Aod News Main Thread

[likaq]

Optimism should be based on something. Even blind faith requires a foundation, no matter how week. I had a lot more optimism and faith when we started. I hoped that we'd sell a few thousand copies in the first month when we released the full demo. It took us a year to sell a thousand copies. I hoped that we'd sell a few thousand copies in the first week when we launched on Steam since that's what most indie games were selling. We sold 282 copies in the first week. Etc.

So literally everything I've seen so far sent the same message - it won't be easy, don't expect for the game to sell well because it won't. I think that Dead State did very well, compared to many recently released indies. Going by Steamspy's numbers which seems to be accurate (we sold 15,000 copies to-date):

Dead State - 58,788 ± 5,860
Serpent in the Stagland - 4,134 ± 1,554
Lords of Xulima - 35,671 ± 4,565
Legends of Eisenwald - 39,345 ± 4,794
Halfway - 25,567 ± 3,864

Other Early Access' titles:
Underrail - 22,658 ± 3,638
Sui Generis's combat game - 21,586 ± 3,551

We need to sell 30,000 copies in the first year (on top of what we already sold) to consider the game successful and secure our future, so roughly we need to sell 45k, i.e. 2/3 of what Dead State sold but more than many other indie RPGs sold. You don't need a crystal ball to know that it won't be easy and that it's far more likely that we'll fall short. Thus for me the only question is how short?

Dead State had more coverage, Brian Mitsoda has a strong following, and people do like zombie games a lot more than they like 'urban intrigue simulator' fantasy. We tried to get more coverage but what you see today is the absolute best we can do at the moment.

I'm not complaining. I know that AoD is a hard sell, both for the media and the gamers. I know that it won't be easy when we started, I just didn't know how hard it would be. It is what it is and honestly I'm ok with it. I'm not dreaming to triple DS sales and wake up swimming in money. I'm dreaming about selling enough to stay in business and make more games. I have 3 settings (other than AoD) that I want to explore and play with and then I can die in peace.

PS. The moral of this story is that it's best to expect the worse and be ready for it than hope for the best and be crashed by disappointments.

^ VD on ITS forum.

 

[Infinitron]

likaq Whoa. Make a new thread for that

EDIT: Hey where'd you go. Well, I'll do it.

 

[likaq]

So far we've allocated 3 months for post-release support, which means at least 3 updates. During these 3 months we'll work on extra content because why not? Let's call it minor content: extra dialogues, extra quest solutions, minor quests.

If the game sells well enough to extend that time by another 3 months (i.e. we aren't forced to drop everything and start working on the dungeon crawler just to stay in business), then we'll add 'major' content: extra quests and sub-locations. This isn't cut content but ideas that occured to us during development but weren't part of the original design.

^ VD on ITS forum.

 

[Lurker King]

So, this game is filled with references:


A pillar of skulls (Planescape)

Attaching a new eye to your body (Planescape)

Power Armor (Fallout)

Funny dialogue about the tradition of killing rats (cRPG commonplace)


Does anybody remember about other references?

 

[Cazzeris]

There were some references in the skill levels' descriptions. I can only remember one, though:

Lore (Master): "You've learned it all, from Steamworks to Magick Obscura".

 

[Lurker King]

Ah, this! And the fall of the air ship too, it is a reference to Arcanum!

 

[Goral]

Lurker King
There is also reference to Lord of the Rings: http://images.akamai.steamuserconte...915/7D3B193157BEA734995D4417B8269301DC09ECE6/ :D

 

[Elhoim]

Lurker King
There is also reference to Lord of the Rings: http://images.akamai.steamuserconte...915/7D3B193157BEA734995D4417B8269301DC09ECE6/ :D

Another of the demon endings is a reference to other RPGs:

"You set free a magical construct that was locked in a tower for 382 years. Even though etiquette dictates that freed constructs must offer to join your party, this particular specimen declined, citing a previous engagement."

 

[Lurker King]

Ah, this! And the fall of the air ship too, it is a reference to Arcanum!

Vault Dweller posted this in another thread.

 

[Gondolin]

I am casually browsing Blue's News and what do mine eyes see?

Morning Previews
[09:57 am ET] - Share - Post a Comment

• The Age of Decadence on 3rd-strike.com. Thanks RPGWatch via Acleacius.

Feh! It should have been us!

 

[Infinitron]

I am casually browsing Blue's News and what do mine eyes see?



Feh! It should have been us!

We already previewed the game twice...

 

[Gondolin]

We already previewed the game twice...

I meant to say that it should have been us spreading the news and getting the thanks.

 

[Goral]

New update is up: http://steamcommunity.com/games/aod/announcements/detail/76916662526673117

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

Itz coming:

You can play now as the remaining items on our list are minor. We're planning to update the build 3 more times before the release: Wed, Fri, Mon. The Monday build will be final.

 

[Drowed]

Well, time to really start my "serious" playthrough.

 

[Infinitron]

The Monday build will be final.

So the game's de-facto final release date is October 12th?

 

[kain30]

next monday... i can´t believe i´m going to play AoD at last!

 

[Vault Dweller]

No, the game will be released on Wed. GoG needs a day to prepare a build for release, etc. So we'll release the final update on Friday, work through the weekend and Monday, do a final build by the end of the day and submit it to Steam, GoG, and GamersGate.

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

Will you be live streaming the release party?

 

[laclongquan]

We need a Codex Review on THURSDAY! Tradition demands it!

 

[Elhoim]

Will you be live streaming the release party?

Not much of a party when you are alone

 

[Vault Dweller]

Best kind of party: peace and quiet

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

Not much of a party when you are alone

You could always have an awkward party via Skype... like the poor old Larian Dublin office stuck in a conference room watching the festivities in Belgium and St Petersburg.

 

[SniperHF]

Elhoim Vault Dweller

Any additional word on save compatibility? Or should I just switch my Steam to offline mode now till my current playthrough is finished?


Also will there be a release/launch build released via the BMT email?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Elhoim Vault Dweller

Any additional word on save compatibility?

No word yet. We didn't have time to discuss it as there are more pressing matters, so I suspect it's going to be a last min decision. In general, it's always best to start a new game when the game is out.

Also will there be a release/launch build released via the BMT email?

Yes.