Wasteland 3 - Now with PayPal Option
- Thread starter HiddenX
- Start date
Finally.
Just a little financial tip, for those who worry about giving out bank cards on the internet and using them for like, new things, such as this Fig crowdfunding thing…
(by the way, I noticed that Fig said they are going to keep my card information on file, and they didn't give me a choice. So I am doubly glad that I used the method below!)
Whenever I'm unsure of a web site, or just don't want the business to have my bank account card information (or credit card info), I use a special card put out by American Express, called the Serve card.
https://www.americanexpress.com/serve/customer/?s_tntref=https://www.google.com/
It's a prepaid card with the backing of American Express, and also they send you a physical card, just like the debit card or credit card you would get at your bank. You can use it online at just about any website.
It is prepaid, which means, the way I do it is that my debit card from my bank is linked to my Serve card, so, whenever I want to buy something and have concerns such as I talked about at the start, I then can electronically transfer whatever amount of money I need into my Serve card that the item costs, (though there is a daily deposit limit, but obviously, if you are planning a major purchase, you could add money to the card every day up to the limit, until you had the required amount to make your purchase)
This electronic transfer is free, and is done instantly too. So then I can use that money and my serve card to buy whatever I needed online, and don't have to worry about the business having my card info either (because I will normally keep a balance of near zero in the account, until I want to buy something)
There is a nominal fee of $1 a month, but come on. that is pretty cheap for a good service like this, especially from a prestigious and super solid big name company like AMEX. At least, I think so.
I backed Wasteland 3 through my Serve card, and like I said, I use the serve card account often for new sites, and other things where I might feel uncomfortable that the business would have my card information.
(by the way, I noticed that Fig said they are going to keep my card information on file, and they didn't give me a choice. So I am doubly glad that I used the method below!)
Whenever I'm unsure of a web site, or just don't want the business to have my bank account card information (or credit card info), I use a special card put out by American Express, called the Serve card.
https://www.americanexpress.com/serve/customer/?s_tntref=https://www.google.com/
It's a prepaid card with the backing of American Express, and also they send you a physical card, just like the debit card or credit card you would get at your bank. You can use it online at just about any website.
It is prepaid, which means, the way I do it is that my debit card from my bank is linked to my Serve card, so, whenever I want to buy something and have concerns such as I talked about at the start, I then can electronically transfer whatever amount of money I need into my Serve card that the item costs, (though there is a daily deposit limit, but obviously, if you are planning a major purchase, you could add money to the card every day up to the limit, until you had the required amount to make your purchase)
This electronic transfer is free, and is done instantly too. So then I can use that money and my serve card to buy whatever I needed online, and don't have to worry about the business having my card info either (because I will normally keep a balance of near zero in the account, until I want to buy something)
There is a nominal fee of $1 a month, but come on. that is pretty cheap for a good service like this, especially from a prestigious and super solid big name company like AMEX. At least, I think so.
I backed Wasteland 3 through my Serve card, and like I said, I use the serve card account often for new sites, and other things where I might feel uncomfortable that the business would have my card information.
- Joined
- December 2, 2011
- Messages
- 504
Or, and this an idea, just wait for the damn game to be done (2020? 2021?...2025?), and, assuming you are still alive and interested in this kind of games, pay 20% of the original price and don't have to worry about creating new cards or doing anything at all...
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2011
- Messages
- 504
I wasn't prompted to save my card at all. There was an option you can check to save your card if you wanted to or you can ignore it.
Really?
At least in Germany you can get multiple free bank accounts and credit cards. (Technically all those free credit cards are debit cards, but as a payment option this doesn't matter. And personally I don't want a "real" credit card.)
So in general it is wise to use a separate bank account with an associated credit card for internet payment. So even if someone uses this account without your approval, you can only lose so much money you decided to transfer there.
But still people in Germany are complayning about "credit card only"-payment and do consider internet payment risky, while there is an easy way to minimize any risks.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2014
- Messages
- 106
Wouldn't they need to save your card information if the funding hasn't been collected yet? It's in their database as soon as you enter it. All this 'save' would do then is preload the card information.
Anyway, I'm backing now.
True, inXile doesn't really need the money and one $33 pledge isn't really going to make a difference to them at this point. Better to pledge to a tiny indie studio who actually really needs help. Vigilantes is still trying to reach their modest goal, the game is likely coming out next Spring / Summer and a Steam and DRM-free download is only $9.
Also, (at least in the US) if you have a credit card from a reputable bank then it really is quite simple to dispute fraudulent / unauthorized charges (can often report them online these days so you don't even have to make a phone call), so I'm not sure a special service is actually necessary.
They also added the indefectible stretch goals:
https://www.fig.co/campaigns/wasteland-3?update=190#updates
https://www.fig.co/campaigns/wasteland-3?update=190#updates
Hmm. Well I guess I misread about FIG, I didn't think they had stretch goals.
I hate to be that guy, but that's not really quite true. Crowdfunding is still a very important portion of our business and those pledges do actually help a lot. Crowdfunding lets us prove there is an audience for the game up front, get started on development, and crucially, lets us continue to maintain our independence as a studio.
Beyond that, crowdfunding also lets us get fan feedback on what people want to see early on and work towards that. So far all of our titles have been aided significantly by fan comments, alpha and beta testing, and collaboration.
Well, I'm fine with being this guy so I must say I'm not entirely convinced. Just looking at the cold hard numbers ~$30 is less than 0.0001% of your total budget. Nevertheless I appreciate where you're coming from, even if it's the kind of standard PR line I'd expect from any company running a crowdfunding campaign.
While I won't be backing Wasteland 3, I'll give you some feedback on what I'd like to see free of charge
:An improved single-player experience (I don't give a rats ass about multiplayer). In particular a more complex and interesting combat system and better character building. See Jagged Alliance 2 for combat ideas and Fallout 1 & 2 for character building
The vehicle thing sounds interesting but combat in general needs more variety (i.e., special attacks) and difference between weapons… Give me a reason to use something other than assualt rifles (and sometimes melee for armored opponents). Every weapon type should have significant pros and cons (even if it is just which ammo type is most easy to come by). I didn't quite get that in W2. ex: Sniper rifles need a longer max range and more opportunities to use effectively.
Every point invested in a skill or CLASSIC attribute should give a noticeable benefit.
The containers / loot system needs a major overhaul. Having so many difference lock types (standard, safe, electronic, toaster, etc.) and requiring a wait of several seconds every time you attempt to open them all for the chance to get mostly mundane loot really drags down the game… Needs to be sped up and maybe even simplified / streamlined or else you really need to justify the investment of skill points… Maybe create a sense of urgency by having traps / alarms that only go off after a failed attempt to open a lock. As it stands, it's just repetitive and dull. And random loot encourages save-scumming.
Less filler combat and less mandatory combat overall. Think Fallout 1 & 2 only without boring random encounters. Make every encounter unique and challenging.
Don't expect you to listen to me since I'm not even giving you any more money, (However, I did back Torment) but at least now you know why
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- September 26, 2007
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- 3,469
$30 is 0.0001% of $30 million, so you think W3's budget is above $30M?
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2007
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Sorry, due to an early shift I'm a bit sleep deprived and it was inventory day so the math part of my brain is fried
Might be one more zero than I intended. I think I read something about a ~$10 - $12 million total budget (much of it coming from inXiles sales of W2 and Torment and possibly some publisher money, too). The key point is it's a really tiny piece of their budget so saying "every pledge is important" is kind of like saying "every vote matters" in a national election. It may elicit a warm and fuzzy feeling, but it's PR spin any way you slice it.
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