Kilrathi
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Posts posted by Kilrathi
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Akavit - hey, could be worse: you could be over 35! As a 39 year old, I'm a bit worried... thankfully, I've been told I look youthful beyond my years!
(and, yeah, I do have pics from 4 years ago if need be, too...) -
Out of curiosity, is the Twitter feed @xenonautsgame an official Goldhawk feed? I noticed there are 100+ followers but no tweets there about the Kickstarter.
On a random note: I think I've been mispronouncing the game all along. Maybe it's an Americanism but I've always gone with "zee-nonauts". Good to watch the video and learn the error of my ways!
Pushing $1000 ($912 as I write this). I'd imagine that once the morning news cycle picks up and it gets some coverage beyond us die-hards, things should take off nicely. There are already a bunch of tweets about it going around...
-Kilrathi
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Woohoo, here we go! So far, $260 raised. Make that $461 as it's already gone up. Wish I were officially allowed to back and comment on the site but I'm glad I could help get this running on Kickstarter! Let's hope the move there from indiegogo pays off... I've been keeping an eye on Twitter tonight and people are tweeting about it, including Dan Stapleton (of Gamespy and formerly PC Gamer), so let's get the buzz building. Good work on the video, Chris, it looks great.
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How do you edit the custom title, anyway? I couldn't figure that out.
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Looking forward to the Kickstarter, too - as Chris said, the process was definitely time-consuming so it'll be nice to see the work pay off! I think we managed to do everything right and as quickly as we could and it was still a hassle... but I'm glad I could help and looking forward to big things with the Kickstarter (and to finally have a couple of quiet nights so I can fire out the newest build and see if I can keep my fighters alive and my soldiers uninjured for more than a month!).
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How does it play? Does it have the depth and breadth of MoM or is it a dumbed-down version? I'm hearing good things about it but I feel like there have been enough bad turn-based fantasy strat games recently that I'm tempted to wait for reviews (and keep playing Fall from Heaven in the meantime).
-K
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Did anyone else see Rock Paper Shotgun's latest interview with the Firaxis team? They posted part 1 today and part 2 will be up later - and among the topics discussed... Xenonauts. Should be interesting to see what they say. Hopefully they take the high road and say that it'll be good for everyone having more entries in the genre etc etc.
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Out of curiosity, how long did Grimrock take you to finish? I'm trying to figure out what game to start next and Grimrock's on the list... but so is playing around with the latest build of Xenonauts, finishing up Fallout 3 (just need to do the final mission), playing Fallout New Vegas (early on, gotta admit I'm sort of bored with the Fallout 3 model - how's this game generally?), finishing up the JA2 1.13 game that I'm halfway through or even going old school and starting Morrowind, which I never played but sounds fun. Man, to have the free time I used to have! Any suggestions? I've heard 10-15 hours on Grimrock, is that about right? Right now, I tend to game in 45-60 minute chunks, so it's mostly been League of Legends or Dredmor...
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I'm not set on "space" by any stretch - didn't Civ use "/"? Just some sort of cycle through key is a big help, though it's less of a deal now that I've been clued into the mouse wheel. Is there a hotkey list anywhere?
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That would be helpful as a new player - I didn't find it in the manual. Maybe include a one-pager in the manual for the demo since I'd imagine a lot of downloaders and potential buyers would like the hotkeys. Also, is there a way to bind "space" to cycle through soldiers/does anyone else think automatically having "space" do that would be helpful?
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Random 9.5.1 question - is there a hotkey to toggle among soldiers, like pressing space to take you to the next active (with non-reserved MP) soldier? I know I've played other games that had that feature (JA2?) and it's helpful... or is the only way to select soldiers to click on them or their mini-portrait at the bottom of the screen?
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Sounds to me like that's all the more reason for a bunch of US-based fans to fly to London for a launch party when the game comes out!
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I feel like I've entered the forums for "Jagged Xenonauts 1.13" with the "tons of guns" options turned on. (I just started a new game of JA 1.13 with tons of guns, first time I've played the game in 5-7 years, and wow they were not kidding when they mentioned a ton of guns - I'm a bit overwhelmed! Probably should have gotten back into the swing of playing the game before swamping myself with the guns.) I'm a fan of simplicity here in Xenonauts - no need for real-world sims since, well, we're fighting aliens.
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I can't get Jean-Luc's ideas to load here at work but wil check them out at home. I agree with the poster above who mentioned some sort of reference to "original funding" or "Kickstarter supporter" - making it some sort of exclusive may make more people interested in buying it now (though, admittedly, it means you can't just order extras to sell later and benefit from economies of scale, which makes a KS exclusive version a bit of a double-edged sword).
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I think Chris said he was thinking around $50k - which sounds like a good amount, since if you shoot low and get more money, that's a plus, whereas if you shoot high and come up with less, you get nothing. I think games like FTL have shown that people are willing to fund games in excess of the requested amount if they like the project and/or the rewards enough.
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Following up on TNR's comment above, I totally agree - graphics and thermometers and charts with goals seem to go over really well, as do frequent and informative updates. It does seem like it's a lot of work but if you can get people used to actually checking the Kickstarter page and commenting on what's going on, the drive seems to gather a lot more momentum. Just asking for cash in a vacuum may or may not work, but building momentum - coupled with accountability for where the money is going and a sense of a new achievement - really seems to work. I'm always amazed/surprised by how many people seem willing to up their pledge when there's a new goal in sight... (says the guy who just signed on to the Shadow Days Kickstarter and now really hopes it hits $19,000 so I get a poster - no idea where I'm going to put signed OoTS books, random card game posters and 14 lb. boxes of Ogre in a small NYC apartment but we'll figure that out when it shows up, I guess!).
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On a Kickstarter related issue, Chris, have you given thought to what you'll say about why the Kickstarter funding is needed and what additional funding will mean to the game's progress? I think people like hearing that, especially for a game like Xenonauts which is already coming along nicely. Another thing to consider is additional goals/levels - the "stretch goal" concept you see in a lot of successful Kickstarters where the designer is able to say "well, if we raise an extra $50k, you'll each get a new wallpaper" or "the game will then have [extra missions/a full orchestra doing sound/Vikings invading Seattle]". I'm not sure how well the stretch goal concept works for the Xenonauts project but just something to think about since it seems like a helpful carrot to dangle and give people reason to up their pledge to help make it to that next goal (and then you come up with another stretch goal and people push for that one afterwards, etc.).
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A few thoughts:
* I'd leave in the $5 tier - may as well give people who want to support the project but don't want the game for whatever reason a place to donate.
* As TNR said, I'd be really careful about giving any additional narrative/mission content to people at a certain level. Personally, I don't necessarily have an issue with it but having followed other projects, it's a surefire way to walk into the middle of a lot of people griping like crazy on the comment board. Doesn't seem worth the trouble.
* I'm sure you're considering this, but don't forget about international shipping costs. Would you print books/t-shirts in the UK and ship to the US or vice versa? Might be most economical (in terms of lower shipping costs, assuming most backers will be in the US) to print and ship from here assuming there's some way to do that. Either way, make sure you factor in costs of shipping for the material reward tiers and consider having international folks (whatever that ends up meaning) have to contribute additional funds to cover mailing costs.
* I'd consider adding a $125 tier which is $100 plus your name (and removing the "your name" part from the $100 level in Chris' post above) - I feel like for some people, getting your name into the game is a big deal, and the tiers proposed above makes the leap from $25 a big one, since you get either the hardcover book or a third other item _and_ your name. My sense is that you could get away with selling the extra swag at $100 and the name - which is the first leap into "your presence in game" for another $25. Yes, I realize that I probably just upsold the level I might pledge at by another $25...
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As an aside on the Kickstarter point, Double Bear - makers of the zombie apocalypse RPG "Dead State" - are talking on their forums about a Kickstarter, too, and put up a dev post today saying it's about a month off (which works for me, since the game sounds great and I'll definitely be playing both it and Xenonauts, or would if I could find the time!). Anyway, that recent dev post already got picked up and turned into a website post about them "readying a Kickstarter": http://www.incgamers.com/News/31117/dead-state-readies-kickstarter-campaign?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Is the time right to start beating the drum for the Xenonauts Kickstarter and getting people to start thinking about it? Obviously, there are still a few timing issues out there (getting the public build and reward tiers done, plus the logistical ones Chris and I have been working on), but it sounds like Xenonauts' Kickstarter may be closer than Dead State's and they're already starting to build the buzz, so maybe it's time to start mentioning Xenonauts', too? I feel like "priming the pump" by getting people ready and thinking about the campaign would help get a good initial bump of funding in the first few days, and it seems like that first bump is key to getting publicity and starting to show up on the right Kickstarter "top projects" pages, etc.
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Chris -
What about Kickstarter-exclusive t-shirts? Looking over the Kickstarters I've supported (FTL, Banner Saga, WL2, Shadowrun and the Ogre board game) it seems like they all have t-shirts as an option. Obviously, that's one more thing for you to deal with getting printed and shipped but it seems like something people are interested in.
Also, and this might be tricky given the price point you'd like to sell the game at, is there the option for non-alpha/beta copies of the final game? I see a number of Kickstarters offer the basic game at a lower price and then slightly higher for beta access. Given the current pricing set-up, that would probably mean pricing the "non-beta" game at $15 or so, in order for the pre-order to cost more - not sure if that's pricing it too low.
I'd also consider trying to slot in additional slots in the $75-250 range, since it seems like there are a number of people who are willing to give in that range so if there's a way to convince someone who wants to give $150 (but not $250) to give that amount instead of going with only $100, that's $50 added.
I also agree with Gorlom's "come visit us" levels - seems like a lot of projects put up something like that for a few in the $2500 or more range, where you get to hang out with the dev team, etc. If you're up for lunch with some random fan, doesn't hurt to make it an option since it seems there are people out there with cash to give to games they support.
You've probably already seen this but I thought this guy had some good tips on Kickstarters generally and rewards specifically (albeit in the board/d20 gaming context): http://www.gmsarligames.com/2011/05/18/15-steps-for-a-successful-kickstarter-project/.
Kilrathi
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I'd like to be included, too... nothing like a cat-like alien saving the Earth from gray bug-eyed aliens!
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Jean-Luc - interesting point about dexterity. I just started and played for a few minutes today (already worried I've missed secrets but maybe there aren't any super-early on?) - I went with standard DEX based rogue in my 3 spot, figuring he'll fight with missies and maybe ultimately reach attack. If DEX doesn't impact missile attacks, what does? With only four stats, is there any place else that makes more sense to put a rogue's stat points? On another note, does anyone know if rogues can pick locks, etc.? I didn't see any of those standard rogueish skills, which has me wondering if a two fighter/two mage party makes more sense.
-Kilrathi
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Now there are also Kickstarters for a Shadowrun game and a remake of Leisure Suit Larry (which amazes me, given that even at the time it was released, that didn't seem all that interesting, and you'd think those horny teenages would have grown it into adults with something better to do - or did I miss the boat on that one?.
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FWIW, Amazon Payments just asked me for my US taxpayer info (social security #) when I logged on, supposedly to "comply with U.S. regulations". If I had to guess, it's probably so the IRS can make sure that payments being made via Amazon Payments can be tracked and taxed - maybe some sort of thought that it's income derived from sales in the U.S. and thus should be subject to U.S. sales tax.
Chris, for my post above, it's actually really easy to create a company in the U.S. (I'm a corporate attorney and do it all the time for clients for a couple hundred bucks and do it the same day). All I was thinking was that maybe the account could be set up by a U.S. citizen in the company's name (Kickstarter seems to permit company accounts) but then, at the bank level and so apart from Kickstarter, you'd set up the account so that any withdrawals/transfers required two people in order to be authorized so that you, Goldhawk, would have control over the cash flowing out of the account. Would be a simple matter to set up a company and related bank accounts with specific Goldhawk signatories, I'd think. I'll let this drop but it does seem possible (and if you're at all interested in discussing more, let me know - I do similar stuff like this for work all the time).
As for other reward levels - one thing I've seen (FTL did it, for example) is to let people get their names in the game solider database, so you'd pay, say $50 or $100 and there would be a generic soldier named "Joe Smith" after you. People seem to like that sort of in-game stuff - Wasteland 2 has all sorts of levels for some minor presence in the game - and it wouldn't require the overhead of producing maps or models of the aliens, etc. Just a thought - obviously you want to retain the flavor of the game. Stuff like soundtracks, art books, etc. seems to interest people, too, as do signed copies, posters, etc.
-Kilrathi
Kickstarter Goes Live!
in Xenonauts-2 Releases & Patch Notes
Posted
There's another Reddit post up, too, with more upvotes, so probably worth jumping on this one, too:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/te1ke/the_kickstarter_for_xenonauts_an_xcomlike_is_live/
On another note: is there (or would it make sense for there to be) a "getting started" guide somewhere here on the forums? I'm thinking something with general types about where to put your base, what your first purchases should be, etc., so that new players who just d/l'ed the demo can start off on the right foot and get far enough into the game to see where it's heading? If it's out there, maybe like to it from the Kickstarter FAQ or something? I'm just thinking that the more we can do to help people enjoy the demo, the better.