The Kickstarter Thread

[AwesomeOcelot]

 

After 11 days of the campaign Chris Taylor has finally explained what Wildman is, I think it sounds good and something new.

I knew what it was when I backed it a week ago. I thought it was pretty clear. Guess I was in the minority?

 

It wasn't clear at all from the KickStarter page or updates, he did talk about some of the same things in interviews but didn't give specifics and the time scale was mentioned in the comments by a dev. What he laid out in update 6 simply was not there on Kickstarter, that's why update 6 exists. The prototype video in update 2 showed MOBA style AI controlled allies beating on one structure, but that's anything but clear. Confirmation bias exists.

[Bester]

In one of the updates, he kept saying "if you want more tirs" and I kept hearing "if you want more tears". God no. After that video with actual tears, I kept thinking "I never asked for this". Far from being indifferent or cynical, it's just not the way to do it.

[TSBasilisk]

Cryamore (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robaato/cryamore-a-true-first-class-take-on-the-action-rpg?ref=category)

A new IP that's aiming to be an ode toward old-school classics like Zelda, Metroid, Megaman, etc.

 

The most impressive thing about this project is that it's managed to nearly reach its target of $60,000 in only three days. They have, however, stated this will mainly allow a bare-bones release; they're hoping to keep up the momentum to allow them to add non-critical features.

[BruceVC]

Cryamore (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robaato/cryamore-a-true-first-class-take-on-the-action-rpg?ref=category)

A new IP that's aiming to be an ode toward old-school classics like Zelda, Metroid, Megaman, etc.

 

The most impressive thing about this project is that it's managed to nearly reach its target of $60,000 in only three days. They have, however, stated this will mainly allow a bare-bones release; they're hoping to keep up the momentum to allow them to add non-critical features.

 

I have to honest, I have an issue with the marketing of this type of game on KS. If someone says the game will be bare-bones when it reaches its target then why should I support it . Set the right target to make the game playable and enjoyable. I see this almost as a type of blackmail because most fans of this game will feel obligated to commit more money

[TSBasilisk]

True, it is a bit on the cynical side. They may have just set this amount because this is what they need to finish overall production. Hopefully their backup plan was to use any revenue from sales to polish release content updates.

 

It kind of feels like they half-expected to reach the goal quickly, and planned out stretch goals in advance.

Edited January 28, 2013 by TSBasilisk

[AwesomeOcelot]

.

 

He confirmed he was aiming for more than the goal, $2m at a minimum, so as to not have to lay off people. I don't think going in with expectations of almost double your goal is the right spirit with crowdfunding.

 

Chris said the successful projects rode a "wave", and that's correct, but the reason Wildman didn't isn't because the wave dissipated, Pathfinder: Online, Elite:Dangerous, and Star Citizen proved appetite is still there for a particular type of campaign.

[AwesomeOcelot]

Wildman: Video Update #5: Mod tools and Project Mercury

 

I'm really enjoying Chris Taylor's unfiltered nature, he said a lot of funny and stupid things in the Matt Chat video. It's definitely something, I just hope other people enjoy it as much as I do.
 

[NOK222]

American Mcgee's game is three days till deadline and still needs around 40k, do you think it'll make it? http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spicyhorse/akaneiro-demon-hunters

[AwesomeOcelot]

It's more like 4 days and since they've almost got $40k in the last 2 it's pretty much a certainty. When I heard "tablet" I was completely uninterested it. I can stomach point and click games that are tablet friendly, although that usually means a bad PC interface it almost undoubtedly means a bad ARPG. Free-to-play is also something I'm uninterested in, it usually means "spend more than a normal game" to get a comparable experience, and some games are losing a lot in terms of aesthetic and design, it has the same problems as the bad forms of DLC. I like the idea of Kickstarters for Linux support, as it's clearly is low priority for developers, but it's something Linux users would be willing to pay for.

Edited January 30, 2013 by AwesomeOcelot

[Keyrock]

 

Cryamore (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robaato/cryamore-a-true-first-class-take-on-the-action-rpg?ref=category)

A new IP that's aiming to be an ode toward old-school classics like Zelda, Metroid, Megaman, etc.

 

The most impressive thing about this project is that it's managed to nearly reach its target of $60,000 in only three days. They have, however, stated this will mainly allow a bare-bones release; they're hoping to keep up the momentum to allow them to add non-critical features.

 

I have to honest, I have an issue with the marketing of this type of game on KS. If someone says the game will be bare-bones when it reaches its target then why should I support it . Set the right target to make the game playable and enjoyable. I see this almost as a type of blackmail because most fans of this game will feel obligated to commit more money

On the other hand, there's the whole "how much can you reasonably expect to garner" factor.  Small, relatively unknown studios like this don't have the recognition of Obsidian Entertainment, or Tim Schafer, or Brian Fargo, thus they can't reasonably expect to be able to raise something like half a million.  Due to the nature of Kickstarter, if they don't reach the funding goal then they get nothing.  With that in mind, it seems perfectly reasonable to set the funding goal at the bare minimum to release the game at all, while adding stretch goals/hoping for more funding to make the game bigger/better/more fleshed out.  I'm keeping an eye on this particular KS since a Zelda-like with a more robust RPG system sounds pretty freakin' awesome to me.  If they confirm a Linux version (they've said they are looking into it but can't commit 100% as of yet) then I'll jump on board.

 

American Mcgee's game is three days till deadline and still needs around 40k, do you think it'll make it? http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spicyhorse/akaneiro-demon-hunters

I'm fairly confident it will make it, though not by much.

Edited January 30, 2013 by Keyrock

[TSBasilisk]

I think there are two types of stretch goals, as seen in Cryamore. The first is game quality stretch goals - voice acting, porting, and a Japanese version for Cryamore. They're not critical features, but they enhance the quality. As the product can be released without them, a smart budget sidelines them in considering the original pitch amount.

 

The second type is the content, or DLC, stretch goal - new dungeons and weapons for Cryamore. Often the value to reach them is more than it will likely cost to implement, but it's become kind of standard I think to have those little perks to keep people from thinking "Wow, we haven't hit a milestone in a long time".

[cyberarmy]

A very nice and detailed update from The Banner Saga. (i still think this name is for a Hulk game )

 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stoic/the-banner-saga/posts/396284?ref=activity

Edited January 31, 2013 by cyberarmy

[BMacklin]

Hey guys, please take a look at Asylum, the next game from Agustin Cordes (Scratches). It's aiming to be a very scary first person adventure game. They've been greenlit this month on Steam, and the game has been in development for some time, but they're asking for a little help to see them through the game's finish.

 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/agustincordes/asylum-kickstart-the-horror

 

There are plenty of images, along with a few viral videos and a short demo (interactive teaser) to give you a sense of the gameplay. Hope you find it interesting!

[NOK222]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/362353100/the-uncle-ruckus-movie to anyone who watches the boondocks show on adult swim

[TSBasilisk]

 

 

Cryamore (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robaato/cryamore-a-true-first-class-take-on-the-action-rpg?ref=category)

A new IP that's aiming to be an ode toward old-school classics like Zelda, Metroid, Megaman, etc.

 

The most impressive thing about this project is that it's managed to nearly reach its target of $60,000 in only three days. They have, however, stated this will mainly allow a bare-bones release; they're hoping to keep up the momentum to allow them to add non-critical features.

 

I have to honest, I have an issue with the marketing of this type of game on KS. If someone says the game will be bare-bones when it reaches its target then why should I support it . Set the right target to make the game playable and enjoyable. I see this almost as a type of blackmail because most fans of this game will feel obligated to commit more money

On the other hand, there's the whole "how much can you reasonably expect to garner" factor.  Small, relatively unknown studios like this don't have the recognition of Obsidian Entertainment, or Tim Schafer, or Brian Fargo, thus they can't reasonably expect to be able to raise something like half a million.  Due to the nature of Kickstarter, if they don't reach the funding goal then they get nothing.  With that in mind, it seems perfectly reasonable to set the funding goal at the bare minimum to release the game at all, while adding stretch goals/hoping for more funding to make the game bigger/better/more fleshed out.  I'm keeping an eye on this particular KS since a Zelda-like with a more robust RPG system sounds pretty freakin' awesome to me.  If they confirm a Linux version (they've said they are looking into it but can't commit 100% as of yet) then I'll jump on board.

Ask and ye shall receive.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robaato/cryamore-a-true-first-class-take-on-the-action-rpg/posts/397441

 

Their final stretch goal will be a mutli-platform release, including Linux. They're a bit less than than halfway to that stretch goal with 23 days to go. Hopefully their estimate of the costs involved are realistic.

[AwesomeOcelot]

Former Gas Powered Games developers who were laid off a few days into the Wildman kickstarter have started their own campaign called ROAM. I really like zombies, there are countless games that deal with this subject, quite a few that are isometric 3D shooters (All Zombies Must Die!, Dead Nation, Nation Red, and Dead Horde) some play very different to others, some are interesting, some are not. The prototype actually looks great for 6 weeks work, with crafting and building, this seems more along the lines of Project Zomboid.

 

Death Inc, this is a great campaign launch, clearly expressing many of the ideas behind the game. Mechanically they quickly gave a walkthrough in an update of the sort of things they were talking about in the trailer. This is arguably another zombie game, but it's not like one I've seen before.

[rjshae]

Here's a relatively new kickstarter: Project Awakened

 

Looks like a modern-ish FPS with a design-your-own-character concept. Graphics look pretty decent.

[AwesomeOcelot]

Project Awakened, day 1 DLC abilities and weapons for backers. The return of the PC to the forefront of gaming. They shopped it around publishers to be a next gen console title, based on ideas of another console title that was cancelled called Hero. The graphics should look decent, it's based on Unreal Engine 4 and I heard that some of them worked on it.
 

 

PC games are now a thriving, dominant market of innovation - with all new distribution models and available services- it really is a better way to get new ideas to gamers than through all the middlemen and barriers in the retail console markets.

[samm]

 

day 1 DLC

Sounds horrible.

 

abilities and weapons for backers

Sounds horrible.

 

console title

Sounds horrible.

 

The return of the PC to the forefront of gaming

Sounds hypocrite considering the aforementioned.

 

 

Can't quite see why Wildman pledges aren't going up though Sure it's not a high-end title, but it's promising, and Chris Taylor sure knows how to design a good RTS (or action RPG, although that was not quite my cup of tea).

[TSBasilisk]

I think people weren't entirely sure what to make of the game early on, so after the initial surge of fans it didn't gain much traction with the wider audience. The drama when Taylor decided it was better for his employees to be fired now and get severance, rather than wait and possibly get none if the KS failed, gained him more attention, but also made people reluctant to donate due to fears GPG won't make it through development.

 

While a little sad Wildman is struggling, I'm still more worried about Unwritten. That one really sounds good...

[rjshae]

Can't quite see why Wildman pledges aren't going up though Sure it's not a high-end title, but it's promising, and Chris Taylor sure knows how to design a good RTS (or action RPG, although that was not quite my cup of tea).

 

To me it looks like a console game. Wildman may well end up a decent game, but it's not one I would normally try unless the reviews are glowing. If you want specifics, I can say I was put off by three things: (1) A mix of two completely different game styles, only one of which I usually prefer; (2) the graphics are in a style that I don't find appealing; (3) It's set a primitive culture with little technology (or magic?).

 

I didn't particularly like the layoffs shortly after the KS started, but that's just business and didn't influence my viewpoint.

[samm]

Hm, yes, you two have good points imo, both regarding the game's somewhat casual appeal and the rather tragic layoffs. While for me personally the setting's lack of magic/technology does not matter and the way it mixes genres rather than uphold the barriers is appealing, I can clearly see people being put off by these aspects as well.

 

 

And a good recommendation with Unwritten! Pledged

[AwesomeOcelot]

The funny thing is the game has magic and it's set across 200,000 years from no technology to the middle of the medieval period. It's pretty much the most poorly run campaign in Kickstarter history.

[rjshae]

The funny thing is the game has magic and it's set across 200,000 years from no technology to the middle of the medieval period. It's pretty much the most poorly run campaign in Kickstarter history.

 

Wildman? Well I never gained that impression from my read-through. Hmm...

[Oerwinde]

 

 

The funny thing is the game has magic and it's set across 200,000 years from no technology to the middle of the medieval period. It's pretty much the most poorly run campaign in Kickstarter history.

Wildman? Well I never gained that impression from my read-through. Hmm...

The problem is most of the game info was in update 2, but the main page, which is what most people read, wasn't updated really until like 2 weeks had passed