Please, just don't let table top games go to the Dark Side where we have the board game equivalent of Gamestop and EA!

Just let that kind of Jabba's favorite scum stay with the video game industry.

You want to talk about ordering and customer service woes? Order something from Gamer heaven then come talk to me.....

I've solved these pains by never pre-ordering anything. Ever. Period.

When I give someone money, I expect a good or service in return when they receive the money. Anything less is just silly on the consumer's part, in my opinion.

I usually never pre-order. When a new wave is shipping, I will order from MM because it will usually be there within a week. If I decide to buy from my LGS, it will usually be in an in stock on the release date. I have never failed to get what I want or the quantities I need.

Honestly, FFG's scheduling MO is frustrating.

With games like Magic: The Gathering, you know when you'll get your product because they are capable of giving you an exact date. This helps with cycling formats, format updates and the whole sales aspect of it as well so that distributors, stores and customers can prepare ahead of time.

The ambiguity of FFG's release dates are what drive me mad. Not only because I don't get my plastic cocaine/heroine doses in a timely manner, but because it affects what is becoming a very competitive scene. Now that we have competitive events like Store Champs, Regionals, Nationals and Worlds, it would be extremely helpful for people to be able to prepare ahead of time to make list adjustments accordingly.

For example, if the Raider is being dropped "Sometime in Q2-Q3" then how will players know when their TIEx1 will be legal? Oh! Hey! Raider just dropped right before your regional! You better be ready for this significantly huge change on the real-world meta! I say real-world meta because as cool as Vassal is, it's not like everyone is able to hop on their PCs to playtest stuff that hasn't even come out yet.

FFG, for the sake of the competitive health of the game, needs to mandate solid dates. If your Regional date is 7/25 but the Raider release IS FOR A FACT 7/27, then people can prepare accordingly for that event and not take into consideration the cards that may or may not affect their metagame. How hard can it be? And if their estimate is off, such as saying Q1 but releasing it Q3, they can just set it for a date in late Q3 or Q4 and hold their stock until then, or at the very least, make official release dates for when the newer content can be playable in tournament events.

This is exactly why I dont pre-order anything. I'm not going stir-crazy over product I have paid for but not received. Plus, I'd rather put my money back into the local FLGS's. It keeps the shops running and my money stays local.

My local store swears the Raider will be here on the 28th. The local warehouse says it is there. I asked him to get some pictures as proof, and they will not do it. Still will not prepay for it though.

FFG, for the sake of the competitive health of the game, needs to mandate solid dates. If your Regional date is 7/25 but the Raider release IS FOR A FACT 7/27, then people can prepare accordingly for that event and not take into consideration the cards that may or may not affect their metagame. How hard can it be? And if their estimate is off, such as saying Q1 but releasing it Q3, they can just set it for a date in late Q3 or Q4 and hold their stock until then, or at the very least, make official release dates for when the newer content can be playable in tournament events.

FFG is doing just fine. They only mandate solid dates when they have them, which makes much more sense than changing a bunch of "solid" dates that are no such thing.

It would be one thing if preordering early (and having them take your money) was so much cheaper but when the same price and availability closer to the release date is almost certain it is a bit foolish.

It would be one thing if preordering early (and having them take your money) was so much cheaper but when the same price and availability closer to the release date is almost certain it is a bit foolish.

Somehow gaming has developed a "pre-order culture" that makes it almost expected for people to order new products at the earliest possible time. This has forced retailers to start offering pre-orders earlier and earlier or risk loosing customers to other stores that are quicker on the draw. I think I remember seeing occasional 40K preorders go up on some sites based only on a rumor that a product was in the pipeline, and I know I have seen some stores get burned by offering discount pre orders before an official price has been released and then the actual MSRP was higher than they expected and they had to fulfill a bunch of orders at way below what they usually offer.

Obviously not every gamer does this, but it is kind of a messed up phenomena.

I can recall preordering some MtG but that was largely because of a better discount as opposed to waiting for them. When on the plastic crack that were random minis I'd also pre-order a case of those but again that was for a price break that often disappeared once they came out in addition to getting them when they came out.

One thing about most of the pre-ordering I've done is that I prefer to do it with places that will not charge me before they are actually going to be getting the product. I'd gladly preorder a Raider now if the price was right AND the place I ordered from didn't charge me until they are getting ready to ship; paying for something now and then expecting to get it two months or more from now can be risky. I almost got burned on a MtG pre-order one time on eBay. Dealing with some kickstarter campaigns also brings a little anxiety when the product will not be ready for six months or more.

I can recall preordering some MtG but that was largely because of a better discount as opposed to waiting for them. When on the plastic crack that were random minis I'd also pre-order a case of those but again that was for a price break that often disappeared once they came out in addition to getting them when they came out.

Maybe that is what started it. the success of Magic: The Gathering and the associated craze with the collectible model of production resulted in several years where popular games had new products come out and, instead of just being sold, retailers would open the randomized contents to sell off singles at a big mark up, so everyone was getting pre-orders to either do the same thing, or at least know what singles they needed to buy. Now that the collectible fad is basically dead that mentality among some gamers to always order products ASAP remains.

One thing about most of the pre-ordering I've done is that I prefer to do it with places that will not charge me before they are actually going to be getting the product.

See, I'm actually the opposite. If I am going to place a pre-order I want to money to come out right away. If it is going to take 6 months before I actually get charged, then who knows if the money is actually going to BE there, and if it isn't that causes all sorts of headaches and hassles. Besides, if you pay in advance for something and it arrives later, it's like getting a present. All of the pain of a new purchase is over and you just have the upside to enjoy. Of course, that only applies to established, reliable retailers. eBay and Kickstarter require more careful consideration than just pre-ordering something from Warstore or Miniatures Market.

I'd rather sit on my money than have someone else do it. When it comes to tax season if I get money back from the government it feels like I failed.

I must say it certainly is nicer buying stuff using FFG's model than it was with all that random packaging stuff. There are complaints about having to buy an "expensive" ship to run a certain list but I wonder if these people were around when you needed to hunt down these random pieces to make a good list where you might want to run several pieces that to easily buy (get from the secondary market) could cost you $30. Never mind the supposedly easy to get pieces that everyone wanted to run in multiples that routinely cost as much as some supposedly very rare, but useless as far as the game was concerned, pieces.

Why. Would you. Preorder. Anything. Ever ?

Why. Would you. Preorder. Anything. Ever ?

So you don't have to try and remember when it will come out. When it is released it just shows up.

Because you have the money for it now.

Because you can sometimes get better deals by pre ordering

To help out your local game store by letting them know how many extra to order

To boost an order up to free shipping levels

Because a group of friends are all placing a big pre order and you figure, might as well get it with them.

Also to be fair, FFG isn't taking your money for the pre-order. The distributor took your money for the pre order. The distributor doesn't pay FFG for the products until he takes delivery, so he's just sitting on your money.

As for your "6 month" delay, first off, as you said, it was initially slated for Q1, but never when in Q1. So the fact that it's (likely) to hit during Q3, that's really a 4-6 month delay. And when you consider that you already were expecting a Q2 delivery, then it's really a 1-3 month delay.

Your own post seems to be wanting everything. Here in the engineering world, we say that you can choose 2 of the following three attributes, Quick, Quality, Cheap. You're complaining that it's taking too long to get the Raider. Then you're complaining about quality issues. The only thing you're not complaining about (directly at least) is the price. So perhaps you would prefer to have the Raider be $300 and already delivered, but I have a feeling you'd be complaining about how expensive it was if that was the case.

So, assuming "cheap" is a given, do you want quality or quick? I personally want Quality. I'm willing to wait to get my Raider as long as it looks good sitting on my desk.

How did $75 become cheap?