everything will proceed smoothly up to when it reaches stores - so it doesn't really necessarily mean that anything is ever physically on a boat or not. I don't really look at the upcoming page as a very useful or accurate tool - although that doesn't stop me from making a daily visit.

I think that the fighter pack thing was a simple mistake as well, if it wasn't an error more products probably would have followed pretty quickly. Like when Chewie and the Rebel Troopers were on their own on the boat for a day before the rest of the Imperial Assault packs "caught up."

The orange and yellow statuses could probably all just be lumped into a single "upcoming" category with green as "shipping soon." Would probably alleviate a lot of the grief they get. :)

Everyone's patience is wearing thin, but there's nothing we can do. Maybe they just need to come out and say there were some production issues. I've been waiting on this game since GenCon 14'.

Does FFG have a good track record n meetin their release dates?

Nope. Star Wars products have been the worst as well.

It does not help matters that their miniatures are manufactured in China, so they have to endure the West Coast port issues (see the lengthy thread on that topic on the X-Wing forums).

Everyone's patience is wearing thin, but there's nothing we can do. Maybe they just need to come out and say there were some production issues. I've been waiting on this game since GenCon 14'.

The wait for Armada hasn't been that long at all. I play a game called Federation & Empire where one expansion took 25 years to come out. A few more months is nothing.

Everyone's patience is wearing thin, but there's nothing we can do. Maybe they just need to come out and say there were some production issues. I've been waiting on this game since GenCon 14'.

The wait for Armada hasn't been that long at all. I play a game called Federation & Empire where one expansion took 25 years to come out. A few more months is nothing.

This really doesn't mean much coming from Darth Sidious. You were after all the first truly patient Sith. And stop referring to the Clone and Galactic Civil Wars as a "game called Federation & Empire." It's called STAR WARS and you lost. ;)

Everyone's patience is wearing thin, but there's nothing we can do. Maybe they just need to come out and say there were some production issues. I've been waiting on this game since GenCon 14'.

That is true, my friend. The wait is truly excruciating.

But being impatient, how is it going to help? Probably add extra stress to your daily routine -no one needs that. There has just got to be something else you can pre-occupy yourself with.

Armada, has been a LONG time coming. Many on this forum would agree that it will be well WELL worth the wait.

The golden age is almost upon us, my friends. :)

It's up to us to spread the word! :D

Usually, it goes from the printer to "on the boat". Then it takes about 8 weeks to hit the shelves.

I say "usually" because their last major release of Star Wars, Imperial Assault, just....appeared. Pretty much broke all the usual rules, and even came out in Europe a good time before the US. So....yeah.

I think you will find that might have been due to the major board game show in Essen just before its release. Wayland games apparently bought a bunch of stock off FFG there that they got on the market before Christmas.

I live in Denmark, and bought mine through a Danish vendor before Christmas. And at a discount at that!

Multiple vendors in Denmark put it out before Christmas.

Usually, it goes from the printer to "on the boat". Then it takes about 8 weeks to hit the shelves.

I say "usually" because their last major release of Star Wars, Imperial Assault, just....appeared. Pretty much broke all the usual rules, and even came out in Europe a good time before the US. So....yeah.

I think you will find that might have been due to the major board game show in Essen just before its release. Wayland games apparently bought a bunch of stock off FFG there that they got on the market before Christmas.

I live in Denmark, and bought mine through a Danish vendor before Christmas. And at a discount at that!

Multiple vendors in Denmark put it out before Christmas.

Yeah, I expect there were a few european vendors that did the same as Wayland.

When something goes to on the boat an 8 week delay is typical but not guaranteed.

A few ffg games have been available in the UK before the website said they were available, starting with imperial assault.

There are other factors like dock workers and Hasbro which can affect delivery.

I'm expecting a mid March release for this.

In one of their TC interviews I remember the FFG crew saying they tried to make the update page reflect the average for all people. So if most weren't sailing but some were, they'd leave it as off until the majority reflected it. So some might be shipping or simply not be timed for arrival. Better to keep it at the factory then on the boat where it triggers the automatic 8 week cuntdown by us.

Everyone's patience is wearing thin, but there's nothing we can do. Maybe they just need to come out and say there were some production issues. I've been waiting on this game since GenCon 14'.

That is true, my friend. The wait is truly excruciating.

But being impatient, how is it going to help? Probably add extra stress to your daily routine -no one needs that. There has just got to be something else you can pre-occupy yourself with.

Armada, has been a LONG time coming. Many on this forum would agree that it will be well WELL worth the wait.

The golden age is almost upon us, my friends. :)

It's up to us to spread the word! :D

Many of us have been waiting for this game for at least 30 years ;-)

Does FFG have a good track record n meetin their release dates?

Well the only release date they ever set is a 3 month window, and even then things tend to slip into the next 3 month window.