Stretch Goals

[C2B]

While new content every day might not be realistic, I agree about the need to be clearer on the mechanics of the game. They may be waiting for more suggestions, but I wonder what they're going to do about all the wildly different ideas. It feels like they might not have anything concrete yet.

 

All that stuff is in the upcoming weeks. The Kickstarter literary just started and its the weekend.

[Audiocide]

While new content every day might not be realistic, I agree about the need to be clearer on the mechanics of the game. They may be waiting for more suggestions, but I wonder what they're going to do about all the wildly different ideas. It feels like they might not have anything concrete yet.

 

All that stuff is in the upcoming weeks. The Kickstarter literary just started and its the weekend.

 

Then again, I think Josh Sawyer said somewhere that they deliberately aren't announcing much about the project.

 

On an unrelated note, I wish I could've been part of the Wasteland 2 kickstarter. I read about it way too late, though.

[The Sharmat]

They're holding some stuff back so there's a steady build in anticipation and, hopefully, a corresponding steady increase in pledges instead of it being all or nothing spurts at the start and end of the cycle. At least that's what I took from the statement

[Audiocide]

Makes sense.

[Avantenor]

Stretch goals are supposed to generate an uptick in pledges.

That's one perspective. Another one is, that the creator accounts for what the money is used that exceeds minimum funding. Otherwise one could suspect they use it for gambling in Las Vegas, make a studio holiday on Hawaii or spend the money to support a president election campaign.

[Kaldurenik]

I think a larger problem is the unbalanced reward tiers... Add more tiers, Change the value on some... Add some on the middle. Add some choices in what things you get and then people might start to increase their pledge from the lowest tiers.

[vusak]

i would love to see 2 stretch goals (if they aren't already implicit)

 

1. modding, mod support, mod tools, or at least documented formats - these kinds of games just live forever with mods.

2. tablet/phone support, (android for me please) because this is exactly the kind of game you can play and enjoy at your own pace which really suits the constraints of playing on the move.

 

thanks for the awesome games

[ShadySands]

First one down!

[IEfan]

Hello,

 

I agree that some stretch goals should be revised and some included, somewhere in early and mid-point. If you don't know what people might want (in larger numbers), maybe put up or hire a new site (that doesn't crash/get crowded as easily as this) with polls on what people want etc? Idk just an idea.

 

Here's some I figured out (that i think that would matter a lot to people, besides more sneak-peeks/info of the game i guess but that's up to dev's discretion - do they want to put up exciting info like eg Molyneux which they'll change into more fitting ideas ultimately during the developmenet? These gray shades of real-life CRPG dialogue... :-P). Maybe the devs are already aware of these...

 

* While modding and such would please the core fans for sure, i think Multiplayer support might be a huge draw for early/mid-stretch goal, to both fans and to new players. 'Would sell my inner organs for this.

Before this project, I was considering buying that new version of BG just because for the functioning Multiplayer support (and a lot of guys i know agree that MP on BG1 would really be "the wet dream") and I was getting some of my internet/real-life buddies on that too. There's just honestly nothing better than the cruel/steep-challenged world of BG1 when you're characters are this various goofy wimps/to-be heroes with low HP and armour and EVERYTHING against this new world that spreads everywhere - and this is what everyone I know has agreed on.

 

* You should put as large language support as possible, the earlier as stretch goal the better!! I think you know this already but for South Europeans, East Europeans and even for places like Germany (not to mention Russia and the rest of the world) it's VERY important (since they translate and sub EVERYTHING indiscriminately). You have to weigh that on the possible profit vs possible piracy ofc.

Just an idea: If those things get expensive, maybe get help for translating from fans? I've seen this working (internet community translating, ofc on couple of people's shoulders) before in all sorts of translation projects for old console games, there's capable fans and people out there who would be willing to help i guess. This is the age of community-supported arts, nothing is impossible. :-P

 

* I wonder what you guys think of Tablet support? Does it fit the engine or the system? I mean there is the BG1 tablet version that got good ratings and idk how much that sold - that's something you need to dig yourselves. It might be a possible platform to consider if you want more pledgers to this or possible income post-release.

 

I won't say anything of Mac/Linux support - it's unknown to me how many would pay for Mac/Linux version, maybe you guys could put somewhere (Kickstarter, start a new site quickly where you ask for interests through polls?) a "market inquiry"? IDK just throwing ideas.

 

one of my friend wasn't going to pledge since there is no Linux version but that's just one person

[fan]

 

* You should put as large language support as possible, the earlier as stretch goal the better!! I think you know this already but for South Europeans, East Europeans and even for places like Germany (not to mention Russia and the rest of the world) it's VERY important (since they translate and sub EVERYTHING indiscriminately). You have to weigh that on the possible profit vs possible piracy ofc.

Just an idea: If those things get expensive, maybe get help for translating from fans? I've seen this working (internet community translating, ofc on couple of people's shoulders) before in all sorts of translation projects for old console games, there's capable fans and people out there who would be willing to help i guess. This is the age of community-supported arts, nothing is impossible. :-P

 

 

I second this. People donate money for this project, they will also donate time and expertise. I'm not sure if there are legal barriers for "free work", but maybe a working solution can be found.

 

Fans *will* translate, and if they get dev support and recognition, they'll enjoy it all the more.

[IEfan]

Man, there's a lot going on. You guys should pr quickly somehow arreange all this flow of information (or should had expected that the Kickstart thing WILL be pretty exhaustive on your part, there's been lot of reports like that from 'starters. If indie gamers can gather more than the 1,3 million just with their own audience-dedication tools/moves then absolutely why not you guys.

 

Somebody else put that (what "fan" above commented) into better words in the Update section of Kickstarter. I'm not particulary demanding/crying for attention for developer to comment in everything but if i look this from the shifting consumer (gamer/kickstart supporter) and from Kickstart perspective, these are pretty important points (youtube-thanks might not be enough to communicate!!) :

 

-Choose a Community Manager to answer and animate 'comments sections'. more than 900 comments and NO answer from Obsidian... seems like you don't want to talk to your supporters...

Nina from Revolution Software's "Broken Sword-The Serpent's Curse" or Adrian from Black Forest Games' "Project Giana" are really active on the comments sections of their projects...

Community is the the basis of kickstarter projects... if you don't feed us... we (the community) could retire many pledges (or stop ugrade existing pledges)... Look how inXile has animated the Wasteland 2 project, with frequents updates and 'comments answers' to backers questions. Even if most answers would be "we can't tell for now", it would be better than no answer at all (which make us feel like you don't even read comments)

-Clarify if you will translate the game or not... Clearly, many pledges would be reduced if no translation is done. You should let the voice acting in english (many would prefer a good english acting than a poorly cheap localized dubbing) but please translate subtitles and interface to at least EFIGS (and if you can, go on for russian, polish and portuguese). Many people just won't play (and won't support) a full english game.

Edited September 17, 2012 by IEfan

[Gurkog]

* While modding and such would please the core fans for sure, i think Multiplayer support might be a huge draw for early/mid-stretch goal, to both fans and to new players. 'Would sell my inner organs for this.

Before this project, I was considering buying that new version of BG just because for the functioning Multiplayer support (and a lot of guys i know agree that MP on BG1 would really be "the wet dream") and I was getting some of my internet/real-life buddies on that too. There's just honestly nothing better than the cruel/steep-challenged world of BG1 when you're characters are this various goofy wimps/to-be heroes with low HP and armour and EVERYTHING against this new world that spreads everywhere - and this is what everyone I know has agreed on.

 

I hate multiplayer because it almost always results in changes to the single player experience that are obvious and jarring, but if you put in a stretch goal and it gets met..... I could live with it. As long as the single player campaign is not altered.

[septembervirgin]

I remember some dismay when the voice actor for Ajantis read "Yea" as "Yeah" (Ajantis was a joinable party member in Baldur's Gate 1). Argh.