What do you think of MMP's stewardship of ASL so far?

What do you think of MMP's handling of ASL so far?

  • They are doing a fantastic job!

    Votes: 9 6.3%
  • Not perfect, but they're doing very well

    Votes: 42 29.6%
  • Good. Better than I thought they would

    Votes: 8 5.6%
  • I'm content with the job they're doing

    Votes: 32 22.5%
  • They're doing a mediocre job

    Votes: 30 21.1%
  • Not terrible, but I wish they were doing a lot better

    Votes: 16 11.3%
  • Terrible. I'm very disappointed so far

    Votes: 5 3.5%

  • Total voters
    142

Aries

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Oh I wouldn't go so far as to think MMP "doesn't care" regardless if Keith never gets "into it" on this thread. The man has a life after all hehe.

No my only question, is does the staff, such as it is, of MMP, really want to "just make some modules" as it some days seems, or do they wish to eventually be anywhere further in the sooner than later sense of the word.

Example, 2000 I discover Matrix Games. Matrix Games at that time is some private indivduals puttering away with a program (Steel Panthers) which they secure the priviledge to give away, simply give away, so long as everything ever produced in the manner of a modification is also made free.

Not sure what David Heath wanted those 4 years ago, but one thing is apparent, he doesn't wish to remain a small potatoes operation constantly sucking wind for cash.

2004 and Matrix Games is looking rather "expanded". They are now a source for a great many games, some of them award generating designs.
I have seen developers up and walk out on other companies in favour of Matrix Games.

David Heath isn't rolling in money though. Who is really?

We keep getting fed the line MMP needs cash, in one manner of statement or another. Guess what, I don't give a sh*t if they do need cash. What business doesn't.

I'm just joe average consumer here. They make a good product, when they actually get around to making it.
ASL Starter looks well made, will it be in stock next year?

Why is it, the predominant image of MMP, is of a business with no cash power and no stock, especially when they possess the ONLY wargame people will fight over like lunatics?

To re use my table analogy, if I discovered people were paying 150 to 200% of the cost of one of my tables used or new condition on eBay, I would do something about making some new ones so the money would end up in MY pocket.
And if that meant a conversation with a banker, I would bloody well do it.

Every time I see a collection sold on eBay or a module sold on eBay, I see the words FAILURE on the part of MMP to support the game in any long term sense.

Some might not appreciate that negative view, but the words "out of stock" being listed day after day month after month even year after year, tells a random visitor MMP represents a game no longer sold (and they are just tring to purge left overs).

Until MMP removes the words "out of stock" and not before they are removed, will I be of the opinion MMP is doing anything to adequately protect the long term future of the game.

Thus far they went massively out of pocket to circulate some reprints for enigmatic reasons known only to themselves.
 
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da priest

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Aries said:
Some might not appreciate that negative view, but the words "out of stock" being listed day after day month after month even year after year, tells a random visitor MMP represents a game no longer sold (and they are just tring to purge left overs).

Until MMP removes the words "out of stock" and not before they are removed, will I be of the opinion MMP is doing anything to adequately protect the long term future of the game.

Thus far they went massively out of pocket to circulate some reprints for enigmatic reasons known only to themselves.
Let's see, you ding them for not having reprints available and then you hit them upside the head for doing reprints.....

And you still wonder why they don't wander in here and "talk" to you? H*ll if you know from past activity that all you'd get is screamed at by someone without a clue you wouldn't drop by either.
 

Gunner Scott

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Hi-

PVT Mosher, cant people have an opinion that differ's from you or PVT Wolkeys POV? It seem's you get great joy out of slamming people who dis MMP, I guess your kid must be kicking your butt in ASL, hence your poor Attitude.

Not everybody thinks MMP is doing a fantastic job which you and your brother wolkey seem to think, the fact is, they are doing a very poor job and hence the shrinking playing pool of ASL.

Shrinking numbers of players: This is due to lack of support, oop items and life. Doomed Battalions sold around 4000 copies when it came out, AoO is at I think 1500 copies. And half are probably doubles bought by groggies or speculaters for eBay.


My 2 DM.

Scott


PVT Mosher said:
Let's see, you ding them for not having reprints available and then you hit them upside the head for doing reprints.....

And you still wonder why they don't wander in here and "talk" to you? H*ll if you know from past activity that all you'd get is screamed at by someone without a clue you wouldn't drop by either.
 

Aries

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Friends tell you what they truely think is the truth, people that don't care, well I guess they don't care if you ever know or not eh.

If MMP can't handle being the official source, then they should get over it and stop bugging the official fans :)

I don't want promises, I want action.

My previously mentioned buddy stands to be up 7 million in 3 years. Yes I said 7 MILLION.

He is also talking potential business notions with me.

Yeah 7 MILLION.

Hey he would be going from poor schmuck to multimillionaire hehe, maybe he could be convinced to indulge my hobby eh :)

Fact remains though, people not interested in making money rarely do.
 

da priest

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Well, we've played with the gloom and doomers, but in the end over 65% of the folks are content with the current state of the hobby. A landslide vote in any free and open US election. :cool:
 

Mark Warren

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With all the negetive comments I just want to add my positive one. I think MMP are doing a good job with a niche hobby. I think the ASLSK is a particularly good idea. I wish it had been available 2+ years ago when I was first learning ASL.

I may not have been around playing ASL when most of you were. But I can probably still be classed as one of the newbies getting into the hobby, so there is one new face that MMP has attracted and converted to the world of ASL.
 

Aries

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Glad to have you involved of course Mark. But the vital question of course is, do you have the ASL rule book and Beyond Valour for instance?

If yes how did you get them?

Did you experience difficulties getting them?

That is what is paramount in the minds of persons like myself.
 

Gunner Scott

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PVT Mosher
Having your rugrats vote does not count.

Scott


[B said:
PVT Mosher[/B] ]Well, we've played with the gloom and doomers, but in the end over 65% of the folks are content with the current state of the hobby. A landslide vote in any free and open US election. :cool:
 

Mark Warren

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Aries,

I managed to get the ASLv2 Rulebook and BVv2 (Which I have to say was an amazing package for the price and can understand why costs restrict a similar reprint) around the time they went out of print. Stockists in the UK still had them.

I can understand anyone's frustration at not being able to get their hands on them at the moment. I had the same frustration with the British OOB before FKaC but even so I guess I still had BV which is the most important of all. However I would say that Paratrooper is still in print, perhaps not the Core module that BV is, but it still offers a way into full blown ASL (with the Rulebook) after the ASLSK until BV is reprinted. I know that still leaves the rulebook but I am sure MMP are trying to get this printed as soon as they can. At least the ASLSK is there in the meantime which I believe is probably the best starting point for new comers (just my opinion).

Again I can understand the furstration of these key products being out of print but there is no gaming system out there that I can think of that comes close to ASL in scale and diversity of products. With such a small hobby, having the cashflow to keep such a system going for newcomers must be a very hard and an apparently thankless task. I hope they can find the money and means to print enough Rulebooks and BV's this time to keep them in stock for whoever needs them but just estimating that need is probably a task in itself.
 
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Robert Wolkey in other thread said:
Dean Essig is producing the Gamers games, which is the reason they are coming out so fast. The same thing for Mike Rinella and his games. Brian and Perry lost the help of Steve Peterson, Russ Bunten and Curt which means they are now trying to do the work of 4 guys and still keep their day jobs. Under the circumstances they are doing a great job.
Years ago, MMP hired the ASL rights to Hasbro with the intention of keep the ASL flame alive.
Some years after, they bought The Gamers and the ASL community afraid this could cause a dispersion of effort in ASL products, but MMP guys said the cause was to use The Gamers as cash generator machine to ASL products.
I suppose the same with other games.

Now, they own the money but they don´t own the people to work in ASL products.

Why don´t they contract anyone to work and help in ASL products as Dean Essig do in Gamers products?

My point of view is MMP has lost the interest in ASL products, so, they are interested in other AH games as Up Front, GCACW, or other games as MG:MG based in old AH games, Shifting Sands based in GMT cards games, etc, but ASL is not the first object of interest because is a game with many problems, specially the need of republish old modules as ASLRB, BV, etc one time and other time and ...

To reinforce this opinion, time ago I read that Curt was very interested in certain Gamers serie I don´t remember.

They don´t keep the flame ASL alive already, they are a games producer as many others. Really they can make what they want, it´s their money and their work, but MMP is playing with OUR illusions. Though sincerely I realize if MMP doesn´t keep the ASL alive, none is interested in do it.

But, this is only my opinion.

Jesus
 
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kdalton

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MMP and Contracting

We are in negotiations to contract out ASL layout work and remove this bottleneck as we speak. In the meantime, we are working as hard as we can to finish the AOO (not the appearance of the box cover last week).

I am doing most ad layout and promotional layout.

We appreciate the words of support as well as the constructive criticism offered here. Thanks for the input.
 

Gunner Scott

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Hi-

And here I was hoping MMP would get an ASL product published this year.
I still say fire the dirtbags.

Scott

MMP's Minister of Propaganda writes;
kdalton said:
We are in negotiations to contract out ASL layout work and remove this bottleneck as we speak. In the meantime, we are working as hard as we can to finish the AOO (not the appearance of the box cover last week).

I am doing most ad layout and promotional layout.

We appreciate the words of support as well as the constructive criticism offered here. Thanks for the input.
 

Mark Warren

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Scott,

Keith didn't mention any timescales so you are jumping the gun a bit in your assumption that nothing official will come out this year.

And your final comment is as unwelcome as usual.
 

Doughboy

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kdalton said:
We are in negotiations to contract out ASL layout work and remove this bottleneck as we speak. In the meantime, we are working as hard as we can to finish the AOO (not the appearance of the box cover last week).

I am doing most ad layout and promotional layout.

We appreciate the words of support as well as the constructive criticism offered here. Thanks for the input.
Hi Keith,

just out of curiousity, will the box be stiff like the standard boxes in the past?
I found the FKaC box way too filmsy

Best regards! :cheeky:
 

kdalton

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To the best of my knowledge, it will be the same as FKAC.

You know, we've had both positive and negative comments on those boxes. Some like them because the corners don't "blow out" like on the old rigid boxes. They have more flexibility in that area. Others don't like them because they have that much give, they prefer the old AH style.

Then there's the segment of our customer base that prefer ziplocks. :cheeky:
 

Dr Zaius

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kdalton said:
Uh, is it me or has the poll at the top of this thread changed?:nuts:
Yes, it appears there has been a problem in the database with the polls. We're looking into it. :nervous:
 

kdalton

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That's what you get for movin' shit. :devious:

Seriously, hope you can get it worked out. I voted on this one as well. What the heck, it's an election year and I'm all about rockin' the vote. :cheeky:
 

Dr Zaius

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This is a seriously complicated problem and I'm not sure it can be fixed at all. I will try to get our programmer to take a look and see if it can be fixed.
 

Doughboy

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kdalton said:
To the best of my knowledge, it will be the same as FKAC.

You know, we've had both positive and negative comments on those boxes. Some like them because the corners don't "blow out" like on the old rigid boxes. They have more flexibility in that area. Others don't like them because they have that much give, they prefer the old AH style.

Then there's the segment of our customer base that prefer ziplocks. :cheeky:
Hi Keith,

no problem, I'll just reinforce the inside of the boxes with other cardboard from cereral boxes, (a painless solution)

Cheers! ;)
 
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