KickStarter Stoneshard - open world roguelike RPG - now available on Early Access

[Zboj Lamignat]

Is it really a scam

You heard about them potions m8? That's pretty messed up, isn't it.

 

[NotSweeper]

How much content is actually in there right now anyway?

Define content. It's still missing a third of the skill trees, there's no character creation, the main quest of the game has been sitting at the same point for 2 years now (the main quest consisting of completing 2 contracts for the elder in Osbrook, gathering 1000 gold and getting to Brynn). So what you're left with is the core gameplay loop which is take contracts, go to ruin, kill, loot, return, repeat. There's a tiered progression to the contracts or rather ruins with Osbrook being tier 1, Mannshire 2 and Brynn 3.
I've been harping on for several years about the character creation, but now that I'm actually playing it they could add character creation tomorrow and it wouldn't fix much.
The game's too ambitious for its own good, and with each passing year it's becoming more of a scam (than it already is). Eventually the devs will drop 50% (or more) of what they had planned for the game and call it complete.

All that aside you can play a lute, that's fairly cool right?

First and last time I bought an EA game.

 

[NotSweeper]

Is it really a scam

You heard about them potions m8? That's pretty messed up, isn't it.

I'm sure it'll be a fine game, in 10-12 years at the current rate.

 

[mediocrepoet]

How much content is actually in there right now anyway?

Define content. It's still missing a third of the skill trees, there's no character creation, the main quest of the game has been sitting at the same point for 2 years now (the main quest consisting of completing 2 contracts for the elder in Osbrook, gathering 1000 gold and getting to Brynn). So what you're left with is the core gameplay loop which is take contracts, go to ruin, kill, loot, return, repeat. There's a tiered progression to the contracts or rather ruins with Osbrook being tier 1, Mannshire 2 and Brynn 3.

Yeah, this is also part of what I was wondering. He's feature creeping without completing a through-line of the game. Alright.

The game's too ambitious for its own good, and with each passing year it's becoming more of a scam (than it already is). Eventually the devs will drop 50% (or more) of what they had planned for the game and call it complete.

Probably, wouldn't be the first time. Wouldn't call it a scam though.

First and last time I bought an EA game.

Yeah, I try not to do it much anymore, things like this didn't help. But whatever.

 

[NotSweeper]

Might not be a scam, the game might be complete with everything they had planned in 2 years and then I'll sit in the corner with a funny hat, but it just doesn't seem like that's gonna happen.
I've been wrong before thoughever.

 

[mediocrepoet]

There's a pretty significant difference between a scam and delivering a game that doesn't hit all expectations or is otherwise shit. I've seen a variety of actual scam games over the years, many of them are discussed on these boards. This isn't one of them, though it may end up being overscoped in many areas and incomplete, it's still released, playable and isn't so far as I know, some sort of shit asset flip.

That doesn't mean it's a great project or that I'd be likely to buy anything else the guy puts out if he abandons it in an incomplete state though. He should make some sort of "content complete" critical path throughline and then keep adding whatever shit he wants to or even complete parts of it and make DLCs for parts of it if he needs cash flow after all this time.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

First and last time I bought an EA game.

EA is a gamble, that's for sure. However, I did get Kenshi before it was on Steam for fairly cheap compared to it's current price. I also got Factorio before it hit Steam. I think I got Mount & Blade prior to it's Steam EA launch. I got Starsector back when it was called Starfarer, and it's still not on Steam. I got Space Engineers back when it was in EA, and those developers had an EA botch up before Space Engineers.

But I also got Starforge before it was on Steam, it eventually went to Steam and it was never finished. That's probably one of the more infamous ones that jumped to a release without ever being finished. Oh, and Cube World. Apparently the Cube World developer has started working on it again, so that might just be a really, really slow burn but his Steam Beta was way worse than his non-Steam Alpha.

 

[NotSweeper]

There's a pretty significant difference between a scam and delivering a game that doesn't hit all expectations or is otherwise shit. I've seen a variety of actual scam games over the years, many of them are discussed on these boards. This isn't one of them, though it may end up being overscoped in many areas and incomplete, it's still released, playable and isn't so far as I know, some sort of shit asset flip.

Yeah that's fair I guess. But if the devs just got tired and dropped the thing, as is, it would be an alright game. I wouldn't even mid the 16 or so euros I dropped on it. But it wouldn't be a great one, and I think Stoneshard has the potential to be something truly extraordinary. It just needs more meat on the bones, a lot more meat.

EA is a gamble, that's for sure.

It's all the waiting that pisses me off. I forget about Stoneshard, then I remember it, then I play it and it's still not complete. This has happened twice now.

 

[Cologno]

First and last time I bought an EA game.

EA is a gamble, that's for sure. However, I did get Kenshi before it was on Steam for fairly cheap compared to it's current price. I also got Factorio before it hit Steam. I think I got Mount & Blade prior to it's Steam EA launch. I got Starsector back when it was called Starfarer, and it's still not on Steam. I got Space Engineers back when it was in EA, and those developers had an EA botch up before Space Engineers.

But I also got Starforge before it was on Steam, it eventually went to Steam and it was never finished. That's probably one of the more infamous ones that jumped to a release without ever being finished. Oh, and Cube World. Apparently the Cube World developer has started working on it again, so that might just be a really, really slow burn but his Steam Beta was way worse than his non-Steam Alpha.

I get ya, but Kenshi and Factorio were the only games on that list that were completed. Space Engineers and Warband were arbitrarily declared done and shoved to official release when the finished products clearly had major features cut.

Space Engineers in particular pissed me off because I the developer couldn't be assed to include a proper tutorial: might've changed since I played, I just remember the tutorial section being a bunch of links to YT videos showing how to do basic stuff.

 

[normie]

Devlog: Caravan Upgrades - Part IV

Hello everyone!

In today’s devlog, we’ll conclude the topic of Caravan Upgrades by revealing the final upgrade path - “Communication”.

Interesting fact: Caravan Upgrades are not Abilities and therefore DON’T require Ability Points. Instead, they are unlocked with items and materials.

Its main focus is staying in touch with civilization. Let’s take a closer look at what this entails:

COMMUNICATION

Caravan Banner

“A symbol of fellowship and hope.”

Requirements: Foldable Flagpole (acquired during the Caravan introduction quest)
Effect: adds a flagpole to the Caravan Camp that can be used to raise Banners found in dungeons or while exploring the world

All raised Banners will slightly increase your Reputation Gain and also provide some additional benefits: for example, the Wolf Banner will grant you a bit of Pain Resistance, and the Owl Banner - a bonus to Experience Gain.

Messenger Pigeons

“Messenger pigeons are trained to return home regardless of the distance, even if said home never stays in one place for too long.”

Requirements: Cage with Pigeons (x1), Sack of Grain (х1), Bucket (х1)
Effect: allows to take a Carrier Pigeon with you
While not in immediate danger, the Pigeon can be released to send a message to Verren, which will open the Caravan’s Travel Menu, allowing to move it to a selected location

Old Favors

“Verren has lots of acquaintances. Many of them still remember their old friend and won't mind vouching for him to the right people.”

Requirements: Pile of Letters (х1), Inkpot
Effect: killing enemies near settlements improves your Reputation there by 20% of the received Experience
Increases the time limit for contracts by 1 day

Web of Contacts

“The war made people's allegiances crystal clear - good fame is much more valuable right now than gold.”

Requirements: Signed Permit (х1)
Effect: grants 50% more Reputation when completing contracts in settlements affected by negative Situations
Grants +5% Reputation Gain for each settlement you’ve achieved “Respect” with
The “Common Cause” Reputation perk now works all the way up to “Amity” instead of “Benevolence”

Local Informants

“Rumors and hearsay are not to be brushed aside. What at first may appear as empty talk can eventually pave a path to riches.”

Requirements: Directives (х1), empty Coin Purse (х5)
Effect: decreases the chance of being Ambushed by 25%
Setting up the Caravan Camp reveals the location of all Points of Interest within 5 tiles
Reveals some of the ongoing Settlement Situations and Dungeon Modifiers, showing them in Global Map hovers

Trade Preferences

“In these uncertain times, most folks aren't brave enough to continue trading - their loss might as well become someone's gain.”

Requirements: Letter of Trading Authority (х1), achieving “Respect” with any settlement
Effect: +10% Trade Favorability when buying or selling Commodity Goods
Selling Commodity Goods in settlements improves your Reputation there by 5% of the received sum (15% if a settlement is affected by a negative Situation)

==============================================

That’s all for now. The next devlog will be dedicated to Global Map changes, including a new settlement of the Grand Magistrate:

Until next time!

 

[lukaszek]

what do I do to keep this on my wishlist but not get email every month about mediocre discount?

 

[Modron]

what do I do to keep this on my wishlist but not get email every month about mediocre discount?

Click your account name up in the top right, select account details, manage email preferrences and you can select what emails (if any) steam sends you.