[KICKSTARTER] Mantic's Star Saga

[Arcturus]

Mantic Games announces Star Saga
Mantic Games today announced the newest in its series of dungeon crawler tabletop games: STAR SAGA, which will launch on Kickstarter on September 26th.
 
The spiritual sequel to the smash hit Dungeon Saga, Star Saga: The Eiras Contract will see the dungeon crawler format take flight—into outer space!
 
Featuring strong story-telling elements with immersive game scenarios, and set in Mantic’s evocative Warpath Universe, Star Saga will see players guide a team of space mercenaries on a mission to retrieve stolen data plans from a research facility orbiting a far-off alien world.

Players will take on platoons of minions, powerful alien bosses and be forced to make difficult choices as the story takes unexpected twists and turns. Further campaigns and expansions will utilise the full scope of the science fiction settings, from space stations and starships to alien worlds and beyond.
 
Dungeon Saga was praised for its simple core mechanics that provided a perfect opening for new players, and Star Saga will build on that success.  Introducing newly improved and stronger rulesets, Star Saga will feature both ‘learn as you go’ rules for new players, and more detailed, advanced mechanics for seasoned gamers.
 
Star Saga: The Eiras Contract will hit Kickstarter on September 26th at 8:30AM EST, and run for 25 days.

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+++Star Saga Mission Briefing 20.09.16+++
>>Encryption Started>>
>>Transmission Begins>>
Last week we announced our next Kickstarter—STAR SAGA will be launching next Monday, SEPTEMBER 26. Today we transmit this STAR SAGA newsletter, giving you the first taste of the upcoming science fiction dungeon crawler!

Over on the Mantic Blog our studio manager Stew wrote a post that delves into the gameplay and rules. He also talks about the background to STAR SAGA’s development, what we learned from our experiences on DUNGEON SAGA, and how we used that knowledge to refine and re-define the rules for STAR SAGA, including all-new solo rules and stronger co-op play.

NOW, on to the really fun stuff!

Exclusive to our STAR SAGA subscribers, we’re nearly ready to show off the campaign itself ahead of launch, so you can see just what’s in store.

The campaign this time around is a bit more streamlined than in the past, with just one pledge level, which will be priced at $100.00 USD. If you get in early, there will also be an identical version of this pledge, in limited quantities, offered at a discounted price ($90.00).

There will also be a retailer pledge level for those interested and qualifying stores.

The contents of the core pledge includes the CORE STAR SAGA BOX GAME (MSRP $79.99), the STAR SAGA MISSION CREATOR expansion (MSRP $39.99) and the STAR SAGA CHARACTER CREATOR expansion((MSRP $39.99). That’s $140 in retail value before we’ve met any of our planned stretch goals!

>>Package Description>>
>>HIGH PRIORITY>>

The contents of the core box will include:
•    The Rulebook featuring tutorials and basic mechanics for novices, as well as expanded rules for veteran players.
•    The Eiras Contract Mission Book with 10 narrative adventures, two intro missions, character bios and the story behind Eiras.
•    High Quality Card Sheets with floor tiles and counters
•    Four Character cards
•    More than 100 Game Cards for equipment, skills, and all the powers of the Nexus player.
•    A Selection of Custom Dice
•    32 Highly Detailed Miniatures including:
o    Four Mercenary Heroes
o    Three Bosses
o    24 Minions
•    plus loads of scenery
>>End Description>>

[robh]

Gosh, what a surprise.........a Mantic Kickstarter.
 

[Elbows]

While the idea sounds good...I've never been more unimpressed with a product than when I received Dungeon Saga.  I sold it the next day on eBay.  As such, I don't see myself going anywhere near this.

Mantic is home of some wonderful ideas, and some poor execution on those ideas (often promoted as "cheaper than GW!" etc.). 

[Nord]

Those renders look really nice. But will that carry through to the actual casts is the question?

[beefcake]

I wish they would choose a better material to use for the miniatures. It seems to be the same as CMoN stuff but just not as good quality.

[necromorph]

Meh! I dunno what it is about Mantics Sci-Fi world but it doesn't really grab me.I'll keep an eye on the KS but betwwen Doom, Space Hulk and AVP, the "heroes in a ship with monsters" thing has kinda bee done to death. Mutant Chronicles Siege of the Citadel which is up at the moment has me more interested, as there a possibility to have an entire Dark Legion army for Warzone in the box.

[Dentatus]

Like those renders.

That said, I'm weary of Kickstarters in general, plus I find Mantic good-intentioned but never seems to get on my 'Must Have' list. So I'll keep an eye on it but if I have to choose, I'm backing Astropolis. 

[nic-e]

Figure with the sword looks cool.
Their new warpath plastics look to be great, but i'd rather they focus on that and expanding it (with this as a pdf ) than add another UBER KICKSTARTER to the list, because they're running the risk of falling off the map if they don't have an annual kickstarter to keep them in peoples memories. (or worse, they'll end up like spartan, with 2000 games and no support for any of them)

Having said that, this might be the farthest they've strayed from the shadow of games workshop (which is good, because their initially funny tongue in cheek *gee, we love rank, who wants a skirmish* & *gosh, wouldn't it be silly of us to destroy the world* in joking with regards to KOW  is becoming a little tiring.)

[Gibby]

The thing about Mantic that annoys me is that they try to pass off this shite PVC gummy bear material they now use as better for the consumer. "This allows us to make GREAT and DETAILED figures that barely require assembly!". No. Admit that it helps keep costs down because you've created a Kickstarter expectation of shit loads of free stuff from massive stretch goals with all these $million-busting campaigns you've done before (and in the process damaged Kickstarter for smaller companies actually using it for its intended purpose, but getting responses like "Hmm, not much benefit to backing this over just waiting for retail, looking at prices...").

[Humorous_Conclusion]

I'm pretty much done with Kickstarters, at least for the bigger, more established companies. Too easy to get carried away and spend money on something you wouldn't otherwise buy.

I'll keep an eye on this, I like the idea, but will wait until it gets a proper release. Not much chance of Mantic not reaching their goal.

[Malebolgia]

It's live!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/star-saga-the-sci-fi-dungeon-crawler

[driller]

Holy crap is this underwhelming

[tomcat51]

Holy crap is this underwhelming

Very. There are better looking games available now for less than the £77 they are asking of us.

[Elbows]

As with any of the big companies Kickstarters they suffer from an odd anomaly.  They know it's likely to end up in the hundreds of thousands or millions, so they plan ahead for a rather large amount of unlocks and freebies - as such the starting pledge is always pretty underwhelming.  Soon you'll see a list of unlocks for the next half-million or so in pledges.  I find that with many of the large games, they're worth it by the time the KS is over, but are seldom such when starting.

For instance the Dungeon Saga pledge (I forgot the price) was garbage at the opening level...particularly when the game was 30-40% off almost immediately after release.  It was only the extensive amount of unlocks/bonuses which made it worth the $100 pledge.

That being said, I don't think big companies are ruining Kickstarters for small companies.  It's just another tool.  A lot of people buying into big-game Kickstarters just want freebies.  Everyone is free to decide what is and is not worth their money, regardless of the size of the Kickstarter project or the company behind it.  I see loads of small time miniatures Kickstarters succeed, and many that don't (often for good reason).

Unfortunately the content/design looks really similar to Dungeon Saga, which may have had good rules (I couldn't even get through them) but the contents you received in the game box were really poor.  Thin card tiles with mediocre art, mediocre rulebook (down to the quality of the paper and the image quality of the photos).  The minis were a terrible material, many arrived broken, etc.  It paled in comparison to normal quality board games --- which is a shame since it could have inherited a large Warhammer Quest/Hero Quest audience.  In the end, Dungeon Saga was quite successful but I was really put off by the quality of almost every component.  That is just a risk of Kickstarters.

[The Voivod]

I'm actually more tempted then I thought.
I'm not so much into the Warpath universe, but if it's a versatile system it, including rules to design your own heroes/units, it can actually be used in any SF setting.

I thought my SF dungeon crawl itch was scratched with, but this game could also be used to play an assasin strike team attacking a chaos stronghold in 40k or special forces in infinity.

Anyway, Mantic kickstarters are usually interesting to follow, so we'll see how things turn out.