Game News Deathfire: Ruins of Nethermore Kickstarter is Live

[almondblight]

Thorvalla was an interesting concept, and one that deserved to see the light of day.

I pledged to Thorvalla because the idea sounded neat

It got me to pledge because I am a hardcore super-fucking-geeky RPG meganerd who will throw money at just about everything with a bit of credibility that says "turn-based" on the box.

 

[Grunker]

Not sure if trolling or actual lack of basic reading comprehension.

 

[FrancoTAU]

Shitty Kickstarter aside, I pledged because the game sounds interesting and Guido has some talent. It looks like that alien plant with SNES graphics game will outraise it.

Shit, that plant game does look pretty cool.

 

[Morality Games]

If you can't accept that I pledged to Thorvalla because the idea sounded neat and I respected Guido and at the same time that I thought the video was crap and the text was completely lacking, then I urge you to seek professional help. Everything must seem like a paradox to you.

Fucking glitter and promises make some people pledge, or promises of the days of yore or whatever. The fundamental truth that you need 20,000+ backers or whatever to reach one million, and that these backers for the most part will not be like codexers (who will measure the gameplay and game concept and decide to pledge) is irrefutable. These backers need to be swooped up, to be part of something, to be told pretty words about how their childhood is being revived or some bullshit. They need to be sold.

If you have trouble handling the fact that I can be nuanced enough to understand that a pitch can be ass because it does not appeal to anyone outside the kernel group of fans of Guido Henkel or whatever and at the same time be interested in the man's idea, then why the fuck are we even having this conversation? Based on your last two or three posts it seems like any semblance of nuance will be lost on you. I shiver to think what horrific emoticon will be your reply to my next argument and how on earth I shall counter it.

Although I respect Guido's morals (the 'making history' pitches were starting to blend together a bit too much), there's no denying flashing his Realms of Arkania credentials could only have helped the project.

It's a shame. Both this and The Mandate sound compelling, but both of them have the cards stacked against them.

 

[Lady_Error]

What is it that you find so hard to comprehend?

That you think making a much better pitch = not learning much?

Grunker keeps contradicting himself and then claims that we are just missing the "nuances" in his words.

The fact that you cannot fathom that someone can be critical of a game yet still hope it is good is astonishing.

vs. the original:

This, however, is shit, and you should be ashamed for pledging to it.

I am sure Grunker will come up with some long-winded explanation how shaming people for pledging means he was hoping the game would succeed.

Then he claims the concept is bad, but fails to come up with anything to back it up:

Besides, you still have not answered what's so bad about the concept of a game that is a party-based RPG with Grimrock-style graphics, NPC interaction and skill checks. You keep repeating the concept is bad, but nothing concrete - other than that you think Guido is as much an arrogant prick as you are.

 

[FeelTheRads]

 

[cherry blossom]

What is it that you find so hard to comprehend?

That you think making a much better pitch = not learning much? Or that you think that it wasn't Throvalla's pitch that got you to pledge to it and talk about how it sounded awesome, but rather your RPG sixth sense?

It is simply the recognition of the parameters that make or break most KS pitches.

I made this simple list for you:

Did Thorvalla generate momentum?
No, in case you haven't gathered from the amount of money not going anywhere and the eventual cancellation that followed.

Does that mean there is absolutely no interest in the game?
I don't and hopefully neither do you. But Guido thought so.

But if hardcore super-fucking-geeky RPG meganerds like us will pledge anyway, why are we bitching?
Because there aren't enough hardcore super-fucking-geeky RPG meganerds like us who will carry a project like that to success. Sadly, most people who would otherwise be interested in Thorvalla, are not hardcore super-fucking-geeky RPG meganerds and they need something more to back a project.

What kind of something more do they need to back a project?
The kind of which Guido refuses to do, eg. bring up his past involvement in games, explain how he knows what he is doing and shit.

But why should Guido even need to do that kind of thing?
Because doing that kind of thing will draw more backers.

But why would Guido even need more backers?
Because more backers means more money for the game.

But why would Guido even need more money for the game?
Because he needs more money than us hardcore super-fucking-geeky RPG meganerds could afford for the game to happen.

But don't you think this second KS pitch shows that Guido learned from his experience?
Some but obviously not enough. For someone with Guido's past, less than one thousand backers after two days is an abysmal performance. He deserves more but he also needs to put more effort into it and to swallow some of that arrogant pride to do that.

For instance, to any of us with common sense, it was obvious that the $500 exclusive character class was a big no. Yes, he backed off on it but is it because he finally *grasped* what anyone who made a proper effort to understand Kickstarter and the average backer psyche would have figured out to not have made that mistake in the first place, or is it because he backed off merely by peer pressure, in order to keep his audiance content? There is a big difference between the practical effects of the two.

Likewise, he still hasn't cared to bring up his past involvement in games. That alone, I suspect, would be the biggest factor in getting more people to back his game.

 

[Zed]

grunker rhymes with runker which sounds like a swedish faux-norwegian word for wanking.

uh...

hey how about them video games huh? what thread is this...
oh yeah. deathfire.
guido has no idea right guys hahahaha!

 

[cherry blossom]

30 years in the industry. Produced some of the absolute best the RPG genre has to offer. And barely one thousand backers after two days.

Facts speak for themselves.

Sadly, Guido can't even speak for himself.

R00FLES!

 

[Zombra]

Um, I just noticed "Explosives" on the character skill list. Say what?

 

[doshu]

Time to retire, isn't it? Uninspered project, crappy presentation, and no understanding of how a KS can become successfull despite having failed once already.

 

[theSavant]

Seems like he'll reach the same amount of pledgers as Thorvalla, only in half the time. Seems like a 3rd kickstarter with a goal of 100K is the only way to succeed.

 

[General Maxson]

Shitty Kickstarter aside, I pledged because the game sounds interesting and Guido has some talent. It looks like that alien plant with SNES graphics game will outraise it.

Shit, that plant game does look pretty cool.

Can you give a link to KS of the said game?

 

[Rake]

Time to retire, isn't it? Uninspered project, crappy presentation, and no understanding of how a KS can become successfull despite having failed once already.

I still want to play Thorvalla. It's not so much that we don't believe he can make a good game, it's that he is an abysmal showman. And that it's a big no no in kickstarter. (Unless you are Obsidian and you can carry it out with pre existing fanbase and recognition)
Compair him with Fargo. Even their circumstances are kinda similar. Made good but mostly forgotten RPGs long ago, and were involved in somewhat more renowned games like Fallouts in Fargo case and PS:T in Guido's still long ago. Still the majority didn't knew either one by name nor gave a fuck.
Fargo went "Fallout Fallout Fallout Black Isle Fallout Fallout Black Isle Fallout", plus an emotional campain "fuck publisers, they oppress developers, they oppress gamers, take your fate in your own hands, show the assholes blah blah blah.........viva la revolucion" (plus bringing Obsidian on board and Avellone halfway through the campain).
W2 success have jack shit to do with the game itself and everything with the whole circus the campain was. Same with Tim Schafer who conjured money with nothing other than his personality.
And now you have Guido doing...what exactly? For the vast majority he is a nobody (doubly so because he absolutely refuses to mention his prior achievements and googling his name is too much work for the average consumer) who asks almost half a million to make a fucking blobber. Why should someone who is not a starved blobber junky pledge in this? Especialy with M&MX around the corner that looks better, has more name recognition and will be out soon?

 

[V_K]

Why should someone who is not a starved blobber junky pledge in this? Especialy with M&MX around the corner that looks better, has more name recognition and will be out soon?

MMX is rather simplistic. If Deathfire is anything like RoA (even RoA 3), which is strongly implicated, it'll be head and shoulders above MMX.

 

[cherry blossom]

Not only is it rather simplistic, it will get its share of Ubisoftening as development will wrap up. Expect systematically repetitive game elements and several worthless DLCs. For beginners, Guido's promise of character personalities is way ahead of anything in MMX.

Still, I wish he went back to Thorvalla.

 

[Rake]

Why should someone who is not a starved blobber junky pledge in this? Especialy with M&MX around the corner that looks better, has more name recognition and will be out soon?

MMX is rather simplistic. If Deathfire is anything like RoA (even RoA 3), which is strongly implicated, it'll be head and shoulders above MMX.

No for the average Joe it won't. I was talking about marketing, not about game complexity.

 

[cherry blossom]

Oh that is true. Ubisoft will steal many a pretend-oldschooler who are more accustomed to mainstream design traditions easily impressed with mainstream marketing.

 

[Infinitron]

Not only is it rather simplistic, it will get its share of Ubisoftening as development will wrap up. Expect systematically repetitive game elements and several worthless DLCs.

So, tell us more about your new General Theory of "Ubisoftening".

Does Splinter Cell suffer from this? How about Rayman?

Are you aware that MMX is being designed a Might & Magic nerd practically recruited directly from an MM fan forum?

 

[V_K]

Why should someone who is not a starved blobber junky pledge in this? Especialy with M&MX around the corner that looks better, has more name recognition and will be out soon?

MMX is rather simplistic. If Deathfire is anything like RoA (even RoA 3), which is strongly implicated, it'll be head and shoulders above MMX.

No for the average Joe it won't. I was talking about marketing, not about game complexity.

Anyway, MMX and Grimrock hardly make for an ovesaturation of blobber market. And other recent blobbers are too indie to make a difference.

 

[Infinitron]

I do agree with V_K that "oversaturation of the blobber market" isn't the real reason for the failure of the Kickstarters for more complex Wizardry-like blobbers like Shaker or this.

It's mainly because the pitches aren't good enough, the visions aren't strong enough and the people involved aren't famous enough.

I don't know if somebody will ever show up with a good pitch for a Wizardry clone, but I don't think it's impossible.

 

[Rake]

Why should someone who is not a starved blobber junky pledge in this? Especialy with M&MX around the corner that looks better, has more name recognition and will be out soon?

MMX is rather simplistic. If Deathfire is anything like RoA (even RoA 3), which is strongly implicated, it'll be head and shoulders above MMX.

No for the average Joe it won't. I was talking about marketing, not about game complexity.

Anyway, MMX and Grimrock hardly make for an ovesaturation of blobber market. And other recent blobbers are too indie to make a difference.

So...could it be Guido's fault instead of the concept's after all?

 

[V_K]

Why should someone who is not a starved blobber junky pledge in this? Especialy with M&MX around the corner that looks better, has more name recognition and will be out soon?

MMX is rather simplistic. If Deathfire is anything like RoA (even RoA 3), which is strongly implicated, it'll be head and shoulders above MMX.

No for the average Joe it won't. I was talking about marketing, not about game complexity.

Anyway, MMX and Grimrock hardly make for an ovesaturation of blobber market. And other recent blobbers are too indie to make a difference.

So...could it be Guido's fault instead of the concept's after all?

Personally, I think it's rather Schafer&Co's fault for giving other developers an illusion that you can successfully crowdfund something oldschool .

 

[Monty]

Personally, I think it's rather Schafer&Co's fault for giving other developers an illusion that you can successfully crowdfund something oldschool .

And Cleve with his indiegogo campaigns.

 

[Infinitron]

Personally, I think it's rather Schafer&Co's fault for giving other developers an illusion that you can successfully crowdfund something oldschool .

Well, you'll never get your unofficial Wizardry 9 with that attitude.