We look at them like Kickstarter rewards: they are there only for the people who pre-order. Kickstarter awards go away after the campaign; they do not typically carry over to launch. So in that sense, we are similar to a crowdfunded game, even though we are not crowdfunded. The rewards are special perks/bonuses for the people who were there for us from the beginning.
Good news, thank you.
But i don't like things like «REWARDS WILL DISAPPEAR, NEVER TO RETURN». Looks like manipulation. Anyway, checked your rewards — it is so good that i can accept disappearing.
We're still not 100% sure. John and I would like to keep that option available throughout alpha for existing customers, but our engineering team has come up against some reasons why they would prefer to keep things simple and just shut everything off, so we'll be making a decision on that in the next couple of months.
Great to hear! Keep it up!
Btw, will you keep the option to upgrade the tier for existing customers, when the pre-order period is over? I asked bout it like month ago, but you weren't 100% sure that time
Also, yeah, I've been playing Betrayal at Krondor a couple of times per week (but not streaming lately) on the DOSBox; was surprised to see that on GOG, to be honest, but it was only a few dollars and I had not played it since I was maybe 15 years old.
And there is nothing wrong with taking two hours a day of personal time to play games. I already work 12 — 14 hours a day building an MMORPG + game studio, almost five years without a salary. What more do people want? :)
I think Google Translate
sucked this time. It wasn't a blame, but amusement. A developers who play games are not common nowdays:)
Actually, our pre-order numbers have never been better. Last month was record sales, and this month we have already had record numbers daily.
Investors are coming in not because we need them to launch, but because we want to speed up development, and hire 6 — 8 full-time new employees to help us achieve that goal.
We can launch with the team we have now, but it will take us longer than we desire. So we are raising some money to hire those 6- 8 full-time employees and take our team size from 14 to 20+
And yes, the Dual Universe example is exactly true: they wanted to increase the team and have a second studio, and that kind of money does not come from players with 40 dollar purchase. Unless you go the Star Citizen route and sell all sorts of ships and digital products.
We don't have a cash store, so for us we are going with investors for the expansion.
We do not *need* investment money to finish our game. We are fine doing things as we have been doing, with our pre-order store + our own money and time.
However, we want to launch sooner, rather than later, so bringing on investors allows us to hire 6 — 8 full-time employees, which helps us launch more quickly and expand certain aspects of the game.
So I'm here replying in English (based on good old rough Google Translate), so hopefully folks can understand my reply and/or translate (I'm assuming most folks on this site speak at least basic English; unfortunately my Russian was never that good, even after a few years living in Bulgaria and learning BG and RS a bit):
I work 12 — 14 hours a day on Stormhaven Studios + Saga of Lucimia. I play video games for roughly 2 hours every day. Some is for fun, some is for research. I also watch 1-2 shows with my wife every evening. I also cook all of our meals, work out for an hour a day, and do most of our grocery shopping.
There are 14 people currently working on JUST the MMORPG. My job is to manage the teams + work on writing quests + work on the novels + work on the tabletop game.
I am the ONLY person working on the novels + tabletop game, although there is some crossover with our 2d artists as their concept art is not only used for the MMORPG, but also for the tabletop books.
I am a gamer. I play games every day. Games were the inspiration to make my own. Of course I play every day! And there is nothing wrong with taking two hours a day of personal time to play games. I already work 12 — 14 hours a day building an MMORPG + game studio, almost five years without a salary. What more do people want? :)
Да, я помню об этом)) Просто уже реально непривычно, что разработчик настолько активный геймер. Я еще забыл упомянуть его двухчасовые стримы древних рпг работающих через DOSBox
Так он ведь описывал прайм своей гильдии — два часа по вечерам, и то не каждый день. Так что если для него это досуг в свободное время, почему бы и нет? Ведь не должен же человек тратить на работу всё то, что остаётся после сна. :)
Мы частенько тут сетуем, что сами разработчики практически не играют в игры. Так вот у Тима Андерсона с этим все в порядке: LOTRO, Saga of Vanguard, Anthem. Уже открыт набор в офицерский состав гильдии грядущей WoW Classic. И все это помимо написания книги и разработки настольной игры по Saga of Lucimia. При такой активности у меня порой возникают сомнения, а разрабатывается ли вообще сама игра))
Я говорю буквально о любой MMO. Camelot Unchained: вынуждены были найти инвесторов, и это при том, что Марк Джейкобс вложил собственные несколько миллионов в разработку. Dual Universe: пятьдесят вакансий и новый офис в Монреале не могли возникнуть на деньги игроков. Pantheon: прошёл уже несколько раундов инвестирования. Ashes of Creaton, хотя это отдельная грустная история про отсутствие тормозов, уже заключили сделку с mail.ru. Где примеры успешно проинвестированных игроками MMO? Да это и невозможно, если только не принести в жертву всю игру и не превратить всё в фарс, как в случае Star Citizen.
Но чем дальше развивается история жанра, тем больше примеров того, что игроки не могут обеспечить полноценное финансирование MMO, во всяком случае если не продавать им шкурки и модельки неубитых игровых медведей в невероятных количествах.
Может просто Сага не всем интересна? Может люди уже обожглись на предзаказах? Может стоит вводить постепенное финансирование, по мере прогресса разработки?
Вопросов много, но разработчики скатываются до «уникального предложения», что на мой взгляд, самый плохой вид доната.
А вообще да, людям нужно что-то за донаты. Не в пустоту донатить. Пусть будет футболка и бадж на форуме за сто баксов, но что-то люди должны получать. Не хотите влияния на игру — «что-то» должно быть не игровым!
Ну… в этом есть свои плюсы и минусы. Я не пытался анализировать хороша такая система или плоха, но она определенно влияет на восприятие игры. Не всем нравится сессионная структура вокруг хаба и миссий. Я знаю людей, которые и в монстр хантер из-за этого не играют. Поэтому я изначально и провел аналогию между ней и Антемом.
But i don't like things like «REWARDS WILL DISAPPEAR, NEVER TO RETURN». Looks like manipulation. Anyway, checked your rewards — it is so good that i can accept disappearing.
Btw, will you keep the option to upgrade the tier for existing customers, when the pre-order period is over? I asked bout it like month ago, but you weren't 100% sure that time
But yeah, it's sad how many developers don't bother to play. Like, how the hell can you make a game if you don't play games first!?!?!
I've been an addict since like 1985. Text-based games and then adventure games from Sierra and Lucasarts and beyond. Until I die :)
I think Google Translate
sucked this time. It wasn't a blame, but amusement. A developers who play games are not common nowdays:)
Investors are coming in not because we need them to launch, but because we want to speed up development, and hire 6 — 8 full-time new employees to help us achieve that goal.
We can launch with the team we have now, but it will take us longer than we desire. So we are raising some money to hire those 6- 8 full-time employees and take our team size from 14 to 20+
And yes, the Dual Universe example is exactly true: they wanted to increase the team and have a second studio, and that kind of money does not come from players with 40 dollar purchase. Unless you go the Star Citizen route and sell all sorts of ships and digital products.
We don't have a cash store, so for us we are going with investors for the expansion.
We do not *need* investment money to finish our game. We are fine doing things as we have been doing, with our pre-order store + our own money and time.
However, we want to launch sooner, rather than later, so bringing on investors allows us to hire 6 — 8 full-time employees, which helps us launch more quickly and expand certain aspects of the game.
I work 12 — 14 hours a day on Stormhaven Studios + Saga of Lucimia. I play video games for roughly 2 hours every day. Some is for fun, some is for research. I also watch 1-2 shows with my wife every evening. I also cook all of our meals, work out for an hour a day, and do most of our grocery shopping.
There are 14 people currently working on JUST the MMORPG. My job is to manage the teams + work on writing quests + work on the novels + work on the tabletop game.
I am the ONLY person working on the novels + tabletop game, although there is some crossover with our 2d artists as their concept art is not only used for the MMORPG, but also for the tabletop books.
I am a gamer. I play games every day. Games were the inspiration to make my own. Of course I play every day! And there is nothing wrong with taking two hours a day of personal time to play games. I already work 12 — 14 hours a day building an MMORPG + game studio, almost five years without a salary. What more do people want? :)
Я говорю буквально о любой MMO. Camelot Unchained: вынуждены были найти инвесторов, и это при том, что Марк Джейкобс вложил собственные несколько миллионов в разработку. Dual Universe: пятьдесят вакансий и новый офис в Монреале не могли возникнуть на деньги игроков. Pantheon: прошёл уже несколько раундов инвестирования. Ashes of Creaton, хотя это отдельная грустная история про отсутствие тормозов, уже заключили сделку с mail.ru. Где примеры успешно проинвестированных игроками MMO? Да это и невозможно, если только не принести в жертву всю игру и не превратить всё в фарс, как в случае Star Citizen.
Вопросов много, но разработчики скатываются до «уникального предложения», что на мой взгляд, самый плохой вид доната.
А вообще да, людям нужно что-то за донаты. Не в пустоту донатить. Пусть будет футболка и бадж на форуме за сто баксов, но что-то люди должны получать. Не хотите влияния на игру — «что-то» должно быть не игровым!
генератор миров и красивые виды — это основная суть NMS.
Сотрудничество и немного обучения — это основная суть Eco.