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Sword of Midras Printed Copy Reward Replacement

Discussion in 'Announcements' started by DarkStarr, Oct 10, 2019.

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  1. Kabalyero Kidd

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  2. Daxxe Diggler

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    I've taken some time to consider this replacement announcement instead of just blurting out my initial reaction. Although I'm still torn on how I feel about it, I wanted to at least express my concerns and feelings on it so far.

    First off, I've already read the downloadable version they delivered. The story was pretty good, but nothing so fantastic that would make me desire a signed copy. Personally, I just didn't feel like it was "collector" worthy. So, for me to receive 2 signed hard copies of something I virtually already have... honestly would just be redundant. I don't have a SOTA/RG/Tracy shrine where I would display them. I did consider possibly selling them at a reasonable price to a fan that would truly appreciate them. Though I'm not even sure that would be worth the effort.

    So the replacements offered seemed like a good solution... except that I hardly play the game much these days and the digital replacements would likely just go to waste too. I have one main avatar that would likely use one set of the rewards... but what will I do with the second set?

    The Challenge Dungeon Entrance sounds like a nifty thing to have, except I'm sad to say I haven't played in so long that I don't even recall adventuring in the Challenge Dungeon. Is that a popular dungeon in-game these days?

    The Printing Press item is something that will likely just collect dust for me. I already have 2 of the original printing presses and other than making a handful of book copies shortly after the release date... they have been nothing more than a decoration taking up space. I sense these 2 others I will be receiving will also just end up being a deco piece.

    The Library Dungeon Room sounds like it could be nice to have. Depending on how it is designed and whether or not we will be able to add our own books to the shelves or whether they will come pre-stocked... might make the Printing Press item slightly more useful. But again, I haven't played much lately and doubt I would find the time to copy books and stock the shelves for this. More likely than not, it would probably just remain as is in my dungeon.

    Besides the fact that they may not even be that useful, these all sound like they will be re-skinned versions of something that is already in the game. To me, that's a cheesy way to replace a physical reward. I mean, unless the library ends up with the ability for us to customize the bookshelves or have a secret door that opens with a special song (like in a certain castle in-game does) and not just the Lyceum with blue chairs instead of the red chairs... it's not really a "unique" item.

    Perhaps a wax cylinder recording of Scotty reading the Sword of Midras would have been a more unique replacement that isn't just a copy of something we already have?

    Anyway, my dilemma is which would I prefer more... 2 physical books that would sit in my closet collecting dust, or 2 sets of digital items that I will barely get any use out of even one set?

    I guess it doesn't really matter anyway since they decided to replace them with the digital stuff instead. At least I won't have to make the decision of which I would prefer. :p

    That all said, I think the part that bothers me the most about this whole thing though is the failure to deliver the physical goods. I know these were not the only physical items they had to provide (box/dvd/manuals/artwork/maps/coins/pendants/etc.) but a portion of each actual pledge should have been put aside to cover the costs to deliver these books. Considering the lowest pledge level to receive these was a minimum of $220 (unsigned book) or $550 (signed book) there should have been more than enough in those sales to cover delivering the physical books. Again, those were the minimum amounts paid. In fact, over 2000 of those pledges were at Knight level ($800) or above! None of those pledges got any other physical rewards above and beyond the books except signed "Tinkerer's Certificate" and a signed property deed... both of which were already provided with the other rewards in the original boxes. Surely some of the extra $250 per account for those 2000+ accounts ($500,000) could/should have been put aside to cover the costs to purchase/sign/deliver a book.

    The roughly 4000 pledges that were to receive a book brought in over $5.2 million to Portalarium!

    Again, I know there were other physical goods that had to be paid for besides the books, and yes, some of this money was supposed to help support development of the game. But you can't tell me that there was not enough money in the budget to fulfill these promises based on what the pledges cost.
     
  3. dayero

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    Thanks for the thorough write up. I agree with pretty much everything you said. I also feel the replaceements are both kinda useless for a lot of players and from the dev side they seem like low effort replacements.
    The only thing I don't agree with is the setting aside money part. That is very unrealistic considering how startups work. As a startup you burn money until you are broke or break even. Before that you can't set anything aside.

    Imho the only other option would have been that a certain someone, recognizing that the game won't be successful enough in the near future to finance the books from current revenue, would have stepped up and paid the 50k or so that were required to honor the original promise from his own pocket. Considering we are talking about someone both likely to be a double digit millionaire and responsible for the bad deal with the publisher causing these high costs in the first place I think that's not an entirely absurd thought.
    Then again, the real world is neo-liberal and in the virtual world it's just that tiny switch to answering the oracle test "no" ;)
     
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  4. Beaumaris

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    Are these R72 rewards?
     
  5. Proteus Tempest

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    This speaks of the kickstarter backers getting the new rewards for the undelivered book but some non kickstarter accounts were suppose to get the book and signed book also.

    I assume the message above forgot to include the royal founder and founder accounts?
     
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  6. Proteus Tempest

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    I got all the stuff!

    Thanks to all the devs!
     
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  7. Sole

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    I like the Sword of Midras Printed Copy Reward Replacement items a lot, huge thank you to devs!
     
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  8. Barugon

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    @DarkStarr

    Can you please make it so that basement entrance patterns can also be used for dungeon entrances?
     
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  9. Kryothan Ice

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    I'm not sure if this account was a kickster one, but I know that I pledged at the Ancestor level on 2014-03-03. I'm not sure if it was a gifted account or not, but I did pledge at that level to get the book and also paid the shipping fee for the physical goods, the book being one of them in my mind, so I'm a little confused as to whether I would have gotten the book or not, as Starr has said that it was a kickstarter backer pledge, and if I would be getting the replacement items for the book? I'd really like to know the answer to this please!
     
  10. Paladin Michael

    Paladin Michael Bug Hunter

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    Well, in a first step you can login and look into your rewards (top right icon) ;)
     
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  11. Kryothan Ice

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    I was recruited.

    @Paladin Michael My partner is a kickstarter founder and has had the replacement for the book, I've looked at his Special reward tab as well as mine, and nowhere does it show the book, apart from the digital version at the bottom, and if you are referring to kickstarter, I don't remember what my email address was for kickstarter, if not then give me a little pointer where in the rewards I may find where you said it was!

    *edit* ya already did that, which is why I asked the question as it was not in my rewards. Which is why I asked for clarification as to if I will get it or am not eligible for it as it was only a kickstarter reward, if not then I'm a little annoyed as that was the reason that I upped my pledge to get the book, and it would now seem that I never would have gotten it in the first place :(
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2019
  12. Lained

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    An ancestor level pledge qualifies for the replacement rewards and your pledge date is before the physical rewards expired, best thing to do is log into your SotA account and check your ancestor pledge is listed on the pledges tab, if it is and you don't have the rewards contact support@portalarium.com, if it's not hunt down the credentials you used when you pledged and check the pledge tab with those.
     
  13. Vladamir Begemot

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    Wait, so is a Knight Founder that came in in 2014 supposed to get it?

    Did I just blow all my gold when I should have had my own already? :p
     
  14. Birko

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    Kickstarter campaign was fully funded on April 8, 2013.
    No money wasted Vlad !
     
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  15. Bowen Bloodgood

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    If only the library entrance wasn't cluttered with cobwebs. :(
     
  16. Kryothan Ice

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    Just checked and it is, thanks for the advice, I will send it a ticket.
     
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  17. Kryothan Ice

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    Well sent in a support ticket on the 24th November and......... no reply :(
     
  18. Brighton Rock

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    It has to be a kickstarter pledge. Like Kryothan said, check your pledges tab, but also check if theres an F or R left to your title for (F)ounder or (R)oyal founder.

    you can also check this thread https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/pledge-reward-spreadsheet.2536/ where you can find al the rewards that should have come with your pledge
     
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  19. Sentinel2

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    I don't understand why the book cases are no trade though it's a replacement for the kickstarter pledge. I was thinking of submitting it as a bug. Doesn't look right.
     
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  20. Daxxe Diggler

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    Not entirely true.

    You don't need a Kickstarter account to get these rewards. In fact, you don't even need a Founder or Royal Founder account to get them.

    My account was created on 7/24/15 and my account page does not indicate my pledge to be F (Founder) nor R (Royal Founder). Kickstarter ended on 4/8/2013, so it clearly is not included in any of those categories, yet I received all of the Sword of Midras signed copy reward replacements.

    According to the spreadsheet found through the link you provided... you needed to be at Patron level or above before 8/31/2015 to be eligible for these rewards. (Looks like I just made it by about a month.) :D
     
    Kryothan Ice and Lained like this.
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