The Armada audience isn't the X-wing audience.

Especially when you consider that individual ship prices is more there than it is with X-wing.

Very true. I was priced right out of Armada. $90 for one model is too much.

I think X-Wing is moving way too fast. I started the game only weeks ago, and the sheer amount of stuff is absolutely daunting. Since I started, they announced four (!) new ships (Imperial Aces and Heroes of the Resistance). If the game moves too quickly, it will become extremely difficult for new players to get in. Armada is (yet) much more forgiving.

You don't have to buy every expansion. I'm skipping Imperial Veterans entirely as I don't play Imperials.

Wait, what!?! Skipping...Imp Vets?

My heart just stopped...

I think X-Wing is moving way too fast. I started the game only weeks ago, and the sheer amount of stuff is absolutely daunting. Since I started, they announced four (!) new ships (Imperial Aces and Heroes of the Resistance). If the game moves too quickly, it will become extremely difficult for new players to get in. Armada is (yet) much more forgiving.

You don't have to buy every expansion. I'm skipping Imperial Veterans entirely as I don't play Imperials.

Wait, what!?! Skipping...Imp Vets?

My heart just stopped...

You'll note I also didn't create multiple threads complaining that I don't want it, don't like it and ripped out all of my hair over it. Unlike some other posters with the most recent announcement.

I need to find the graph that shows that in relation to earlier waves, the ship releases have slown down... Or at least been pretty much the same. Which is why I always find these posts humorous.

Yeah the complaints are based on "facts" that simply aren't true.

The game's been out 4 years with 8 releases. That's averaging every 6 months. We've had 7 "Special" releases of epic ships, re-paints or "Most Wanted" (which was critically necessary to launching a new faction with enough ships to even matter in the meta) filling out the gaps in between.

Right now, we are in fact in the middle of an unprecedented dry spell! The Release Time on Wave 8 (announce date to store date) was the longest EVER. The Announcement Lag for Wave 9 (time from announcement of prior wave to announcement of next wave) is likewise, the longest EVER. And all we got in between were T-70 and Tie/Fo. (Raider was out 2 weeks BEFORE Wave 7). Thus far 2015 was a much busier year than 2016 for X-wing. It had two full waves, PLUS most wanted, PLUS the raider, PLUS the TFA box PLUS the T-70 and Tie/Fo blisters. We need to see Wave9, Imperial Veterans, Heroes of Resistance and at least one more large box (an Epic Ship or something equaling the TFA core set) to match. Most likely, we WILL see those things. We're overdue for a Wave 9 announcement, and there is a 0% chance they won't have a Rogue One tie in.

But the facts on the ground are: What's currently available plus what's currently in the pipeline do not constitute an unprecedented glut of product in any possible way.

I think to maintain staffing overhead they need to do a wave every 6-8 months and an epic and 1-2 ace packs per year. Slowing down usually means letting people go. Also with Disney pushing revenues... this just seems silly. I would expect more products if anything.

2 waves of 4-6 ships per year, 1-2 epics, 2-3 ace packs and 1-2 accessory products.

First off, there are ONLY a lot of unreleased ships if you expect them to release LEGENDs ships, which I don't. I expect moving forward, that we are only going to see stuff from the movies and Rebels, and there isn't a whole heckuvalot more they can currently do yet with those

Pretty sure that IS the case. As much as I wanted Corran's Green CorSec T-65, or the Pulsar Skate, or a the Gunboat... There is no reason for FFG to draw from that well anymore. TFA didn't give them much to work with, but Rebels is providing a slow but steady drip of new material, and Rogue One is just around the corner. The new canon will soon show us things in comic books and video games that will demand to made into models and so forth...

There is no SANE reason for FFG to make the Pulsar Skate rather than The Ghost. Anybody who knows and cares about the Pulsar Skate is already playing the game, whereas the existence of the Ghost has to potential to bring new players in.

The only exception might be that S&V thus far is based almost entirely on EU criminal organizations. They might continue to use the EU as inspiration for Scum for the short term, but that won't last more than another wave or two.

I would be perfectly ok with that as each new wave I am trying to have to find the money to get the ships I want

I just typed out a whole new topic on how this game will eventually die and what we would like FFG to do loooooooong term. Didn't like the tone so just deleted it. But it is an interesting question. How long will this game run and what is going to kill it? What sort of release schedule keeps this game healthiest the longest? I think this game is going to be entering uncharted waters (if it isn't already) in terms of audience size for a miniatures game.

My hope is that someday, we will see a software-based reboot of the game where everything that isn't a card stays exactly the same and everything that is printed on a card gets swallowed up by the software. I know some of you don't like the idea but it makes sense long-term. It allows FFG to make fine adjustments to ensure the game stays balanced. This will become progressively more difficult as the game grows. Could even double all the point values to allow for finer control. The arguments against using tech will sound even sillier five years from now. Honestly, what % of players with the disposable income for this game don't have either a phone, tablet, or laptop to keep track of such things?

As to the OP question? 3 releases per year would be my ideal. Either 2 waves and 1 "special" release (Huge, veterans, etc) or 1 wave and 2 special.

A lot of people who play Armada (and by "a lot" I mean far more than I would have guessed) seem to be happy with a slow release schedule for new content. They cite that their wallets are grateful for having less to buy. Some have also stated that FFG likely can only produce so much product in a given year, and with multiple miniatures games out now, they might not have the production means to make more than 2 expansions per year for Armada.

I feel differently however, considering that the game is so new, and has such a limited selection, it would be better if Armada's production were scaled up to meet or exceed X-Wing's rate of new product, (one or two 4-ship waves per year, plus aces packs in between). And then, if production is an issue, perhaps scale back on other games that already have a ton of product, like X-Wing or perhaps even Imperial Assault.

How do you guys feel? If you only got one wave per year for X-Wing, and lets say, for the sake of argument, it was a smaller-than-normal wave.... (Say, 1 Rebel, 1 Imperial, and 1 Scum). Would you be ok with that if it meant they could catch other games up?

I'd be fine with this! Especially if they aren't rehashing old ships accordingly!

oops, double tap

Most people would crucify FFG for that slow of a release pace.

Moreover FFG likely can not afford to have the SW licence and not utilize it. X-wing is their best selling line. It is because X-wing sells so well that Armada exists as it does. If X-wing switched to releasing 3 ships a year FFGs revenue, and ability to continue forward with SW products, would likely be severely comprised.

Honestly, I'm not sure why you think the Armada crowd is happy with the release pace. The delay between the Core, Wave 1, and Wave 2 were quite problematic, and the announcement that Wave 3 only contain 2 "ships" was not particularly well received.

I would actually enjoy it if FFG would push out a wave directly following Worlds and then let the meta evolve around that new set for a year and then repeat the cycle the next year. A lot of these ships that are coming out don't get fully explored because their just isn't enough time to play with them and tinker.

I would be fine with one wave of 3-4 ships a year. Plus one epic and one aces\veterans/etc type release.

I recently had a son and I feel so far behind in the game after just a few months. I don't have wave 7, the individual tfa ships, or either imperial epic yet. Plus have imp veterans soon.

There are only so many ships in Star Wars.

This game is only a wee bairn, being less than four years old, and *already* it's getting bloated with re-paints and re-releases and more and more obscure EU ships. Can they keep this up for another 20 years?

No, of course not. The game will lose all sense of identity and purpose if they continue to release ships at the current rate.

Pfft go look at attack wing then come back and apologise, we'll wait.

Is Attack Wing something we want to model ourselves after though? Because with a constant stream of releases, that's where we'll end up. And it won't be X Wing or Attack Wing any more, it'll be Bloat Wing and it will be awful.

The Armada audience isn't the X-wing audience.

I think you'll find that, outside of forum land the Armada audience is EXACTLY the X Wing audience.

There's a demographic of people who enjoy Star Wars, and also enjoy tabletop miniatures games. I don't think it's worth anyone's time splitting that demographic further, and I doubt you'd find any meaningful way to do it.

One thought:

With every new release this game becomes less of a miniatures game, and more of a card game.

I want them to slow down enough to playtest and properly and carefully word every card so it fits in the system with minimal grey areas. We have enough FAQ. Whatever rate that is, is fine with me.

Too many unreleased ships. Keep them coming

You guys are funny. 3 ships a year? You think this game is gona be in production 10 years from now with new content coming out? Nope.

Let's get ships while we can

Have Disney said they won't be making Star Wars movies further out than 10 years?

If they're still making them and FFG don't go GW on this game, there's a very good chance it will still be here. it might be a 2.0 version at that point but I think that the license (and associated longevity) this game is based off would challenge your assertion.

And to clarify, even if you don't play anything else, do you STILL think X-Wing should keep pushing out approx. 8+ expansions per year? At what point do you slow down?

Personally I don't want FFG to slow down. If they do the result would be an almost total focus on the post Disney stuff.

Im sure plenty of people would be fine with that but Im one of the many who would not be happy with that.

I think X-Wing is moving way too fast. I started the game only weeks ago, and the sheer amount of stuff is absolutely daunting. Since I started, they announced four (!) new ships (Imperial Aces and Heroes of the Resistance). If the game moves too quickly, it will become extremely difficult for new players to get in. Armada is (yet) much more forgiving.

Who said you need to buy everything?

For a table top miniatures game X-wing is by far the easiest one to get into for new players.

Sure there are plenty of options but that can only be a good thing for a well balanced game.

The thing is all a new player needs do is pick up a starter set plus a few expansion packs and there in.

I think your mad. Who has dosh to throw around on that many models. Each model costs twice the average hourly wage in my country.

So if people are having to buy too much to stay current .. then they will just quit and go on to the next best affordable option.

Sure you get the big show off who buy everything possible but most punters only need a few.

It's a shame you cant buy the cards separately.

Oh and lets not forget how freight from the US cost twice as much as the models... I mean really .. whats with the corrupt freight markets in the US. Especially when you can freight from China or even the UK for less than half of that?

Pfft go look at attack wing then come back and apologise, we'll wait.

Is Attack Wing something we want to model ourselves after though? Because with a constant stream of releases, that's where we'll end up. And it won't be X Wing or Attack Wing any more, it'll be Bloat Wing and it will be awful.

So your attacking what I wrote while agreeing with me?

Fewer waves / expansion could also mean more play testing time which I think would be a good thing

I'm seriously considering Getting out of this game because of time and money

While it is cheaper than other games, when I look at how much I've spent, makes me consider using that money towards something more productive

Playtesting can't predict what'll happen post release, we don't all think alike and theres always a bright spark that'll spot a combo you never thought of.