by Caroline Black
Well yesterday after waiting nearly a month
Flamecraft arrived. It’s been a long wait as it’s been fulfilling since the beginning of September. I must of been one of the last packages sent out. It was further delayed by the Royal Mail strike.
The box wasn’t too big which is great. Having bought lots of games recently with big boxes, a normal
Ticket to Ride sized box was nice. I had backed the deluxe edition, which is unusual for me. It game with a
Game Trayz insert with component trays that go straight from the box to the table.
It comes with plastic dragons as well as wooden dragons. I had a empty space in my insert. Apparently it’s for the Kickstarter exclusive Pink fancy Dragon. Apparently there was a puzzle you have to solve which enabled you to unlock it for free but if I remember correctly I only backed it in the last hours of the campaign. So now I have a nice space in my insert to remind my of my ineptitude.
I was trying not the succumb to any Kickstarters at the time but couldn’t resist it. I also got two extra
Game Trayz which I don’t remember backing. I think I must have backed the standard edition and then changed my mind.
Actually in terms of Kickstarter it’s fulfilled pretty quickly. I have plenty of projects that are much older like
Everdell and
Museum.
We played it at board game club. The play mat is soooo long. It needs quite a big table. I do prefer a play mat to a board though. It’s a very light game although some of the different shops and fancy dragons were interesting. I need to play it a few more times. The art is very cute. They’ve definitely tried to tap into the current trend for nice, pretty games. You even give each other gifts. Spending resources for victory points. Like in
Everdell.
Talking of
Everdell still no sign of that delivering. It seems they are sending out the complete collections first. This might be my revenge on the parcel delivery man.
I might watch unboxing video later to further re-enforce my new found resolve not to back any more Kickstarters.
Also today I have another Kickstarter delivering.
Keydom's Dragons. Again delivered by the completely useless Parcelforce. They put a card through my door (having delivered during the only hour I was out all day; I swear they hide round the corner)
The card helpfully said it had been delivered to a Post Office but the writing was so bad I couldn’t work out which one. Moreover the tracking number was barely legible.
Having tried multiple numbers in the app I finally struck lucky on the right one. The app also helpfully told me it was at a local post office but not which one. I walked to my local Post Office who told me it had been delivered to an electric charging service station a couple of miles away. Since when was a service station/Tesla showroom a Post Office?
Really I wish these fulfilment houses would send out the tracking BEFORE post the parcel and secondly don’t ever use Parcelforce. Note to self enough is enough, do not back any more Kickstarters. It’s just unbelievably frustrating.
Really if I didn’t back Kickstarter, the money I save (and the shipping and VAT) would enable me to have a proper retail experience buying a game from a FLGS.
Whist I like games, Kickstarter is like Russian Roulette. I love the way Royal Mail keep going on strike. Somehow their employees (and their trade union) think that going on strike is going to mean that a business that losses a £1million a day (yes £1million a day!) is going to pay them more?
I went onto the website for the electric charging service station to check their opening times. Apparently they are closed Monday due to the Queens funeral. What? Come on update your website! Do they really think that having had a frustrating experience I am likely to buy a new Tesla? Sometimes I just think the world gone completely bonkers.
I do think the Kickstarter expansion to
Shelfie Stacker would be interesting. It would involve some dice disappearing and others being delivered to other players. Or not delivering at all!
Hamlet: The Village Building Game is also delivering. Again no tracking. Bet they’ve used Parcelforce as well. Do I dare pop out to pick up
Keydom's Dragons as they are bound to try and deliver it at the same time?
On other news I see that
Stonemaier Games has released details about
Wingspan: Asia. Wingspan will now be playable up to 7 players with a stand alone duet version. Not sure if I want another Wingspan expansion or the big nesting box. I need to think about it. But still it’s exciting!
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