someone had to do it..

So I say that tongue in cheek a bit because every time something like this happens we get a bunch of "Armada is Dead" wringing of hands. I have always felt that, for me, personally, Armada will never really die even if FFG discontinues it because I can play with my kids or my one friend I actually have.

But I think that this time there is a problem for the community in general simply because there is an "every time this happens." It's not one thing.. it's a continual feeling that Armada is pushed aside for other games. And maybe that's for good reason. Armada may not be the biggest winner for FFG in terms of sales.. I have no idea one way or the other on that.. but it seems like priority is given elsewhere and I can't believe that it's just an oversight.

I keep wondering, in a game focused on capital ships, how frequently can they release things without running out of material?

So out of curiosity, what would push people to finally drop the game and look for something else to fill their time? If FFG continues to host tournaments will everyone keep playing?

There’s plenty of material.

Just a ever-increasing issue in communication.

3 minutes ago, durandal343 said:

So out of curiosity, what would push people to finally drop the game and look for something else to fill their time? If FFG continues to host tournaments will everyone keep playing?

Egregious whining on the forums might do it.

That said, the local community here continues to grow and legion has shown exactly zero signs of slowing us down, so I'm not concerned at all.

Alright, that's it.

First: Consider the source of this reply. I'm the developer and adminstrator of KDYards.com - a site that lets you add all the new ship, squadrons, upgrades, even damage cards, you want to the game of Armada until the cows come home. So, when it comes to the life of armada beyond the end of it's printing - I'm one of *the* guys.

I'm quite tired of "But Armada will never really die, so long as we believe" message. Not because I don't agree, because I do - I obviously do or I wouldn't have poured my heart and soul into KDYards, but because they aren't actually all that relevant to the reason of the community being upset.

Armada living forever is great. FFG engaging with a community that is begging for it and ripe for it? that's even better.

2 minutes ago, FoaS said:

Armada living forever is great. FFG engaging with a community that is begging for it and ripe for it? that's even better.

Which is why I posted in the first place. Is something like this enough for people to walk away? What will it take? FFG dropped the ball here and has in the past but their actions and the griping of people doesn't seem to actually affect anything. We complain and and get all upset and then just keep on keeping on. Is there something that will make all these extra upset people stop playing? That's what I'm curious about. I do not mean to dismiss your disappointment in how FFG communicates. That is an entirely valid complaint. I'm disappointed too.. but in the end will keep flying my ships because it's fun and also on general principle because of all the money I have tied up in it. Just wondering what it will take for other people with wider gaming interests to stop playing.

Your feelings are equally valid and fair. Sorry for jumping to the "stop tone policing" vibe.

In a couple days, when the initial rage subsides, I will resurrect my "how can ffg step up their collaboration" thread.

Just now, FoaS said:

Your feelings are equally valid and fair. Sorry for jumping to the "stop tone policing" vibe.

In a couple days, when the initial rage subsides, I will resurrect my "how can ffg step up their collaboration" thread.

A big part of my mind doesn’t want you to wait.

3 minutes ago, durandal343 said:

Which is why I posted in the first place. Is something like this enough for people to walk away? What will it take? FFG dropped the ball here and has in the past but their actions and the griping of people doesn't seem to actually affect anything. We complain and and get all upset and then just keep on keeping on. Is there something that will make all these extra upset people stop playing? That's what I'm curious about. I do not mean to dismiss your disappointment in how FFG communicates. That is an entirely valid complaint. I'm disappointed too.. but in the end will keep flying my ships because it's fun and also on general principle because of all the money I have tied up in it. Just wondering what it will take for other people with wider gaming interests to stop playing.

For me it feels like straws just keep piling on. At a certain point it will be one too many and I will just stop caring.

2 minutes ago, Drasnighta said:

A big part of my mind doesn’t want you to wait.

A big part of mine, too, but one can't let the message get garbled.

I don't know but I think I'm just going to play as long as there are people to play with. I hope there will be more content for Armada, and I think there will be, but I enjoy this game so so much more than the other miniatures games I've tried. Whether or not the game "lives" as far as FFG makes content for it is, in a way, immaterial to me. I just love seeing those ISDs on the table too much.

6 minutes ago, FoaS said:

In a couple days, when the initial rage subsides, I will resurrect my "how can ffg step up their collaboration" thread.

That seems like a productive conversation to have also. Out of curiosity and never having wondered this before, do they communicate this poorly with the followers of their other games? Armada is all I've ever gotten into.

2 minutes ago, durandal343 said:

That seems like a productive conversation to have also. Out of curiosity and never having wondered this before, do they communicate this poorly with the followers of their other games? Armada is all I've ever gotten into.

Yes.

Thee is pretty poor lack of Comms across the board - you don’t know something until it’s announced... Its just... even worse for us, as it seems we’re followed up slower, and have larger news gaps.

I mean, we’re the only game without anything actively coming. Only a vague 8 month old promise that something is.

They won't let it "die" FFG as a company can't have black marks on their product line ups (especially for IPs, original products might be easier to let go) or it will be harder for them to maintain their current IPs or score other IPs.

At most they would "phase out" a game like Armada, with some kind of final expansion(s) and a campaign box (Destroy the Death Star II or whatever) and then say the game has been complete and they did everything they set out to do with it. X-Wing gets a total revamp because it prints money.

The lack of communication, vagueness when announcing news, and being on track for one major wave per year is really awful for the health of the game. I don't think FFG is doing this to Armada on purpose, they probably needed a lot of staff resources for Legion and X-Wing 2.0 - however the management is probably thinking "it makes less money so we devote less resources to it."

Who here thinks the something big actually was Thrawn in hindsight? They've squandered too many chances to actually announce something big like an SSD. I think they mixed up their messages and are staying tight lipped since they don't have anything to fulfill that promise.

1 minute ago, durandal343 said:

That seems like a productive conversation to have also. Out of curiosity and never having wondered this before, do they communicate this poorly with the followers of their other games? Armada is all I've ever gotten into.

Pretty much. All the games basically get articles announcing waves and then some previews. And no further communication.

XWing used to have a few series about list building for under a hundred dollars. And there's an occasional interview with designers.

I do think as the one bright spot was the app. I like that ability to have spontaneous events and the like to encourage play.

I am entirely pessimistic and so never got my hopes up. The games fun to play and there is plenty to mess with so I am really not bothered.

That said I do understand the anguish, just maybe dial down the hope a bit.

7 minutes ago, TheBigLev said:

Who here thinks the something big actually was Thrawn in hindsight? They've squandered too many chances to actually announce something big like an SSD. I think they mixed up their messages and are staying tight lipped since they don't have anything to fulfill that promise.

I've always thought that Thrawn and the Profundity were the fulfillment of that original "Something big is coming." It's been morbidly amusing to me how many people have decided "something big" must mean an SSD, when "something big" is a very standard phrase that gets used all the time when marketing want to build hype something without actually revealing anything of substance.

Of course, for all I know they might actually announce an SSD (or new factions or Armada 2.0 or the Deathstar) by the end of the week. But even if they do, I'm still quite sure that when they said "something big is coming" during the GenCon presentation they simply meant wave 7.

1 minute ago, ShadowKite said:

I've always thought that Thrawn and the Profundity were the fulfillment of that original "Something big is coming." It's been morbidly amusing to me how many people have decided "something big" must mean an SSD, when "something big" is a very standard phrase that gets used all the time when marketing want to build hype something without actually revealing anything of substance.

Of course, for all I know they might actually announce an SSD (or new factions or Armada 2.0 or the Deathstar) by the end of the week. But even if they do, I'm still quite sure that when they said "something big is coming" during the GenCon presentation they simply meant wave 7.

Except they clarified at GAMA it wasn’t.

Thet EXPLICITY SAID it wasn’t wave 7.

I can understand FFG have their hands full with new Legion and Xwing 2.0, I am sure their production facilities abroad are working at the maximum level so their designers and developers and etc. For Armada, 2018 might be a slow year for these reasons however as long as you communicate the right way, players would understand which FFG failed to do.

Even if they dont introduce new ships or squadrons it was perfect oppurtunity to announce a campaign such as Coreillin Conflict. As for production, it would be less complicated compared to development of ships and squadrons.

It’s a sad day to be an armada player. I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. Lesson learned.

2 minutes ago, ShadowKite said:

I've always thought that Thrawn and the Profundity were the fulfillment of that original "Something big is coming." It's been morbidly amusing to me how many people have decided "something big" must mean an SSD, when "something big" is a very standard phrase that gets used all the time when marketing want to build hype something without actually revealing anything of substance.

Of course, for all I know they might actually announce an SSD (or new factions or Armada 2.0 or the Deathstar) by the end of the week. But even if they do, I'm still quite sure that when they said "something big is coming" during the GenCon presentation they simply meant wave 7.

It may not be the ssd they’re referring to, but definitely was not Thrawn and the profundity either.

Just now, Drasnighta said:

Except they clarified at GAMA it wasn’t.

As I recall, what happened at GAMA was that somebody asked, "You guys said back at GenCon that 'something big' was coming for Armada" and the FFG spokesperson said, "We did say that, didn't we?" That's hardly confirmation or clarification.

Just now, ShadowKite said:

As I recall, what happened at GAMA was that somebody asked, "You guys said back at GenCon that 'something big' was coming for Armada" and the FFG spokesperson said, "We did say that, didn't we?" That's hardly confirmation or clarification.

“Something big is still coming” was appended to that

6 minutes ago, Drasnighta said:

“Something big is still coming” was appended to that

Well I wasn't there watching the thing, but I got the impression that "Something big is still coming" was somebody's own interpretation, rather than something explicitly stated.

See this post:

On 3/13/2018 at 9:42 PM, xanderf said:

They didn't say that exactly .

Question from audience was: "Last year at GenCon you said something big was coming, and then...?"

Response: "Yes, we did say that, didn't we? I think that's all the more I can say, maybe I've said too much", and sounded like someone behind him said "that's correct"

So...I dunno, odd interaction. I guess I'd read it to mean 'something big' is still coming, but maybe not in a way we'd really expect?