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Playing Card Chat ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦ => Playing Card Plethora => Topic started by: Evan on January 22, 2012, 02:53:36 PM
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Just found yet another steampunk deck on Kickstarter
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1762124010/steampunk-playing-cards?ref=live
My opinion: The theme obviously isn't original but the designs are pretty creative. I don't like the designs at all but they are creative... EXCEPT for the back design! The back design is a complete rip off of Lance's Actuators decks!
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Wow... I second what you said about the back and them ripping of the Acuators. These just look cheap and not as detailed as the the other two steampunk decks on the market. I'm going to pass on these, but I'l be following their progress closely.
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Mimicry is the most sincire form of flattery isn't it. I can't wait to see what Lance has to say about this.
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Yea, I'm gonna pass on these
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Mimicry is the most sincire form of flattery isn't it. I can't wait to see what Lance has to say about this.
This is true. But it's probably not the smartest form of business :D I doubt he'll say anything. His project will speak for itself and like you said "imitation is the most sincere form of flattery".
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I must admit, I like the faces.
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He must have put a ton of work into that deck BUT I don't really like it.. at all. ::)
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One word: Ugly. ::)
I don't care how creative it is, it looks bad, and I won't buy a deck that looks bad. Let alone USE it.
And as nice as the court card designs are, the shading of the skin totally breaks the consistency of the whole image and stands out pretty badly to me. Not to mention how horrible the pips look.
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One word: Ugly. ::)
I don't care how creative it is, it looks bad, and I won't buy a deck that looks bad. Let alone USE it.
And as nice as the court card designs are, the shading of the skin totally breaks the consistency of the whole image and stands out pretty badly to me. Not to mention how horrible the pips look.
You're right the shading on the skin does look a little strange. When I went back to look at that I noticed that the cards almost look camouflage. I noticed it quite a bit on the king court card. It looks a little strange in my opinion.
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I showed it to Lance and here is his response, "meh"
Yea thats what he said
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A high rip off of Lance's deck, it even has the gears to prove it. The worst thing is that it's not an AC finish, it's "Plastic Coated Card Strock" - whatever that is. Although, I would like to see what the Gold Limited Edition looks like, even though I doubt it's any different as far as the design goes. I do give him props for chasing his dreams. Keep at it kid!
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The artwork has nothing to do with Steampunk again. First T11's trash, and now this. Though, I wouldn't call this trash, the art is great, it's just not Steampunk.
Lance was the closest to getting the theme right. T11's deck was just an atrocity, and this one isn't worth talking about since it seems their demographic is not card collectors or magicians. On a 2.5k budget you can't get much at any decent manufacturer.
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I agree, it is a complete ripoff of Lance's Actuators, but it does look kinda cool. :)
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I'm afraid that on that budget, it won't end up a "real" deck of cards like we expect these days. They put a lot of work into the art and the court is kind of cool in that different kind of way, but the overall impression is a bit off for me. The back in particular looks unfinished. The pips are darn near unreadable and the the pretzel-heart looks kind of horror-movie-ish (like dripping intestines or something).
I'll pass.
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Any deck with a Kickstarter goal of only $2K ain't exactly aiming high on the quality meter. This could be the world's greatest design and I'd still pass. The kid thinks if he gets enough over the $2K goal he'll get it made at USPC - more like TEN TIMES that goal.
Steampunk is more than just gears, folks! It's steam, it's adventure, it's Victorian imagery and style, it's dirigibles, it's high technology done a century earlier using the tools of the era.
Gears worn as jewelry is fashion, not steampunk. Looks nice, sure, but it's not steampunk.
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It's not USPCC deck, so I don't think this deck is designed for our community.
I don't like the deck so much, but I think there are high chances for this deck to be funded. It's only 2k goal.
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It's not USPCC deck, so I don't think this deck is designed for our community.
I don't like the deck so much, but I think there are high chances for this deck to be funded. It's only 2k goal.
Funded, perhaps, but the quality? Ugh. At three times that it will still be a poor deck.
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Whilst they do look okay, its deffinetly the lack of quality that will stop me from getting these
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I can't honestly think that this guy's even serious. I've never heard of anyone getting any deck project off the ground on only $2,000 in funding, unless it's something printed from daddy's color laser machine. There's no way they actually approached a card company - he must have just guessed off the top of his head what it would cost. And did you notice that he's offering a special gold version of the deck as a premium? So - he's making TWO versions of this deck for only $2,000?
I can practically smell the steam coming off of this pile from here. Pass. As I said before, could have been the greatest design on Earth, but it appears to be coming from someone with absolutely no experience and no knowledge of how card manufacturing works. So many of his design elements are way off - those indices are freakin' huge, and done in a Stencil font. Stencil = Steampunk? Feh. Rusty gears - why rusty? You'd think they were new and well cared for, unless we're discovering them in the present...
It's like watching Westerns where every single building looks like it's been standing over a hundred years in towns that were supposed to have been established only a few years earlier. We recognize them as "the Old West" because if we go to an Old West town today, it is over a hundred years old! But I doubt someplace like "Gambler's Gulch" or whatever looked that old when it was built two or three years prior. The guy didn't do his research - he just saw what others were doing and said, "hey, I can do that too, and make money at it just like those guys did - it's so EEEEASY..."
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I get the impression from the written wording that the designer is a rather young fellow, with a bit more passion than sense. Good that he's giving things a try but doing this right does take a lot of research, planning, marketing, money and time. As you said, he'd need a goal 10x higher to make "real" cards so these will no doubt be a novelty, certainly not a usable deck.
Gotta chase your dreams, but chase them with authority, not just random whims. :)
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According to the comments he is getting it printed through http://www.customizedplayingcards.com/ , I havn't heard of these guys before, how about anyone else here on the discourse?
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According to the comments he is getting it printed through http://www.customizedplayingcards.com/ , I havn't heard of these guys before, how about anyone else here on the discourse?
I've never heard of them either. All of the decks that they've printed look crappy. Lets just say its probably not as good as the USPCC
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I got a healthy look at the website myself. It's a no-name manufacturer that operates out of the US and China. "Quality Playing Card Company." They claim they print out of the US as well for American domestic orders. But seriously - these are "souvenir" and "party favor" decks. The kid says he's printing at "high quality" - but it's the next-to-lightest stock offered, below casino grade. At best, these would probably be on par with Streamlines, I'm guessing - the deck that sells for a buck at Wal-Mart. At worst...well, I imagine everyone here at some point in their lives got their hands on some insanely cheap and poorly made decks. Worst I've seen sell in blister packs, two for 99c in a 99c store. They don't even have a brand name, the paper's horrible; I wouldn't give them to a kid I hated, they're so bad.
Frankly, I have no interest in them. Paul/Xmetal hit the nail on the head as far as the designer's passion-to-sense ratio being out of whack.
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This guys back design, Sort and sweet, Is Not good(I wont say Ugly because he obviously spend some time on it) But I am a fan of the face cards! They are acctually very nice and look really realistic. I think this guy should have worked on the deck a little longer and then went to the USPCC because, like sabacc said they are going to be HORRIBLE to handle.
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This guys back design, Sort and sweet, Is Not good(I wont say Ugly because he obviously spend some time on it) But I am a fan of the face cards! They are acctually very nice and look really realistic. I think this guy should have worked on the deck a little longer and then went to the USPCC because, like sabacc said they are going to be HORRIBLE to handle.
Go ahead, you can call them ugly if you want to. There's a saying: "Opinions are like @$$holes - everybody has one, and most of them stink!" :)) (just a joke, bro!) Seriously, you are free to have whatever opinion you want to have.
The USPC isn't the be-all-and-end-all of playing cards, though they are the market giant. There's other companies he could have gone to in order to get a decent product to market. I just don't think the "Quality Playing Card Company" of the USA and China is one of them! I'd love to be proved wrong, and see they can outstrip anything coming out of Erlanger - but I'm not exactly holding my breath waiting for it to happen.
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Before I went the Kickstarter route I asked for samples from them. They sent me 6 different decks with 3 different thicknesses (280 300 320, i think) and 2 different paper types (dimpled and smooth)
The thickness of the paper was just fine, even the 280, and the paper type was good. The cut edges were horrible for any type of use other than playing Go-Fish. I am not proficient in flourishing, so I did the old stand by; placing the deck on the table and pressing my knuckles down and twisting. Instead of a nice spiral fan, I got 15 or so clumps of cards. Also, the Finish was a bit tacky, not horrible, but enough even I could tell the difference.
--edit--
Almost all of the third party card websites use the same manufacturer in the USA and China. Exceptions would be Gemaco, Paulson, etc.
--edit--
TL:DR
They would be great for business as promotional items, not for poker or flourishing.
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Before I went the Kickstarter route I asked for samples from them. They sent me 6 different decks with 3 different thicknesses (280 300 320, i think) and 2 different paper types (dimpled and smooth)
The thickness of the paper was just fine, even the 280, and the paper type was good. The cut edges were horrible for any type of use other than playing Go-Fish. I am not proficient in flourishing, so I did the old stand by; placing the deck on the table and pressing my knuckles down and twisting. Instead of a nice spiral fan, I got 15 or so clumps of cards. Also, the Finish was a bit tacky, not horrible, but enough even I could tell the difference.
--edit--
Almost all of the third party card websites use the same manufacturer in the USA and China. Exceptions would be Gemaco, Paulson, etc.
--edit--
TL:DR
They would be great for business as promotional items, not for poker or flourishing.
/thread
Lousy cutting, terrible finish. Awesome. :)) Just what *I* always look for in a custom deck...
Hey, Russ - what's the latest word on the Americanas, regarding the release date? I'm down for 150 decks!
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Requested Derailing Commencing....
The Americana decks HOPEFULLY will be out in late February, but it could be early March. Once the decks come in though, you will be getting them fast, I am having a fulfillment company pack and ship everything for me!
On a side note: Adam's 'Revision 1' decks should be shipping VERY soon. We had to wait a bit on shipping supplies.
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I really like the artwork on these but if they're going to be badly printed and crappy cards, I'm happy looking at the artwork on a computer screen. I hope he keeps going and gives us something we can really get excited for down the line, though.
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Requested Derailing Commencing....
The Americana decks HOPEFULLY will be out in late February, but it could be early March. Once the decks come in though, you will be getting them fast, I am having a fulfillment company pack and ship everything for me!
On a side note: Adam's 'Revision 1' decks should be shipping VERY soon. We had to wait a bit on shipping supplies.
Thanks for the side track...
You mentioned Paulson as a non-USPC self-manufacturer - what's their quality like?
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Casino.
At least in the large scale, I can not speak for the 'custom' division. I have a few casino canceled decks from them and I have no complaints, nice cuts and fans.
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These are looking like they will definitely succeed!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1762124010/steampunk-playing-cards?ref=live
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These are looking like they will definitely succeed!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1762124010/steampunk-playing-cards?ref=live
Wow that really surprises me!! I didn't think this one would make it. Did anybody here back this deck?
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Hmm... Is it really possible? I mean I agree, its absurd. If it is, it'll most likely be crappy stock and finish. I checked it out and he said he's gunning for http://www.customizedplayingcards.com/ (http://www.customizedplayingcards.com/).
Do you guys have any idea what they dish out? Anybody experienced going through them?
EDIT: Oh right. Sorry browser issue. Didn't see the other posts. Nevermind. :P
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OMG! WTF is that? Its so tacky! I'd go for Chris Angel's deck over this (even if I'm not a big fan of his playing cards) But... ew. looks like the cards have scabs. And the king loos like it came out from Plants Vs Zombies... That is so not steam punk.
**sad**
but oh well. kudos for the effort though.
as for the customizedplayingcards.com IMO I think its main focus is just for those who wants a souvenier, a gveaway, not for HARDCORE card enthusiasts like us. :P
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I see a few reasons why this deck is going to make it.
1) Slap the name "steampunk" on anything today, and there's a hardcore market of posers who will snap it up as if their lives depended on it. Especially if it has "faux steampunk" elements to it like cogs for hairpieces and necklaces and rust on everything. As the concept of steampunk filters to the general public, it's being twisted, filtered and watered down. This deck is one of the countless contributing factors.
2) The "goal" was so insanely low. I don't know if I could make them with my computer, printer and some cheap card stock for that price!
3) They're going with a crap-quality manufacturer.
If these guys were serious about making a deck, they wouldn't have used the company they did. They just wanted to see it get off the ground, period. Worse, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to learn they failed to cover certain surprise costs related to the level of customization they're aiming for - meaning that even if they hit their mark and beyond, they may still fail to get this project off the ground.
It's wait and see. Or more like sit back and watch, since I wouldn't buy this deck. It's more like a train wreck about to happen. You see the train, you see the broken track, you know the train can't stop, but it still has time before it gets there... Pretty, perfect-looking train...
;D
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2) The "goal" was so insanely low. I don't know if I could make them with my computer, printer and some cheap card stock for that price!
Then you should invest in a more effective printer! Those cheap inkjet printers are easy to buy but cost a fortune in ink! ;)
It's really sad to see how much success you can have with such a low-quality product. All that money could go in much better hands if the market wasn't saturated with crap like this.
And I don't mean playing cards specifically, the same goes for a LOT of things.
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I see a few reasons why this deck is going to make it.
1) Slap the name "steampunk" on anything today, and there's a hardcore market of posers who will snap it up as if their lives depended on it. Especially if it has "faux steampunk" elements to it like cogs for hairpieces and necklaces and rust on everything. As the concept of steampunk filters to the general public, it's being twisted, filtered and watered down. This deck is one of the countless contributing factors.
2) The "goal" was so insanely low. I don't know if I could make them with my computer, printer and some cheap card stock for that price!
3) They're going with a crap-quality manufacturer.
If these guys were serious about making a deck, they wouldn't have used the company they did. They just wanted to see it get off the ground, period. Worse, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to learn they failed to cover certain surprise costs related to the level of customization they're aiming for - meaning that even if they hit their mark and beyond, they may still fail to get this project off the ground.
It's wait and see. Or more like sit back and watch, since I wouldn't buy this deck. It's more like a train wreck about to happen. You see the train, you see the broken track, you know the train can't stop, but it still has time before it gets there... Pretty, perfect-looking train...
;D
I have to say... I love all of your replies and responses to posts. :P I wish I can convey my thoughts in that manner. hahaha! Sometimes I just feel so illiterate! LoL! Thus the memes!
but yeah. your are right. Label anything steampunk and lots of people will like it. So weird. My sister loves steam punk. I don't. rust scares the bajeezus out of me.
Well at least they were able to make/design a deck of some sort. That is an accomplishment on its own. I can't draw.
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Yeah I give them props for making it this far. I have my doubts (like @sabacc) about what that price will cover though. I don't think it's sad that they succeed though. It would be if they marketed it as a deck for magicians/flourishers. If they do end up making it all the way and get this printed, I'm happy for them
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I wish I can convey my thoughts in that manner. hahaha! Sometimes I just feel so illiterate! LoL! Thus the memes!
Illiterate? Your English is noticeably better than a lot of posters around here, I wouldn't feel too bad about it if I were you. ;) Is English your first language, by the way?
Well at least they were able to make/design a deck of some sort. That is an accomplishment on its own. I can't draw.
You can participate indirectly by giving feedback/suggestions on other people's designs! I would certainly appreciate your thoughts on my design in progress, and I'm sure everyone would as well on their respective decks. Go have a look in the Design & Development (http://aethercards.com/discourse/index.php?board=14.0) board if you'd like to.
Edit: I made that a clickable link without trying! It's magic! ;D
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I have to say... I love all of your replies and responses to posts. :P I wish I can convey my thoughts in that manner. hahaha! Sometimes I just feel so illiterate! LoL! Thus the memes!
but yeah. your are right. Label anything steampunk and lots of people will like it. So weird. My sister loves steam punk. I don't. rust scares the bajeezus out of me.
Well at least they were able to make/design a deck of some sort. That is an accomplishment on its own. I can't draw.
Thanks for the compliment, Krystal. Now you're making me blush... :))
Moon.exe said it nicely when he mentioned that 1) your English puts that of many people on these boards to shame and b) you don't have to have any skill at art per se to be a contributing factor in a deck's design. I've given input to a few decks around here and I've contributed to their creation by sponsoring them through Kickstarter. I may have a bit of a sense of style, but I couldn't draw my way out of a paper bag... You don't have to be an artist to appreciate art.
Yeah I give them props for making it this far. I have my doubts (like @sabacc) about what that price will cover though. I don't think it's sad that they succeed though. It would be if they marketed it as a deck for magicians/flourishers. If they do end up making it all the way and get this printed, I'm happy for them
Hey, I'd never begrudge a business its success. Steampunk posers have cash to spend, just like any other fools! ;)
More seriously, though, if the deck has a market, and it's meeting that market's needs/wants/desires, fantastic, more power to 'em. But the majority of the people on this board aren't likely part of that market. The only way that would change is if he really tightened up his design and aimed for higher production values in the finished product instead of settling for whatever was cheapest. (I did notice that he completely changed the back design - it's no longer a rip-off of the Actuators deck, but it's also an obvious one-way now.) The card design game has become a contest of "go big or go home," and this kid isn't going big. (Hell, even the Buck Twins could use a lesson in that after their last several releases!)
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I don't call what they did "success" really. They have 1/5th of the backers I got, which is actually a large amount for a deck with zero marketing, zero quality, and zero push. In terms of people backing them that's quite a bit. However, the designers are in for a real let down soon enough. I had about 500 backers and raised $30k. He has about 100 and raised $2,000. The math is simple here: Shipping fees will murder it.
Let's look at his best case scenario here:
He makes 100 shipments at $6 per package to domestic buyers only. That already is $600. That's over 25% of his cost of printing. When you create pricing and Kickstarter packages, you have to account for every cost. I lost money on all of my 1-2 deck sales. Every time someone pledged for one of those, that's cash out of my pocket. However, the 3+ sales counter balanced the others as well as shipping costs. I had to find a healthy balance between allowing for bulk discounts and free shipping, and charging enough money to pay for all associated costs.
There are insane hidden costs as well. Here are some:
Income taxes
Fees
Bank fees
Business license
Sales taxes
Shipping taxes
Shipping fees
Shipping tracking & insurance
International shipping
and with the USPCC, you have charges for every possible thing from proofs to customization and not only do metallic inks cost money to produce, but they charge a whole bunch to actually edit your work to be compatible with the inks.
I wouldn't envy this project, they're in for a real disappointment and it's never fun to see that unfold.
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Well its not a success yet ;)
I have a feeling that the guy who is selling them, may not know about all those hidden costs.
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I'm sure the hidden fees will be tough and may kill this project.
When I spoke of the most likely success of this deck I was referring to it in terms that they set. If we were to look at it on a large scale this wouldn't compare to any of the other Kickstarter decks.
If they do end up getting the funds and making it past the hidden fees, then good for them. They made an average or below average deck. That's what they set out to do and they did it! Congrats to them haha
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I wish I can convey my thoughts in that manner. hahaha! Sometimes I just feel so illiterate! LoL! Thus the memes!
Illiterate? Your English is noticeably better than a lot of posters around here, I wouldn't feel too bad about it if I were you. ;) Is English your first language, by the way?
Well at least they were able to make/design a deck of some sort. That is an accomplishment on its own. I can't draw.
You can participate indirectly by giving feedback/suggestions on other people's designs! I would certainly appreciate your thoughts on my design in progress, and I'm sure everyone would as well on their respective decks. Go have a look in the Design & Development (http://aethercards.com/discourse/index.php?board=14.0) board if you'd like to.
Edit: I made that a clickable link without trying! It's magic! ;D
English is not really my First language, but i grew up in an english speaking environment (mostly).
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Ive been following this forum for a long time, and even though I cant change your guys minds about the quality of the card stock and the art, I want to at least state that I do know about all those hidden costs. Our printer has a very low starting print run, and at 2000$ we can easily get all the decks out that we need and scrape away with a few extra bucks for more printing.
The funny thing is I am also getting a few backers from this forum and the unitedcardists forum, even though the consensus seems to be on both forums that my cards suck lol. Well no hard feelings I dont mind that you guys dont like the cards themselves the thing that bugged me was when people seemed to think that I didnt do my math. No we wont make much money if it stays at 2000, but then again we wont lose any either.
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Ah, it seems he just øwned us lol.
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Just trying to defend myself a little bit, dont really think Im gonna change anyones mind. So no, none of you got "owned."
On a side note what do you guys think of the new art for the deck, its constantly changing via our backers demands.
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Just trying to defend myself a little bit, dont really think Im gonna change anyones mind. So no, none of you got "owned."
On a side note what do you guys think of the new art for the deck, its constantly changing via our backers demands.
I still like the front designs a lot. But the back design just kills it for me! It looks too much like Lance T. Miller's Actuators decks and it is just too plain.
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Reagan, you can't change our minds about the stock and finish because we actually know all the different stocks and finishes. Your cards can't be used for practical applications.
As I stated earlier, the artwork itself is not bad at all, the issue is how cluttered the faces are, the lack of contrast, and the fact that despite a "Steampunk" label, nothing about the design is actually Steampunk. If anything, it's industrial.
Take our suggestions constructively. You'll always get backers from here and UC, not everyone is a collector of practical decks or USPCC decks. That doesn't change objective truths about the product, and nothing said is directed towards you. Everyone here knows a lot about cards, so take these guys' advice and you can go very far. :)
Good luck!
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BTW, I did pre-order these!
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I agree that the playing card stock isnt the best, but itll take a few more pledges before I can upgrade it to a thicker paper stock and a better finish. The art is changing slowley for the better, as per my backers comments. Im interested in hearing your guys' opinions though. Also Im waiting on the samples from customizedplayingcards.com, if it turns out the cut is as bad as you guys say I have no problems switching.
The only way I can switch to uspcc however is if I get a pledge amount of around 5500$
So your complaints are of face card clutter, generall card stock quality, and the fact that its not exactly "steampunk"?
Also I dont know if youd give me this information but the reason why it has no "push" is because I dont know two thjings about marketing. I cant make a video either because I dont have the deck yet. Anyways other than social networking sites I stumped on how to market any advice on that would be great too..
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Why can't it be Air Cushion finish? Its not too expensive and works great!
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Well hopefully you can succeed with this deck and maybe work on another deck (via USPCC). Do you have any plans for another deck after this?
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I agree that the playing card stock isnt the best, but itll take a few more pledges before I can upgrade it to a thicker paper stock and a better finish. The art is changing slowley for the better, as per my backers comments. Im interested in hearing your guys' opinions though. Also Im waiting on the samples from customizedplayingcards.com, if it turns out the cut is as bad as you guys say I have no problems switching.
The only way I can switch to uspcc however is if I get a pledge amount of around 5500$
So your complaints are of face card clutter, generall card stock quality, and the fact that its not exactly "steampunk"?
Also I dont know if youd give me this information but the reason why it has no "push" is because I dont know two thjings about marketing. I cant make a video either because I dont have the deck yet. Anyways other than social networking sites I stumped on how to market any advice on that would be great too..
No one wishes you bad luck in any way. I'm with Alex in that there were issues with the print quality and design aspects of the deck. As far as a "consensus", you're only hearing from those few of us interested in writing about the deck online - in other words, the minority. For all I know, your deck could be the most beloved thing to 90% of the members on this Discourse, but if they say nothing, nobody knows. I did notice a different deck back which was an improvement over the last one, but the whole "missing the theme" thing is still there.
This starts to scratch the surface:
http://www.steampunk.com/what-is-steampunk/
This goes into greater depth:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk
Consider this: why are the gears and practically everything else in your deck covered in rust? It reminds me of anachronistic depictions of the "Wild West" frontier town - it's supposed to have been built only recently, and yet looks like it's been standing for a hundred years or more. Who on earth would build a new town out of ancient planks? But they're often depicted that way because that how modern society over a century after the Wild West time period views those "ghost towns" - largely because that's what they look like today, not what they looked like back then.
What Victorian scientist would tolerate having rusted gears in his devices and inventions? They'd be polished steel and brass! Unless you're depicting what the Victorian era looks like from the 21st century, in which case, yeah, it would be rusted, but where's your theme then?
You need not ape Lance Miller's Actuators to make a steampunk design. Use gears, polished and new, and blasts of steam escaping from pressure valves, and various belt and chain drives - use those things you'd expect to see from that era. Not saying you are, but still. And forget the USPC/T11 Steam Punk deck. It's cute, but that's about it - it's not really steampunk.
By the way, cogs as jewelry is NOT something that would be thought of as steampunk in the sense that no Victorian character would wear them. They'd wear cameos, pocketwatches, monocles, pince-nez, gems with pearls - all those things we associate with the Victorian era/Wild West today. Now your mad scientist types would have some more complex hardware, like glasses with interchangeable lenses on hinges, heavy leather gloves, googles, a pocketwatch capable of predicting weather, things along those lines. Some of those might filter to the hoi polloi, but most people wouldn't be carrying them. Military officers might have complex prostheses to replace lost arms, legs, ears, what have you. The cogs-as-jewelry thing is a modern take on steampunk, just like century-old towns are a modern take on the Old West.
A few final notes: so you're aiming for more funds in order to increase the quality of the deck, and you're refining the deck's design elements to respond to the suggestions of your backers. This is good. But don't forget to take into account the IRS - they'll take money off the top before you see a dollar, and suddenly those dreamed-of upgrades are out the window. The associated fees imposed by the government, the manufacturer and other sources can cripple a project, and the smaller the budget you're working with, the less it takes financially to see it totally derailed.
Granted, this is your first project, but I suggest next time that you go big - make the project USPC-bound from the start. It would attract more buyers/investors. We have guys in this forum who only collect USPC decks, and some limit themselves to only the Bicycle brand.
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Too many steampunk themed decks, I won't be pledging on these. I bought lance Miller's decks and I bought one of the theory11 steampunk decks but I won't be buying anymore. It's always nice to see what people are producing though but as so many decks are available it means more choice and the more I'll be careful with what I buy.
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Just want to say that your deck will definitely get more backer if you use the USPCC to print.
I'm one of the people who don't back the project which is not USPCC decks.
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Well congratulations on having the deck funded :)
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Hmmm.... I would like to follow your suggestions on my steampunk deck, however, its a little to late now, If I suddenly changed all my designs Id lose a good chunk of my backers, but good ideas nonetheless. About the only thing I can do is add steampunky things to the characters, and change the back.
Ive had Ideas for decks after this, and I might act on some, however I will probably try and get one of my boardgames funded before I do any cards.
Ok and about making them more "steamunky" what do you guys think about this?
(http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj243/zabolord/jocker1.png)
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Hmmm.... I would like to follow your suggestions on my steampunk deck, however, its a little to late now, If I suddenly changed all my designs Id lose a good chunk of my backers, but good ideas nonetheless. About the only thing I can do is add steampunky things to the characters, and change the back.
Ive had Ideas for decks after this, and I might act on some, however I will probably try and get one of my boardgames funded before I do any cards.
Ok and about making them more "steamunky" what do you guys think about this?
Well, Joker characters don't have to conform - they can be a bit whackier and fit the theme fine. If you put something like this forward for a face character, I'd ask that you have your head examined!
What about a clockwork boy, a la "Hugo"? I haven't seen that yet in any steampunk deck...
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That joker is awesome man! If all of the cards were more "steampunky" I might have bought it.
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Well the "jack" has a monocle lol, oh and all the face cards are now on display on my project page. I made the backgrounds of the black face cards a bit lighter as well.
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Well the "jack" has a monocle lol, oh and all the face cards are now on display on my project page. I made the backgrounds of the black face cards a bit lighter as well.
On the topic of backgrounds: why a bunch of dirty, rusty gears? Why not something more like a natural setting for steampunk - London under clouds of soot, Kansas City as a boomtown, the wharfs of San Francisco, a major city in Imperial Germany, Paris at the edge of the polluted Seine River, the deck of a dirigible, a scientist's lab, someone operating a steam-driven Difference Engine, a decked-out luxury car on a steam-driven train, the palace of a King or Queen...
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Ok maybe the quality is bad and the theme is off but I must say that those court cards are beautiful. I really like them and I think they look awesome! I really like how realistic they look unlike traitional court cards used on most decks. :) I would like to pledge for a deck, but $9 plus $7 for itnt shipping is a little too much for my budget right now for this deck :(
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About the backgrounds, its mostly my fault, I just like for some reason really depressing dark even gothic art, im pretty sure it translated into the art, but my backers seem to like it so itll take a lot of persuading to change it. I know its not exactly steampunk, but people like it.
And about the quality of the cards, I got the samples from the company, and the cut, at least to my eye is extremely precise. Also if get $6000 I can upgrade to a KEM quality plastic card, which is the highest quality, when it comes to durability ( some people dont like the "feel" ive never understood this ).
Also Aaron, how much would you be willing to pledge for a deck? maybe we can work something out (*rubs greesy palms*)
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About the backgrounds, its mostly my fault, I just like for some reason really depressing dark even gothic art, im pretty sure it translated into the art, but my backers seem to like it so itll take a lot of persuading to change it. I know its not exactly steampunk, but people like it.
And about the quality of the cards, I got the samples from the company, and the cut, at least to my eye is extremely precise. Also if get $6000 I can upgrade to a KEM quality plastic card, which is the highest quality, when it comes to durability ( some people dont like the "feel" ive never understood this ).
Also Aaron, how much would you be willing to pledge for a deck? maybe we can work something out (*rubs greesy palms*)
KEM in the pre-USPC days was considered very good. KEM as a USPC brand, according to many poker players who use plastic cards, isn't what it used to be. Piatnik, Copag and others are beating KEM these days in that aspect. It's kinda of funny, because Copag I believe is YET ANOTHER USPC brand now, but just like Fournier, they're allowed to operate independently and make their own products. But Jarden will keep KEM alive because of the name-brand recognition - they're practically banking on it.
Anyway, did you get samples of the plastic deck? Are you aware that, in most plastic decks, the colors are a bit more faded than on a paper card? Take a dark design like yours and make it faded, it might end up looking like a dirty dishrag.
Since you tend to go for Gothic and "faux steampunk", why not simply call your deck "Gothpunk"? You get a good deal more leeway with creative license there, and it really is a better description of what you're making. (I was actually on the fringes of the Goth scene in the late '80s/early '90s - I deejayed at a small public alt-rock station that played some Goth and hung out at alt-rock nightclubs that did the same...)
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About the backgrounds, its mostly my fault, I just like for some reason really depressing dark even gothic art, im pretty sure it translated into the art, but my backers seem to like it so itll take a lot of persuading to change it. I know its not exactly steampunk, but people like it.
And about the quality of the cards, I got the samples from the company, and the cut, at least to my eye is extremely precise. Also if get $6000 I can upgrade to a KEM quality plastic card, which is the highest quality, when it comes to durability ( some people dont like the "feel" ive never understood this ).
Also Aaron, how much would you be willing to pledge for a deck? maybe we can work something out (*rubs greesy palms*)
KEM in the pre-USPC days was considered very good. KEM as a USPC brand, according to many poker players who use plastic cards, isn't what it used to be. Piatnik, Copag and others are beating KEM these days in that aspect. It's kinda of funny, because Copag I believe is YET ANOTHER USPC brand now, but just like Fournier, they're allowed to operate independently and make their own products. But Jarden will keep KEM alive because of the name-brand recognition - they're practically banking on it.
Anyway, did you get samples of the plastic deck? Are you aware that, in most plastic decks, the colors are a bit more faded than on a paper card? Take a dark design like yours and make it faded, it might end up looking like a dirty dishrag.
Since you tend to go for Gothic and "faux steampunk", why not simply call your deck "Gothpunk"? You get a good deal more leeway with creative license there, and it really is a better description of what you're making. (I was actually on the fringes of the Goth scene in the late '80s/early '90s - I deejayed at a small public alt-rock station that played some Goth and hung out at alt-rock nightclubs that did the same...)
Yeah I got the samples for the KEM cards, and I was pretty dissatisfied with the print of the cards, there were white specks everywhere, especialy around the edges so I pulled it from my project because we wont be upgrading to them anymore. I was thikning of calling it the "cog" deck and then maybe people would be less offended by it lol.
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Yeah I got the samples for the KEM cards, and I was pretty dissatisfied with the print of the cards, there were white specks everywhere, especialy around the edges so I pulled it from my project because we wont be upgrading to them anymore. I was thikning of calling it the "cog" deck and then maybe people would be less offended by it lol.
The Cog deck is a pretty good name - it aptly describes the design, and then you can decorate everyone and everything with cogs and it fits!
Here's some good synonyms you might think are better:
cogwheel, gear, gearwheel, pinion, ragwheel, sprocket, spurwheel
Think of it: "The Cog and Sprocket Deck" - "Cogwheel and Gear, Ltd." Smythe & White Cogs and Ragwheels"
You have a lot of ways to play with that title concept.
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@Reagan - I backed these, and I was wondering if they were faro-able at all. Also, with the white/black border issue, are the potentially white borders grayish, or completely white?
Thank you,
Nathan
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@Reagan - I backed these, and I was wondering if they were faro-able at all. Also, with the white/black border issue, are the potentially white borders grayish, or completely white?
Thank you,
Nathan
Yes the white borders are grey, sorry for the confusing title. On the topic of faro-able, do you mean the game "faro"? I havnt played the game before, but from what I can tell it should. But about all the knowledge I have on the game is that you need a 52 ard deck.
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hmm I quite like these Ideas Ill see if the backers agree with the title change, It shouldnt matter to them and I should catch less flak from non investers. "The cog and sprocket deck" I like the sound of this.
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@Reagan - I backed these, and I was wondering if they were faro-able at all. Also, with the white/black border issue, are the potentially white borders grayish, or completely white?
Thank you,
Nathan
Yes the white borders are grey, sorry for the confusing title. On the topic of faro-able, do you mean the game "faro"? I havnt played the game before, but from what I can tell it should. But about all the knowledge I have on the game is that you need a 52 ard deck.
He means do the cards faro....
Check out this video if you don't know what that means: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAm6KZDLwug
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ah ok, well I tried to faro shuffle for a while and i couldnt do it of course ive never done it before. The only thing I can tell you is that from the samples I got, the edges are pretty smooth, and are cut nicely. But in short i have no idea.
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ah ok, well I tried to faro shuffle for a while and i couldnt do it of course ive never done it before. The only thing I can tell you is that from the samples I got, the edges are pretty smooth, and are cut nicely. But in short i have no idea.
Well, I guess it is hard for you to tell if you don't know how to faro lol, so, do they clump together?
Also, I think Don's idea for a background was great. Too bad you cant change that now.
@Don - About what you said regarding the polluted Seine river, just FYI, it isn't THAT polluted: it is less polluted than the San Francisco Bay, the Mississippi River etc.
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Can you post a pic of how the cards fan?
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Can you post a pic of how the cards fan?
Umm sure I guess just give me a day or so, I have to work and am to lazy to do it right now, should have them up tommorrow.
And they dont clump together the finish doesnt stick either, they actually have a good finish on them too. If you guys want I can put up a video of the samples.
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That would be great! Also, nice signature :P
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@Don - About what you said regarding the polluted Seine river, just FYI, it isn't THAT polluted: it is less polluted than the San Francisco Bay, the Mississippi River etc.
You're thinking about today. I'm thinking about in the early years of the industrial revolution, when there was little thought at all given to protecting the environment. I hear the Thames back then gave off a really bad stench because of all the pollutants and garbage in it; I can't imagine the Seine was a lot better.
Those same water bodies you just mentioned above as being more polluted today were actually less polluted back in the Victorian era, simply due to a smaller settlement of people having lived there for a shorter period of time. Cities like Paris and London were around for centuries, while the lands west of the Mississippi were still largely an unsettled frontier and San Francisco was only a few decades old.
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Can you post a pic of how the cards fan?
Umm sure I guess just give me a day or so, I have to work and am to lazy to do it right now, should have them up tommorrow.
And they dont clump together the finish doesnt stick either, they actually have a good finish on them too. If you guys want I can put up a video of the samples.
So... how are those pics coming along?
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Can you post a pic of how the cards fan?
Umm sure I guess just give me a day or so, I have to work and am to lazy to do it right now, should have them up tommorrow.
And they dont clump together the finish doesnt stick either, they actually have a good finish on them too. If you guys want I can put up a video of the samples.
So... how are those pics coming along?
Haha it hasn't even been a day yet! Give him a little time ;) Though I am interested in seeing what they look like in a fan. It will be interesting to see how these handle, even if it's just from pictures.
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Can you post a pic of how the cards fan?
Umm sure I guess just give me a day or so, I have to work and am to lazy to do it right now, should have them up tommorrow.
And they dont clump together the finish doesnt stick either, they actually have a good finish on them too. If you guys want I can put up a video of the samples.
So... how are those pics coming along?
Haha it hasn't even been a day yet! Give him a little time ;) Though I am interested in seeing what they look like in a fan. It will be interesting to see how these handle, even if it's just from pictures.
Its been 3 days....
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Oh sorry it's been three days since you posted that. Just realized that. He replied yesterday though. So to him it's only been a day (not even a day yet). I was looking at it from his point of view. If we are patient I'm sure he'll have pictures up soon. :)
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These tempted me but are too pricey for the second level :/
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This is also my first time doing any kind of card flourishing lol, But here is what I think looks the best outta all my attempts.Admittedly they were a wee bit slippery.
(http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj243/zabolord/100_0101.jpg)
Here is another attempt, this was actually my second, but my worst.
(http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj243/zabolord/100_0110.jpg)
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Well then can you just spread the cards so we can see how much they clump?
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11 days guy .. pledge asap .. At 4000$ we will print on a thicker 310gsm card stock.
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Well then can you just spread the cards so we can see how much they clump?
Can do, Ill do the video thing an ill spread them. But have to go to work as of now.
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Ok here is me spreading the cards
http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj243/zabolord/?action=view¤t=DSCF0004.mp4
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Not too bad ;)
They don't look like they're as good as a non plastic coated deck but for a plastic coated deck, they are very good.
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Not too bad ;)
They don't look like they're as good as a non plastic coated deck but for a plastic coated deck, they are very good.
They are as good as non plastic coated deck if this is ReaganM's first time spreading cards on the table :P
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lol it was maybe my 3rd time, but they are pretty smooth, from what I can tell. The chinese really do a bang up job.
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lol it was maybe my 3rd time, but they are pretty smooth, from what I can tell. The chinese really do a bang up job.
ReaganM, do you know there is a small problem : currently you are not really good at handling playing cards, people have to suspect your description of a deck. That's why you need to take pics or videos to let people judge by themselves.
_
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Reagan. I think that you should learn some basic moves like a two-handed fan, a spring, and a ribon spread so you can sell your product better. But, apparently, the cards handle very well because they don't spread too badly although your spreading technique isn't good (no offense).
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Reagan. I think that you should learn some basic moves like a two-handed fan, a spring, and a ribon spread so you can sell your product better. But, apparently, the cards handle very well because they don't spread too badly although your spreading technique isn't good (no offense).
Thats why I havnt made a video for my deck yet, itd come off pretty lame. No offense taken, but Ill consider learning some basic moves.
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No offense intended to anyone. Here is my honest and raw opinion on the deck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkqQND3y2ZE&list=UUViRo7y55XNLHYZ3S0dV-6A&index=1&feature=plpp_video
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No offense intended to anyone. Here is my honest and raw opinion on the deck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkqQND3y2ZE&list=UUViRo7y55XNLHYZ3S0dV-6A&index=1&feature=plpp_video
Yeah Im really embarrassed about this Ive gotten a handfull of other complaints about this deck, mostly about the color. I talked to Rajas a little bit ago and he attributed the bad finish to the low print run. I will be speaking to him again, I will be having to send out a few replacements, and in all I am not very happy. I didnt notice any color issues, the other joker is actually supposed to have a purple background ( its purple on kickstarter actually ).
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Does ANYONE have any new word about this deck? I noticed that ReaganM hasn't logged in since July 3rd of this year. At one point I was getting frequent updates, but he hasn't updated the Kickstarter home page for this project in six weeks...
@Don - About what you said regarding the polluted Seine river, just FYI, it isn't THAT polluted: it is less polluted than the San Francisco Bay, the Mississippi River etc.
You do know I was talking about the Seine during the latter half of the 19th century BCE, right? Just like Kansas City is no longer a boomtown and Germany is no longer an empire? Since the theme is "Steampunk", and this fictional era coincides with the real-life eras of Victorian England, the Settling of the American West, post-Gold Rush Alaska, etc.?