Transolar Games - Kickstarter for Summer Daze at Hero-U Coming October 2nd

Transolar Games will launch a new Kickstarter October 2nd for Summer Daze at Hero-U.

We're excited to launch our next Kickstarter: Summer Daze at Hero-U.

We're doing some exciting new things with this game to make it fun and accessible both for committed adventure gamers and for casual audiences. Summer Daze at Hero-U focuses on the core elements of characters, story, and player choices. It's of course set at Hero-U (as a prequel to Rogue to Redemption), and will be playable on iOS and Android as well as Windows, Mac, and Linux.

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We have some special early-bird tiers for the first backers. In particular, our Beach Blanket Beta tier, normally $100, will cost just $90 for the first 100 backers. We also have a special catch-up tier for players who don't have a Hero-U or Quest for Glory game key, or want to get extra keys to give to friends. The "Summer (and Winter) Games" tier is also limited to the first 100 backers.

We're seeking $100,000, enough to finish and polish Summer Daze. We're hoping to raise an additional $50,000 to fund foreign language translations and English-language voice acting. Major success in the campaign will allow us to add even more cool stretch goals and add-on items. Extra funds could even allow us to start preproduction work on Hero-U 2: Wizards Way.

You can help us reach these goals by supporting the campaign early and sharing it with your friends, social media, and favorite media outlets.

Can we count on your pledge?

Thanks you!

More information.

By my opinion all their development and money troubles originate in fact that they failed to sell Rogue to Redemption as QfG spiritual successor during first kickstarter. I know they didnt manage to sell it to me, while being huge (HUGE) QfG fan (and at that time willing kickstarter donor).

Are they trying to make the same mistake for second time now? Sure looks like that to me at this point. Hope Im wrong tho …

I don't think they made any (huge) mistakes, they knew from the beginning this sort of games aren't mainstream and IMO crowdfunding is the best option they have.

The problem I have with this new title is - it's a prequel. Prequels don't interest me.
The first game was fun and I want to Know what happens next, why a prequel, why? Not sure if I'll back it right away.

Originally Posted by joxer
I don't think they made any (huge) mistakes, they knew from the beginning this sort of games aren't mainstream and IMO crowdfunding is the best option they have.

The problem I have with this new title is - it's a prequel. Prequels don't interest me.
The first game was fun and I want to Know what happens next, why a prequel, why? Not sure if I'll back it right away.

Well, this sounds more like a visual novel than an adventure / RPG… it seems this is just a simple, short term project that they can hopefully release quickly and earn some funds for their next big project.. As they mentioned "extra funds could even allow us to start preproduction work on Hero-U 2: Wizards Way."

So it seems they are still hoping to do another proper Hero U game.

I'll say this much, Hero-U was a fabulous game, one of the best that I've ever sponsored via kick starter. It might not have been a Quest for Glory game, but it was fun, tough at times, and thoroughly memorable for all the right reasons. I'm a bit more wary of the kick starter platform now, with the focus on Epic exclusives, but I will be there to check out the full pitch.

Wasnt original pitch much less ambitious then game finally is? I think they made many changes during development. Kickstarter campaign suffered from that if my memory isnt completely crippled.

You are correct, Andrew, they had quite a few delays, and at points I wondered if we'd ever actually see the project finished. What we received was much better than I initially thought it would be, so in the end, all the fans won. I hope the creators did as well, because they totally earned it.

I've already backed it just because I've always loved their work.

Originally Posted by Corwin
I've already backed it just because I've always loved their work.

I've chipped in as well. I consider it an investment into their future games.

Originally Posted by joxer
I don't think they made any (huge) mistakes,

With all due respect to the Coles, they made huge mistakes in this project, that nearly ended them in financial limbo.

AFAIK, the really big mistakes were management issues though. They had an assumption that the project could be developed similar to Sierra's heyday methods and budget -- which is obviously not applicable in the XXIst century.

BTW, any words on the financial performance of Hero-U?
(Although I was critical of their project from the get go, I sincerely wish them success -- they really deserve it!)

I got an email saying that since I sponsored a prior project, I'm grandfathered into this one, which is pretty nice.

Originally Posted by joxer
why a prequel, why? Not sure if I'll back it right away.

My impression of the reason from the kickstarter page was:

Because they didn't make enough on the first game to do a similarly large second game (with point-and-click adventuring and dungeon exploring and so on), but they do still want to do that sequel so they're trying out a cheaper visual novel prequel to see if they sell enough of it to then later fund the sequel.

Originally Posted by Carnifex
You are correct, Andrew, they had quite a few delays, and at points I wondered if we'd ever actually see the project finished. What we received was much better than I initially thought it would be, so in the end, all the fans won. I hope the creators did as well, because they totally earned it.

My point was, I am really big fan of QfG. I played and replayed all original parts and also fan remakes multiple times. And for new QfG-like game with decent production values I would kill. So I should have been easiest catch for them with original kickstarter. But the pitch seemed to be for something different then QfG spiritual successor. And while I supported for example Mages Initiation and Quest for Infamy, here I didnt bite. And thats why Im saying the pitch was failure.

I love Hero-U! There could have been more boobs and some lewdness, but pet creatures, small or big take away the show!

I receive an email earlier today stating that the creators were going to replay some of the first game on youtube sometime today. Not something I'm interested in, but I thought some might enjoy it.