RPGWatch Forums - Ars Magica

RPGWatch Forums (https://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/index.php)

- News Comments (https://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10)

- - Ars Magica - Nearing the End (https://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18645)

Ars Magica - Nearing the End

The Kickstarter game Ars Magicka is nearing the end. At the moment of writing this they still have 69 hours but with 73K out of 250K this looks to be difficult to achieve.
Anyway, jsust in case there are some with plenty of money to burn here is the latest update on the combat UI:

Quote:

http://i47.tinypic.com/a4be9w.jpg
The center portion of the UI is the map, and this displays not only the position of the combatants but also the various features available. You can mouse over these for more information, and click on them to take contextual actions or move characters to them. As noted previously, unused features can come and go as the rounds passed, so you’ll want to be looking at the map for additional options as time goes by.
You’ll also notice the little icons for the combatants which ring the map’s edges. You can click on these to change targets or focus on a feature, if you do not want to navigate by map.
Above and below the map you have information related to the currently selected character (top), and the active character (bottom.) Here you can review known information about the characters, generally contextual to the actions available. You can also click on the main portrait to see a more detailed character sheet, where appropriate.
To the right of the map is the general features list, for easy reference. Some features, as for example the Chesnut Limb and Hollow Trunk, are parts of a larger feature, in this case a Chesnut Tree. This list, like the map, is updated as features become available and/or move out of the flow of combat. You are also able to close this pane if you prefer to work directly on the map.
On the left of the map is the contextual action list for a specific target. The top portion of this pane shows actions which are directed at the target, and the bottom shows actions which are directed towards yourself. You can expand this pane to show more options, or you may close it and work directly from a larger map.

More information.

Hard to hope it'll reach the goal… But no reason to abandon it for good, it's interesting enough to give it another try.

Quite a few games are struggling with being funded on Kickstarter now - Hero U, Sui Generis, Unususal Heroes, Shadowgate, and a few indie RPGs as well like #103, Forced, etc. Tough times or simply there is too many projects and not many are standing out like Project Eternity or Wasteland 2….

When there aren't big names, it makes it harder to get attention. Also, to be honest, I'm pretty Kickstartered out. Even the big ones I want to support, like Star Citizen, I'm finding hard to summon the resources to support. I've already kickstarted something like 7 projects.

I wanted to play this one but I don't have 200k to save it. Dang

I still can't believe I blew $160 on the Tex Murphy Kickstarter… but then again, the world needs another Tex Murphy game with modern technology.

This is one of those that really should try again at a later date---the Holiday shopping period being essentially about upon folks in the states has got to be sucking up some of the funds.

Yeah, it's most unfortunate. This game setting has more meat on its bones, and perhaps greater significance, than many of the KS projects that have been coming through.

Yes, they should try again. The next time they can start with the details they have now but trickled out far too slowly during this first campaign. This was another Kickstarter that started out way too vague. These folks (meaning Kickstarts in general; I've seen quite a few vague efforts now) need to get their act together from the beginning. If you aren't Obsidian, you really ought to have a comprehensive proposal prepared…..and screenshots…..even these conceptual ones. People dig visual aids.

I agree with Capt. Huggy Face. I'm really disappointed this one looks like it won't make it. I was a big Ars Magica fan and was really looking forward to being able to play a crpg version of it on the PC. Just wish I was wealthy enough to help them reach the funding goal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capt. Huggy Face (Post 1061171213)

I fully agree. This seems to be the mistake many kickstarts do. It's nice to see updates but most people will take a look at a project page once before deciding if they are interested, so the pages need to capture that from day 1. The Ars Magica kickstart looks very interesting now, but it started with very vague concept and a couple of vapid concept arts.