RB listened to the guys posting on the board too much. The "minors" guys were just as vocal in those days as they are now. They are a classic example of a "vocal minority." Sometimes you just have to know your market. The internet in particular is not a good market research tool. It is highly self selecting and easy to manipulate.
I was told by a former WizKids manager that listening to the hard-care fans in the discussion groups is what got them bankrupt as well. They let the games get too complex and strayed away from the mainstream players.
Houston's at $20.83 per the website. It's got some sales trending higher in the past while. The interesting thing is how few sales there are, though. Only one Houston was sold in the past five months.
I look at CZ and see a lot of needs filled; Out side of a few; most of the so called glorious units are done and that 20% to 25% remakes per set does limit one; But i still think the set did the game justice Canada;; gets is first none DD France;; its First Planes, CV and new class of BB How much do we love Mare Nostrum so Greece is added with a very useful DD a UK G-H Class how many nation had one of those. UK;; First PB with Loiter and a new class of BB; lowest cost for a 8-14-5 BB USN;; First HI Level Bomber; EE is introduced; First rocket attack fighter;; new class CA; and How versatile is WEE VEE new class BB which can be used post and pre PH with Tenn and Cal models Russia; First real BB Germany; Not pretty but how about a TB for its CV;; New class CL and DD along with instead of going fantasy he finishes the last of the real German BB's Italy; New class BB with First Flag;; First all three capable attack PB;; A Sub par with the Germans IJN;; First cap 2 CVL;; First none Zero Fighter;;New Class of CA; First low cost DD and how good is Chikuma
How good would this set be with just 3 changes; say Kaga for Junyo Nelson for Arkhangelsk Atlantis for Vainamonen
I agree in principle. I have often called CZ the "gap filler" set. The problem was doing it all in one set. That sort of thing needed to be sprinkled throughout the sets rather than concentrated in one. As mentioned by someone up-thread, a significant problem was the reduction to 40 units per set. It didn't give RB much room to play with. Those three substitutions would have definitely helped a little.
The IJN Carrier Liberation Force - "Because We Care" Join the IJNCVLF. Service Guarantees Citizenship!
One of the things RB had to deal with was maximum utilization of existing molds. He blogged (after set V came out I think) that there was frequently more than on unit on a mold, and WotC "strongly encouraged" him to find a way to re-use all the units on a mold even if he really only wanted to reprint one of them. That is undoubtedly why we got some of the reprints we did even though they were fairly obviously not a high demand unit. After that blog there was a lot of effort by some board members to try to figure out what units were likely sharing a mold. I don't think he always did that, but he probably did it more often than not to keep his bosses happy and/or stay within his budget.
The IJN Carrier Liberation Force - "Because We Care" Join the IJNCVLF. Service Guarantees Citizenship!
One of the things RB had to deal with was maximum utilization of existing molds. He blogged (after set V came out I think) that there was frequently more than on unit on a mold, and WotC "strongly encouraged" him to find a way to re-use all the units on a mold even if he really only wanted to reprint one of them. That is undoubtedly why we got some of the reprints we did even though they were fairly obviously not a high demand unit. After that blog there was a lot of effort by some board members to try to figure out what units were likely sharing a mold. I don't think he always did that, but he probably did it more often than not to keep his bosses happy and/or stay within his budget.
I do remember something like that a while back; another reason it was difficult to complete that perfect set; But do you think CZ did the game right ?? For us not having to worry about manufacturing costs and the limited attractive units; its easy to judge now.