Sequel to Ultima Underworld out on Kickstarter now!

[Endrosz]

I had my doubts about what can be done with a budget like this. The Twitch interview that Infinitron linked laid my doubts to rest, I pledged after that in-depth talk. Paul said that with the minimum budget they'll be concentrating on making a very solid 10-12 hour game, in the vein of HBS's recent Shadowrun titles. That's exactly what I wanted to hear, a focus to deliver a solid basis, it doesn't have to be long, it has to be very enjoyable. And unlike the SR games, their game will offer high replayability "as is", thanks to the emergent gameplay engine they're building.

[BruceVC]

I had my doubts about what can be done with a budget like this. The Twitch interview that Infinitron linked laid my doubts to rest, I pledged after that in-depth talk. Paul said that with the minimum budget they'll be concentrating on making a very solid 10-12 hour game, in the vein of HBS's recent Shadowrun titles. That's exactly what I wanted to hear, a focus to deliver a solid basis, it doesn't have to be long, it has to be very enjoyable. And unlike the SR games, their game will offer high replayability "as is", thanks to the emergent gameplay engine they're building.

 

My friend you need to have faith....but I just want to let everyone know that this game won't have Romance. I don't want people to get upset later and its perfectly understandable considering the fact that you won't have a party with you 

[Keyrock]

It's down to the last 48 hours.  I'm guessing it will finish somewhere around the 800k to 850k mark.

[ShadySands]

I just hope that the relatively slow/low funding of this doesn't discourage Obsidian from launching their next KS

[BruceVC]

I just hope that the relatively slow/low funding of this doesn't discourage Obsidian from launching their next KS

 

I doubt it, there were certain  fundamental concerns about this KS that didn't seem relevant to what Obsidian did and will do

 

People generally just have more faith in a company like Obsidian  

[ShadySands]

Agreed but I seem to recall Feargus mentioning this game (before the KS launched) in an interview somewhere about KS still being viable or some such. I'll have to look it up as I may be misremembering it.

[Keyrock]

I just hope that the relatively slow/low funding of this doesn't discourage Obsidian from launching their next KS

I doubt it will.  InXile's smashing success with Torment: Tides of Numenera shows that there is great potential for follow up success, particularly if your first project is well received, which PoE hopefully will be (by the backers, first and foremost, and the press, second).

Edited March 4, 2015 by Keyrock

[SupidSeep]

Final update:  They'are announcing Paypal for additional funding after the end of the Kickstarter

 

Paypal backers, please remember Underworld!

[rjshae]

Final update:  They'are announcing Paypal for additional funding after the end of the Kickstarter

 

Paypal backers, please remember Underworld!

 

Well it's about time...!

[Zoraptor]

Really? I thought they announced divine assistance courtesy of Pope Frank as they were bringing in a "PaPal" option.
 

Papal!

Starting on Friday, March 6th, we will begin accepting PaPal as a form of payment for pledges to the game.

 

 

Or maybe Geoff Keighley was going to appear in some advertising for corporate pledgers.

 

(The letter Y was a gif (?) and I've got them default nuked to stop tracking gifs.)

[marelooke]

 

I just hope that the relatively slow/low funding of this doesn't discourage Obsidian from launching their next KS

I doubt it will.  InXile's smashing success with Torment: Tides of Numenera shows that there is great potential for follow up success, particularly if your first project is well received, which PoE hopefully will be (by the backers, first and foremost, and the press, second).

 

To be fair though, inXile got a lot of flack for trying to launch a second Kickstarter before the first game was done (as such Wasteland 2's success has little or no bearing on the success of the TToN KS imho since it wasn't released when that KS ended).

 

On topic, they've shuffled a bit with the stretch goals: enhanced music was added to the companion stretch goal, which was subsequently reached (which imho was a smart move, while companions are neat and stuff "more music" is a bit higher on my "do want"-list), hopefully they'll reach the Dynamic SFX goal too.

 

Don't care much for the translations (I don't think I've ever played a game in my mother tongue, even if it was available), I can see the appeal of translating a game (not everybody understand English, after all), but I fail to see the appeal of it as a strech goal for the majority of backers.

Edited March 6, 2015 by marelooke

[Keyrock]

To be fair though, inXile got a lot of flack for trying to launch a second Kickstarter before the first game was done (as such Wasteland 2's success has little or no bearing on the success of the TToN KS imho since it wasn't released when that KS ended).

 

 

That flak didn't stop them from breaking the Kickstarter video game record, though, did it?  Plus, when they did the TToN Kickstarter, the Wasteland 2 beta was out to the backers at that point, so at least some that backed it had seen what they had funded (in an unfinished state) and the feedback was generally positive, if I remember correctly.  You are correct, though, that Wasteland 2 had not released fully yet at that point.  All the more reason for Obsidian to have confidence they can get good funding through crowdfunding again if they do so after PoE is fully released.

 

On topic:  Underworld Ascendant is past the 800k mark with 11 hours to go.  850k is almost a sure thing, 900k is very reachable, 1 million is not out of the question if they get a big final push.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Keyrock

[SupidSeep]

It's OVER! 

 

$858k 

 

Alright, they can drink themselves silly with mushroom tea for the weekend, but they better get to work on Monday!

[Infinitron]

Plus, when they did the TToN Kickstarter, the Wasteland 2 beta was out to the backers at that point,

 

 

It was not. The only thing Wasteland 2 backers had seen of the game at that point was a vertical slice video: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2/posts/401940

 

The beta came out at the end of that year.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Infinitron

[Keyrock]

My timeline was off.  My bad. 

[Bryy]

It's OVER! 

 

$858k 

 

Alright, they can drink themselves silly with mushroom tea for the weekend, but they better get to work on Monday!

Thank God that Kickstarter no longer uses Amazon (less fees), because this is a really low number for what they are trying to do. With fulfillment and KS fees, I'd wager the actual budget is around the low 700s.

[Keyrock]

I almost pledged, but I didn't.  I was not fully convinced, plus the $25 entry fee put me off.  I do hope the game is a success, though.  I'll buy it when it comes out if it turns out well.

[Bryy]

I almost pledged, but I didn't.  I was not fully convinced, plus the $25 entry fee put me off.  I do hope the game is a success, though.  I'll buy it when it comes out if it turns out well.

I broke and pledged $1 just so I could tell people that Diablo did not make The Bible popular.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I almost pledged, but I didn't.  I was not fully convinced, plus the $25 entry fee put me off.  I do hope the game is a success, though.  I'll buy it when it comes out if it turns out well.

Same here. Hope for the best, but they didn't have a proven track record like Obsidian or Larian.

[Cantousent]

I never played Ultima Underworld, but I really loved the first 4 Ultima games.  Four was itself quite impressive back in the day.  I can get the series on GoG for $25, which includes Ultima 1-9, Ultima Underworld 1 and 2, World of Ultima, and Ultima Worlds of Adventure.  Ultima Underworld looks kind of like Eye of the Beholder, which I really loved when it came out.

[rjshae]

Apparently some of the stretch goals they have been setting will only be available to higher end contributors. Hmm...

 

Now I'm wishing I'd contributed less.

[Vaeliorin]

Yeah, the Kickstarter-only items that you only get if you pledged enough were sufficient to get me not to pledge. Not that I was that tempted (as I didn't like Ultima Underworld, due to the combat mechanics) but I might have pledged at a low level just to support more old-school games getting made.

[Zoraptor]

Can't say that I care whether or not I get rotworm boots or whatever the unlocked bonus item(s) are. Presumably those who order the game later won't get them (for free) either. Wanting a 50% discount and all bonus items seems a bit, well, entitled to me, especially as the limitation was stated in the tier description.

 

Having said that I have seen plenty of people saying that they found the nickel and diming distasteful so it may well have been- and I'd personally suspect was- counterproductive overall. But I think the far greater factor is just plain kickstarter fatigue and kickstarter cynicism becoming more prevalent (thanks, Tim) plus not really having a big name beyond a company that died well over a decade ago.

[rjshae]

Yeah, I don't really care about the book or the vorpal wabbit thing. It's just the tactics that seem distasteful. Such as the change of the kickstarter goals that (a) put the necropolis out of reach and (b) replaced it with a book that most contributors won't even get. Instead I get the privilege of being a "beta tester".

 

Nah.

[Vaeliorin]

Yeah, I don't really care about the book or the vorpal wabbit thing. It's just the tactics that seem distasteful. Such as the change of the kickstarter goals that (a) put the necropolis out of reach and (b) replaced it with a book that most contributors won't even get. Instead I get the privilege of being a "beta tester".

 

Nah.

This. The individual items don't concern, I just think the tactic is awful. If it was something I'd really been dying for it wouldn't have stopped me from pledging, but as an on-the-fence person, it's a real turnoff. Edited March 8, 2015 by Vaeliorin