Seven Dragon Saga - Kickstarter Now Live

I like what I saw, though I admit they lack a flair for presentation. They should hire the foxy woman from Dreamatrix to break up the monotone sausage-fest.

If the content is good, I could really enjoy this sort of turn-based party RPG.

I have so many fond memories of SSI games and have backed this significantly, but the funding pace out of the gate looks very disappointing.

The video doesn't really have anything very compelling to offer. SSI and the Gold Box games are old enough that they can't rely simply on name-dropping, especially when none of the developers are household names. I think history has shown that nostalgic CRPG name-dropping only works back to the late-90s or so.

The text of the Kickstarter pitch includes some interesting ideas, which should have been fleshed out more in the video. It sounds like there's a strategic element to exploring the world, where you can tame wilderness and then settle it with new communities that then offer you quests, and I would have liked to have seen some of that in action, rather than so much combat (which, let's be honest, is boring to watch when it's turn-based, although I love playing that style). Just showing a couple quick attacks is all that's needed to demonstrate the combat; after that, they should focus on other things that might make their game unique. If the PnP system has been around a while, I think it would have been useful to look in some detail at a character sheet, and what all goes into defining a character. These low-level strategic details is where the SSI games really shined.

I also wish that Richard Garriot would stop polluting other Kickstarters. The absolute WORST way to reward backers is with in-game items, but he's apparently instilling the opposite idea in the heads of other developers...

I really hope that this one can pick up some steam...

I backed this.

Well, I'm in for $25… Which is a rather high entry point for KS, that may make it difficult for them to reach their goal. That's not to say that the game won't be worth $25, but when you're asking people to put up money on Kickstarter a year or more before a game comes out… a lot of people are expecting a really good deal.

Looking at all of the "high profile" Kickstarter games I've backed in the past couple of years that raised over $1 million, like Shadowrun Returns / HK, WL2, PoE, Torment, etc. almost all of them had either an early bird or regular tier of $15 or $20. Only Divinity: Original Sin had a digital copy tier at $25, but they had a lot of gameplay footage to show and they just barely made $1 million. I suppose TSI is thinking they won't attract as many backers as some of those other games so they have to ask more per backer. But this could backfire, if too many people decide that they'll just wait until release because of the "high" cost of a digital copy.

they should have had an early bid tier for $20.

I really need to stop reading comments here. This used to be an upbeat site WTF happened? And why do I have to wade through more Shroud discussion in this TSI thread? We finally get a proper turn based tactical rpg like ToEE (from SSI folks no less) and people bitch about it? Ridiculous.

I agree ToddMcF2002 as I said above we are slowly becoming the Mini-Codex in the last year. So all Shroud of the Avatar comments have been moved to the forum.

So please take your debate to the forum, and not in this thread.

Link - http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1061310509#post1061310509

Now time for good news as TSI posted the first update.

Link - https://www.kickstarter.com/project...y-tactical-simulations-interact/posts/1163015

I also made a news-bit with the information on the front-page.

Bitch and moan when the product is out, if it happens to not be to your liking. By invoking the Gold Box term, they have to realize that many people will have certain expectations, and I for one fully expect them to succeed. Less griping, more throwing of the money.

Hmm the start video is not convincing enough ... I hope the next updates will manage to sell the idea better.

I think it looks great. I think the days of pitching with an idea on the strength of being famous developer #205 and no actual game are over and I was relieved they had some actual game play footage no matter how alpha it may be and this is an important point. All I want from the game play is to see what they are aiming for with complete understanding that it is very early in the development phase. From what I saw and the pedigree of the team this is an auto back for me. Come on folks. Party based, turn based, Gold Box developers. What's not to like?

BrianOConnell said:

I think it looks great. I think the days of pitching with an idea on the strength of being famous developer #205 and no actual game are over and I was relieved they had some actual game play footage no matter how alpha it may be and this is an important point. All I want from the game play is to see what they are aiming for with complete understanding that it is very early in the development phase. From what I saw and the pedigree of the team this is an auto back for me. Come on folks. Party based, turn based, Gold Box developers. What's not to like?

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If they can promise me another ToEE turn based experience I can get behind that, but that video does not sell me that and their KS page does not sell me that. And for 25$ I don't want to risk it. We have enough good games coming out to play for 2 years now.

I was enthusiastic when it was announced and I remain ever enthusiastic. I could never see myself not backing this. TSI has some true legends of the industry for Tyrranthraxus' sake!

I've beaten all of the Goldbox games (a couple several times over!) and they make for some of my earliest and most fondest RPG memories. TSI must be given the opportunity to bring that game-play vision, evolved and moulded into the present age. Fans of turn based tactical combat and the classic six-player party games take note.

This looks like it could be decent, but $25 is more than I like to back a game for. I prefer $15 but will stretch to $20 for something that looks good like Underworld Ascendant.

I'm undecided...

Daniel.

I'm also completely amazed by the negativity. These guys are not rookies, they have proven they can deliver, they've made some of the best RPGs of the early '90s. They're not asking us to fund their Kickstarter intro video, they're asking us to fund their game.

I've seen some less promising Kickstarters gather more enthusiam here.

Come on Watchers, wake up ! We have some of the best people in the industry offering us a turn-based RPG for 25 $. We should not complain, we should rejoice !

Gilliatt said:

I'm also completely amazed by the negativity. These guys are not rookies, they have proven they can deliver, they've made some of the best RPGs of the early '90s. They're not asking us to fund their Kickstarter intro video, they're asking us to fund their game.

I've seen some less promising Kickstarters gather more enthusiam here.

Come on Watchers, wake up ! We have some of the best people in the industry offering us a turn-based RPG for 25 $. We should not complain, we should rejoice !

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I'm definitely not negative on this, and I agree with you.

I think a lot of the younger members on the watch here probably don't know a lot but these guys.

Gilliatt said:

I'm also completely amazed by the negativity. These guys are not rookies, they have proven they can deliver, they've made some of the best RPGs of the early '90s. They're not asking us to fund their Kickstarter intro video, they're asking us to fund their game.

I've seen some less promising Kickstarters gather more enthusiam here.

Come on Watchers, wake up ! We have some of the best people in the industry offering us a turn-based RPG for 25 $. We should not complain, we should rejoice !

Click to expand...

I'd love to get it made. My only concern is that the launch and the presentation of the campaign may have hampered the chances. That is to say, the presentation is fine by me, but I fear it won't do the trick with a wider audience.

Ripper said:

I'd love to get it made. My only concern is that the launch and the presentation of the campaign may have hampered the chances. That is to say, the presentation is fine by me, but I fear it won't do the trick with a wider audience.

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They have 50k so far and 30 days to go...still doable

Worst case scenario is they will relaunch.

Ripper said:

I'd love to get it made. My only concern is that the launch and the presentation of the campaign may have hampered the chances. That is to say, the presentation is fine by me, but I fear it won't do the trick with a wider audience.

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The presentation is fine by me too. I don't understand why some people don't like it. I've seen better, but I don't see why people are asking for more. Like I said before, we're backing the game, not the introduction video.

Hopefully enough people with twitchy wallets will feel the same way.

At least they got rid of that ugly orange graphic that was there before...