02/04/15 - Update From The Founders

[Taegan 59]

I'll back this game. I am very much a fan of crowd funding.

 

Would love to buy a Founders Tier!

Edited February 4, 2015 by maric

[mythx 1,000]

Perhaps call, Todd Howard - he is experience with the TES (The Elder scrolls) series, and he can perhaps give some advice in marketing 'Crowfall'. Do what you feel is necessary, but pls. don't sell the @rights to Ubisoft. 

Edited February 5, 2015 by Mythx

[palinore 72]

You guys definitely have my support.

[zerocyde 22]

"We will license some of the overseas rights for Crowfall."

 

Oh dear god here we go again. If we raise you enough cash can you promise we wont be CN zerged again?

[sarin 664]

"We will license some of the overseas rights for Crowfall."

 

Oh dear god here we go again. If we raise you enough cash can you promise we wont be CN zerged again?

This alone should be enough incentive for every single person here to send some money to crowdfund this!!! LOL

[headlight 5,742]

whew, them alpha prices are cray cray. Guess we'll find out how much everything is in ~19 days when this hype train pulls into the crowdfund station.

[Murzerker 37]

Look forward to seeing the KS.  Hopefully if falls someplace between Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, and Project (Pillars of) Eternity quality wise. 

Edited February 4, 2015 by Murzerker

[mendoza 52]

The Funds of the QFT Pizza King are at thy disposal !!!

[bahamutkaiser 2,378]

Sounds fine to me, I'd like a little more assurance before I open my wallet for something that I won't see for years. I want to at least know something will come of my money and not just sink into a hole which will keep asking for money without giving me permanent access. Here's hoping there's enough promise to get private investment rolling.

[wormed 212]

Will your paid Alpha be around 150$ like AA or 275$ like CU?

 

You just made all us 1%'ers happy!

 

I got CU alpha access for far less than $275. What are you even talking about?

[bravebellows 5]

Bravebellows and Gamin Kitty are ready with their checkbooks! Make it so (where's the money slot?)

[shadow2015 11]

The team member bio page is over the top impressive. 

Looking forward to backing this game.

[gyrus 158]

.... you aren't providing a "100% persistent world" in this type of game. Sure, there are many worlds, and yes EK is really the only one you have control of. But it's your lobby. You're just chilling there. Plenty of games out there have lobbies where you chill and yes I know there's a bit more to that, but in essence, EK is just fluff imho (even with the powerful trophies). ...

You are making a ton of assumptions there - some of which (the way I read the latest info) aren't correct.

 

EK (As I read it) isn't a 'lobby' where you just chill.  We still need more info, admittedly.  I think the choice of the word "lobby" here  (That’s why we added the Eternal Kingdoms: super-sized player and guild housing Worlds.  Trophy rooms that you can use as a “lobby” between matches/campaigns.) was a poor choice of words.

 

Bad Devs.  Wash your mouths out.  Go to your room!

[wartech 11]

It's a great idea. Players should have the voice majority. I'd hate to see too much sacrificed solely to complete the game.

[xcomvic 862]

You are making a ton of assumptions there - some of which (the way I read the latest info) aren't correct.

 

EK (As I read it) isn't a 'lobby' where you just chill.  We still need more info, admittedly.  I think the choice of the word "lobby" here  (That’s why we added the Eternal Kingdoms: super-sized player and guild housing Worlds.  Trophy rooms that you can use as a “lobby” between matches/campaigns.) was a poor choice of words.

 

Bad Devs.  Wash your mouths out.  Go to your room!

Isn't that the point of all this? To assume?! Come on now, and yes lobby was a poor choice of words, but it is what it is. Even if they are adding some things to make it more than just a lobby or a place to hang up trophies. They said the Main Importance of the game were the Campaigns. And unless they plan on adding campaigns to EK if enough of us cry about it, campaigns are going to be up in the forefront in development since that is their main focus. Regardless, again, we are here for speculations.

 

And everyone is interpreting the same information given in many different ways...which is why until the countdown is over, we won't know wtf anything is 100% of the time. But anyway, what was I talking about in what you quoted me... oh, what did you find wrong with what I said? That the worlds aren't 100% persistent, eh, the worlds reset, maybe I used the wrong word...maybe permanent is better choice than persistent. Because technically they are persistent but only for a limited time, so not permanently. Not like your traditional MMORPG, which this never was to be anyways to begin with. 

 

And I still think this wouldn't be the right choice for a sub game, because of the non-permanent worlds. Even if EK is Persistent and Permanent. Eh, now that I think about it...if they made EK more prominent in between campaigns...where we could siege and fight and try to take over other EKs...then we'd have a very interesting and worthwhile sub-game imho.

[stevencolbear 100]

In the United States, for an individual to be considered an accredited investor, they must have a net worth of at least one million US dollars, not including the value of their primary residence or have income at least $200,000 each year for the last two years (or $300,000 together with their spouse if married) and have the expectation to make the same amount this year." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accredited_investor

 

Basically, to invest in more risky business endeavors, you have to already be wealthy, the theory being it prevents people from preying on lower income members for investments.

 

While I certainly appreciate the idea of protecting "lower income" people from being preyed upon, it would also be nice to see an option for a more typical income individual such as myself to be able to invest in something they believe in. Shouldn't that be what the "free market" is truly about?

[xcomvic 862]

While I certainly appreciate the idea of protecting "lower income" people from being preyed upon, it would also be nice to see an option for a more typical income individual such as myself to be able to invest in something they believe in. Shouldn't that be what the "free market" is truly about?

But America...sigh, my sweet, beautiful, awesome country...is full of well...BS:) "Free Market", "Freedom", all just an illusion and that's the truth. But anyways, I needed to get that out of my head, I was hoping it was causing my migraine. 

 

But yes, I agree. I wish the little guy could invest in some companies, even if all they had was a few hundred dollars:) They wouldn't get too many stocks, but better than nothing?

[Grafiska 17]

Count me in.

 

So apt that your avatar would be a gold dollar sign too

[gyrus 158]

Isn't that the point of all this? To assume?! ...

 

And I still think this wouldn't be the right choice for a sub game, because of the non-permanent worlds. Even if EK is Persistent and Permanent. Eh, now that I think about it...if they made EK more prominent in between campaigns...where we could siege and fight and try to take over other EKs...then we'd have a very interesting and worthwhile sub-game imho.

Fair enough.  You win the rampant assumption game!

 

The sub / buy as you play issue is a whole separate topic though.  Subs don't work for me (personally) due to work commitments.

 

Also on the rampant assumption angle - I doubt they will let you 'take over' (permanently) anything belonging to others in the EK.  If you could it would just turn into another 'dying gank fest game'.  You might be able to fight there - but for fun only probably... although there is a possibility that the 'lands' to do with the hierarchy could be held here?

[stevencolbear 100]

So much this. 

 

Early Access kickstarter reward systems is something that concerns not only me, but my gaming community as a whole. It is something we have just recently been bitten by and leaves a sour taste in our mouths. It creates a pay wall where if you want maximum benefit you have to accept paying double (and convincing enough of your organization as well) the cost of a normal box release game for the luxury. With a market saturated with competitive, and even indy competitive, MMO titles meta gaming communities are getting increasingly more cautious about the ones they invest in. That said Early Enrollment is just a single warning sign. 

 

MVP or Minimum Viable Product is another warning signal. Honestly, until recently I had not heard this concept used outside of single player or pre alpha contexts. I used to relate the term to testing core concepts well before you decide to market it. Expecting a steady stream of income each month for an incomplete game, while promising more in the future, has done a lot to erode consumer confidence in titles that subscribe to that mindset. It is essentially asking players to accept a completely not fun game for the privilege of being more powerful when the game actually becomes fun years later. You are essentially asking customers to buy into your design document, while giving them a persistent alpha in the mean time. I am sure this is a successful way of getting immediate capitol and increasing investor confidence. In my opinion that comes at the cost of eroding consumer confidence. 

 

High pay walls does the same thing. Asking us to donate around what it would cost to buy game cash or the game itself is completely reasonable. It shows that we are confident enough in your title to buy in before we can even try the game. A hundred or more dollars just to buy in, however, is essentially asking gamers to buy in at a premium. A thousand dollars to be an alpha tester is essentially just giving the most rampant fan boys a way to feel like internet hipsters. Additionally the ones most invested in your title are generally the ones least likely to criticize your game. It is a simple sunk cost fallacy. 

 

Lastly the crowd funding in game goody bags and later the cash shop. Nothing makes me cringe more than the term "convenience item". For example, I can build a structure in three months with rare items and an even rarer schematic. Someone else can buy the same camp, or an even better (indestructible) one with a huge lump of money. You can say that it only convenience, because I too can make an item somewhat similar, but it is still a buy in advantage. I get the item immediately, and in a lot of cases my store bought one can not be burnt to the ground. Taverns, camps, experience potions, trophies, weapons, locked archetypes, and the like should stay well away from the fund raising and shop options. Offer all the tu tu's, sparkle ponies, skins, and velvet couches you like. I love cosmetic shops, as does my community. It is an easy way to gift a friend without worrying over the mailing process. Adding in "convenience" items doesn't just make me feel like the game allows a pay to win scenario, it makes me think the developers are not confident in their brand and are thus scraping for anything that keeps them working. 

 

 

TLDR: Gaming communities are cautious about fund raised MMOs (and getting more so as more hit the market), but how it is handled will likely determine how well they are received. 

 

I couldn't help but think of this