Game News Bard's Tale IV Kickstarter Update #9: Monte Cook Stretch Goal, Soundtrack and Lore Samples

[ROARRR]

And LoG has 900k owners alone on steam, that is twice as more as WL2. Link to source of steamspy.com.

Keep in mind a huge number of those came from a humble bundle.

Depends on what games the bundle included or else someone could say the humble bundle was bought mainly BECAUSE of LoG right?!

 

[tuluse]

Depends on what games the bundle included or else someone could say the humble bundle was bought mainly BECAUSE of LoG right?!

They certainly could have but as Metro points out there were getting ~$1 per copy that way.

 

[Darkzone]

And LoG has 900k owners alone on steam, that is twice as more as WL2. Link to source of steamspy.com.

Keep in mind a huge number of those came from a humble bundle.

WL2 had also been very often sold for less then $20USD and given to PoE backers and T:ToN. I alone own 2 digital copies on Steam and GoG and have the rights (not used) for two other digital copies. And do not forget the russians.

 

[Metro]

Still not the same as being sold in a Humble Bundle that has huge visibility. Re: revenue from Humble, I think the developers are assigned a fix amount to feature their game in the bundle so it's a one-time up-front payment.

 

[tuluse]

Still not the same as being sold in a Humble Bundle that has huge visibility. Re: revenue from Humble, I think the developers are assigned a fix amount to feature their game in the bundle so it's a one-time up-front payment.

Don't most of them have a slider where you send X amount of purchase to them?

 

[Darkzone]

I look currently at the humblebundle store at www.humblebundle.com and they say that they have sold only 174608 Bundles. Or is it only some specific bundles? Humble bundle is a problem for me.

 

[tuluse]

That's copies of the last bundle, early bundles sold way more, but I don't know how to get data on them.

Edit: Wikipedia seems to have them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Humble_Bundles

about 400k bundles sold for that one (7)

 

[Metro]

Still not the same as being sold in a Humble Bundle that has huge visibility. Re: revenue from Humble, I think the developers are assigned a fix amount to feature their game in the bundle so it's a one-time up-front payment.

Don't most of them have a slider where you send X amount of purchase to them?

Yeah, I think that's in addition to the fixed amount they get. So, yeah, it's even harder to gauge how much they really get from it.

 

[theSavant]

Mount Cook stretchgoal... the Skyrim killer

Spoiler

 

[Darkzone]

We have then around 760k bundles sold with Legend of Grimrock, with high probability of double owners perhaps up to 20% - 30% due to the different bundling. Ok then let us subtract from the 900k a solid 550k. Still makes a good 350k units that have been sold just for the purpose of playing LoG. And if we add up the LoG II to sales then we have a good 500k of blobbers sold alone for it's own sake, and that is more then WL2. But WL2 brought in more money.

I'm also not a fan of LoG. Perhaps it was the grid movement and dungon build or the RT combat?

 

[Turok]

The problem is Bards tale is that not much people know that game, and the best ones are too old, most people associate Bards tale with this:

Thanks for telling us that you're a freaking faggot who likes cock.

Nothing wrong with that of course, but just saying.

You see cocks from what i say?

You have a serious problem.

Go to the doctor.

 

[Zeronet]

Maybe it's something to tide them over, until Torment/WL2 EEEEEE releases which is presumably much better than WL2 (i'm hoping) and people get excited for WL3.

That's kind of a tautology. If a game makes lots of money on Kickstarter, that's a sign that the concept is popular, and it becomes a major project to be worked on for years. If not, the scope shrinks accordingly and it becomes "something to tide over".

I guess so. But if they expected Bards Tale to have the same resonance as Wasteland or Torment, i'd be surprised. First i heard of Bards Tale was it being fostered on me in for backing WL2.

 

[himmy]

Anyway, it's debatable at this point whether this is even a blobber.

How is BT4 not a blobber? You can say many things about it, as with any unreleased game, but I don't see how it can be considered not a blobber.

Edit: inb4 filthy beggar, dare question me etc.

 

[Infinitron]

Anyway, it's debatable at this point whether this is even a blobber.

How is BT4 not a blobber? You can say many things about it, as with any unreleased game, but I don't see how it can be considered not a blobber.

Edit: inb4 filthy beggar, dare question me etc.

He saw top-down camera perspective combat in the video, which has conveniently given him the excuse not to pledge to the Kickstarter without risking his cred as a blobber fanatic (not that he was going to do it anyway)

Of course it's pretty clear they're probably not going to have the budget to implement that.

 

[Metro]

He saw top-down camera perspective combat in the video, which has conveniently given him the excuse...

Developer shows non-blobber combat in their own pitch video, no 'excuse' needed. I guess I should not believe my own eyes and what Fargo presents as a combat demo? And, hey, if my (and others) lack of backing prevented them from implementing non-blobber combat it looks like I did the right thing.

Himmy is a filthy beggar, though.

 

[theSavant]

Given the ongoing microscopical pledges it's almost safe to assume it will stay blobber combat. This requires much less work. However I'd like to hear it from inXile themselves...

The 2nd thing I'm afraid of is, that with 4 characters only, they only make a single frontline, instead of front/backrow. As shown in demo video in the end. And as in Might & Magic X, where your archers/magicians character can easily get killed. That would be pathetic. But again... it's about time they speak about it.

 

[Darkzone]

If they have enough money they can make the top-down view and the blobber phase combat view like in BT1-3. But i think that a blobber combat would be currently sufficient.

 

[Dorateen]

I'm expecting to get a decent dungeon crawler out of this. However, the first stretch goal does not interest me at all. In fact, while I have no problem with NPCs who join a player's party, I do resent that currently the design looks to make 6 party spots available with two of them forced to be filled with these joinable characters. I'm inclined to suggest it would be better if they don't hit the 1.3 million mark, and use the extra slots to allow the player to build a larger party.

The crafting and other stretch goals don't do much for me either. Now I'm sure, according to what I hear about how these campaigns trend out, there will be an eventual spike in the funding that hits these targets. Nevertheless I can't help but feel if the developers are reigned in to a more limited budget, it could produce a better experience, including traditional first-person combat.

 

[theSavant]

Yeah... tbh I find guest party members obsolete. Even in Wiz8... not only would some of them not go into specific areas (which makes them useless in the long run), they also take away experience points (more members means less EXP for your core party, less EXP means less special skills). They are more of a burden than real help.
And even if you get a group bonus by having a guest member... then the combat doesn't feel authentic anymore, because it's not done by your core party. As soon as the guest is gone, you fall back to a different/weaker state.

I'd also prefer a core party of 6 and pass on guest members. And I also agree with that maybe it's better they don't reach the 1.3m mark. Sounds terrible... I know, but it's like more funding just messes up the game, adds annoying "features"

 

[theSavant]

I can't help but feel that limitation of 4 party members is only because of the typical 4 console buttons. Imagine it's your party's turn and you can select the action of any of the 4 members. Now if each member is assigned to one of the 4-colored console buttons, then it's very convenient to select each one you wish. It's too obvious. And it's true, it's much more convenient to select them directly with a single button, than to "scroll" through all your characters. Fucking consoles.


By that investigation I also imply the following:
That you probably can't control the 2 optional slots: you can't control the guest member and you can't control the summoned entity (from the Bard). You just get their portraits in your HUD, signalizing they are there, but they act on their own, and you can't select them. You are left with your 4 button team. If you could control the optional sluts... you'd need 5 or 6 buttons to select them directly. That would destroy the convenient 4-button-console setup.

InXile... I have out-sherlockedholmes you. No shit.

 

[Alchemist]

I agree that I'd rather see an expansion of the core party to 6 members rather than any of these stretch goals.

And while Monte Cook is no doubt a talented designer, I don't really think of old-school dungeon design when his name comes up. He seems more of systems / mechanics and setting designer.

 

[i.Razor]

And LoG has 900k owners alone on steam, that is twice as more as WL2. Link to source of steamspy.com.

Keep in mind a huge number of those came from a humble bundle.

WL2 had also been very often sold for less then $20USD and given to PoE backers and T:ToN. I alone own 2 digital copies on Steam and GoG and have the rights (not used) for two other digital copies. And do not forget the russians.

That's right. Regional pricing is a nice deal here especially with sales discount.

For example Divinity OS was sold on release with steam summer sale discount for ~15 usd to russians and CIS.
Wasteland 2 - ~ $17, PoE ChE ~ $20 (funny, backed it for $50 but payment was not processed by amazon), Serpent in the Staglands ~ $8, DA:I - DDE ~ $33.

So yeah, russian buyers can push sale numbers (and that might be good to stay on the charts or something) with less money per number going to the devs.

 

[ROARRR]

And LoG has 900k owners alone on steam, that is twice as more as WL2. Link to source of steamspy.com.

Keep in mind a huge number of those came from a humble bundle.

WL2 had also been very often sold for less then $20USD and given to PoE backers and T:ToN. I alone own 2 digital copies on Steam and GoG and have the rights (not used) for two other digital copies. And do not forget the russians.

That's right. Regional pricing is a nice deal here especially with sales discount.

For example Divinity OS was sold on release with steam summer sale discount for ~15 usd to russians and CIS.
Wasteland 2 - ~ $17, PoE ChE ~ $20 (funny, backed it for $50 but payment was not processed by amazon), Serpent in the Staglands ~ $8, DA:I - DDE ~ $33.

So yeah, russian buyers can push sale numbers (and that might be good to stay on the charts or something) with less money per number going to the devs.

Wow...next time I give you the money and you buy it for me

 

[i.Razor]

Wow...next time I give you the money and you buy it for me

I feel the opportunity.

 

[Darkzone]

I believe that some smart russians, ukrainians, moldavians and etc. (low wage countries) buy games at steam or GoG and sell it to the westerners. 20 games and you have a win of up to $100. Fuck. Ukrainians can sell 40 games and they had their monthly wage without any labor.