Stretch Goals: Why are you hiding them? (and) Why I likely won't pledge toward them.

I'm just going to jump in here: why isn't one of the stretch goals on the main page of the website? Other than that launcher page you see when you first go to the site, the main site is the first thing you see. I feel that if, let's say Pack Animals, was on the front page then it would get a lot more exposure. The whole "Team Donkey vs. Team Llama" could even be put on there...it boggles my mind that the stretch goals are hidden away. Player-Owned Towns I can understand. The actual store I can understand since there is a large button "Store" on it. But stretch goals...they shouldn't be something you have to hunt for. They should be front and center: ways to make the game better. Pick one and start to feature it more. Include it in newsletters. Get people excited for it.

Basically, they could be doing a better job with stretch goals.

As the whole debate currently that Drocis has been arguing, I don't completely disagree or agree with him. I feel like people who buy horses in the add-on store should have exclusive access to horses (with the ability to give the gift away) during Episode I (or II depending on how close this feature is implemented to II) before everyone gets it in Episode II or III. Other players who didn't spend money to make this feature happen can have other mounts.

And if people yell "pay to win", how exactly does having one kind of mount amount to winning? It doesn't impede your ability to play the game and other mounts should be equivalent in getting the job done. Still, I don't feel like this should be a permanent exclusivity (with training) and eventually everybody should have access to horses.

 

Really not sure what the issue with exclusive rewards for backers is considering almost every single one of them is cosmetic. Its not like non-backers will not be able to get the equivalent of all the pledge rewards and stretch goal items anyway. Large fancy looking house? so what?, the only thing you even NEED a home for is to put a storage chest down or some crafting benches for privacy. The pack animals and horses pretty much just have a different eye colour. The only real advantage you can buy is the prosperity tools and things like the KM helm and sword of Ba'heer which give a bit of a head start very early in release... which is deserved since the people getting them helped fund development and in most cases tested the game to iron out bugs and create balance. If you gained access to an exclusive skill tree, gear beyond the top tier or flying mounts or something that would be a different matter but this is not the case at all. Bad mouthing developers for the loyalty they are showing to their backers is sheer stupidity. If this post offends you then yes, i mean you.

 

This, exactly. They should have released them once a quarter, or possibly even once a year, instead of one after another. There was no chance for one to get a footing before they were flooded.

While this could work, I don't think its really doing justice to the stretch goals. Here is what I'd suggest:

As the total funds for all stretch goals increases, use those funds to implement the most requested (i.e., highest percentage towards goal).

Currently, Pack Animals is at 5.45%, with Horse Mounts just behind at 4.50%. There is currently $43,470 in total stretch goal funding. If when that total reaches $100,000 the numbers are similar, Pack Animals would be implemented. But if we made a concerted push and got Mounts up to the top, we would continue accumulating until we hit $250,000 (or Pack Animals took the lead again) and it would get implemented.

Basically, an actual Stretch Goal race.

This has a nice way of helping people feel better about contributing, as you can look at it as being over 43% of the way toward Pack Animals, instead of only 5%.

Everyone would still receive the items they got from the Stretch Goal Store, but if their goal wasn't the one that "won", they wouldn't gain their extra functionality until they are implemented, likely in Episode 2 or 3.

 

I would say that funds attached to the other stretch goals would still have to remain ring fenced to go towards that particular part of the project. If would be wrong if money that was given towards a particular element was then used on something entirely different.

 

Currently, those funds are going toward nothing. I'd rather if my funds (even though I've only contributed to the Mounts and Boats) go toward SOME tangible goal, rather than just be essentially wasted.

They would still be used to determine what goals are worked on next; once Pack Animals are done, for example, then Horse Mounts in the next highest. We would just need to get more funds to implement it, or wait until they are included in the next episode.

 

out of 45k people? a hundred people of a forum. .... smh

but take your number for real. 9% over 45k people is 4k people. You think 4k people not knowing something, being given the opportunity to contribute more, is a success?

 

If the statistical sampling is representative, then 30 votes is enough for reasonable analysis regardless of the population size.


Anyway, I have been want to ask why there are 47k contributors and 143K residents?

 

143k people have registered accounts on the site including the forums. 47k have purchased the game.

Some people registered to see if they'd get a free access pass (they are given away from time to time) or keep tabs on the project and check back later. Some registered because of the Alienware promotion to get a $20 credit, so they can buy the game cheaper later if they decided to. Some are spam bots.

 

I stand by what I say, if funds are being raised in this way they should be ring fenced accordingly (and I'm sure they are). That aside, if they chose to do something with the stretch goals like I previously suggested in this thread it would be initially done with general funds as well as the funds already collected for that particular goal (far more appropriate).

 

Ok.

Well, its entirely possible someone mentioned this already - i only skimmed the 7 pages of comments, so I might have missed it.

But assuming they didnt -

I'm confused as to why no one, including the original OP and the poll, has actually brought up the real, main problem with these stretch goals... the incredibly exorbitant cost.

A quarter of a million dollars to be able to place your house on the corner of your lot instead of in the center?

A quarter of a million dollars for mounts?

A hundred thousand dollars just for pack animals?????

These prices are insane, and are most likely the number one reason no one is paying for them. Don't forget, they are all completely seperate. Real stretch goals, like the ones applied during kickstarter, are inclusive. Add more money to the project, and it gets included in the stretch goal consideration for all stretch goals... but not here. If I decided to add ten thousand dollars for a mount, I would still be no closer to flexible lot placement.

I have no doubt Port is fully aware of this, which is why I believe they don't actually want any of the goals to be met. (Too much work on their end. But at least they can say they offered it!)

Don't waste your money, you will be better off spending that extra pledge on a store item, or getting a bigger lot. Or something.

 

I am actually surprised that the elf one did not attract more interest considering you can use it to start the game with a good bow and a set of armour.

 

If anything you get true rares:

Welcome to the Stretch Goal Store! These are stretch goals with immediate rewards. When you purchase an item, you will receive it as an in-game reward, even if the goal is not met. If a stretch goal is met, all of the items in its respective category will receive additional functionality related to the stretch goal. These rewards are completely unique and will not be sold in the add-on store, in-game, or given as a pledge reward.

I am also pretty sure they will be met, maybe not buy episode 1, but they will.

 

The elf characters may lose desirability after the release because almost everyone is limited to one character and they would have spent a release building them up already.

 

It isn't as crazy as it seems.

Let's say to add a mount system to the game, they need a 6 month contract from a decent developer, 6 months from a decent animator, 6 months from a 3D artist. Salaried developers have a national average of something like $70k for an entry level job like this. I won't presume to say what actual Portlarium devs are making. I'm guessing many are working for less than they could get elsewhere because this is a labor of love.

Staffing companies for contract labor charge you a headhunter fee, which can be 15% of the actual cost of the employee, where the cost is easily 15%-20% higher than salary due to taxes and insurance.

We're at $150k for employee cost for mounts suddenly. Those employees need management and direction, which means the management team needs to find extra time in their day to work with the new staff. The staff needs computers, office space, Unity pro licenses, etc. The project has to work magic to add this feature to the game without bumping time tables back.

The features need QA testing. The website and store need work to sell new mounts.

$250k may be a fair estimate of the cost to add a major feature like that to the game.

 

also a house on the hill.

 

Wait wait wait... Programmers really ARE wizards?? I knew it!

 

I think you still need a village lot to place it.

 

Yes, as far as all the speculation goes. I read as much up on it as I could, and no where does it state that, but in the thread https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/elven-house-in-a-hill.11738/ people do assume it. It would be nice to get answers for the stretch goal as I am wondering as I suspect many others are also.

 

Your estimates are incredibly inflated. Here's why:

1) Aside from the fact that a horse model can easily be bought, fully animated, for less than a hundred dollars... any artist that needs 6 months to build a horse doesn't have a job.
2) Animation? Same thing. Your 6 month estimate is crazy. A walk and run cycle should take no more than a week or two, tops. Or you can buy a horse fully animated already.
3) a 6 month contract for a developer? Again, FAR too much time. Far.
4) People rarely if ever use headhunters for junior/mid artists.

Honestly, none of the points you raise are really accurate.

The only real explanation for the huge dollar amounts is to ensure they don't get met.

 

That's fine for a placeholder but not really optimal for final release. Like using stock image icons for the glyphs, it would function but nobody would be happy about it.