Do you look at updates before pledging on a Kickstarter?

[Retreater]

Dunno why an update would cause a drop
Impulse backers being reminded of their pledge and opting out?

In my case with Massive Darkness 2, I saw from updates and examples of play that the gameplay (and style of game) was completely different from its predecessor. My original take (a slight update to the existing game and new models) was replaced with a thought of "this is too confusing to fulfill its place as a simple, fast, fun dungeon crawler that I can introduce to casual gaming friends." The original take I had was not countered until after reading updates and watching a live play video of just how confusing it was (where even the participants hardly understood the game.)
I don't understand why people on here are just making the assumption that all drops are because the backers are at fault, impulsive, uneducated, etc.? Some of us back projects to get notifications, to see the updates to make informed decisions. And if that means I cancel my pledge, then so be it.
I can tell you that if I backed Massive Darkness 2 at several hundred dollars, expecting something similar to the first game, and got the actual product, I would be livid. There's a KS of a company that regularly advertises on here that I haven't gotten my product, that has already announced a second KS that is supposed to have the product that I was told I was going to get. I will never back another KS from them or buy any of their other products.

 

[Marc_C]

I read every update, and yes I might cancel my pledge if I don't like what I read. OR I might simply cancel my pledge because I completely forgot about the KS, which means I don't want it anymore. The campaign period is great to pull out of impulsive buying.

 

[aramis erak]

Hah! I'd be willing to bet not as fast as me! I'm pretty sure I'm the world record holder there (consistently within seconds for PDFs, and physical rewards sent out as soon as soon as KS funds clear). It's something I've gotten down to a well-practised science over 20+ successful Kickstarters.

You've not offered anything I've been interested enough to buy.
You're also taking a risk by having the physical already in process before it clears.

just over 8 weeks is (Jan 29 to Apr 1, 2021), by comparison to most others where printing wasn't started before funding, is very reasonable.

The one that is longest unfinished is Traveller T5... Marc still hasn't finished one of the stretch goals. (He's shipped everything else.)

 

[aramis erak]

Before pledging?
Typically not, unless there's some concern of FAQ

Dunno why an update would cause a drop
Impulse backers being reminded of their pledge and opting out?

That’s the running theory, yeah.

For me, it is when the update sounds like bluster.
Tone matters when soliciting funds.

 

[Morrus]

You've not offered anything I've been interested enough to buy.

I was just commenting on KS fulfilment times. I’m wasn’t trying to sell you anything.

 

[aramis erak]

I was just commenting on KS fulfilment times. I’m wasn’t trying to sell you anything.

Didn't say you were. Didn't mean to imply it on other than the "You're in business to sell stuff" mode, and "I've not experienced it because I've not been interested in what I've seen."

That you're ready to ship within the couple weeks it takes KS to cut you the funds is in the "Why bother with KS?" level of WTF? It implies that you're using KS as a hype generator, rather than as a means of capital acquisition to go to press. Which, to be honest, isn't a deal breaker for me from an established company. But it also means that the one thing I have valued most about KS's is that most have a feedback window for at least typos, if not open beta, so that rush to print becomes a disincentive in other ways. But I'm not certain that the particular beta element is of value to most. Even before KS, I got in on a few preorders with those comment windows... most notably, Mouse Guard.

 

[pogre]

I do look at updates before pledging. The updates that make me back out are when the KS adds bonuses to the campaign seemingly at the suggestions of backers. Example: If I see you have added a miniatures to the campaign and you have never made miniatures before - I'm probably out. If you add a t-shirt as reward - I'm probably out. Those are red flags to me you have not considered production and shipping costs very closely.