Update #27: How’d we do, and what’s next?

[Kai]

What about cutting the beard of the epic beard guy on the stream? He said he would do it if someone pledged 10k$ and someone actually did do it. Will we get a video of this ;P?

 

This.

 

Oh yeah. We promised the folks who donated $10k we'd get that beard off and we're going to get that beard off! (It might not happen for awhile though - he's entering another beard contest and we want to give him a shot at winning something, because...)

 

...the only thing better than shaving a beard on camera is shaving a PRIZE-WINNING beard!

 

I assume that for your next kickstarter, there will be an exclusive 10k tier that will give one happy pledger his beard. It'll probably be sold out in seconds

[Wirdjos]

I just wanted to say thank you for keeping paypal open. I don't know why it took me so long, but I just doubled my pledge. I couldn't let that hardcover art book go!

[Cantousent]

I've pretty much decided that I'll just use the Obsidian Store that's going to open up eventually to buy stuff. I'm not going to a higher tier, so even if I put in enough money to reach that tier, I'm just going to use the money to buy add-ons, which I can do through the store. Most folks are probably better off increasing to a higher tier, so I don't pretend that I represent the norm.

 

What's funny is that someone I managed to get to back the project now expects me to back the Settlers of Catan gaming board. lol Total comedy. I backed it at $5. I think Settlers of Catan is kind of like the Civilization board game, which I have long loved but can't convince my current spread of friends to play. So, thanks Obsidz. You've brought me Kickstarter mission creep.

[RTWAP]

Hi Piccolo, I'll echo that around to the internal folks - I like the idea (but can't promise anything, but I do like it!)

 

It honestly doesn't bother me as a backer during the KS phase. I know there will be some people that want to feel special because they backed it during the KS phase, but personally I say you guys keep it open for the next year or more. I want you guys to get as much money as possible to make the game awesomer.

 

Seconded.

 

If you really want to provide a differentiation then just provide a different in-game item to people who become backers after the KS ended. Personally, I don't care. I just want the game as awesome as possible.

[Plazmid]

Hi Piccolo, I'll echo that around to the internal folks - I like the idea (but can't promise anything, but I do like it!)

 

It honestly doesn't bother me as a backer during the KS phase. I know there will be some people that want to feel special because they backed it during the KS phase, but personally I say you guys keep it open for the next year or more. I want you guys to get as much money as possible to make the game awesomer.

 

Seconded.

 

If you really want to provide a differentiation then just provide a different in-game item to people who become backers after the KS ended. Personally, I don't care. I just want the game as awesome as possible.

 

I'll third that! I just want awesome. I'm very happy we met the 4Mil Mark, which is just staggering.

Personally, in-game credits listing the kickstarter backers would be enough.

 

Cheers

[AndreaColombo]

Why are you planning to take Paypal down so soon? This is a little disappointing, as I was really hoping to grab one of the mid-high tiers in a couple of week's time.

 

I have just noticed this post, and I "Liked" it right away.

 

I couldn't back the game while the Kickstarter campaign was up because I was out of job, and I must wait until I get my first salary next week to afford the $140 tier plus a few goodies (namely, the soundtrack on CD, the expansion pack and maybe the playing cards). I'm itching to pull the trigger because I have no idea for how long I'll be able to, and that's a bummer because the timing of my purchase does not depend on me — if I had had the money, I would have already backed Project: Eternity.

 

Moreover, I would really, really like to later upgrade to the $250 tier to have my collector's box signed by the devs and get ahold of the collectors' hardcover book, but with my Hungarian salary it's already a lot if I can get the $140 tier for now; the upgrade must wait till a later date. If the devs kept the tiers up and running for a longer time (in my specific case, let's say until January), I'm sure they'd get more pledges. Either that, or give those who pledged for a tier the option to purchase add-ons indefinitely, and add the collectors' hardcover book to the list of possible add-ons

 

Besides, I find it would be unfair to "discriminate" (quotation marks for lack of a better word) those who would have wanted to back the game but couldn't for reasons not depending on them.

Edited October 19, 2012 by AndreaColombo

[Plazmid]

Why are you planning to take Paypal down so soon? This is a little disappointing, as I was really hoping to grab one of the mid-high tiers in a couple of week's time.

 

I have just noticed this post, and I "Liked" it right away.

 

I couldn't back the game while the Kickstarter campaign was up because I was out of job, and I must wait until I get my first salary next week to afford the $140 tier plus a few goodies (namely, the soundtrack on CD, the expansion pack and maybe the playing cards). I'm itching to pull the trigger because I have no idea for how long I'll be able to, and that's a bummer because the timing of my purchase does not depend on me — if I had had the money, I would have already backed Project: Eternity.

 

Moreover, I would really, really like to later upgrade to the $250 tier to have my collector's box signed by the devs and get ahold of the collectors' hardcover book, but with my Hungarian salary it's already a lot if I can get the $140 tier for now; the upgrade must wait till a later date. If the devs kept the tiers up and running for a longer time (in my specific case, let's say until January), I'm sure they'd get more pledges. Either that, or give those who pledged for a tier the option to purchase add-ons indefinitely, and add the collectors' hardcover book to the list of possible add-ons

 

Besides, I find it would be unfair to "discriminate" (quotation marks for lack of a better word) those who would have wanted to back the game but couldn't for reasons not depending on them.

 

You should consider that Obsidian, or any company for that matter, must purchase the materials for the reward tiers. In order to make your request happen, they would have to pre-order extra materials in advance in anticipation of orders that may, or may not happen. Now this doesn't apply at all to the software portion of the game for obvious reasons.

 

Perhaps a solution to this would be the creation of a new reward structure based solely on pay-pal contributions that would rely on a separate delivery schedule so that the kickstarter rewards don't get delayed, and would help shield Obsidian from orders that never happen. They would have to set a deadline for paypal orders in this case too, since, again, physical materials would have to be ordered and assembled to fulfill the rewards.

 

Just a thought. Its good to keep in mind the little things behind the curtain that need to happen with the physical rewards.

 

Cheers

Edited October 19, 2012 by Plazmid

[Cantousent]

I dunno, Plaz. If they're opening an Obsidz store, which is what I gathered from one thread up in the Obsidian General forum, then the materials shouldn't be that big of a deal because they're offering the items on a regular basis. It might be a big deal if they suddenly get a huge influx, which could happen with or without a paypal sort of pledge thing. Of course, it's more likely if they have this pledge tier thing happening.

 

I don't think the vast majority of people in the Kickstarter would mind terribly much if folks could come in later and pledge to get good stuff. Maybe Obsidian could mix it up just enough to protect themselves from the vocal minority of people who will bitch and moan every time they think they're even slightly disadvantaged or miss out on something to which they're 'entitled,' but I'm convinced the vast majority of backers would just be glad at the increased support for the project.

 

The only thing I think Obsidz might want to do is severely limit the types of things folks can do to create iteams and npcs and the like. Maybe just bump up the price, but at some point there just won't be an opening for yet one more backer created doodad. Of course, that's speculative on my part. If the sky's the limit on such things and the game doesn't suffer in quality, it's not like I want to deny anyone something they find important.

 

I personally pumped what I considered to be a lot of money into this because I'm a long time fan of Obsidian. ...But I also know that they've been successful in the field and I doubt the established core of the company is reduced to ramen noodles offset by beans and rice for every meal. I'm incredibly excited to be a part of this effort. I have high hopes, but the immediate rewards were less important than the movement itself. Next time, I'll have to be more circumspect about how I approach it. I'm not saying I wouldn't pledge the same amount if they offer something as awesome as... say... a sequel to a truly excellent game or maybe even an attempt at a Firefly Kickstarter RPG, but it would have to be contingent on how well they can manage the tens of thousands of pledges split between tiers and add-ons on one end and the final product on the other.

[Zurkeil]

As far as the Paypal thing closing I figured it was due to them having to do some financial planning, which is done early in a development cycle. It's sort of hard to plan out how much money to put where if they keep getting more money. Remember, they want to put every dollar (USD) they get towards making an awesome game, so there's no "We have extra money! Woooooo, party!"

Edited October 20, 2012 by Zurkeil

[SqueakyCat]

@AndreaColombo

 

They haven't said (that I know) how long Paypal will remain open - hopefully long enough for you to get the tier you'd like. Just so you know, the $250 tier does not include the signatures' of the developers. Sadly, that's the $500 tier.

 

Also, Adam Brennecke confirmed (on October 14th) in the 'Comments' section of the Kickstarter page that the Collector's Book will not be available as an add-on.

[GrinningReaper659]

My most hearfelt congratulations to the Obsidian crew for the overwhelmingly successful Kickstarter campaign, and my sincere thanks for coming up with the idea of Project: Eternity and funding it via Kickstarter: This goes a long way toward showing the whole gaming industry just how much isometric, party-based RPGs are still on demand! There's a reason why games like BG, IWD and Ps:T are still being played after 10–12 years from their release, and are still the touchstones against which all new RPGs are compared and judged. Besides, I totally like the idea of you guys not having a publisher to rush your feet off: Just take all the time you need to make Project: Eterny awesome, grand, perfect.

 

I'm really sorry I couldn't back it up while the Kickstarter campaign was still up and running, but I've just started working. Just wait until next week and you'll be getting some support from me as well

I'd like to second these sentiments, thanks to Obsidian for this, I'm truly excited to see the final product, untainted by the demands of a big name publisher. I was also unable to back the Kickstarter due to financial issues, and am seriously hoping that I'll still be able to back this project through paypal in a week or so, when I'll most likely be pledging at the $140 or $250 level. I understand that, as a few others have mentioned, it can be important to have your budget set before starting a project, but I don't think that extending the time for paypal donations will actually affect the project in any negative way; I think we're all agreed in wanting this game to be as good as it possibly can be and more money certainly won't hurt in achieving that, so I'm hoping that they decide to continue accepting money for at least a few more months. I would have no problem if they removed the exclusive items, mention in credits, etc. from the paypal rewards if they felt it necessary, I just want to be able to back this great game and the team behind it (and of course get some reward for my efforts as well).

[Cantousent]

I thought the $250 tier did, Squeaky. Actually just went to take a look. $250 still has it, but I don't know if that's true for the current paypal. They might have changed the tiers now that the Kickstarter ended.

 

Zurk makes a great point about managing the project. I mean, it's not like they'll have to answer to a publisher, but it does mean they'll have to structure the effort themselves. I know early money is better, but I never really thought about the fact that they have a lot of planning to do and need to know what kind of funding they have.

[Ieo]

@AndreaColombo

 

They haven't said (that I know) how long Paypal will remain open - hopefully long enough for you to get the tier you'd like. Just so you know, the $250 tier does not include the signatures' of the developers. Sadly, that's the $500 tier.

 

Also, Adam Brennecke confirmed (on October 14th) in the 'Comments' section of the Kickstarter page that the Collector's Book will not be available as an add-on.

 

The $250 tier on Kickstarter included dev signatures on the collector's edition box, not the book. A signed book is $500 (and higher, I guess).

 

Thanks for the reminder on the book add-on issue; I was pretty sure it wouldn't be one but lost track of stuff (geez, PE information is like a pinata explosion across the internets).

[AndreaColombo]

They haven't said (that I know) how long Paypal will remain open - hopefully long enough for you to get the tier you'd like. Just so you know, the $250 tier does not include the signatures' of the developers. Sadly, that's the $500 tier.

 

Hi SqueakyCat.

 

Indeed, they did not disclose for how long the tiers will be up — they just said it would be a "very limited time". That's why I'm fretting about my ability to get the $140 tier, and I'm positively skeptic about my ability to later upgrade it to the $250 tier. Unfortunately, pledging $250 right away is something I just cannot afford; otherwise, I totally would.

 

However, unless both Project: Eternity's website and its Kickstarter campaign webpage are mistaken (which they might, if the developers made an announcement that superseedes what I see written there), the $250 tier does include a collectors' boxed set signed by the devs.

 

Also, Adam Brennecke confirmed (on October 14th) in the 'Comments' section of the Kickstarter page that the Collector's Book will not be available as an add-on.

 

Yes, I imagined that (though thanks for confirming my suspicions; I still have a lot of catch-up reading to do about Project: Eternity). I figured it would have already been an add-on, if the devs had planned for it to be one. I guess that's one more reason for me to fret about getting the $250 tier.

Edited October 20, 2012 by AndreaColombo

[AndreaColombo]

As I side note: I really don't mind getting the game later than Kickstarter backers if that means I can get the $250 tier.

 

Need more time to have the goods ready to ship? No problem. I'm no publisher, and I won't rush anyone's feet off As far as I'm concerned, the devs may and should take all the time they need to fulfill whatever (be it content design, feature implementation, physical tiers fulfillment, etc.).

 

All I care is for this game to express the full potential of its spiritual ancestors without repeating their (albeit few and venial) mistakes or incurring in the same limitations; in other words, to be awesome.

[HeartbreakRidge]

There may yet be a super-duper high end digital tier offered, even at this late date, so keep an eye on things if that interests you!

[Chad-WarYore-Smith]

Yay! I'm in. So will the books/ebooks ship with the game or before? Because I'm totally ready to start reading.

[Twinsen]

This is great news!

 

But how will you know who's a backer on the forums and who's not?

 

And my second question is: The Kickstarter says my pledge is collected and the amount I pledged is already drawn form my account. So is everything OK now? Or should I do something else too? I mean if the Kickstarter says the pledge is collected then you received the money... Am I right?

[Chad-WarYore-Smith]

Yes - they have your money. Everything is a-ok.

[SqueakyCat]

They haven't said (that I know) how long Paypal will remain open - hopefully long enough for you to get the tier you'd like. Just so you know, the $250 tier does not include the signatures' of the developers. Sadly, that's the $500 tier.

 

Hi SqueakyCat.

 

Indeed, they did not disclose for how long the tiers will be up — they just said it would be a "very limited time". That's why I'm fretting about my ability to get the $140 tier, and I'm positively skeptic about my ability to later upgrade it to the $250 tier. Unfortunately, pledging $250 right away is something I just cannot afford; otherwise, I totally would.

 

However, unless both Project: Eternity's website and its Kickstarter campaign webpage are mistaken (which they might, if the developers made an announcement that superseedes what I see written there), the $250 tier does include a collectors' boxed set signed by the devs.

 

Also, Adam Brennecke confirmed (on October 14th) in the 'Comments' section of the Kickstarter page that the Collector's Book will not be available as an add-on.

 

Yes, I imagined that (though thanks for confirming my suspicions; I still have a lot of catch-up reading to do about Project: Eternity). I figured it would have already been an add-on, if the devs had planned for it to be one. I guess that's one more reason for me to fret about getting the $250 tier.

 

Sorry I wasn't clear. The Collector's Box is signed, but not the Collector's Book. My bad for not being clear.

 

Hopefully, you'll be able to upgrade to the $250 tier before they shut it down.

[Inannachan]

I also would love to know roughly how long I get to upgrade to the highest tier possible, after all it would be such a pleasure to see.

[RTWAP]

To bad you can't post-date a commitment. Or buy on an installment plan.

 

The thing is, Obsidian may determine they have a business reason for not keeping contributions open indefinitely. They need to set a budget and project plan. Money that comes in later can't be counted on and therefore is unplanned. They might prefer to have it up front. So enforcing a deadline acts as encouragement to commit.

 

But we've seen people in this thread who are committed, they're just temporarily lacking funds. So if they could commit now, with payment due in 3 months then everyone would get what they want.

Edited October 21, 2012 by RTWAP

[Inannachan]

Well I'm more than happy to work up to $250 because I really want the signed stuff but I can't afford to do so all at once. Not having a job sucks, especially when there's a game developer that I love and want to support more than I have done so already.

[MagiK]

@AndreaColombo

 

They haven't said (that I know) how long Paypal will remain open - hopefully long enough for you to get the tier you'd like. Just so you know, the $250 tier does not include the signatures' of the developers. Sadly, that's the $500 tier.

 

Also, Adam Brennecke confirmed (on October 14th) in the 'Comments' section of the Kickstarter page that the Collector's Book will not be available as an add-on.

@AndreaColombo

 

They haven't said (that I know) how long Paypal will remain open - hopefully long enough for you to get the tier you'd like. Just so you know, the $250 tier does not include the signatures' of the developers. Sadly, that's the $500 tier.

 

Also, Adam Brennecke confirmed (on October 14th) in the 'Comments' section of the Kickstarter page that the Collector's Book will not be available as an add-on.

 

According to the wording in the text box of the $250 tier wich I just now hit paypal for, the Box is signed....

[AndreaColombo]

But we've seen people in this thread who are committed, they're just temporarily lacking funds. So if they could commit now, with payment due in 3 months then everyone would get what they want.

 

I like this idea. I would gladly pledge $250 right away, if payment was due in 3 months.