[Backer Rewards] Physical Reward Updates

[boffmoffet]

Thanks for the pictures dog days, those look great. Od Nua/Eothas statue looks absolutely amazing. 

 

I’m not a fan of the Steam code either, but FWIW it was explicitly mentioned during the Fig campaign (at the very least by Feargus himself) that physical copies would not come with a disc installer this time around.

That does in no way imply that it shouldn’t have been written explicitly in each of the physical tiers’ description, mind you. Just putting things in perspective

 

Yeah I am still gonna call false advertising on that one. Physical copy means PHYSICAL COPY unless there is an asterisks or addendum on the immediate storefront/pledge page. Obsidian cant charge 200 dollars for a physical copy and expect us to read the fine print on one of the 5 pages they were posting early backer info on.

 

Honestly this one detail is a deal breaker for me in regard to supporting future projects.  I knew it was gonna be released in a state I consider to rough for release. It did. Within an hour of gameplay I had bugs that ruined the narrative pacing for the game, letting me know I need to wait a few patches. That's Obsidian, the end product is always worth waiting for a few patches. The rest of these physical goods look great, the quality I was expecting, albeit a little late with a little communications snaffu. I can chill, I love your games. But no physical copy shipping with my physical copy reward tier?  That takes me from ludicrous levels of backing to a fan who will buy the collectors edition 2 years after release when its on sales for $20.

 

(inner dialogue) Shut it down, Lemon. Shut it down.

[house2fly]

It's confusing more than anything. Why have a boxed collector's edition without a copy of the game in??  It's just a nice box with the Pillars Of Eternity 2 logo on it! I've got no problem with it being a digital-only game, but if it is then why make a box?!

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

The entire notion of "physical copies" seems kinda silly these days. 

 

"Sorry, yeah, I'm still installing the game. My arm is getting tired swapping out seventy separate CDs"

 

I think i'm getting a box so I hope I can fit the maps and figurines etc in it for storage.

[Guest]

It's confusing more than anything. Why have a boxed collector's edition without a copy of the game in?? It's just a nice box with the Pillars Of Eternity 2 logo on it! I've got no problem with it being a digital-only game, but if it is then why make a box?!

People want the “big box” to put on their game shelf next to their old Infinity Engine games (in similar packaging). See: mattchat

[WanderingAim]

My collector's addition arrived yesterday... and I'm a bit underwhelmed and disappointed. What I thought I bought (based on the Pillars I collector's addition), and what I actually got don't match. The steel case with a code caught me completely by surprise. I realize (from reading above) that I misunderstood some of the descriptions. Lesson learned. I will be much more hesitant in the future. 

[theesh]

My collectors edition arrived yesterday and, i'm a bit saddened. The statue, while it looked to be amazing while whole, arrived in pieces. I have already emailed obsidian support but, I thought i would share here just to make people aware of this issue.  The link below is a picture statues condition upon arrival.  

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ADey45-dC3cPgU-BXJa0tqPaaUSrvwFD

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

My collectors edition arrived yesterday and, i'm a bit saddened. The statue, while it looked to be amazing while whole, arrived in pieces. I have already emailed obsidian support but, I thought i would share here just to make people aware of this issue.  The link below is a picture statues condition upon arrival.  

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ADey45-dC3cPgU-BXJa0tqPaaUSrvwFD

 

 

oh goddam that's awful =(

[house2fly]

The United States Postal Service managed to do what the Watcher Of Caed Nua could not

[bbidnick]

I'll add my own experience to this thread.  My physical stuff just arrived today, which was a total surprise.  I didn't receive any shipping notification or tracking information.  I just happened to be working from home today and stepped outside to get the mail, and there it was on my doorstep.

 

Upon opening the box, there was the box for the statue, the shrinkwrapped guide, and a shrinkwrapped, signed collector's edition.  No map, no frog pin, no mouse pad, no "artwork. - all of which are apparently inside the collector's edition box.  So if you are one to archive the big box on your shelf, be advised that a number of the items are inside that box if you plan to leave it shrinkwrapped.

 

Minor complaints aside, this is still worlds better than the delivery of physical items from the first PoE - that fulfillment company never shipped my stuff because my address was somehow invalid for their system, and also never notified me of that.  Months later I eventually sorted it out and got my stuff.

 

Obsidian - you folks make amazing games, but your fulfillment partners continue to leave a bit to be desired.

[Guest]

Got my shipment today.

 

Proud member of the “Broken Eothas” club. Right hand snapped off pretty cleanly and I was able to super glue it back on. Less than thrilled, but I’ll get over it.

 

Geniuses in fulfillment are putting the game box right up against the side of the shipping box with no padding, so prepare for lots of complaints about crushed corners.

 

The contents themselves are great. The cloth map is a vast improvement over what shipped with PoE1. The shirts and hoodie look top notch.

[Urthor]

Got the email for shipment, but my tracking email has been either mail merged badly or otherwise, because the field for the tracking number is one long string RRD Priority Parcel DelCon DDU  RRD07056***************

 

Did anyone else get the same style of tracking number?  Can't get any combination of tracking numbers to work on a number of sites

[Guest]

Hi all,

 

I updated the support page with some more news (yay, our distribution house in the EU is confirmed and everything is moving along), but I wanted to jump in here real quick before I head out for the day.

 

Physical Editions without CD's:

 

We never intended to deceive or misdirect with the physical editions of the box. As hard as it might be to believe, there was once a time when we thought we would be getting our backers all of their rewards on-time, and that timing informed quite a lot of the decisions made for backer rewards. Before the Manufacturing and Shipping Kerfuffle of 2018, the thought was to have manufacturing done much earlier than the launch of the game, and then everything would go smoothly so that backers would get their rewards in-hand while, or just after, the game launched. This meant that, even if we made CD's, they would really just be setpieces to represent the game as opposed to a physical, install-able version of the game itself, and would have added even more time between manufacturing and getting goods shipped. We opted not to go with that direction as, alongside the obvious downsides to increases in production time, it would most likely confuse and irritate those who tried to install the game with the CD's and found it either blank or with a requirement that was basically a re-download of the game - which would have rendered the whole thing moot. The cards were actually us trying to be upfront about it, while at the same time providing value to the increasing number of people who do not have CD readers on their rigs, but we could have done a better job at making this decision and the reasons for it more explicit. 

 

Broken items?

 

Very sorry about these and I know how much of a bummer it is to open something you've been waiting patiently for, only to see it broken in pieces. Please send this along to us, and I'll deal with these directly with our distributor!

 

 

Got the email for shipment, but my tracking email has been either mail merged badly or otherwise, because the field for the tracking number is one long string RRD Priority Parcel DelCon DDU  RRD07056***************

 

Did anyone else get the same style of tracking number?  Can't get any combination of tracking numbers to work on a number of sites

 

Hi Urthor, that's an RR Donnelly tracking number, I believe, and I've been able to track the few that have crossed my path here: https://www.aftership.com/couriers/rrdonnelley

[Zap Gun For Hire]

Got my shipment today, and I am pleased to say that the attack roll versus Eothas' AR failed miserably and I received a completely intact statue.

 

(My commiserations to those who weren't as lucky. )

Edited August 17, 2018 by Zap Gun For Hire

[Brockololly]

Got my Collector's Edition earlier this week, only for Od Nua to have lost his head and bits of his torso on the way. Everything else was in fine shape but I kind of figured the statue was going to be busted as soon as I picked up the box and could hear something rattling around. Oh well, it happens I guess.

[Volourn]

"You watch too much Fox News"

 

More FAKE NEWS. I don't watch Fox news. Only tools do. Nice try, though.

 

 

back on subject,  I got the 'email' saying it wa sbeing delivered.. that was nearly 3 weeks ago. Nothing since. L0L

[Merikel]

 

^ pics or it didn’t happen?

 

How are the other items?

 

I don't up irl pics online for the good of humanity. However, here's a link to someone else's pics of their physical goods: https://imgur.com/a/nmOe8GM#52OKl0B

 

 

Hi!

 

That's from my thread on r/projecteternity https://www.reddit.com/r/projecteternity/comments/97bt3d/poe2_deadfire_collectors_edition_items_addons/

 

Inside the thread is another album of the damage my items received but I'll post it here: https://imgur.com/a/nwnM7Pi

 

I'm currently working with Dan Ham at Obsidian to get my issues corrected. I'm happy my Od Nua / Maros Nua statue wasn't smash to smithereens like some I've seen but the putty crap all over the base of it was disappointing, Hopefully I can have a clean one sent to me in its stead. I was really irked about the damage to the Returning Companions figurines and the Signed Collectors Edition Sleeve (corners dented, edges bent). I've put my faith in Obsidian and Dan that they'll make the situation right for myself and anyone else who received damaged goods.

[boffmoffet]

 

Hi all,

 

I updated the support page with some more news (yay, our distribution house in the EU is confirmed and everything is moving along), but I wanted to jump in here real quick before I head out for the day.

 

Physical Editions without CD's:

 

We never intended to deceive or misdirect with the physical editions of the box. As hard as it might be to believe, there was once a time when we thought we would be getting our backers all of their rewards on-time, and that timing informed quite a lot of the decisions made for backer rewards. Before the Manufacturing and Shipping Kerfuffle of 2018, the thought was to have manufacturing done much earlier than the launch of the game, and then everything would go smoothly so that backers would get their rewards in-hand while, or just after, the game launched. This meant that, even if we made CD's, they would really just be setpieces to represent the game as opposed to a physical, install-able version of the game itself, and would have added even more time between manufacturing and getting goods shipped. We opted not to go with that direction as, alongside the obvious downsides to increases in production time, it would most likely confuse and irritate those who tried to install the game with the CD's and found it either blank or with a requirement that was basically a re-download of the game - which would have rendered the whole thing moot. The cards were actually us trying to be upfront about it, while at the same time providing value to the increasing number of people who do not have CD readers on their rigs, but we could have done a better job at making this decision and the reasons for it more explicit. 

 

Broken items?

 

Very sorry about these and I know how much of a bummer it is to open something you've been waiting patiently for, only to see it broken in pieces. Please send this along to us, and I'll deal with these directly with our distributor!

 

 

Got the email for shipment, but my tracking email has been either mail merged badly or otherwise, because the field for the tracking number is one long string RRD Priority Parcel DelCon DDU  RRD07056***************

 

Did anyone else get the same style of tracking number?  Can't get any combination of tracking numbers to work on a number of sites

 

Hi Urthor, that's an RR Donnelly tracking number, I believe, and I've been able to track the few that have crossed my path here: https://www.aftership.com/couriers/rrdonnelley

 

 

If the decision to not include physical copies of the game with the physical backers copies at all made sense at any time during your meetings, that is some group think level bad decsion making to begin with. What part of  "the cards were us trying to be upfront about it..." makes sense when up front would have been TELLING US UP FRONT that physical copies would not include a DVD or CD version of the game? What is up front about this at all? That most people would have found out when they received their copies if they dont check the forums?

 

Beyond that at what point in the game making and pledging process was such a decision reached? Because if it was after you started taking our pledges and money that the logistics of a physical copy were discussed, I think it was probably way past the point that you SHOULD be talking about that because people have already given you money in good faith based on the information available to us. The key bit of info at that point being the physical tier including the name and term "physical" in it at all. Maybe I gotta get over this, but I honestly feel the level of transparency at this point is unacceptable on this topic. 

[cryocore]

Sorry, but not acceptable. I backed for specific items and I expect to receive them.

A card with a code it NOT a physical copy of the game. Is it a physical copy of the game key. These are not the same thing. I was expecting something akin to the Obsidian Edition Discs. Which is what you will be delivering to me, I guess in a second shipment now. It's bad enough it's now 3 months since release and people are still waiting on these items, but to omit content explicitly listed is disgraceful.

 

I also find the notion that you could not include the discs for logistical reasons a little thin. My CE for PoE 1 has the discs in the box. You managed it then without issue, and without a 3 month delay as well.

 

 

Edited August 18, 2018 by cryocore

[thelee]

If the decision to not include physical copies of the game with the physical backers copies at all made sense at any time during your meetings, that is some group think level bad decsion making to begin with.

 

Hey, I love my Od Nua statue and other collector's items, but I fully agree with this.

 

There must have been some loony group-think rationalization to think that a game key in a physical box is the same thing as a physical copy of the game. This is deceptive, frankly. I backed PoE1 at a high level, too, and even though I literally never touched the discs (and I know that the discs were a pain in the butt for Obsidian because of patching), they were exactly what I paid for. Even though I never planned on using the discs for Deadfire, I nevertheless felt cheated when I opened the otherwise extremely excellent packaging to see a game key inside. Hell, if the obsoleteness of the disc as a media was a problem, a USB storage device would've sufficed.

 

(I am not a lawyer and don't know what would constitute a slam-dunk case of false advertising, but I would suffice to say that if this were a AAA production and not a smaller indie studio fig-backed project, there would probably be lawyers sniffing around and I wouldn't blame them.)

Edited August 18, 2018 by thelee

[ScornAUT]

Let's hope that i won't have to wait another three months until i get my CE in the EU...

[Heartsib]

Minis came yesterday.  Pretty disappointing items, especially compared to the quality of the CMON Game of Thrones miniatures I got a month ago.  The details just aren't present, the swords were horribly bent (Eder's scimitar was almost wrapped around his head), and Aloth was doing the limbo dance.  Waste of money, IMO, I doubt I ever bother trying to paint them.

 

I got mine today. I ordered the painted figures, since I don't have much time to do minis painting myself these days. I wasn't pleased with the quality. On the plus side, the colors are very close to the official artwork, and the poses aren't any worse than your average D&D pre-paint. At a distance, they don't look half bad. But the lack of detail is a killer. The paint is thickly applied and obscures what few details there are on the figures, especially on the faces, where it looks like clown make-up, especially on Eder. There's no shading. And yeah, I'm another one who got a badly bent sword on Eder's figure. I definitely won't be putting together any dioramas with this lot. I'm not upset, but it is a disappointment.

[Virtopian]

Dan H,

 

Just wanted to let you know I did receive my physical rewards on Wednesday. Thank you for taking steps to get them out to your physical rewards backers. Everything was in order. The only issue I had was my statue box came crushed on one corner but the actual statue itself was undamaged. I was a bit surprised at how small the limited signed print was, still I did receive everything I had ordered.

 

As I have seen here from many of my fellow backers there is an underlying frustration which I do understand. I can admit to being frustrated myself. But, I also am a program manager that runs a large team of project managers in my "real world". So I understand SNAFU's. As I have said previously and not to beat that dead horse, the biggest issue I had and seems to be echoed by many others is we wish you had made the decision to keep us in the know instead of going dark while you tried to fix what was broken.

 

Still, since you came back a couple weeks back you have made good to keep us regularly updated.

 

The true measure of any entity, whether it be man or organization, is not how they handle things when everything is running smoothly but how they overcome a crisis or challenge. I am sure after you break this project down during your postmortem and identify where you did well and what you could have done better, it will provide insight and direction for that next time.

 

Appreciate you getting us sorted.

[Volourn]

No disc in the box defeats the purpose of a PHYSICAL (collector's) edition. L0L  What a funny joke. I don't need a 'code'. I already got the game online.

 

 

In positivity, the manual looks really nice. Good on that.

[Lexx]

Why do people insist on a physical copy of a game that they are forced to update via internet later anyway. Might as well just download it all right from the beginning. Saves money, time and space.

Personally, even the box is too much for me nowadays. There's just no place to store all this stuff anymore.

[boffmoffet]

Why do people insist on a physical copy of a game that they are forced to update via internet later anyway. Might as well just download it all right from the beginning. Saves money, time and space.

Personally, even the box is too much for me nowadays. There's just no place to store all this stuff anymore.

 

  /sarcasm "Because everyone life experiences are just like yours and so they must  just like to be difficult." /sarcasm

 

Some people, myself included, have to plan to game in offline environments for work. In my case that can mean a new computer or laptop per job or per site. Further GIS software will take whatever amount of RAM you throw in a computer and consume it like a 14 year old in a growth spurt then ask for more.  Re-installs happen often in the field. Games who have physical copies are gold to me. 

 

This need is complicated by 3 factors, some old, some recent.

 

1. Physical Copies of software are obviously becoming rare due to digital delivery. Then people like Lexx pop up and further encourage the industry to keep moving away from physical copies because golly who could possibly want a old physical copy of a game. Further industry giants the size of GOG or Steam services can start to stagnate or decline, disks are like an insurance policy against that. That may sound paranoid to some, but I have been around long enough to know it COULD happen (/Eyeball lovely collection of old disks.)

 

2. Some games with physical copies completely rely on digital services regardless of containing a patched version of the game complete on the disks. Mass Effect Trilogy comes to mind for me, a great buy for field and rural cabin playing I thought, but required stupid origin to boot up or work anyway, so turned out useless.

 

3. RPG's are complicated and often buggy at launch. 1.0 versions are not the most useful things to have in this genre. Its part of the beast, and as my drug of choice I have to be understanding of that. Unfortunately Obsidian is like the belle of the ball in this category. They release things SO rough and kinda rely on community to finish play testing and bug fixing for them.  I always find the end result enjoyable, but we all know Obsidian 1.0s are some of the lowest standards in the industry. \

 

Beyond and despite all these things at a base level the company asked for 200 dollars for support and gave assurance as to what we would receive for our pledges. As you can see from Cryocore's posted pic, Obsidian said we would receive a physical copy of the games AS WELL AS a digital key for those who dont open CE boxes. They advertised it at a pledge level that costs 200 dollars. For such a significant amount of money (and personal faith), I believe a company like Obsidian who has so greatly benefited from its supporting community should  at least now recognize that not providing us with everything promised was a mistake that needs to be rectified.

 

On another note, I do want to say thank you Dan for continuing to communicate with us here. I appreciate that you have been so communicative with us on this issue and others post snaffu. It does inject some new good faith into the process.