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KickStarter Kickstarter Watch.

almondblight

Arcane
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Messages
2,549
Nick is a programmer, so the code (engine and systems) is his domain. Oscar works with scripts (quests, fights, journal, rewards, system elements that are exposed to scripts for easy tweaking) and does most of the work there. I do the basics to set up the flow and pass it over to him.

As for how we work, imagine 5 guys working together on something. They don't need to have weekly or even monthly meeting as when one person needs something (like text or animations or system changes or icons for new items or testing), he asks for it and whoever's responsible for it tells him when it can be done. If 2 people can't sort something out or if it's something big that must be decided now and in real time, then we have a group meeting. I think we had 3 meetings in 10 years.

Thanks. So what in your process would helps you to avoid one of the issues I keep seeing in KS (such as Nekro) - the rest of the team assuming that the programmer is working on stuff, when the programmer might have no idea what they're doing and might be spinning their wheels for months/years? Do you guys focus on early delivery and evolutionary development?
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
More like on individual tasks. For example, now the main goal for the programmer is the party-based system, which is a manageable task (not some grand "imma programming" goal), which in turn is split into subtasks (combat - already working, party-based scripts for the dialogue editor, and walking, which is more complex than it sounds (how do they follow the leader? does each unit has its own pathfinding, what happens when they stop, what if someone blocks a doorway, for example, etc) - work in progress, minor things like interface tweaks and functionality, etc). We all know who's working on what at any given time and when to expect it. When we're putting something together, we talk daily (one on one, based on what you need from someone or what that someone needs from you). When things are more relaxed, we talk 2-3 times a week (feedback and such).
 

almondblight

Arcane
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Messages
2,549
More like on individual tasks. For example, now the main goal for the programmer is the party-based system, which is a manageable task (not some grand "imma programming" goal), which in turn is split into subtasks (combat - already working, party-based scripts for the dialogue editor, and walking, which is more complex than it sounds (how do they follow the leader? does each unit has its own pathfinding, what happens when they stop, what if someone blocks a doorway, for example, etc) - work in progress, minor things like interface tweaks and functionality, etc). We all know who's working on what at any given time and when to expect it. When we're putting something together, we talk daily (one on one, based on what you need from someone or what that someone needs from you). When things are more relaxed, we talk 2-3 times a week (feedback and such).

So I take it that every few weeks you're checking out a new build and giving feedback on how each of these mini-tasks is coming along?
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
So I take it that every few weeks you're checking out a new build and giving feedback on how each of these mini-tasks is coming along?
Every day. I guess it's hard to explain how hands-on our development process is in a few words. Every day the build is updated, every day there are changes, back-n-forth comments on the open tickets, new tickets being added, requests for things that need tweaking or adding, etc. So it's never really "quiet" where you have to sit and wonder what the other guys are doing.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
http://cliqist.com/2016/04/18/unsung-story-back-development-still-nothing-show/

When Playdek raised $660,126 back in 2014 for their Tactical RPG, Unsung Story, they didn’t really have much to show to potential backers. The “trailer” on the Kickstarter page is just some Playdek employees talking about how much they love working on Tactical RPG’s and CEO Joel Goodman gushing about getting to work with Yasumi Matsuno. There were no screenshots, no gameplay teasers, nothing to indicate that the game was anything more than a whimsical idea, and yet they still managed to meet their $600,000 goal.

It’s been over 2 years since the campaign ended and Playdek still doesn’t have much to show the 15,824 people who supported Unsung Story, and backers are furious. Waving around an association with Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story veteran, Matsuno might have been enough to get people interested, but Playdek’s vaguely sparse updates and clear lack of focus seem to have burned any goodwill they had with their community. The February 2016 update where they mentioned they hadn’t even been working on Unsung Story certainly didn’t help.

The latest update on April 9th assured backers that the team was finally going to be getting back to work on Unsung Story. Playdek is finally nearing completion of a separate project they had taken on to help with finances. It seems that even with these assurances backers are understandably skeptical. Especially since, when asked how the funding for Unsung Story was being handled they were told that, “roughly $1,500,000 has been spent on various aspects of Unsung Story development,” but were given no screenshots or gameplay footage outside of a short combat demo to back up these claims. It’s worth noting that the combat in the video is using standard square-grids, when one of Playdek’s selling points during the campaign had been the unique use of triangular grids. Add to this the focus on releasing a PvP prototype before a backer release sees the light of day, and things aren’t looking too good for this project.

Backers have been asking for a refund for a while, some even going as far as to contact their local Attorney Generals to report the campaign as a scam. So far, there is no indication that Playdek plans to indulge them, or actually make the game they had promised. Ordinarily I’d include some updated screenshots to spice up the article, but there is so little material out there, I’ve had to reuse the ones from the original campaign. All I can offer is the combat video, which while not as terrible as some comments made it out to be, certainly isn’t anything special.
 

Rahdulan

Omnibus
Patron
Joined
Oct 26, 2012
Messages
5,105
I forgot how fast anything roleplaying and tabletop gets funded for some reason.
 

SausageInYourFace

Angelic Reinforcement
Patron
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
3,858
Location
In your face
Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Bubbles In Memoria A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. My team has the sexiest and deadliest waifus you can recruit. Pathfinder: Wrath
Here’s a picture of the house David has built with your money:

giphy.gif
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Holy shit! Do we have a thread for Kickstarter Drama cause I can't find it right now?

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...the-first-100-3d-printer-and-sc/posts/1572573

The monologues in that first video are like something out of a Capra movie. :lol::lol:



LOL, this is gold. So his partner built his 300.000 dollar worth of house from the money, and this guy didn't notice that until the house was finished and all the money spent. And he wrote a heartfelt letter to the police? Dafukk? You don't write an open letter to the police, asking them to set a precedent about crowdfunding when your 300K is stolen. You go to the police and ask them for the investigation.

And they still could make a professionally crafted update video. If I were in their shoes, I would be visiting a psychiatrist, not making pretty videos about the case. But maybe this is how canadians roll. :M
 
Last edited:

Ninjerk

Arcane
Joined
Jul 10, 2013
Messages
14,323
Maybe Obsidian should get into board games. Jesus.
 

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