New stretch goals for companions and wilderness areas?

[jettomx]

More specific  information regarding the stretch goal would be greatly appreciated...

[Gumbercules]

The character animations are all alpha.

 

So are you confident that animations, effects, etc. will have enough time and money as is? Are companions and wilderness the only two stretch goal possibilities because you are satisfied with how everything else is shaping up?

 

Additionally, the number of current companions vs proposed additions is pretty obvious, but what about wilderness areas? Is the current scope close to the in-between-BG1-and-BG2 goal that was originally considered? If so, how much additional wilderness would the stretch goal add?

[Frenetic Pony]

Games always take more money than you think to make, and any project by a rule of the universe takes longer to complete than you think. That being said more funding is ALWAYS better. I'd be watching Star Citizen in awe too. So any more funding efforts are great for me. If I had to choose stretch goals I'd say:

 

#1 "Make the game better."

 

#2 Mo cap all animations, including detailed facial animations and hire Morgan Freeman to voice all characters.

 

#3 Develop real life unicorns using genetic engineering. Deliver to backers.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Frenetic Pony

[Hassat Hunter]

I much rather the extra money goes just to more content (more maps, more quests) rather than some big new function (like a housing own system or tax system, or "buy up all Athkatla" or alignment changes and teammate conversions, or *pains* VO or *pains even more* side-activitities like playing golf or racing).

 

So yeah, voted NO

 

(I would only vote for a new companion if they are properly integrated into the storyline, unlike certain expansion characters or DLC characters *cough.* They would take FAR more time than designing a new area or quest. Although of course different people would work on both of them, so it really depends on the man-power and *what* manpower.)

Edited December 11, 2013 by Hassat Hunter

[J.E. Sawyer]

So are you confident that animations, effects, etc. will have enough time and money as is? Are companions and wilderness the only two stretch goal possibilities because you are satisfied with how everything else is shaping up?

 

Additionally, the number of current companions vs proposed additions is pretty obvious, but what about wilderness areas? Is the current scope close to the in-between-BG1-and-BG2 goal that was originally considered? If so, how much additional wilderness would the stretch goal add?

 

We have scaled our scope to our budget, which includes animation and everything else.

 

The current wilderness area scope (specifically) is a little under BG2.  The exact number by which it would increase would likely depend on funding.  The goal isn't to turn it into BG1, but to hit that mid-point between the two BGs, so there's good exploration with solid content density.

[nikolokolus]

I'm all for some extra stretch goals to really polish this thing up. So long as it means paying for extra man hours (i.e. more help) and it doesn't delay its release for another 3 or 4 months as the content gets added.

 

More wilderness to explore (ala BG 1)? Muy  bueno

More companions and/or companion related quests? Bueno

Stretch goal for romances? No bueno.

[Telgrim]

if those wilderness areas have some fun random events and enconters then make it so! :D i wouldnt mind kicking in a few more bucks to make this game as good as its potential is!

 

and you can never have too many choice for companions

[TRoar]

Hey Josh,

 

I just finished reading the big pcworld.com interview, and was pleasantly surprised by your answer to the last question. You were saying that one of your bigger concerns was the size expectations of fans for PoE, and said that BG2 is a HUGE game.

 

I agree with you, BG2 is huge. I guess there are a number of reasons why BG2 is used as a benchmark for these kinds of games, size being one, and that it's equally important for fans, such as myself, to not forget that BG2 used the original BG as a foundation (a big one at that).

 

In regards to my previous post, where I said that I was hoping PoE would be roughly the same size as BG2 and that I thought if it was that big then there was no real need for more content, I think I was setting my expectations a bit high.

 

If PoE is around 75% the size of BG2 (still a really big game!) then I personally think that there's still no real need for more content, and that polishing should take priority.

 

Again, I'd still make a pledge regardless of what additional stretch goals were added, because of missing the kickstarter.

[ceribaen]

Stick with the current plan, get things out on time and polished.

More stretch goals, means more time required and more integration.

 

I don't want to see this turn into a re-funding drive like Star Citizen where you start wondering if the funding drive ever actually stops and the game starts to be worked on to completion.

[TRoar]

 

 

The current wilderness area scope (specifically) is a little under BG2.  The exact number by which it would increase would likely depend on funding.  The goal isn't to turn it into BG1, but to hit that mid-point between the two BGs, so there's good exploration with solid content density.

 

 

That would make for a great balance, and something that I'd be more than happy to back.

[Sykid]

Voted yes, but would like more info.  More party NPCs is always better imo.

[Quietwulf]

I'd sooner see the developers focus their resources on QA and polish.

 

There's always room for expansions.  It might no be as sexy, but launching with a clean, stable, high quality product is still worth something these days.

[talharbash]

I voted for more stretch goals but I'm going to assume that does not mean a later delivery for the game.

 

That would suck

[schyler_evans]

Part of what made BG2 feel so immersive and expansive to me was the huge number of random wilderness areas. Unexpected encounters while en route to unrelated destinations really gave it a feeling that anything could happen. You could stumble upon a new quest, a random bad-ass battle, or just a cool patch of terrain with a cave/forest/crazy old dude in a cabin/etc.

 

While these extra areas are not revolutionary additions to a game, I think it subtly makes the world seem more real and explorable.

 

As it doesn't sound like it will hurt development on anything else that is planned, I'd be more then happy to throw some more cash in that direction.

[Tychoxi]

I'm totally okay with this, but I'll add...

 

...my two bits: a) I doubt I'll be able to support Eternity more than I already did (damn you cost of life!) and more importantly b) I wouldn't want significant release delays because of this (being totally selfish here).

 

So to be clear, I have no problem if you have to delay the release to do more polish/finish off whatever, but to delay it for extra stretch goals doesn't sound cool to me. In short, you are free to fund extra stretch goals if you are confident it won't cause delays and/or if you release them later as small expansions or whathaveyou.

 

Also, I generally prefer smaller games that provide a tight, very intelligently designed story+gameplay than huge, expansive games that offer a disjointed, less cohesive experience. Yes, yes, RPGs (and Eternity) are closer to this second category, I'm just tryin' to say that adding content for the sake of adding content doesn't necessarily make a game "better".

Edited December 11, 2013 by Tychoxi

[Jotra]

Voted yes, but would like more info.  More party NPCs is always better imo.

 

Josh Sawyer has been pretty clear what this would be on the SA forums. Three new companions to have a companion for each of the available classes, and some more wilderness areas.

[O.DOGG]

I voted yes. I only wish the additional content we'd be funding now to be added to the main game and not the expansion we'll be waiting for after the game is released, though it doesn't matter that much, really.

[Stun]

I am a very patient person, so I wouldn't mind a few extra stretch goals.

Ditto. On both statements.

 

I have absolutely no problem waiting longer for quality. So Yes. Give us some new stretch goals. Make them Great, then take the time you need to make them worth the wait.

 

 

I'm just tryin' to say that adding content for the sake of adding content doesn't necessarily make a game "better".

Obviously. It strictly depends on 1) the Content; and 2) Who's creating this content

 

#1 is hit and miss in general. I've played some games where more wilderness areas has, in fact, enriched the experience (BG1), and others where the wilderness areas didn't mean a damn thing to the experience (BG2)

 

As for #2, C'mon. This is Obsidian we're talking about here, and perhaps specifically Chris Avellone. It's virtually a given that a couple more companions will only make the game better.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Stun

[Bryy]

Adding new stuff this late into the game scares me.

[Hassat Hunter]

What's SA?

 

I voted for more stretch goals but I'm going to assume that does not mean a later delivery for the game.

 

That would suck

Anyone expecting the original release date (set before any of the kickstarter backer-ranks got raised like a big multi-level dungeon is only fooling themselves...

[oldmanpaco]

Which strech goal makes MCA draw the avatars we paid for?

[Jotra]

Adding new stuff this late into the game scares me.

It's not that late. According to JS they are actually just starting to make the companions, and obviously are also working on the wilderness ares. So it would actually be a perfect time.

[Stun]

I do find the very existance of this thread interesting. Typically, at this point in production Scope Creep is the big impending threat. But here, we apparently have the opposite going on: A developer proposing to expand the already existing scope of the game.

[Hephasto]

Would happily pay more in order to get additional stretch goals (I'm half assuming at this point that it involves hiring some more people). The game already sounds amazing but more content=more adventure as far as I can see (and more replayability.... thieves, rangers, warriors, good folk, bad folk... so many choices).

 

I'd certainly add a T-shirt or the like if it would move this closer.

[Antulamatsch]

I would love new stretch goals.