Kickstarter - Brenda Brathwaite and Tom Hall RPG

dumb move…
they should have wait 1 month after Project Eternity is done!

Originally Posted by JDR13
People were tripping over themselves to donate to Project Eternity because it's Obsidian despite knowing almost nothing about it, but now we're not sure about this one because there's not enough information?

I don't agree with this. Project Eternity was clearly pitched as a spiritual successor to the Infinity Engine games - I immediately had a clear picture in my head of what I expected.

What do I expect here? Wizardry? Anachronox? What's with the two game thing? Completely different to Project Eternity.

Yeah, that's my impression as well. Definitely wait on more details and a staffing plan. An experienced document writer usually has little experience with design and coding.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
I don't agree with this. Project Eternity was clearly pitched as a spiritual successor to the Infinity Engine games - I immediately had a clear picture in my head of what I expected.

What do I expect here? Wizardry? Anachronox? What's with the two game thing? Completely different to Project Eternity.

Exactly… and what`s with the Minecraft and IOS references? Throwing Romero in makes it even more confusing.
There`s nothing palpable whatsoever

Originally Posted by JDR13
Brenda Brathwaite = Wizardry 8.

That´s only true when it comes to the story and dialogues though (not that these weren´t great for this kind of game), the rest, like game mechanics, was Linda Currie´s and other designers´ work.
Also, the inclusion of Realms of Arkania is sorta fishy since AFAIK Brathwaite´s involvement in the series boils down to writing English manuals. After all, Sir-Tech was not the series´ developer.

I have pledged 15 $ for the sake of Wizardry 8 and Anachronox. Both of them are great RPGs and I have spent quite a time while playing them.

Yeah… that's one more thing that bothers me.

Project Eternity dropped names of people that are developing/designing the game. This Kickstarter has a couple names as well as a ton of name dropping from people with no technical involvement in the process.

The amount and recency (especially of RPG) development experience is huge for Obsidian. Though Brathwaite has been involved with Wizardry, in terms of RPGs there's the 'what have they done lately' feeling for me.

Now, if Ken or Roberta Williams decided to Kickstart something, I don't care how long since they did any games. It would be a 'hurry up and take my money' moment. But they I think are retired for good.

Honestly what kind of quality can we expect if they announce it may be ported to mobile devices? I know the Unity engine is capable of that - but I also know from my own experience that mobile devices are very weak.

If they are using 3D we get quality like in old Wizardry 8 at best. Don't get me wrong, I loved Wizardry 8, but after 10 years I want nice graphics, animations, environment etc.

- and no isometric perspective please. Project Eternity already does this. No need for a clone.

And then the announcement about 2 games in one. Ridiculous! As if that is so easy. Looking at their portfolio from their website I can see no major game project. All but small browser and isometric games. I think they lack a whole lot of experience. Sure they can make rpgs, but is this - that what we see on their website - the dimension of a game we can expect?

Then it's for sure no Wizardry 9, nor an Anachronox… instead, it's another isometric rpg clone…

While I enjoyed some of the wizardy games they weren't my favorites. I prefer the old games like Pools of Radiance and MM. But they lost me at the porting to mobile anyhow.

lol, I guess there is a gold rush going on now for this type of rpg from both indie and professional developers. They have raised close to 100k so far, so it does seem slow compared to the rate of other big titles. I gotta wonder if eventually this kickstarter thing will have some busts, but we shall see.

HOLY CRAP!!!! The return of old school RPG's is happening.

After a few disappointments from cashgrabs posing as plausible projects (I am awaiting one from Herb/Interplay, BTW) Kickstarters will become extinct. If we want the Kickstarter concept to survive the onslaught of obvious poorly conceived projects or scams, they should be nipped in the bud.

This'll get nipped in the bud, I believe. If they don't come forward with anything solid, they won't be seeing their $1m.

Originally Posted by esterhasz
Wizardry 7 is one of my all-time favorites - great world and fun mechanics, the ability to change classes and keep the last class' ability allowed for epic characters. Backed it for that alone.

right, except that the person that supposedly worked on Wizardry, basically just wrote the manual.

I've backed like 10 kickstarter games now but this one doesn't inspire me any confidence at all whatsoever. Feels to me they're just jumping on the bandwagon, sort of reminds me of like the Internet bubble of late 90s. Companies that got a lot of money from investors just with an 'idea' (but on the Internetz!) without any real business model or concrete plans. Then they wasted the money and the company collapsed a bit later.
Guess I'll pass on this one, unless they show something I'm actually interested in.

one of the differences is someone can pull their money out of a public company and many of those companies "paid" their employees in stock. but I see where you are going.

update

Originally Posted by Tom and Brenda
▪ Linux Support. We are adding Linux support to our $1.5M Stretch Goal! You asked for it, you got it!

▪ Old-School RPG is DRM-free. Like our forefathers in the software industry, we believe in unprotected software - in other words: DRM-free games.

$102k now. not sure if they'll get funded but that's not a bad chunk of change to start.

"Their response:
Our options depend a lot on how much money we get. And what backers want the most! We'll likely post a video talking about them. Thanks for your comments!"

I was already hedging based on the Romero involvement, but this reply sealed the deal. How can you ask for crowdfunding dollars without any kind of plan in place. Even Project Eternity had a fairly clear "view" of the game they were trying to make.

I'm pulling my money back on this one.

I know you aren't supposed to look at a Kickstarter project as a pre order. But I do. And the feeling I get from this project is that they have nothing going on now, and we'd be lucky to see a final project coming out of the funding.

So no backing yet. Maybe latter. I have played most of the Wizardrys and have even dealt with Brenda so they got cred. But this Kickstarter project just isn't coming together for me.

From their vaguer-than-Obsidian Kickstarter proposal:

"Even the mere mention of “old-school RPG” fills you with ideas, and we can’t wait to hear them!
•You gain exclusive access to our forums where Tom and Brenda will chronicle every phase of the game’s development and invite your feedback into the game’s design.
•You vote on design decisions when the team needs your input."

I'm all for listening to your fans and all, but in my experience any project without a clear vision at the outset, even if subject to change, turns into a mess. Tell me what the game is. Don't let Facebook thumbs tell you what it is.

I'm not exactly stingy with Kickstarters, having helped fund 13 of them since The Banner Saga, but I'll pass on this, unless these developers grow a spine and pitch an actual idea. Or maybe they just don't have a clue. Neither sutuation is a good one.

Maybe I'm just holding a grudge for them ruining the phrase "old school" for me. They might not get my money (Perhaps they won't need it, considering they're at the $110k as I write this.), but I hereby pledge never to say "old school" again.

Hmm hope they make it, more rpg's are never a bad thing. Plus it seems to piss off a lot of you so your reactions will be worth it alone.

Originally Posted by JDR13
People were tripping over themselves to donate to Project Eternity because it's Obsidian despite knowing almost nothing about it, but now we're not sure about this one because there's not enough information?

Still, Obsidian have made KotOR2, NWN2, AP, FO:NV, DS3 in the last decade. People know what they can do. Furthermore they got people which are clearly credited for their work on Fallout, Arcanum , PS:T etc.

Brenda and Tom got great titles to their name but these were released ages ago. This does not rule out that they could deliver a great (or two) games but it is to me a lot more questionable than PE.