Grimoire - Crowdfunding campaign at indiegogo

Dhruin

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Jack writes in to point out Cleve Blakemore has launched a crowdfunding campaign at indiegogo. Cleve is seeking $250k to finish Grimoire: Heralds of the Winged Exemplar, which is a new title to my knowledge.
It's worth noting this indiegogo campaign is a little different to Kickstarter - it runs for 120 days, for starters, and all money pledged is paid at the end - even if the goal isn't met; be warned if this bothers you. On to the game:
Having self-funded the entire development of the game over the past 17 years out of our own pockets we are now turning to crowdfunding to put the final polish on the game before delivering it to fans worldwide who have been waiting on the game for more than a decade. A pledge to the game will secure you a one-of-a-kind collector's edition of the resulting masterpiece and a guarantee that the completed product will be artistically perfect. Only pledges will get DRM-free copies of Grimoire once it is completed.
Grimoire is a turn-based, 3D, first person perspective roleplaying adventure in 1024x768 256 Color graphics. The 3D step-based engine is pixel perfect and smooth scrolling with zero distortion handcrafted images.
The style of play is very similar to that of CRPGS during the golden age of computer roleplaying before 1992 like Eye of the Beholder, Bane of the Cosmic Forge, Crusaders of the Dark Savant, Might & Magic, The Bard's Tale, Stonekeep and other classic games.
The emphasis in the game is on the story, exploration, discovery, character advancement, puzzle solving, strategic phased combat, treasure hunting, inventory management and interaction with the non-player characters encountered during play. [...]
Enhancements Planned During Next Six Months :

  1. Increase screen resolution to 1024x768 and viewport size to 720x600
  2. All new title screen with animated logo
  3. New animated intro, cutscenes and in-game animation sequences
  4. Integration of additional monster and magic spell animations
  5. Improvements to animation engine and transitions
  6. Detailed improvements to user interface and icon presentation
Achievement of Funding Goals :


  1. New music score & sound effects
  2. Additional animation sequences to enhance all aspects of gameplay
  3. Possible ports to IOS, Linux, IPad and Android platforms
  4. Work begins immediately on sequel after release
More information.
 
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When I first heard the name of Grimorie, I was in high school and a regular reader of rpgdot.com. Years passed, I graduated from the university, have a job, married and have a kid, but I’m (and many of you I’m sure) still waiting for this game.
For me Grimorie is a legend. It’s the ultimate RPG in my dreams that I have never played. My expectations about it are now sky high and I even expect to find the meaning of the universe when I’ll play the game. It must be the RPG I’m looking for all those years. :)
And I want to play this game before dying from old age. So I’m pledging. Joking aside, Grimorie beat the grand record of DNF, even Blizzard avarage game development time feels a moment in the space-time when you think of Grimorie’s. Even the crowd funding time of the game is long (4 months, are you joking?).
Grimorie is one of two games that I had never thought ever released. Other one is Inquisitor and since it was released, there’s still hope for Grimorie. (Well, I also remember a game called Fatherdale, do any of you remember it?)
I’m pledged. So give me the RPG “that rules them all”. :)
 
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I remember Fatherdale. Sergei Klimov from Snowball wrote several developer diaries for RPGDot at that time on Fatherdale (he is working for Larian Studios now).

I don't even think Fatherdale is being worked on since 2001 or something like that. Rumour has it that Grimoire has been worked on in the last decade…
 
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It's a little --- odd --- that after all this time and (apparently) with the bulk of the development (allegedly) completed, NOW we see this kickstart campaign just to put the final polish?

It's just a little suspicious in my mind, that's all. If the game is THAT close, normally you'd see pre-orders being taken.

If some kind of demo was released, then at least that would provide some kind of reassurance.

If I saw a demo, I'd be far more inclined to contribute. Lacking one, I have no idea what state the game is in or if it'll ever get released.
 
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Sounds more like "Cleve's Revenge" should be the title.
I feel strongly against contributing but that video was the funniest thing yet out of Cleve's camp that I have seen.
 
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After his posts here, the fact is I just don't like the guy.

There are to many good kickstarters and games coming to feel the need to support him.
 
Yes because this site has been so suportive to him over the years.

I have played the game, I'm guessing a much older version now since it was about 5 years ago. I didn't finish it but had fun with what was there. It reminded me of a Wizardy game. Lots to like a few problems back then with not finished areas, but what I played was ready back then, not sure why he never just put it out.
 
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Does that really say $250K?
 
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By rights, this should have no chance. Whoever donates to this will be throwing their money away and Dhruin forewarned them. Caveat Emptor :)
 
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Maybe for $250k he can get the engine to not make turning look silly.
 
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Yes because this site has been so suportive to him over the years.

Maybe not but I'd never had any previous interaction with him in the past and he was smug with me right off the bat.

As someone who owns his own business I realize the need to take the high road. Not everyone will like what you are doing. When they voice it you simply thank them for their input and move on. You don't get in to long drawn out public arguments with them and respond hostilely to anyone else that posts. It just makes you look bad and in this case it turned a customer away.

Even if you put his rude responses aside, his original post made it sound as if he wasn't really interested in finishing the game anyway. I believe he said something along the lines of if he cared he could already have finished it. Hardly inspires any consumer confidence.
 
Ok so the comparison chart of Cleve's is a bit dishonest - maybe by intent, lazyness, or both. It appears to woefully understate the numbers when it comes to certain actual classic RPGs in comparison to his. For example he lists the number of spells in Arena as "N/A" which I suppose sounds less impressive than 22 pre-created + semi-infinite player created spells. Additionally games like Ultima Underworld he lists the number of spells as "25" when the number is "40."

Those are just the easy to find examples of where he mistates numbers from other games to make his seem somehow more impressive by comparison. Its also a really stupid basis for comparison even if it were honest. 144 spells? Great, how many of them are useless and retarded I wonder.
 
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the game is finished and he wants $250k for adding some animations and new music and sound ..LOL for real
 
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Just for the record, the site and several here have been strong supporters of both him and the game. Several of us got to test it for him back in the day. But comments made have burned bridges and what was thought to be friendships. Don't search, most were deleted at the authors' requests.


The game was fun and storyline kept you going but I would NOT invest in without a promised return should it fail to release.
 
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Ok so the comparison chart of Cleve's is a bit dishonest - maybe by intent, lazyness, or both. It appears to woefully understate the numbers when it comes to certain actual classic RPGs in comparison to his. For example he lists the number of spells in Arena as "N/A" which I suppose sounds less impressive than 22 pre-created + semi-infinite player created spells. Additionally games like Ultima Underworld he lists the number of spells as "25" when the number is "40."

Those are just the easy to find examples of where he mistates numbers from other games to make his seem somehow more impressive by comparison. Its also a really stupid basis for comparison even if it were honest. 144 spells? Great, how many of them are useless and retarded I wonder.
In Grimoire, you can ride on turtles. Your argument is invalid.

The pitch vid rocks :).
 
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The game does look interesting (I never bothered to look much into it until now) but I'm going to have to see some real impressions and reviews of the finished work because I'm not in a hurry to blindly trust my money to a "severely mentally retarded madman" (as he seems to be describing himself). Plus I have no idea what to make of this pitch, it's simultaneously disturbingly funny and depressing. Is it meant to be taken seriously? Is it a joke? The manifesto of a megalomaniac? An awkward confession, a cry for help? If the game is as confused as that I don't expect it to be a particularly pleasant, or even coherent, experience.

Has anyone read Balzac's "The Unknown Masterpiece"? (I read it many years ago but yeah, I think it's relevant)
 
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$250k for a game that has been feature-complete for the last few years… this is too ludicrous even for Cleve.

all money pledged is paid at the end - even if the goal isn't met

Ah, this explains everything. I can already guess how this will end:

Unrealistic goal isn't met -> game isn't released (yet Cleve keeps the kickstarter money) -> he keeps trolling for the next 10-or-so years

Someone should nuke the damn bunker and end this pathetic farce.
 
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I think the end goal is just too high. Considering he can keep the funding even if the end goal is not met I can't help but think this is a little too smart on Cleve's behalf. If the goal is met then everyone is happy, if not he can say he tried but the demand just wasn't there and walk away with the achieved funding without any obligations to backers. It is a win-win either way.
No doubt I would gladly pay $100 for Trailblazer reward but not before I without a doubt can see this gets funded.

@cacaro you beat me to it ;)
 
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