Stretch Goals

I don't know if I'd use the word disingenuous. What has surprised me is how complex the KS and continuing support process are. Expectations have gone in all sorts of directions - there's another thread about waterfront housing right now, and there have been many more of these types of situations.

I'm wondering if, with the limited time available and the complexity, that all communication could ever be so explicit as to not let any expectations arise that turn out not to be true. It's a stretch based on this to say that the intent was to mislead, which is what being disingenuous means. I think it's just the gaps that form because nothing like this can be perfect.

Here's to celebrating our humanity!

 

Yea, thats what i tought aswell and i aswell think to remember, that the stetch goals where still up to date, that they collect money to get them. They was even talk about it in the forum. Beeing quiet all the time and only informing now, after all goals are done, that they would only count the one after the kickstarter is a really bad move.

Ok, they reached the 2.25 1 1/2 month after they finished the kickstarter. I wouldn't aswell have any problems, if it comes out few month (possible 1 1/2 - 3) after the launch of the game as a free update. But i would be more as upset, if we only get it after the 5th episode or never anymore.

If they would work on the game features they have planned now and switch to the 2.25 M$ goal and then the 2.5 M$ directly to finish them in high priority work directly after to get it out as fast as possible after the release, would be still okay for me. But we would need a clear comment from the developer, that they will make the 2 goals after the main goals. For now it sounds more like a well, maybe we make them, but maybe not, or possible after episode 5.

 

I've been giving this some consideration since you mentioned "flexible weapons". Could we use the term "articulated weapons" instead? Weapons like noonchucks (as well as morning- and eveningchucks) and like we already mentioned, whips.
I suppose nets can fall under this category as well.

However, I would like to refrain from *uh-hum* "flexible weapons" ... *fidgets uncomfortably*... as some of the others mentioned, have alternative uses. *Blush*

 

I don't think we should worry too much. The stretch goals will likely be done at some point in the near future, the features for the goals and my reasoning for them being done:

$2.25M Goals:

• Work begins to expose options for player modification of the offline game and limited elements of the online game.
• Skill for "art creation" to create actual individual unique art to show and trade in game.
• "New You" detailed character creator - We will provide tools well beyond the basic choices of gender, body/face/hair/eye types, and layer in morph targets to customize your avatar to be "the Real You" at the in-game "New You" salons.

Why we'll get them:

• The team has realized after the scene jam that the community is more than capable and willing to create quality content. I'm sure they will realize that the time they put into modding tools will be returned in spades by the works created by the community.
• This one should be relatively simple technically to do, a user uploads a jpeg/png, which is approved by players or admins and that is slapped on a 3D rectangle in a frame.
• The SoTA team realizes that the social aspect is going to be extremely important to keep players around long term and having unique avatars will help the in-game social immersion.

$2.5M Goal:

• Virtual reality

Why we'll get this:

• Since SoTA is using Unity and Unity already has support for the Occulus Rift it won't be too hard for them to add this especially given the minimal UI that they have show us so far.

 

Feature creep? Say it ain't so. Hopefully this is not an indication of past behavior. I hate to sound negative here but this is a rabbit hole that has been seen before by this team. It is much better if they stick to the original plan and mayhaps have a little less at release with option to add / modify in the sequels than delay / drop original feature due to insufficient funding caused by chasing unicorns.

 

Yes, thats actually aswell what i am hoping for and i think its realistic, because the devs wouldn't have chosen this goals, if they aren't intrested in them.
But that are only hopes and theories and we haven't a guarantee. What i am missing is something like a clear statement from the devs like: "Yes, we will do the other goals directly after we are done with the main schedule."
The mod tools are the thing i worry most for. Some body morpher shoudn't be to difficult. How told, even by Skyrim fans where able to create a tool to morph the body NIFs shortly after the game release. But creating mod tools could be something larger. And that was actually this part, i was looking most for. And is one of the reason i played Skyrim for nearly 1000 hours, even when i am finished with the main story completly. And making them user friendly is another question. Even the new creation kit can be a real pain.

 

Personally, I backed the game when it had less than $1M. I was pretty confident the game would get to $1.1M and was hoping for $1.4M, but that wasn't what was really important. What was important to me is that I never counted on anything else beyond where the game was when I pledged. Everything beyond is icing on the cake. It doesn't bother me whether they do VI or not. I am not upset and don't feel anyone was disingenuous. They aren't taking away anything we already had.

I'm not a game developer, or producer, or anything like that. I've been involved in a lot of other projects with release dates. I really cannot think of one that didn't go through changes, and the projects with longer horizons had more changes. This project is over a year from release. I fully expect changes. It helps me to remember what life was like before we all got exposure to real-time game development. I mean the alternative here is we aren't involved in a community like this. We don't have access to the developers, producers, leaders like this. We don't get to influence the direction either way. If we did hear about features in the game, it would be through 3rd party websites like Gamespot or 1up, and not directly from the dev team. Even in the traditional development cycle (traditional compared to crowdsourced), they could say a certain feature will be in the game, and then right before release change it. The difference is now we get to have real, meaningful impact during the development. I still don't think anyone on the Portalarium team is being disingenuous.

To me, the spirit of this whole crowdsourcing phenomenon is that you put your money in as a good faith gesture. You hope to get something in return, but don't expect it. It's like gambling - never wager more than you can lose. With RG leading it, I knew I stood a very good chance of getting my money's worth, and I feel I am. This is an amazing community and we are getting great access to this development process. There are some things they've done that I liked and some I didn't like as much, but it is all balancing out way on the positive side. To paraphrase Hanlon: Don't attribute to disingenuity that which is adequately explained by people trying to be open when designing their multi-million dollar RPG with a new class of hybrid on- and offline play, amazing story, rich crafting, deep housing, and a wonderful community.

Thank you!
X

 

As far as I'm concerned, I'm more focussed on seeing my new online home (not just the housing lol) being as detail rich as possible as I'll probably be living there for as long as I did in UO. Occulus rift can more or less plug in to unity without much config, so I see it as a bit of fluff tbh. You know best where to put that extra money to good use guys, and you are quite right not to make the same mistake as double fine's project (though I still wish them all the best to succeed).

Darg.

 

You too can own your own house Hydra, the only difference between the launch houses and the $500 houses (other than a bit of fluff) is that you have to pay tax on them (as in ingame coin).

Your point is good though, a promise of more housing space at some point may be a worthy and achievable stretch goal. As long as it doesn't end up like UO where Sossaria was one big city with not much free space

 

More housing space has already been promised. Each additional episode will add a land mass, and the expectation is that it will also add more housing.

Though as a sidenote, I had an idea that one of the new lands be 'untamed' and the players would have to complete goals over the year to 'unlock' the settlements. It would be like a western frontier expansion or colonization.

 

I like your suggestion, but why not really untamed new lands, and instead of unlocking settlements, players determine where settlements can be established and clear the land, build their own houses and buildings, etc...etc... That would really give the community something to sink their teeth into and hopefully keep them occupied longer than completing goals? Just a thought.

 

I think the problem with that is the design decision was to prefab towns and houses. In this case areas would have to be pre-determined for town placement and the town layout already prefabed by the Devs. It could still start out as an empty land that would need to be cleared of hostiles and resources collected, but it will need to be something planned by the Devs. They have stated they did not want the free form housing like in UO.

I suppose there could be situations where a guild or group RPed this sort of things, and then the Devs could build the town around that; however, Dev involvement would be required.

 

Since the map is dual-scale, the designed settlement could be tweaked to go anywhere. Allowing housing anywhere would depend on how they wanted to implement it. They certainly don't want the problem UO had where housing ended up in any spot large enough to drop it. If you want to keep the people occupied, turn it into a constant struggle to keep the land or they lose their plot.

That might be an interesting twist for the new land. Perhaps you don't get charged a tax directly for the lot like you do in the starting lands, but you have to spend effort and money defending it. I could see it happen singly and as a group. Perhaps even with a PvP twist to it.

 

PreFAB !!! No way I'd trust half of you making a nice customizable house or town.

 

Dang Gunga! I already had my design picked out!

 

I knew you were part of that half...

 

I have mixed feelings about this, I hated seeing every open spot in the wilderness covered with houses but I also loved having a secluded house in the wilderness and the occasional PK chasing me from his house in the middle of nowhere.

 

Just because they are prefab doesn't mean there won't be secluded housing. However, I would say its probably not a good bet for EP1 release.

 

I think I remember that house from UO... *snickers*

 

thanks for replieng, and some sarcasm but i can take a joke.
i am also not interested in te acullis rift goal.
40+hours of gameplay is great i wish we had 400+ like skyrim.
more content is always welcome and the modding peaple ,can the mod in more missions maybe.