Well, A few advices before this new crowdfunder get launched :
- As already recommended by others, try to always keep at least a stretch goal ahead of where you're at (I'd recommend two actually), until the end of the campaign when It is more satisfying for everyone to reach the last one if possible.
- set up the start of your campaign so that it ends on a week end, preferably in the Sunday evening in the US (as it comes after the EU one)
- get the DiD section on TMG website up ! Not only the shop, but also a background section, including general background, faction presentations, some contextual setting (the conflict on World XXX), and some flavor description for at least units in production and those presented in the crowdfunder. It's quite allright to present factions that have no miniatures or even concept yet. Give a context to your miniatures !
- get some more painted miniatures photos on your website. Groupshots, picture in situation (have nice terrain !), scale shots are a must ! you can have some beside well known 6mm figures, or barring that, well known 28 mm figures, or baring that, a common object such as a cigarette -coin sizes are very country specific- or even your hand. This is really twice as important for 6mm figures.
- You might want to think about your production process; I think you would benefit hugely from incorporating a "prototype" stage, with early production (resin), that would allow you to have painted miniatures to show, possibly even to have some early master painted by professionals. Actual miniatures (even unpainted) lend you a lot of credibility, and are much more convincing than 3D concepts. They also allow for scale shots and everything. I don't know how much it would add to your development costs (probably not THAT much since the printing is shared), but my guts tell me you would gain more than you invest by going that way.
- More interaction with the community. I think you could benefit a lot from discussing your projects and intentions more openly with the 6mm community (I mean taccoms). It would help prevent possible concurrence with other 6mm companies production, and get more involvement from the community. This thread and the communication before launch is already a nice step in the right direction. You should really set up a mailing system as well, to have a newsletter, keeping people informed say once a month even outside of crowdfunder campaign (not everyone is following Taccoms, specially in non-english speaking country), and a mailing process to tell people when their order is processed, shipped, why it's delayed (e.g. we don't have your gobblers yet, everything else is ready), etc... It feels very opaque at the moment, and some people are grunting about your communication (specially if they don't follow your thread here)
- miniature wise, you should work on having a clear list of design references for the visual identity of each faction. Like rivets, exposed pipes, sagging and exposed tracks = skinnerz / Panel lines for Novam tusculum / exposed cable, Crude mechanics and biological hybrids for Cybershadows, etc. At the moment, I think the demarcation is sometime not clear enough, specially between the skinnerz and the Novam tusculum. For example, the spitefire and the strike fighters don't strike me instantly as Novam and skinnerz (even if one has rivets, and the other panel lines).
Defining a written list should help immensely. The almost empty list of characters for the Novam I made higher up is telling. I think the skinnerz are starting to get a more defined identity, but you should have a list of at least 3-4 specific design elements for each faction before going into the design phase. It includes the undisclosed, not yet started, or just started ones (superhumans, cybeshadows, sentient mosquitos, etc).
- get some free perks ready for high pledges. A new leader/special characters mini-sprue maybe (Novam/Skinnerz/Cybershadows) ? A command tank conversion kit (would have to wait for the plastic I guess) ? You have to generate enthusiasm and excitement during your funding campaign, and part of it is making the funders feel privileged. Free perks, reduced "pre-order" prices, and specific funders only items are all way to help create a sense of urgency that will help convince people to pledge now and help the funding, rather than wait and see.
I'm not too interested in planes (I have a lot of FW ones I still have to assemble and paint), but I'll probably grab some landers, and Cybershadows when they are available.
Best of luck with this one, making it metal only will certainly help contain the risk
