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KickStarter Monomyth - A first person action RPG/dungeon crawler - now in Beta

Ysaye

Arbiter
Joined
May 27, 2018
Messages
771
Location
Australia
Wait just a moment. You're putting your brand identity up to poll with random strangers on the internet? The symbol of your labors and self to be selected by disinterested forums?

Well, I could ask people around me for feedback, but here's the thing:

Most of them have no clue what I'm talking about. They don't even know what a dungeon crawler is.
The feedback of a niche/enthusiast internet board is really just as good as theirs (in some cases, arguably better).

Not to ramble or anything, but when it comes to game development, that's just a general thing around here. The number of internationally recognized games made in Austria can probably be counted with the fingers of one hand. So, making games for a living will earn you some very concerned looks from legal advisors, banks, and the likes. And that also feeds into the naming problem. Gargaune was actually spot on with that. But it goes even deeper. It's not just loans. It's legal representation, federal grants, finding an accountant, advisors, and so on. To answer Aemar's question, that is the original reason why I was actually looking for something slightly more generic. I have nothing against the name "Rat Tower" as an operating name. As I said, I'll keep it as a user name anyway. But from a legal perspective, it certainly leaves a bitter aftertaste. Now you can of course pound your feet and tell all the nay-sayers to fuckin shove it, but it's questionable whether you are making your life easier with that.

And I gotta say, I was only half-joking with that "Ratthew Towers" thing before. Choosing something like that as a legal name for all the paperwork, while keeping the "shortened" Rat Tower as an operating name for all the public work (like Kickstarter and logos and so on), that is actually a legitimate option. Cause nobody gets that joke around here. For a german speaker, Ratthew Towers sounds just as "professional" as Morgan Stanley. You can put that on a business plan (which, by the way, is mandatory for me). And in the unlikely event that someone actually gets the joke, it is so inoffensive that it becomes neglectable. So zero problems from that end. Though I don't know the implications of using a shortened name for your business operation. Legally, the "operating name" - as it's common in the US - does not exist around here. So I would have to look into it.

It's just the legal/social Boogie you gotta dance.

It will be fine.

:positive:

I understand what you are saying; I am led to understand by others that in many ways Austria is a highly conservative place so I can understand why you may need to run with something that is not the same as the flavor of a gaming community - I liked the Immersive Simulations of the more conservative choices because (apart from sounding cool) it provides a strong description of what you are trying to do in these kinds of games. I also feel though as others have expressed in this thread that Rat Tower could be an iconic name for a game development studio; reminds me of other great names like Bullfrog and Blizzard. I am sure the community here and elsewhere will support you whatever you choose.
 

d1nolore

Savant
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
662
Can’t you just have your legal business name and trading as: Rat Tower?
 
Self-Ejected

Thac0

Time Mage
Patron
Joined
Apr 30, 2020
Messages
3,292
Location
Arborea
I'm very into cock and ball torture
Is Austria really that much more stuck up than even Germany?
Every third remaining city wall and every second castle here has a Rattenturm and the Mäuseturm is a famous landmark. Those two translate to Rat Tower and Mouse Tower...
There even is a local legend about the Mäuseturminsel and Mäuseturm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_Tower
The legend even became to sizeable notoriety during the Rhine Romantic, and there were multiple poems about that. It doesn't get more posh than 19th century poets writing about it.
Just say you are inspired by one of those, and this is the translated version.
 

RatTower

Arcane
Developer
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Messages
468
Just in case you were wondering what I've been doing lately:

I am in the process of setting up the company, which is ...let's call it long-winded. Apparently "simplified procedure" doesn't necessarily mean "fast" and a one-man LLC takes just as long to set up as a regular one - but at least I saved a thousand bucks on the notary.
Anyway, I'm waiting for the commercial court to actually send me a registration number, with which I can then apply for a tax and a VAT number, which I can then use to identify myself on Kickstarter.
In the meantime, I hope the bank doesn't slap me in the face by denying my credit card application, cause you need that for Kickstarter too. The bank wasn't too thrilled about the whole "simplified procedure" either, cause it makes them liable for parts of the company application process. So essentially they immediately told me that I can forget about a credit limit from their end. That isn't a problem but who knows what that means for the credit card. We will see.

But enough with the business stuff.







The minecarts are from a later part in the game, so, unfortunately, they won't make it into the demo.
Talking about the demo, I have also been working on combat and AI. Combat is still tough (and probably still needs some rebalancing) but it should feel more responsive and fair now.
The demo area itself is done but still needs some scripting. By the end of next week, everything should be ready from that side.
I hope all the administrative stuff will be sorted out by then.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,228
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
It's happening:



https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/908360/view/4390430826039625178

Kickstarter & Demo on the 27th of July, 2021

Kickstarter Page
Discord
Website

Twitter

Greetings, dungeon-crawling enthusiasts!

Today I bring you some great news:

Monomyth will be coming to Kickstarter on the 27th of July, 2021, at 7 pm CET / 1 pm EST.

As a part of this Kickstarter campaign, you will be able to try a demo of Monomyth yourself! In this demo you will travel to the Serpent's Bastion, an outpost of Lysandria, and a bulwark against the many dangers that lurk in the wastelands surrounding the ancient fortress.

ccd5a990bd072169cd636df96e342115c68c9690.png


You will be able to create your own character and customize its stats to your liking. The demo will feature dialogue, puzzles, combat, and the full tutorial area of the game - though, it won't hold your hand too much and there is enough room for exploration.

Why a Kickstarter?
You may wonder, why now? Why a Kickstarter after all these years. The answer is, that Monomyth is now entering a phase of development where certain costs arise (equipment, software tools, legal fees, etc), and some assets - most of all the music - have to be done by contractors. While I do a lot of assets myself I am not a musician, so, besides financing core development, that is where the money would go.

So, when will Monomyth be released?
There is still some content to be made, some dialogue to be written and some assets to be created. Feature-wise Monomyth is already on a good track. There will still be some changes to NPCs and the AI.

Monomyth is scheduled for Q2, 2022.

Originally I wanted to go for early 2022 - and I still think that is realistic - but I do not wish to delay it yet another time in case something unforeseen pops up. I tried to calculate a realistic goal and added a little bit. This time is actually a hard deadline. If you followed past updates you know that this is now my full-time job, and given how it went over the last couple of months I would really like it if it stayed that way. Talking of which...

What about the future?
Since the Kickstarter will also cover some legal fees for the (one-man) company that I have established over the last couple of months, it's only right to quickly discuss what you can expect from Rat Tower Software in the future.

Now, besides the obvious possibility of developing sequels to Monomyth, I wrote down numerous ideas over the years, some of which I believe are worth developing into full projects.
These range from small to medium titles, most of which share a lot of DNA with Monomyth and the first-person RPG genre. Personally, I would like to expand this formula by a few simulation aspects that work on a higher level than just moment-to-moment gameplay.

But it is too early to chat about these things. I only want you to know that my intention is to build a stable long-term operation for an established audience - and that is you!

It is your wishes that count in the end. Even more so, when they overlap with my personal taste.
As for Monomyth, I believe that the result will be just in that sweet spot.

I am looking forward to your feedback!
See you in a week and a half!

Best wishes,
Michael
 

Jinn

Arcane
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
4,930
Any chance for a simultaneous Early Access purchase option on Steam?

Would love to see this too. I am unable to contribute to kickstarters based in foreign countries because of credit card limitations. Would buy it instantly if I had the option to on Steam though.
 

RatTower

Arcane
Developer
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Messages
468
Since there is a demo coming out with the Kickstarter, Early Access might not make much sense at that point (it would basically just be the demo).
I may be able to set up a PayPal funding pool though, given the KS campaign works out and that is an option for you and others.
 

Jinn

Arcane
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
4,930
I may be able to set up a PayPal funding pool though, given the KS campaign works out and that is an option for you and others.

Unfortunately Paypal doesn't work for me either. Just know that as soon as I'm able too, I will be supporting you! Just wish I could right out of the gate.
 

NoSoup4you

Learned
Joined
Mar 18, 2021
Messages
123
Hey RatTower, just stumbled on the news thread about this and read the bit about music costs. Let me know if you want a couple tracks done for cheap. I'm serious about this - I know what I'm doing, and want to get some game credits to my name.

Samples of things I've done (rough and unpublished):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p0xfmhyfeckj2d3/First Descent 3.0.mp3?raw=1
https://www.dropbox.com/s/l3cv3hn1b924sun/Ice Pagoda.mp3?raw=1
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h2gnrya55kj003g/Jones Barbecue and Foot Massage.mp3?raw=1
 

RatTower

Arcane
Developer
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Messages
468
Hey RatTower, just stumbled on the news thread about this and read the bit about music costs. Let me know if you want a couple tracks done for cheap. I'm serious about this - I know what I'm doing, and want to get some game credits to my name.

Samples of things I've done (rough and unpublished):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p0xfmhyfeckj2d3/First Descent 3.0.mp3?raw=1
https://www.dropbox.com/s/l3cv3hn1b924sun/Ice Pagoda.mp3?raw=1
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h2gnrya55kj003g/Jones Barbecue and Foot Massage.mp3?raw=1

That's some really nice work. I already have a musician who agreed to do the soundtrack, but I'll drop you a PM.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,228
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Minimum pledge to get the game is €15, beta for €125, funding goal is €16,500, release date June 2022.



https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/836367155/monomyth

Story



HD Trailer:

edf7dc3c17cac9627100addf85b06ca7_original.png

MONOMYTH is an immersive, first-person dungeon crawling RPG in the vein of Ultima Underworld, Arx Fatalis, and the King’s Field series.


Travel through an open, highly interactive game world, unrestricted by scripted sequences, hard-coded barriers, or tiled movement.

e251d83d9738dbaf17d8cb21617fe24f_original.gif

Use swords, daggers, hammers, maces, bows, or a wide range of versatile spells to overcome your enemies in real-time combat!

7247540ab3cd3aa425f6efd5a7bd56fd_original.gif

Remain unseen and unheard by sneaking through the shadows of eerie dungeons deep below the surface of the world.

4358c7d195adff8804dd4c3d415482d6_original.gif

Talk with the inhabitants of the underworld via a detailed, keyword-based dialogue system. Trade with them or press them for information. But don’t go too far or you may suffer the consequences!

46a26308ba8bd78e4738100f5ed86004_original.gif

Experiment with a wide range of utility items: Speed potions, water arrows, lockpicks, and many more!

b216d0abd4f2deb0755b43bc00802f57_original.gif

A highly interactive world awaits you! Douse torches, bake bread, drink from fountains, and even play instruments!

26cab3ad229a25819cc8f685082d2b5d_original.gif


Unravel the mysteries of Lysandria as you uncover hidden passages, dive through flooded caves, and overcome the living nightmares that inhabit the ancient halls far below the mighty fortress.

58c0ebacac51f7e1e5ca77a0996c308b_original.gif
 
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