Information Ars Magica CRPG Kickstarter from Creators of Academagia

[OSK]

Each update only results in making me more depressed.

 

[udm]

Update #7: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...s-magica-video-game/posts/346921?ref=activity

In Update 4, we discussed how Combat will work in the game- today, we have a concept screenshot to show you graphically how that will work.

The center portion of the UI is the map, and this displays not only the position of the combatants but also the various features available. You can mouse over these for more information, and click on them to take contextual actions or move characters to them. As noted previously, unused features can come and go as the rounds passed, so you’ll want to be looking at the map for additional options as time goes by.

You’ll also notice the little icons for the combatants which ring the map’s edges. You can click on these to change targets or focus on a feature, if you do not want to navigate by map.

Above and below the map you have information related to the currently selected character (top), and the active character (bottom.) Here you can review known information about the characters, generally contextual to the actions available. You can also click on the main portrait to see a more detailed character sheet, where appropriate.

To the right of the map is the general features list, for easy reference. Some features, as for example the Chesnut Limb and Hollow Trunk, are parts of a larger feature, in this case a Chesnut Tree. This list, like the map, is updated as features become available and/or move out of the flow of combat. You are also able to close this pane if you prefer to work directly on the map.

On the left of the map is the contextual action list for a specific target. The top portion of this pane shows actions which are directed at the target, and the bottom shows actions which are directed towards yourself. You can expand this pane to show more options, or you may close it and work directly from a larger map.

 

[Black]

Please stop, this is sad to watch especially when you realize that shit like tropes vs WOMINS got baked.

 

[Crooked Bee]

 

[clemens]

Please stop, this is sad to watch especially when you realize that shit like tropes vs WOMINS got baked.

 

[Spectacle]

This sounds so fucking awesome, why isn't it getting funded!?

It seems like most of the successful kickstarters are those based on gimmicky bullshit that get backed by hipsters who want to be "Alternative". Projects like this, that are genuinely different from anything offered by the mainstream get neglected.

 

[Black]

Notion to move all the money Codex has gathered from Project RTWP to Arse Magica?

 

[Kraszu]

This sounds so fucking awesome, why isn't it getting funded!?

It seems like the most successful kickstarters are those based on gimmicky bullshit that get backed by hipsters who want to be "Alternative". Projects like this, that are genuinely different from anything offered by the mainstream get neglected.

Really? The most successful so far are pretty classic games, what is gimmicky about them?

 

[Spectacle]

This sounds so fucking awesome, why isn't it getting funded!?

It seems like the most successful kickstarters are those based on gimmicky bullshit that get backed by hipsters who want to be "Alternative". Projects like this, that are genuinely different from anything offered by the mainstream get neglected.

Really? The most successful so far are pretty classic games, what is gimmicky about them?

Ouch, I messed up the words. It should read "most of the successful kickstarters". Thanks for spotting!

Indeed, there's been some high profile, very successful kickstarters to bring back classic games, which is definitely a good thing. I just wish kickstarter would be better at getting the truly unique and promising games funded as well.

 

[Mortmal]

Not enough coverage, no prestigious names behind i suppose, maybe its too sophisticated for the unwashed masses...Really , really , disgusted this is not making it, i am 100x more interested in playing those indie projects than any upcoming AAA games.

 

[udm]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news. I corresponded with them over PM, asking what their future plans are once this campaign is over. The responses are pretty bleak, for the Ars Magica CRPG at least.

BCS: Round 2 [of Kickstarter] looks, well, not likely, but it's almost criminal that a project like this shouldn't fund, so...

Me: What are your plans once this campaign is over? Will you start another KS?

BCS: Well, unfortunately economics probably will prevent us from doing anything with the property. We'd love to make an Ars Magica game, but we don't have all the resources (or else we wouldn't have come to KS.)
We're working on our own games at the moment, so if the campaign isn't a success, that is probably the next time you'll hear from us.

Me: By the way if you don't mind me asking, why is a second Kickstarter not likely?

BCS: Sure- it's purely a matter of resources. If there are not enough patrons to fund Ars Magica in one round, will there be enough in a second? It's possible, and it's also possible not.
We could trod that path for quite some time; instead, it's probably more productive for us as a company to work on our in-progress projects.

 

[Crooked Bee]

This really sucks.

 

[Burning Bridges]

Unforgiveable if this doesn't get funded.

 

[visions]

On one hand it's perfectly understandable but on other I find it quite depressing how much harder a time something that really seems like a breath of fresh air has, compared to nostalgia projects of well-known names.

 

[CappenVarra]

Well, unless somebody has a spare $200000 or so, we're heading for a commemorative rage session... shitcock

 

[Black]

Maybe we could write to one of the fat ones, Notch or Gabe, they ought to have lotsa dosh lying around.

 

[Burning Bridges]

Me: By the way if you don't mind me asking, why is a second Kickstarter not likely?

BCS: Sure- it's purely a matter of resources. If there are not enough patrons to fund Ars Magica in one round, will there be enough in a second? It's possible, and it's also possible not.
We could trod that path for quite some time; instead, it's probably more productive for us as a company to work on our in-progress projects.

Hey, one could interpret that statement in a way that they are not really interested in the idea themselves. Since the feedback is absolutely great, and the project is failing mostly because too few people have heard about it, they absolutely have to try again. There is no excuse in acting like that, except if it really was really just a half hearted attempt.

And perhaps that's among the reasons Ars Magica is doing so badly. There must be one, and collectively people seem to be able to sense such things. I for one am not going to pledge for a project if the people behind it haven given it up already. I also haven't read most of the updates, but I really like the look of everything they presented.

Here you go, kickstarter devs

 

[Burning Bridges]

Also, there is definitely a swarm mentality thing surrounding kickstarter projects. If a project gets one million in the first two days, people stand in queues to pledge.
But if the money only trickles (which is unfortunately the lot of most small projects), no one wants to be among the first. Besides no one is motivated to go through the bureaucratic steps if it doesn't happen anyway.

= vicious circle

 

[Kraszu]

This sounds so fucking awesome, why isn't it getting funded!?

It seems like the most successful kickstarters are those based on gimmicky bullshit that get backed by hipsters who want to be "Alternative". Projects like this, that are genuinely different from anything offered by the mainstream get neglected.

Really? The most successful so far are pretty classic games, what is gimmicky about them?

Ouch, I messed up the words. It should read "most of the successful kickstarters". Thanks for spotting!

Indeed, there's been some high profile, very successful kickstarters to bring back classic games, which is definitely a good thing. I just wish kickstarter would be better at getting the truly unique and promising games funded as well.

I don't think that the number of projects supported is the ultimate criteria, after all most of those projects had asked for pennies, and not many people had to pledge to make them successful, more people pledged to Ars Magica then to any single of those gimmicky projects afaik. And there is much more small gimmicky projects so some of them will get attention for some random chaos reasons.

 

[Minttunator]

This looks like it could be a really interesting and complex game - I'm going to pledge, on the off chance that someone ponies up the missing 200K. Doesn't look likely at this point, though.

 

[Morkar Left]

Me: By the way if you don't mind me asking, why is a second Kickstarter not likely?

BCS: Sure- it's purely a matter of resources. If there are not enough patrons to fund Ars Magica in one round, will there be enough in a second? It's possible, and it's also possible not.
We could trod that path for quite some time; instead, it's probably more productive for us as a company to work on our in-progress projects.

Hey, one could interpret that statement in a way that they are not really interested in the idea themselves. Since the feedback is absolutely great, and the project is failing mostly because too few people have heard about it, they absolutely have to try again. There is no excuse in acting like that, except if it really was really just a half hearted attempt.

And perhaps that's among the reasons Ars Magica is doing so badly. There must be one, and collectively people seem to be able to sense such things. I for one am not going to pledge for a project if the people behind it haven given it up already. I also haven't read most of the updates, but I really like the look of everything they presented.

Here you go, kickstarter devs

Calm down. If you're familiar with the pnp Ars Magica you should know that the project isn't half-assed for them. You can read that they are very familiar with the setting and actually played it. Because of that I really think that they want to do the game.

But yes, they really should try a second ks at another time. I guess because they are in development with other projects their time is stretched and they couldn't put out enough content right from the start. And probably underestimated that people are looking for graphics at first even on such projects. Additionally I really think it was bad timing with all the other projects going on.

 

[clemens]

Maybe it was bad timing, but I definitely think they were a bit light-handed on the updates. Posting the dialogues & combat screenshots on day 2 might have helped. Since they're not a well known studio, they should have expected that people would want to see nice shiny graphics & stuff before backing... Also, they did not get a lot of coverage.

 

[Mother Russia]

Hmm, to be honest that combat screen example looks really lackluster. Frankly, it seems much more like a strategy game instead of an rpg.

 

[Modron]

Hmm, to be honest that combat screen example looks really lackluster. Frankly, it seems much more like a strategy game instead of an rpg.

Which would still be fine by me... saddest failure on KS yet. The video at the start did not really inspire confidence to people unfamiliar with the studio and/or ars magica. It is a shame that they won't do a round 2 on KS, I think if they produced a better pitch video ie show more of the game design fleshed out like they have been doing with more of a look at the studio instead of a couple people sitting around a table talking about a pnp system apparently not enough people care about.

 

[Burning Bridges]

Over 90,000$ and they won't make a second try.

Pretty stupid in my opinion.