Collector's Editon Map (horrible)

[Mungri]

Erm, well ... behind my monitors is this ....

 

[RadonGOG]

Never understood the fascination with cloth maps. Seriously. What do you guys do with these things? Is cloth somehow a better material for maps than paper?

Well, paper maps often get shipped in a pleated way and you never get them back in form again...

...anyways, there are excellent paper maps! The Risen Collectors Edition featured one that was incredibly thoughtful crafted AND REALLY HELPFULL ingame!

[Caerdon]

 

Never understood the fascination with cloth maps. Seriously. What do you guys do with these things? Is cloth somehow a better material for maps than paper?

 

Collectors!  Put it on display or just to have it really.  I have bookshelves of collector's edition games and movies myself.

 

 

Sounds like quality doesn't necessary matter much then...

 

Well, to each his own, I guess. I don't have too much extra space anyway, so I prefer pure digital releases. If I want a nice game map on my wall, I can always have one printed from my HQ digital map on any material of my choosing on any size I want.

[LadyCrimson]

Well whaddya know - take the map out into the sun and it does look more distinct, colorwise. The ocean is sort of a muddy blue. Love our dim indoor lighting. So the pic I posted is a little more accurate than I thought. I'd post another pic but I figure no one cares. Make no mistake tho...the cloth itself isn't quality. Like a thin cheap handkerchief or bandana.

 

 

Never understood the fascination with cloth maps. Seriously. What do you guys do with these things? Is cloth somehow a better material for maps than paper?

I don't actually care about them myself, but they are more permanent and not subject to wear and tear in the way paper is (and folding creases, as mentioned). Although of course a good frame helps in either case. Cloth also doesn't have that "shiny" paper look/reflective aspect.

 

Myself, I like parchment type paper.

[Lephys]

Yeah, it's pretty bad.

 

That isn't nearly as bad as you guys are making it out to be.

 

Unless these pictures are being taken with professional quality cameras (they're not), you're kind of talking out of your ass here. A photograph does not show how something looks to the naked eye.

 

True, but the map isn't going to be sharper in a photograph than it is in real life. If anything, it's going to lose some amount of quality in the photograph. So, I think it's fair to see that photo, and say "Hmm... doesn't seem as blurry as someone else suggested."

 

Of course, now we know that, apparently, some people's maps are much better-looking than others.

 

I'm questioning the quality control of the print shop. That's simply unprofessional, and they should've stopped it themselves and reprinted those for free. And, that having not occurred, Obsidian or Paradox (whomever) really should've shoved those bad maps in their faces and said "Excuse me, but these are unacceptable. Please re-print these at the same quality you printed these others," etc.

 

I mean, I realize how much of a hassle that can be, and I know they were probably just trying to get everyone their physical goods as close to on-time as possible (Heaven knows there's been enough fuss flying around about any and all delays in this whole process), but, still... on principle, if some people are getting low-ink/sloppy map prints, and others are getting pretty decent ones, then the print shop did not do its job. That's just shoddy work. How can a place who prints things all day not realize their print run is lacking in ink/calibration? Do they just start the run, then go to lunch, and come back later to check on the results?

[Byeohazard]

That picture made me laugh out loud.

Do you sit on a toilet when playing?

 

And which Ultima game is that Britannia map from, brave warrior Mungri?

Shhhhh! Maybe he's getting excited over those cute little wood elves!

[simland]

I thought I was the only one that was super disappointed.  The map looks worse in person.  If you stand far away from it, it's easier to read.  Sort of like pointillism.

 

I was even more disappointed when I opened up the digital version of the map to see a very good and very detailed map.  The HD version, when opened in photoshop, revealed that the resolution could have supported a much larger printing.

 

The manual is also pretty pathetic.  I was expecting something that resembles the Strategy Guide minus all the spoilers.

 

It doesn't help that they build you up with a fantastic box, only to drop your spirit once it's opened.

 

Fortunately, the game is a lovely experience.

[khermann]

I got my collector's box yesterday. The only thing that isn't complete trash is the Handbook. I like that quite a bit, nice touch using the classic form factor and format of the classic D&D books - that's nice.

 

If's obvious every penny went in to the book and the rest, including NPC integration, was done on "least effort, lowest cost" -- the map is absolute sh*t. It's unreadable, cheap, and tiny.  When I look at it all i can hear is the groan of Obsidian realizing they over-committed on their high end backer rewards, because that's how I feel.

 

Thankfully I backed because I wanted a great game, and so far that appears to be what I got (pending a patch), so I'm not too upset about it, and frankly kind of suspected they would phone in the backer rewards once it became obvious it would be a big challenge for them to just get the game out the door. Hopefully I helped send someones kid to college, but a sports car fund is also acceptable

[khermann]

 

My CE hasn't even been shipped yet. And I live in Europe, so it'll be at least another two weeks from then.

 

Ahahaha, your map will be a blank rag because by now the printer ink is surely depleted.

 

 

So sad, I just got mine yesterday and this is exactly what I thought.

The map is objectively terrible and cheap. Paper-thin, terrible feel like it was bathed in starch. Unredable, blurry, washed-out, and tiny.

 

The map was the one thing in the box that I was really looking forward to as a collector's item and honestly I'm pretty disappointed it's such a piece of crap.

 

edit: typos

Edited April 1, 2015 by khermann

[Lord_Darkmoon]

I am still waiting for my CE-version to even ship.

This is really disappointing. I know we support the developers but I though that we could expect a decent quality of the physical goods in return. If the cloth map is of poor quality, the manual tiny, then there is no point in backing physical tiers anymore.

 

The game is great, but still this leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I will be much more cautions with future Kickstarters... 

 

Also it is disappointing that the devs do not react to this... I thought Kickstarter meant to be open and to communicate with the community...

Edited April 1, 2015 by Lord_Darkmoon

[Lord Wafflebum]

I don't think I got the same map as some of you. Admittedly, mine is mildly blurry, but I think it looks fine. Based on the descriptions here I was expecting a washcloth with random splotches of color. True, it could have been better, but it could have been a whole lot worse. 

 

If they did go with a budget printer: good. I'd rather they have spent more money making the game itself, than spending way more than they should have making a photo-realistic cloth map. Their priorities were clearly exactly where they needed to be, and the physical goods are fine.

 

All is as it should be.

[Lord Wafflebum]

I am still waiting for my CE-version to even ship.

 

This is really disappointing. I know we support the developers but I though that we could expect a decent quality of the physical goods in return. If the cloth map is of poor quality, the manual tiny, then there is no point in backing physical tiers anymore.

 

The game is great, but still this leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I will be much more cautions with future Kickstarters... 

 

Also it is disappointing that the devs do not react to this... I thought Kickstarter meant to be open and communicate with the community...

My above post addressed the cloth map, but the game manual isn't tiny. It's the same size as every other game manual ever. It just looks tiny when it's next to the enormous CE box.

[khermann]

I will be much more cautions with future Kickstarters... 

 

Yup. I sadly learned this in the intermediate time between when I backed PoE and now. CIG (Star Citizen) , with all their millions, can't even bring themselves to offer physical goods that are not lowest effort, lowest cost chinese crap. 

 

I think it's pretty clearly a way to play on peoples' hopes just to bait and switch them later. All with the best intentions, but when it comes time to put up real money for real rewards they turn chicken-sh*t and basically rationalize to themselves that "well they really want this money to go in to the game (read: my profits) , so we'll just go ahead and order the slave-labor tier so we can fulfill our contractual KS obligations"

 

It's not just Obsidian, every software title does this. I can't even think of good physical swag for a software title since maybe Ultima. I'm totally done with backing for physical goods, and expect all software devs to go the cheapest possible route on all backer rewards. This is sadly what they have all taught me.

[EDITEDIT]

I doubt any map can be worse than the blurry, frayed, small, cheap map i got with the Dragon Age Origins CE.

[Lord_Darkmoon]

I doubt any map can be worse than the blurry, frayed, small, cheap map i got with the Dragon Age Origins CE.

 

I think the worst cloth map I got was the one from Icewind Dale 1. It looked like CGA graphics...

[sparklecat]

I don't tend to get physical rewards, but I'm quite happy with my Fallout lunchbox.

 

The quality of my CE here doesn't matter to me a ton; it'd be nice if it was good quality, sure, but I backed the game for... well, the game.  And they delivered on that, which is what's important to me.

[khermann]

I don't tend to get physical rewards, but I'm quite happy with my Fallout lunchbox.

 

The quality of my CE here doesn't matter to me a ton; it'd be nice if it was good quality, sure, but I backed the game for... well, the game.  And they delivered on that, which is what's important to me.

 

This is my overall take, but as I said, the cloth map was a draw for me. I also seriously doubt as many people who say they back "just for the game" (how noble) would still have put in as much if everyone got nothing but the game in return. There is a reason backer rewards exist, and it's not to add value to the gamer's experience like they would have you believe, it's simply to drive sales, so I feel absolutely fine about kicking Obsidian in the nuts for delivering crappy physical merch. It's insulting, and everyone just wants to say "oh oh it's the game man it's about the game" ... don't be so naive.

Edited April 1, 2015 by khermann

[sparklecat]

 

I don't tend to get physical rewards, but I'm quite happy with my Fallout lunchbox.

 

The quality of my CE here doesn't matter to me a ton; it'd be nice if it was good quality, sure, but I backed the game for... well, the game.  And they delivered on that, which is what's important to me.

 

This is my overall take, but as I said, the cloth map was a draw for me. I also seriously doubt as many people who say they back "just for the game" (how noble) would still have put in as much if everyone got nothing but the game in return. There is a reason backer rewards exist, and it's not to add value to the gamer's experience like they would have you believe, it's simply to drive sales, so I feel absolutely fine about kicking Obsidian in the nuts for delivering crappy physical merch. It's insulting, and everyone just wants to say "oh oh it's the game man it's about the game" ... don't be so naive.

 

If you feel differently, good for you.  For me it's about the game.

[Excalibur_2102]

If its that bad, then obsidian may choose to do something about it (although dont count on it).  Inexile actually sent all their backers (at collectors edition) an extra poster as they were not happy with the one that initially shipped.  Perhaps obsidian will take the same stance with this.

 

I like the overall look of the PoE CE from the pictures ive seen, but hearing about the map is a bit disappointing.  I don't think the manual looks "small" though, from what ive seen? surely its over 100 pages?

[Sylvus_Moonbow]

Few others for reference.

 

 

And zoomed out

 

[simland]

I would have backed the game, but no physical tier if I had known the quality of the goods.

 

I should take a pic of my map as it's easier to read most of the pics I've seen than mine in real life.  My wife, on her own, when I was opening it up said, "That looks horrible, it wasn't even cut well."

 

Also the manual is certainly thicker than anything you normally buy these days (assuming you get anything physical), but the text from what others have said, is out dated (I haven't bothered to read it) and there is little in terms of formatting or helpful information.

 

Again, all the more depressing because the quality of the Digital Map is great and should be easy enough to print at high resolution and the quality of the Almanac and CE Guide is also stellar.  Check these out if you haven't yet, they are in your SteamApps folder.  (Assuming Steam)

 

I sincerely hope that their success with the launch may persuade them to do something for those of us who backed a physical tier.

[khermann]

Check these out if you haven't yet, they are in your SteamApps folder.  (Assuming Steam)

 

Thanks for reminding me about these!! Should help my butt-hurtedness about the physical swag.

 

For what it's worth, the picture of the map above is better looking than the one I got yesterday. I'll see if I can get a good picture of it to post after i get back from an appointment.

[catbutt]

I will never forget my Ultima IV cloth map. Still have it around in one of my computer drawers, banging around with the 5.25 floppies. Maybe it's just me, since I also spend hours staring at topo maps for hikes and climbs, but there is nothing like looking at a place on a map and thinking "I wonder what's there?" or "That looks like a nice place for a dungeon/secret/etc, I want to find out what is there."

 

I have not personally seen one of the cloth maps for PoE, but if they really are low quality that is a pity. Wonder who the printer is, had anyone determined whether the same printer was used for Wasteland 2?

[dancingcrab]

I like the overall look of the PoE CE from the pictures ive seen, but hearing about the map is a bit disappointing.  I don't think the manual looks "small" though, from what ive seen? surely its over 100 pages?

 

The manual has a small form factor. It's compact, but thick.

 

The big issue with the manual is that it's out of date.

[Mungri]

So $80 maximum digital tier was the the best. Royal and Hero edition keys.