Battlestart: The Mandate Hits Crowdfunding Goal

Based on what I've seen and read of The Mandate so far, it sounds like an Admiral Adama simulator - only Tsar-ier. Given that I still plan on growing up to be Battlestar Galactica's equal parts lovable and loathsome (also wise beyond his wrinkles) leader type, I am very OK with this. RPS' own Admiral Adam interviewed developer Perihelion recently, and new details only left me more eager to bring up a hotheaded crew as if they were my own space-laser-equipped gosling flock. Even so, there was still cause for worry. Mandate's development mandates $500,000, and for a while it didn't look like it was going to make it. But now it's crossed safely into sector 500K of the Kickstarter Nebula, ensuring that it'll enter full development before too much longer.

Perihelion is, understandably, quite pleased:

"We have passed our funding goal of 500.000 and we are very happy!!! Thank you to all backers who believed in us, Brian Fargo, Kevin Saunders, Angry Joe, Scott Manley and everybody else who supported the campaign! Thanks too to everyone who supports us from this point on."

There are, however, still four days left on the clock, and Mandate is already within reach of its $550,000 stretch goal, which would give $100 and above backers better rewards. That's not particularly exciting for, you know, everyone else, but away missions on planets ($600,000), starbase boarding ($700,000), and mod tools ($800,000) sound a bit more worthy of valiant piggy bank sacrifice.

Honestly though, I'm not the biggest fan of stretch goals in general, and I'm plenty pleased that Mandate has enough fuel to get off the launch pad as is. An alpha should begin around December 2014, with the "final" game following in 2015. Who's gone all tsarry-eyed for this one?