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Kickstarters
ATO Magazine Launches Its Buffalo Wings Kickstarter Campaign!Greetings, We mentioned in our last newsgram that we would be launching our first Kickstarter campaign this month to raise funds for a small reprint of ATO issue #29 with Buffalo Wings inside. The campaign is now active! If you're familiar with Kickstarter and would like to pledge, just click on the banner image below and you'll be taken straight to our KS campaign page.  Of course, many readers here have not used Kickstarter before, and it's a big ask to request people start blindly clicking on banners so here's some basics about Kickstarter (plus check the tips as the first question in the FAQ when you get there) that we can share here with you. First, if you have never used Kickstarter, you will have to create an Account. This costs nothing. Then go to our KS page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/407372518/buffalo-wings-2-the-deluxe-reprint?ref=742mq5 You will find that there are several "support levels" available, on the right side of the page, and you can select which one that you want to "pledge" for. They vary from 1, 2, 3 and 8 copies of the game as well as 2 different levels that bundle Buffalo Wings 2 with some of our other games (an "Air Power Package" and an "East Front Bundle.") The main reason for these is that we realize our Kickstarter will attract people who have never heard of Against the Odds and this is a way to give them a peek at the other games we have. As you place your cursor over each level you will see it turn green with "Select this reward" in type. When you click on one, you will go to page that asks for financial info (you'll need a credit card or PayPal account) and asks you to confirm the shipping. Where many Kickstarters add shipping after the project and require their supporters to increase the pledge then, we are letting folks know up front what the costs are. Shipping has been simplified as much as possible - there is "U.S." and "Everywhere Else." ATO can get very favorable shipping rates to the US and the shipping price is pretty low (especially for just one or two games) but shipping outside the US offers no such advantage and we recognize it is substantial. We have actually funded the International shipping a bit and will be paying more than we are charging. We have also added the multipacks, so that folks can team up with a buddy or a game club for multiple copies, to make the price for each more bearable. If you can't make a pledge right now but want to make sure to look again before the project ends, you can hit "remind me,' and you will receive an email 48 hours before the project ends, but that is all you will receive. If you would prefer to keep closer involvement, you can actually use the "Pledge with no Reward" level (it's the first one) and add as little as $1. This would mean you will receive emails with all Updates and can make comments. Note that you are not actually charged anything until the project ends. Once you pledge ANY amount or any level, you will now see a blue button with "Manage My Pledge" on the page. After you finish the process, you can - if you like - do nothing. Or, at any time before the project ends, you can use Manage My Pledge to change your pledge levels in either direction, maybe going from one copy to two, deciding one of the bundles is sweet, or shifting from your "no reward" pledge level to something bigger. You also use this button if you wish to cancel your pledge. Normally in speaking about Kickstarters, folks talk about the safety involved. If a project does not make its "minimum support level" it fails and all pledges are cancelled. (No one loses any money because they are never charged). BW2 is already substantially over the support level, so it certainly will fund. In fact, we were aiming to launch the project in April but held back because of the pandemic - but the work went on. You will find 'near final' art for counters and map on the kickstarter page, the rules are in final typesetting, and we will be ready to ship this year, where most game kickstarters are 12 or more months away from fulfillment. So that's a "quick" run-through. The Kickstarter folks have tried to make things easy, but we've found it can be a little difficult the first time you try it. Note that you will start on the "Campaign" page, but under the big "Back This Project" green bar you will see a menu including FAQ, Updates, and Comments. Lots of good reading there, and "Updates" are a way for us to get deeper into what's going on, including Update 2, where we announce new fighter Aircraft Data Cards and let supporters VOTE on which ones they want to see! That's part of the fun of Kickstarter. Lots of "stretch goals" are adding things to the supporter package at no additional cost, which may not be available in the future (and if they are, they will be separate purchases). But you will get the entire package for as many stretch goals as we reach. (Did I tell you there are entirely new rules for Bombing and Ground Attack coming?) | |||||||||||||||||||
Operation Ichi-Go