KickStarter SKALD: Against the Black Priory - retro RPG inspired by Ultima

[Tyranicon]

The post I was replying to was specifically saying Skald should win GOTY because it's better than Sea of Stars. The whole discussion is about that, I have no clue why you're even replying to it if you don't care about any of that.

And honestly, I have my doubts less than 1k reviews in more than a week after release indicates good enough sales, regardless of scope - remember we're not talking about tetris or snake here, it's a full-fledged old school RPG with some really decent art on top of it, and from what I was told, they invested some money on marketing too.

GOTY or game awards or whatever is just an excuse for marketing. I categorically don't give a fuck about them, my post was just to show some numbers for Skald.

I do enough market research to know that 800 reviews on release week, for some this hyper niche, is huge. Obviously, I don't know how much they spent on marketing or whatever, and the publisher is at least a known indie pub, but I think this will make a tidy profit.

For specifics, anything above 500 reviews get knocked into a higher visibility sector on steam (or that's what a seer told me after they studied the entrails of a chicken, because that's how obscure the steam algo is). And it's Overwhelmingly Positive, which knocks it up even more.

For a game that basically has no animations.

They're gonna make a profit on this.

 

[Infinitron]

The post I was replying to was specifically saying Skald should win GOTY because it's better than Sea of Stars. The whole discussion is about that, I have no clue why you're even replying to it if you don't care about any of that.

And honestly, I have my doubts less than 1k reviews in more than a week after release indicates good enough sales, regardless of scope - remember we're not talking about tetris or snake here, it's a full-fledged old school RPG with some really decent art on top of it, and from what I was told, they invested some money on marketing too.

GOTY or game awards or whatever is just an excuse for marketing. I categorically don't give a fuck about them, my post was just to show some numbers for Skald.

I do enough market research to know that 800 reviews on release week, for some this hyper niche, is huge. Obviously, I don't know how much they spent on marketing or whatever, and the publisher is at least a known indie pub, but I think this will make a tidy profit.

For specifics, anything above 500 reviews get knocked into a higher visibility sector on steam (or that's what a seer told me after they studied the entrails of a chicken, because that's how obscure the steam algo is). And it's Overwhelmingly Positive, which knocks it up even more.

For a game that basically has no animations.

They're gonna make a profit on this.

If he'd truly released it alone then yes - hopefully Raw Fury didn't have delusional expectations.

 

[Tyranicon]

If he'd truly released it alone then yes - hopefully Raw Fury didn't have delusional expectations.

From what I've seen it's mostly low intensity marketing, leveraging their socials, their steam pub account, etc. The largest expenditure is probably conventions and that live-action trailer they made.

Word of mouth is going to be the thing that sells this game. Especially since it's very easy to recommend and has a low price point. This is by far the most successful solodev cRPG project that I've seen in a very long time.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

I've been taking my time with this game, not that I have much to binge with. Last night I was able to get in a good 3 hour session with an excellent cognac. I had a grand time, gents. Tonight it's part deux. Casting off now!

 

[TheDarkUrge]

I accidentally aggroed and killed the butcher while trying to find the way onto the docks. Did I miss out on anything by not handing him the tablet when he asked for it? It almost seemed like the start of an evil path but I doubt this game has one.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

I've taken to using a defensive mode of play to increase my party's endurance. Instead of using Roland as a two-hander, I've given him shield focus. Same for the Hospitaler Drinni. I use the Phalanx conditions quite a bit, and rely on Lesser Regen. When I'm down to 1 enemy, I bide my time until my regenerating characters are fully healed. I'd really like to use this with Spellburn, but since it scales in a detrimental way and has a long cooldown, I can't use it to feed my MC Guild-Magos with Attunement. That's a damn shame. The NPC theif Kat is awesome. I really love her mobility abilities which keep here in constant backstab position. It works well with my defensive strategy, as she can flit about the battlefield shanking everything.

My whole party is level 9, now 5 characters and I've just entered Horryn. Things have been pretty easy for awhile now. Most of the challenge comes from resource management to minimize rests. The sad part is that my MC is nearly peaked. I've got Tier 4 Air and Earth, with Tier 1 Fire. Not sure if I will pursue the Air capstone. At this point I'm just filling out the passive tree as the remaining spells don't do me much good. I sometimes think I want fireball, but the math strongly favors cascading Fire Fists.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I accidentally aggroed and killed the butcher while trying to find the way onto the docks. Did I miss out on anything by not handing him the tablet when he asked for it? It almost seemed like the start of an evil path but I doubt this game has one.

Spoiler

Giving him the tablet sets off a series of events where Oleg and his men are killed, and you have to fight the two remaining commanders along with some of their men. Winning this fight completes the main quest of Chapter 2. I haven't seen the other paths this quest entails, so you may have ended up doing things just a bit out of order.

 

[Nikanuur]

Whoa, I'm at the 2nd chapter, my mage is near 100 Attunement. Finally, he does Something with a capital S, too. Namely: the low-level spell Swarm of Gnats.

1. Low flat damage numbers... BUT!
2. The spell is an auto-hit, and the damage numbers are consisent.
3. It's got nice att/dodge debuff.
4. It's very cheap.
5. At this moment in the game, the cascade proc's in, say, 2/3 of castings.
6. Gone are the "days" of scraping potions and herbs. Now, I can afford to gulp several Attunements per one harder fight.

All of that turns this otherwise semi-forgettable spell into a mage's gattling. Neat!

 

[Vincente]

If my backlog wasn't super huge, I would play this in an instant. I roll my Willpower and instead wishlist for now, looks great.

 

[Nikanuur]

Oh, and btw, is it only something strange going on with my ReShade filters all of a sudden, or has the game been patched to a slightly different, more lushful palette?

 

[Dumle]

I accidentally aggroed and killed the butcher while trying to find the way onto the docks. Did I miss out on anything by not handing him the tablet when he asked for it? It almost seemed like the start of an evil path but I doubt this game has one.

Spoiler

Giving him the tablet sets off a series of events where Oleg and his men are killed, and you have to fight the two remaining commanders along with some of their men. Winning this fight completes the main quest of Chapter 2. I haven't seen the other paths this quest entails, so you may have ended up doing things just a bit out of order.

Spoiler

After giving Butcher the tablets, instead of talking to Kala go talk to Oleg first instead, then go talk to Kala and tell her to back Oleg. They meet and kill each other. You'll be granted the "Puppeteer" achievement this way as well.

 

[Nikanuur]

If he'd truly released it alone then yes - hopefully Raw Fury didn't have delusional expectations.

From what I've seen it's mostly low intensity marketing, leveraging their socials, their steam pub account, etc. The largest expenditure is probably conventions and that live-action trailer they made.

Word of mouth is going to be the thing that sells this game. Especially since it's very easy to recommend and has a low price point. This is by far the most successful solodev cRPG project that I've seen in a very long time.

My bet would also be on it clearly communicating what to expect from it and for which audience the game is.
Because of that, the nefarious, largest group of gamers steers clear of the game or doesn't even know it exists. I mean those looking for the latest graphical candy or casual, addictive content. That way, the game doesn't face the modern drama such gamers bring. ...only a great feedback from the appropriate, satisfied audience.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Thievery from shops is highly recommended, but don't try to be clever and steal the vendor's gold. You steal exactly one coin upon success. This applies to anything stackable. Stick to stealing the most grand items.

 

[Falksi]

I've made it to level 5 and... whilst the game is a ton of fun exploration, story and atmosphere wise... playing as a Guild Magos has been a drag.

Rarely does the opportunity present itself to use anything other than Summon Vermin, Magic Missile and Flaming Fist out of my spells, and the constant cycle of loose mana, craft + use potions/camp to replenish mana gets real old real fast. There's no real differentiation between a Mage chipping in with a bit of bonus damage to help out, and going all out to win a battle.

All the game really needs is for the potions to restore more Attunement, or weak spells like Magic Missile really need to be 1 or 2 Attunement cost at most. I'm just bored leaving my mage sat out of the way defending to break the above cycle.

Gonna try a Ranger instead.

 

[Litmanen]

Hi guys, quick questions:

is SKALD mainly combat oriented?
C&C are a relevant part of the game?
Non-combat skill have a significant role?

Thank you

 

[Incognito]

is SKALD mainly combat oriented?

It's as much a part of the game as exploration and the story. If you gather a good party, play on hard (despite being dice fudging), and are an average turn-based grind combat enjoyer... it's challenging and strategic enough. That being said, you can avoid fights by stealth or skill checks, but I'm not sure what effect an under-leveled party will have on the end game.

C&C are a relevant part of the game?

Not much really. There's a few decisions that can branch quest outcomes, but there aren't substantially different paths to follow. I'm only at the end of Chapter 2 tho.

Non-combat skill have a significant role?

Skill checks are a 2D6 roll that add your skill level. More Perception makes you notice more stuff, more Diplomacy makes you pass some dialogue options, Athletics makes you overcome obstacles, etc. Other skills are used when you rest, like to craft arrows or produce food. But you can progress without paying much care to this.

Thank you

M'lady! /tips fedora

 

[Litmanen]

is SKALD mainly combat oriented?

It's as much a part of the game as exploration and the story. If you gather a good party, play on hard (despite being dice fudging), and are an average turn-based grind combat enjoyer... it's challenging and strategic enough. That being said, you can avoid fights by stealth or skill checks, but I'm not sure what effect an under-leveled party will have on the end game.

C&C are a relevant part of the game?

Not much really. There's a few decisions that can branch quest outcomes, but there aren't substantially different paths to follow. I'm only at the end of Chapter 2 tho.

Non-combat skill have a significant role?

Skill checks are a 2D6 roll that add your skill level. More Perception makes you notice more stuff, more Diplomacy makes you pass some dialogue options, Athletics makes you overcome obstacles, etc. Other skills are used when you rest, like to craft arrows or produce food. But you can progress without paying much care to this.

Thank you

M'lady! /tips fedora

Nice, thank you a lot.

I think I'll give it a try sometimes in the future

 

[Nikanuur]

Thievery from shops is highly recommended, but don't try to be clever and steal the vendor's gold. You steal exactly one coin upon success. This applies to anything stackable. Stick to stealing the most grand items.

Thievery is over the board, unfortunately. You can easily steal several expensive items worth of 10k during one trader's visit, even on hard. It breaks the economy and the usual 'do quests, exploration, and fights to get money' loop.

 

[Incognito]

Thievery from shops is highly recommended, but don't try to be clever and steal the vendor's gold. You steal exactly one coin upon success. This applies to anything stackable. Stick to stealing the most grand items.

Thievery is over the board, unfortunately. You can easily steal several expensive items worth of 10k during one trader's visit, even on hard. It breaks the economy and the usual 'do quests, exploration, and fights to get money' loop.

Yeah, I'm not sure what the dev's angle was here. You can pilfer pretty much any item from any merchant. Not a game breaker, but it makes money kinda unnecessary and the game easier.

 

[Nikanuur]

Thievery from shops is highly recommended, but don't try to be clever and steal the vendor's gold. You steal exactly one coin upon success. This applies to anything stackable. Stick to stealing the most grand items.

Thievery is over the board, unfortunately. You can easily steal several expensive items worth of 10k during one trader's visit, even on hard. It breaks the economy and the usual 'do quests, exploration, and fights to get money' loop.

Yeah, I'm not sure what the dev's angle was here. You can pilfer pretty much any item from any merchant. Not a game breaker, but it makes money kinda unnecessary and the game easier.

I reported it to SkaldRPG, he takes these things into consideration.

 

[Incognito]

Nice, thank you a lot.

I think I'll give it a try sometimes in the future

Regarding C&C, Chapter 2 can be completed in a few different ways, including not engaging any of the factions. So, yeah, C&C is more relevant than I previously thought.

 

[Falksi]

Thievery from shops is highly recommended, but don't try to be clever and steal the vendor's gold. You steal exactly one coin upon success. This applies to anything stackable. Stick to stealing the most grand items.

Thievery is over the board, unfortunately. You can easily steal several expensive items worth of 10k during one trader's visit, even on hard. It breaks the economy and the usual 'do quests, exploration, and fights to get money' loop.

I stopped using it for this reason. It kills the financial aspect of it dead.

 

[Nikanuur]

Nice, thank you a lot.

I think I'll give it a try sometimes in the future

Regarding C&C, Chapter 2 can be completed in a few different ways, including not engaging any of the factions. So, yeah, C&C is more relevant than I previously thought.

Different ways, you say?

 

[kangaxx]

I do wish that you could attack diagonally. I find it infuriating that you can't.

 

[Haba]

This game is not shit.

Another!