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Post by Serburas on Jul 8, 2016 2:43:51 GMT -5
I am pleased with what I have received and what this story tells, don't get me wrong. But at it's price point, it was not worth it to me. I apologize, I went on a rant a bit here... but I feel I needed to vent my frustration. Had everything been received on time, or even a week later than expected, sure. But the entire thing being months off was the last straw to me. I was understanding, I was patient, until I came here to Proboards. This is now the only way members can talk, they took that capability away from us on the website, which to me tells me they are trying to hide us... The unsatisfied members who have been there the longest. Any new member has no way to find us here, other than doing a search for Curios and Conundrums, which may or may not lead them here.
This would be different if the other experiences were not also being delayed, which in my mind I cannot fathom a reason for this. Take this as an example, I purchased one of the 400 Tempus Fugit orders that were, supposedly, going to be the last. If they had such a finite amount of them, as if they were done and ready to go, then why are my mailings consistently being delayed a week or more, with the ladder being too often the more accurate description? Furthermore, where are the KS Diamond and above's extras? From what I understand, during the two month gap in mailings, the company sent items that only the Platinum and Diamond levels were supposed to get to all the levels Gold and below to make up for the time between mailings?! So, essentially, those levels got the same, or very near, experience as those that paid a considerable amount more for the same thing. This doesn't even come close to explaining the Bespoke, Cursed Heritage, and higher levels and what they have received. Unless they got something fabulous in their crate, then they will have paid an outrageous amount more than most for virtually the same experience. Nothing compared to what the companies Bespoke experiences used to be from what I have gathered. And then, if they did get this mind blowing final crate, where does that leave the Platinum and Diamond levels? The ones who made the campaign so successful?
I get that the company operates under a shroud of mystery, but this is going too far in my opinion. I messaged the Curator to make sure that I received everything in my crate since it was damaged, and still radio silence, it is only through here that I find myself able to be comforted that it seems I have, yet saddened to find it true. If we counted up all the paper items, all the artifacts, I believe we would find that this experience has very near the same amount of pieces, simply spread over more mailings, as other experiences... this, to me, does not warrant a $399 price tag, perhaps $299, but not the other... I'm sorry to rant, but I have no other way to vent my frustrations with how much more this could have been...
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Post by thegallant on Jul 8, 2016 7:24:45 GMT -5
I don't feel like the rant is out of line. I have so far regretted gifting this to my wife, based on the cost:value ratio. I wished I would have just went with King in Yellow, but I knew the subject matter would be more interesting for her. I will be voicing my dissatisfaction to the curator, but I expect it to fall on deaf ears.
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Post by helenahandbasket on Jul 8, 2016 7:35:35 GMT -5
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Post by thejackalope on Jul 8, 2016 15:57:41 GMT -5
I agree with all of the above. It was not worth the money of the Diamond experience. it was not worth half of that money. The Diamond experience was very close in price to the current going rate of the Century Beast (it was $399 Canadian + separate $50 shipping fee).
Also, people that pledged at lower levels were given the Diamond experience extras? I was not aware of this -- this is incredibly disturbing and makes me never want to give this company another penny. That is a huge breach of faith.
Edit to add: I think my numbers were off and it was $349 Canadian + $50 for a $399 total. Either way, ridiculously over-priced.
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Post by thegenii on Jul 8, 2016 21:35:25 GMT -5
Not home for a few days. Crate is at my house, but I'm not.
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Post by the0alchemist on Jul 9, 2016 0:18:01 GMT -5
I think I lost a mailing by that I mean I think there were more mailings listed on their site before they updated again but I can't recall. I am however fairly sure that I have yet to receive the gold level bonus chapter which I'm not going to be super happy if it comes between the epilogue and reveal already annoyed that it's coming after the crate.
I'm not super butthurt because I had a very realistic expectation going in. I know MPC had a rep before but when you back a kickstarter anything it's a gamble and if you don't truely understand that you're going to be butthurt. I feel that now it's quiet evident that they had such a wonderful dream but never having had such a high demand at once they met with a harsh reality. Which is fairly common for this sort of kickstarter, like is actually the norm sort common, and with that in mind I'm happy to actually have made it to the crate. This sort of kickstarter has broken many prop makers and I've been very worried about how far it could go. Did they promise more than they could deliver, obviously. But at some point you have to say it's better to have them move the goals than break themselves trying to deliver the undeliverable and to have you wind up with nothing. I'm not say that you shouldn't be upset, or that you shouldn't voice said concerns, but some people are more upset than they need to be.
On another note has anyone received the "very personel note" yet?
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Post by thejackalope on Jul 9, 2016 0:26:57 GMT -5
I think I lost a mailing by that I mean I think there were more mailings listed on their site before they updated again but I can't recall. I am however fairly sure that I have yet to receive the gold level bonus chapter which I'm not going to be super happy if it comes between the epilogue and reveal already annoyed that it's coming after the crate. I'm not super butthurt because I had a very realistic expectation going in. I know MPC had a rep before but when you back a kickstarter anything it's a gamble and if you don't truely understand that you're going to be butthurt. I feel that now it's quiet evident that they had such a wonderful dream but never having had such a high demand at once they met with a harsh reality. Which is fairly common for this sort of kickstarter, like is actually the norm sort common, and with that in mind I'm happy to actually have made it to the crate. This sort of kickstarter has broken many prop makers and I've been very worried about how far it could go. Did they promise more than they could deliver, obviously. But at some point you have to say it's better to have them move the goals than break themselves trying to deliver the undeliverable and to have you wind up with nothing. I'm not say that you shouldn't be upset, or that you shouldn't voice said concerns, but some people are more upset than they need to be. On another note has anyone received the "very personel note" yet? "Butthurt?" People paid a lot of money and have respectfully posted their complaints/concerns. You are free to accept whatever product you want for the money you paid; you are not free to insult others with your childish name-calling simply because you disagree.
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Post by Beckett on Jul 9, 2016 3:24:24 GMT -5
On another note has anyone received the "very personel note" yet? I believe someone contacted The Curator about the extras, and they received and answer stating that the extras would not be shipped out before the end of the initial run of the experience. People paid a lot of money and have respectfully posted their complaints/concerns. You are free to accept whatever product you want for the money you paid; you are not free to insult others with your childish name-calling simply because you disagree. I believe the word the0alchemist intended to use was 'disappointed'. Please, let us all try to be civil with one another here, that is one of the things I have always enjoyed about this community. Of course both your views are valid. Personally, I am with the0alchemist here; sure, the Coterie delivered less than was advertised, but I did get a reasonable amount of enjoyment out of this whole Experience; especially since the delays did nothing to lessen the enjoyment for me, as these were supposed to be from a disturbed person who would mail out the scraps and pieces as they would get their hands on them. But if the delays and shortcomings of this project ate within the usual range of a first attempt at crowdfunding and thus forgivable, every backer must decide for themselves. I for one would contribute to their next campaign in a heartbeat.
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Post by Serburas on Jul 9, 2016 3:32:59 GMT -5
I think I lost a mailing by that I mean I think there were more mailings listed on their site before they updated again but I can't recall. I am however fairly sure that I have yet to receive the gold level bonus chapter which I'm not going to be super happy if it comes between the epilogue and reveal already annoyed that it's coming after the crate. I'm not super butthurt because I had a very realistic expectation going in. I know MPC had a rep before but when you back a kickstarter anything it's a gamble and if you don't truely understand that you're going to be butthurt. I feel that now it's quiet evident that they had such a wonderful dream but never having had such a high demand at once they met with a harsh reality. Which is fairly common for this sort of kickstarter, like is actually the norm sort common, and with that in mind I'm happy to actually have made it to the crate. This sort of kickstarter has broken many prop makers and I've been very worried about how far it could go. Did they promise more than they could deliver, obviously. But at some point you have to say it's better to have them move the goals than break themselves trying to deliver the undeliverable and to have you wind up with nothing. I'm not say that you shouldn't be upset, or that you shouldn't voice said concerns, but some people are more upset than they need to be. On another note has anyone received the "very personel note" yet? Here's the thing though, I had not had any experience with Kickstarter, but I had experience with the MPC, which I had grown to love and respect. Which, in my experience and knowledge, had never had such drastic delays,and not been so very obvious about their lack of preparedness for this adventure. I wouldn't be so salty about this had they not done some of the things they did. 1. They were wildly successful, which was amazing and exciting! But then they stated mailings would start in November, and they had not even finished designing the story or artifacts yet to come. Production delays will happen, sure. But they should not have rolled out the stories beginning when not having a completed end. This would be no different than, say, a gaming developer releasing their new console, which everyone had paid for and pre-ordered, then making the new owners wait as they developed games for said console. Rendering it a useless paperweight.
2. They got greedy... Or perhaps they hired too many new people and ran out of funds to employ them, I don't know, but either way they were reckless. We, the KS backers, were experiencing our first in many delays when they released the "Black Friday" sale of the Century Beast. They accepted new orders of an experience that was already being delayed by production issues, and refused to communicate with anyone. Furthermore, we KS backers were supposed to get a somewhat unique experience, as in our TCB was supposed to be somewhat different than the retail version, yet as I look at the description on the website, the only thing missing is the photograph, and I bet that it will wind up in the final crate of the retail version.
3. The additional chapter, that were lead to believe was a kickstarter exclusive, the one you are still waiting on supposedly, has already been sent. Apparently the cassette mailing is the additional chapter, or perhaps the story of the saga, but to me the saga story piece fits better in with the whole, while the cassette seems to be there merely to confound and confuse, perhaps even scare with it's satanic theme. The cassette took me completely out of the story... it doesn't seem to fit and seems a last minute attempt to shock and awe us into forgetting about the academic website and second online puzzle we were promised.
4. They kept us in the dark, which is fine with mystery, but not when you have a whopping two month gap in mailings and a constant path of delays and misdirection. But the needle that broke me, was when they took our ability to talk to each other away. They took away our means to communicate, to find out what each other got and didn't get, to fact check this company into taking responsibility for their actions. they essentially robbed us, and have shown no true care in remedying this... Well save for what they sent to people to tide them over in the mailings, but oh, wait, Diamond levels and above didn't get anything for what they had to wait. 582, Five Hundred and Eighty Two Diamond Level Backers... We, we were the bulk, the reason almost that this was so wildly successful, and we got nothing as of yet for how we had to wait...
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Post by Serburas on Jul 9, 2016 5:28:55 GMT -5
I want so badly to be optimistic, I want so badly to have the faith in them I had when I first vicariously experienced what they could be as a friend of mine started receiving Risen as a wedding gift from his wife... (A truly interesting experience to see something so odd being sent to a friend, being worried and fascinated by it and for him, and having no idea where it was coming from, then finding out and becoming all the more excited again!) I truly hate to speak ill of them, but you here are all that would understand, I do apologize for venting so much here in this forum. And thank you for your patience with it.
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Post by Beckett on Jul 9, 2016 5:58:25 GMT -5
And thank you for your patience with it. Well, for what it is worth, your way of venting does not require much in the way of patience. As for the issue of faith in the Company, there is nothing wrong with not pouring money into every pre-order and crowdfunding effort, but instead wait until others have made their experiences with future Experiences. If one can resist the Siren Call of a Free T-Shirt, that is.
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Post by Todd on Jul 9, 2016 6:01:16 GMT -5
Please, let us all try to be civil with one another here, that is one of the things I have always enjoyed about this community. Of course both your views are valid. This is more than just good advice. It's the only rule here. Carry on.
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Post by Serburas on Jul 9, 2016 6:06:50 GMT -5
Please, let us all try to be civil with one another here, that is one of the things I have always enjoyed about this community. Of course both your views are valid. This is more than just good advice. It's the only rule here. Carry on. If it helps at all, I took no offense to that particular statement, but did feel I needed to express my concerns. Thank you Beckett for what you have said, it is reassuring, but I have gotten it all out now I think. I am excited to see what the Bespoke level backers got. Genii needs to get home and crack that crate! (A slight smile crosses my face as I consider using the term "Lol", though I did not, in point of fact, "Laugh out Loud"
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Post by Beckett on Jul 9, 2016 6:12:24 GMT -5
I can hardly contain myself. As I am out of town myself over the weekend and I would not put it past my brother to keep quiet about receiving the crate or at least the customs notice to get me to confess to my involvement, I am completely out of the loop here!
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Post by helenahandbasket on Jul 9, 2016 7:09:29 GMT -5
...Which is fairly common for this sort of kickstarter, like is actually the norm sort common, and with that in mind I'm happy to actually have made it to the crate. This sort of kickstarter has broken many prop makers and I've been very worried about how far it could go. Did they promise more than they could deliver, obviously. But at some point you have to say it's better to have them move the goals than break themselves trying to deliver the undeliverable and to have you wind up with nothing. I'm not say that you shouldn't be upset, or that you shouldn't voice said concerns, but some people are more upset than they need to be... Keep in mind that there are quite a lot of people reading this board who purchased the retail experience on Black Friday for $399USD, roughly equivalent to the KS Diamond (around $340USD, iirc). I think when we invite people to take a view, that it was a Kickstarter and there were no particular guarantees about the Century Beast, we need to remember that some people did indeed purchase a retail experience that didn't have Kickstarter-type caveats attached.
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