I backed Project Eternity, Shadowrun Returns, and Wasteland 2.
I'm happy about the current information / state of things with Project Eternity (who might communicate a bit too much) and with Shadowrun Returns. I'm not disappointed with Wasteland 2, but I was wary when I backed it, and still am given their glacial updates.
I've only backed Sir You Are Being Hunted. And I did that partially as a way of saying "Thanks for all the Games Journalism, RPS".
I also backed Gnilley because it's hilarious, but it didn't meet its goal. =(
Other than that, most Kickstarters still give me that "Why are you making it if you can't afford it? This is why we have Flixel." feeling, which I know is not entirely reasonable and may (uncertain) stem partly from jealousy at wanting to leap off into the void and do something similar myself, but it does keep me from backing a lot of things. =P
Wot I Think: The Game : an ongoing collaborative game-design experiment / comedic disaster here on the RPS Forums!
Kata vs. Kata : a game of simultaneous round-based predictive martial arts (like frozen synapse, but with punches)
My Games on Kongregate : "computainments" for your world wide web experience
I backed Project Godus, Star Citizen, Planetary Annihilation, Castle Story, Legend of Aethereus, Dead State, Grim Dawn, Wasteland 2, and Double Fine Adventure. Also backed Ground Branch, which didn't make it, and waiting for word on Wildman.
I'm okay with most of the projects I backed but a bit disappointed by Castle Story. They originally said that the beta would be coming before 2013, but most of their updates recently have been about plush dolls, posters and t-shirts that really don't interest me.
Project Eternity and Sir You Are Being Hunted.
I'm very happy with both, though at this point I'm probably most eager to play Sir.
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory since 1982.
I backed FTL: Faster Than Light and given that it was my most-played game of 2012 I think it's fair to say that I'm glad that I did!
I've also backed Xenonauts and Grim Dawn. Those two I'm actually somewhat on the fence about. XCOM has scratched the X-Com itch I was trying to scratch with Xenonauts and I'm just not all that into action RPGs lately -- I've not even touched Torchlight 2 when I loved the bejebus out of Torchlight the first one, for example.
There are other games that I've been interested in backing but I've made a policy for myself of not having more than two video game Kickstarters going at the same time, mostly to stop my wallet exploding.
Last edited by Jams O'Donnell; 04-02-2013 at 03:55 PM.
I have backed:
Project Eternity
Star Citizen
Sui Generis
Limit Theory
Project Godus
I had to curb my enthusiasm as my wallet started to take a pounding. I am very glad to have backed all of these. Partly it's because as gamers I believe we should all have a vested interest in Kickstarter's success as a funding model for the games industry.
I am very pleased with Limit Theory, Star Citizen & Project Eternity as the shape of progress and the open communication is very encouraging. They are all three of them very communicative but displaying an ability to be getting on with things - I am pretty confident.
I am still a bit wary of Sui Generis and Project Godus but wanted them to succeed and at least get a shot to make it. I am rather interested to see what 22Cans can achieve, and the team behind Sui Generis I thought deserved the shot for trying something bold. If either happen to fail or not achieve their full potential I will be disappointed but I will not regret it.
Seeing the article on RPS I am really glad Shadowrun returns made as it is looking absolutely lovely - I didn't give it enough attention when it was running.
Sir, You Are Being Hunted is looking glorious and I really wanted to contribute but I just didn't have the money to do so unfortunately. Pleased as punch that it made it.
Last edited by SanguineAngel; 04-02-2013 at 03:52 PM.
I've backed: Double Fine Adventure! Kinetic Void, Project Eternity, Nexus 2 (failed) and Star Citizen.
I'm quite happy with all the projects that made it. Kinetic is the only one I have some doubts given the developers' lack of experience but they've been quite open in their updates so I'm not regretting my choice.
I"ve backed Wasteland 2, Project Eternity, Maia, and Expeditions: Conquistador (the latter mostly because I actually liked the way the dev replied to some concerns I posted about the game when mentioned by RPS).
No complaints so far, everything seems to be going smoothly.
I haven't backed anything because the prices are too high to justify a blind pre-order, and I'm not rich enough to pledge anything that will be functionally different from zero. I sometimes try to help generate a buzz about things I like the look of, although I'm worried about how moral that is, given that my goal there is to influence individuals to spend money in a way I think is misguided.
Irrelevant on further examination of the rest of the thread.
In reverse order of backing
Unwritten - May not make it, hopefully will. First game I've backed in quite a while now I'm probably being a bit more discerning than in the earlier days of the Kickstarter explosion.
Limit Theory - Bit of a punt this. It's very ambitious and I'm not sure if it'll deliver . . . but if it does.
Maia - The above apart from it's perhaps more likely to deliver what it says. Haven't played that type of game in ages so not sure how I'll take to it but I couldn't resist the setting.
Sir You Are Being Hunted - because RPS
Broken Sword - The Serpents Curse - I'm happy. Cecil has a proven track record, it's another Broken Sword game and it promises to learn from past mistakes.
Project Eternity - Happy. It's Obsidian, I tend to like their games.
Knock-knock - Intrigued. It's Icepick lodge and it's mysterious. Like most of their games I might appreciate the concept more than the actual game but they are a studio worth backing so I'm happy with it.
Moon Intern - Probably wouldn't have backed now but did then. Hoping for a pleasant surprise, the concept is gloriously silly enough.
Dead State - Again probably wouldn't have backed now, can't remember quite what convinced me at the time as I was already worried as it was taking them a long time to deliver anyway. Haven't really checked up on it to be honest so they could have made a ton of progress so if so feel free to call me a fool!
Legends of Eisenwald - Could check out the beta, haven't as I'm waiting for a polished product with this one. Was another game that was a bit of a punt for me and I might not have backed now but that live action trailer was rather charming and the look of the combat did appeal to me.
Wasteland 2 - Definitely wouldn't have backed now as the likes of Project Eternity are more my cup of RPG tea. We'll see how it turns out but I'm prepared to potentially bounce off it.
FTL - 100% happy. Enjoyed the beta, was fun to see the game evolving into the finished product, the devs were excellent at taking on the views and ideas of the community while resisting the temptations of feature creep and the final game was excellent. A great advert for Kickstarter.
Double Fine Adventure - Easily the best and most enlightening updates (I guess that's the advantage of having a proper documentary crew there). Really glad I backed this and of the games I'm waiting on it's still the one I'm most excited about.
Marissa Nadler's album - Oh wait, that's not a game. It was the first thing I helped fund on Kickstarter though, and her self titled album did indeed turn out excellent and the covers albums she gave to backers are also rather good too.
Giana Sisters (Released) - Vaguely unsatisfied with this one actually. I mean, yeah, it's got solid gameplay and looks good and I've probably gotten 10 bucks worth of enjoyment out of it. I think I was expecting something more though. It just feels a bit soulless and empty.
Distance (Unreleased) - I loved Nitronic Rush so I'm sure I'll love this as well.
Sui Generis (Unreleased) - This one is a bit of a gamble. I liked the look of the techdemos though and hope something cool comes out of it.
LA Game Space (Unreleased) - Defenitely a gamble as well. 30 indie games should be showing up sometime around May. Will they be awesome? Will they be terrible? Who knows!
Last edited by Henke; 04-02-2013 at 04:05 PM.
That is of dubious morality when it is an attempt to build pressure to push people over the fence, but if it is merely introducing people to the game, then it's fine. After all, an enlightened consumer is a better one. I will never pay over $20 for a kickstarter, and I'm wary even then ($20 is Risen 2 and Rage on sale, neither of which I've played yet). That's my price for AAA games too and I think devs must be crazy when they want more.Originally Posted by NathanH
Sadly, there have been two or three games I've wanted to back but just haven't had the cash. I can't even get the Indie Royale and Green Light bundles (even though they look fantastic).
Last edited by Internet; 04-02-2013 at 04:06 PM.
Eh, I'd say you're fine. Although you're not putting your own money down that doesn't preclude you from wanting to see the developer succeed. If you encourage others to contribute then that is all to the good. Whether it's introducing someone to the game or even encouraging contributions - as long as you're not forcing them into it or misleading them, I see nothing wrong with it. If someone sees your enthusiasm or discovers their own enthusiasm to the degree that they're willing to pledge support to the development of a project then really your role is as facilitator, nothing more.
Elite: Dangerous I got so much out of Elite and Frontier that if they released a direct successor then I would probably buy it full price anyway. I like some of the ideas they have, although I'm not convinced they will pull it off completely, but this is a thank you for the fun you've given me, give me more kind of thing. Update wise, they seem quite forwards with giving me info. I don't expect it to hit the release date, that would be silly.
Unwritten: That Which Happened : I'm crossing my fingers this one goes through.
Telepath Tactics: I'm sad that this one didn't.
Shadowgate: Couple of updates, slowed down now. I hope that's cause of them working hard.
Sir, You Are Being Hunted: Updates slowed down, due to some unforeseen circumstances. Game was pretty good on track before kickstarting, no doubts.
Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption: Updates slowed down, having some financial hiccups. Not too sure where they are, hoping they deliver what they envision.
Project Eternity: Best one yet; regular and fun updates. Not that far progress-wise though...
Broken Sword - the Serpent's Curse Adventure: Looking good so far. I have faith in this one.
Castle Story: Not sure actually, *rushes off to google the site*
Jane Jensen's Moebius and Pinkerton Road Studio: Happy!
FTL: Faster Than Light: A success in my eyes!
Wasteland 2: Not too sure. Haven't seen much, rarely updated. This one bears the brunt of my (kickstarter) scepticism.
The Banner Saga: Happy so far. Factions released, used it for a sneak peek.
Wasteland 2, Shadowrun Returns, The Dead Linger, Nekro, Leisure Suit Larry, Kinetic Void, Drifter, Haunts, Dead State, Xenonauts, Malevolence, Planetary Annihilation, Project Eternity, Strike Suit Zero, Star Citizen, Limit Theory, Unwritten.
Funding failures that disappointed me: Blackspace, Lodestar.
Outside of Kickstarter: Project Zomboid, Age of Decadence, and (?) Minecraft. I think that counts.
Also Democracy, a board game.
Maia and Sir were both of interest to me, but I resisted. There are a couple things I regret (Malevolence is in a pretty rough state for a public beta, Leisure Suit Larry seems kind of sca--uh, scheme-y--in retrospect). Haunts failed, and its development is now in the hands of the community. Strike Suit Zero I'll chalk up as more or less a success, perhaps not the wisest use of my gaming budget, but I really have no regrets about it--I've had fun.
It's a little perplexing to me that I seem to be willing to pay more now for games that don't exist than I am for games that do. I rarely buy games on release, indie or otherwise. Sales have ruined me. Still, I only have to look at FTL, which I didn't back but enjoyed tremendously, to realize there's a lot of personal value in the the community-funding model. Without the polish, play testing, and greatly expanded soundtrack, I don't think it would have been the same game. Minecraft probably sold me on the funding idea before I'd even heard of Kickstarter.
The bottom line is that I want these games, and I don't think it's realistic to expect them to exist without contributing. I could sit back, let other people risk their money, and reap the rewards in the end, but it wouldn't feel right. I personally want these games, for me. There aren't a lot of upcoming "AAA" releases that I care about. Indies that aren't puzzle games or platformers are too few, and if not, are often rather small in scope. Most of what I play right now are older games that I got for pennies, one way or another. As I said in another thread, I can stand to buy a few games at full price if the alternative is their non-existence. I'm also looking at it as an investment in having a number of healthy studios that can go on making interesting games, as a firewall against trends in gaming that I want nothing to do with.
Some titles that remind me of the sort of games Kickstarter is poised to produce are Unclaimed World and, perhaps, Paradox's Cartel. Unclaimed World managed to get a development grant. I don't know a damn thing about Cartel; it could be awful. I like the idea of a system that I can be involved with and more or less count on.
Wasteland 2
FTL
Takedown
Shadowrun Returns
Police Warfare (Cancelled)
Divekick (Cancelled - picked up by a publisher)
Planetary Annihilation
I enjoyed FTL quite a lot and still do on occasion, I'm mad exited for PA and some of the updates for Takedown have looked promising after a patchy start. He seems to know what he wants to do with the game.
Will have to wait until the end of the year to see if all these projects deliver, but I'm staying optimistic. On a related note I'm hoping The Uncle Ruckus Movie gets over the finish line as The Boondocks cartoon is hilarious and only got better with each series. Be dropping $35 on that come payday.
Ive only supported Dead State and it seems like they know what they are doing.
Game is released in Dec this year apparently so hopefully it ends well
Truth aint gonna change the way you lie, Youth aint gonna change the way you die
Nothing, Nil, Nada and Zilch.
I'm failing to writing a blog, specifically about playing games the wrong way
http://playingitwrong.wordpress.com/
Defense Grid 2: Happy enough. I know it copped some flak at the time but I'm just happy to have some more DG to play. Released last week but want to finish playing Rage first so don't know how good the new maps are just yet.
Project Eternity: Looks awesome. Gonna be a long wait to see if it lives up to the hype though.
Star Citizen: As above. Really looking forward to it though.
Wish I'd backed The Banner Saga and Sir You Are Being Hunted as well though. They both look like games I'll enjoy but I'll get them both anyway once released.
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