Game News Not-Ultima Online 2: Shroud of the Avatar Kickstarter is Live

[Tolknaz]

I guess i will not back this one. These are my reasons:

1. I absolutely loathe MMO-s.
2. I loathe microtransactions in games even more than MMO-s.
3. I'm sick and tired of Garriot attributing all of his games successes to himself. Notice how no other team member is even named? That guy is a worse egomaniac than Molyneux.
4. Speaking of success when was the last time Garriot made something worth playing? The last truly good game he was involved with was Ultima VII almost 20 years ago. I'm sorry, but this simply does not cut it for me.
5. Portalarium doesn't support any other Kickstarter projects. No project i've supported so far has been so arrogant.

 

[Minttunator]

In addition, the backer tiers seem pretty weird.

The digital CE is $100, which I'd call rather expensive. I don't see any tier including a physical copy of the game. The cheapest physical tier is $125 and if I'm understanding correctly, that just includes a cloth map? Almost makes this Kickstarter seem like a cash grab.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Not good enough. You have to raise your game now, Garriott. Obsidian and inXile are laughing at you.

 

[janjetina]

Cons and pros:

Cons

• it's a MMORPG (MMOGs represent the platform specific decline of the PC gaming)
• it will have microtransactions
• no word on DRM, so it is probable that the game will probably have that 'feature' (say, demanding always online presence)
• developer is filthy rich, his value is expressed in nine digits and he can easily finance a seven figure game budget out of his pocket
• Ultima IX

In essence, it seems to have many features of games issued by large publishers, all it lacks is the actual publisher involvement. Why is that game even on the Kickstarter?

Pros

• The developer created the Ultima series

Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

[HobGoblin42]

Just no.

 

[Kz3r0]

Lots of goodwill here from the Codex, seems to me that Garriott is just asking money for a MMO while desperately trying to call it single player, without mentioning that one million is not enough to pay his actual staff even for a year, unless they are taking Chinese wages.

 

[Jaesun]

Lots of goodwill here from the Codex, seems to me that Garriott is just asking money for a MMO while desperately trying to call it single player, without mentioning that one million is not enough to pay his actual staff even for a year, unless they are taking Chinese wages.

I think he saw Chris Robert's Star Citizen and drooled in anticipation.

 

[toro]

Thank God for all the true hardcore gamers backing this amazing project.

 

[Mortmal]

Yes its a prototype, but torment had no gameplay video jsut a few concept arts , some text and art , yet i ran looking for my credit card thinking "quick grab a pledge before theres not any left!", and i was right . I cant say shroud of avatar doing this to me, id like to believe in a new UO, the player base has very fond memories of it, some couple even formed there, no doubt that playerbase will fund it.

When looking at this i fear for a scam, none of the concept are holding together... So you play with people you know as i understand it,t hen if you do something illegal like contraband you get flagged for pvp . I get flagged for pvp against people i know, how is this supposed to work? There's no reason for them to attack me and they better not, i know where they live eh..Likely we will all do the iillegal stuff and rack in money...

Ok its a prototype, but for a speech video , wasnt it possible to write something else than " oh i am dirt poor give me some money avatar and "tell me about it " . The "elaborate your own story part" that means you will make your own content, we will give the bare minimum., i can do that with opening a notepad, thank you .

 

[Pots Talos]

Iolo approves and plays a little "Stones" on the lute.


I'm still hesitant to back this though.

 

[St. Toxic]

I like how Ultima IX is what gets the most screen-time on the pitch video. And what... I mean who are the gargoyles?

 

[FrancoTAU]

What is a Paladin?

I did laugh at the U9 footage dominating over any other games he made.

 

[evdk]

I'm still hesitant to back this though.

That only proves that you are still sane.

 

[Redeye]

So it won't be an Ultima-looking/feeling griefer playground?

What's the point?

 

[Snerf]

So it won't be an Ultima-looking/feeling griefer playground?

What's the point?

 

[cpmartins]

Interesting tidbit, I e-mailed Portalarium asking if the game was going to require an always-on internet connection, and this was the answer:
Portalarium, Inc. says:
To access the current state of the persistent world, you would have to play online. My honest expectation before starting this campaign was that, while the game could be played offline for periods of time, I did not expect people to desire to "never connect". But based on player feedback, we are now exploring the "never connect" option. We should be able to provide it. We are researching these details now.

 

[Severian Silk]

Iolo approves and plays a little "Stones" on the lute.


I'm still hesitant to back this though.

WTF, LB can't afford a 24" monitor or wall projector?

 

[FrancoTAU]

Interesting tidbit, I e-mailed Portalarium asking if the game was going to require an always-on internet connection, and this was the answer:
Portalarium, Inc. says:
To access the current state of the persistent world, you would have to play online. My honest expectation before starting this campaign was that, while the game could be played offline for periods of time, I did not expect people to desire to "never connect". But based on player feedback, we are now exploring the "never connect" option. We should be able to provide it. We are researching these details now.

First post in 6 years? They might be make it available if people ask but I don't think it's going to be tailored to those people at all though.

 

[Jaesun]

The people wanting the Off Line option are the people struggling with reality and not seeing that this is a MMO first and foremost.

 

[Broseph]

Let them have their shitty single player MMO, we have enough good real CRPGs coming out this year and next.

 

[cpmartins]

I've been reading the codex since then, but never felt I had anything constructive to say until now.

 

[Avantre]

I guess i will not back this one. These are my reasons:

5. Portalarium doesn't support any other Kickstarter projects. No project i've supported so far has been so arrogant.

The company might not have backed anything but Garriot has backed several kickstarters on his personal account: http://www.kickstarter.com/profile/788463773

 

[Infinitron]

I guess i will not back this one. These are my reasons:

5. Portalarium doesn't support any other Kickstarter projects. No project i've supported so far has been so arrogant.

The company might not have backed anything but Garriot has backed several kickstarters on his personal account: http://www.kickstarter.com/profile/788463773

Notice that he isn't backing one single proper CRPG.

 

[Excommunicator]

But that lists his own project as one he backed. Isn't that against the rules of kickstarter?

 

[Maelflux]

But that lists his own project as one he backed. Isn't that against the rules of kickstarter?

And even more so: He could fully fund whatever is missing with his countless space millions, if it would ever not be funded. (It will be funded without his help I am sure, but still)