KickStarter Underworld Ascendant Pre-Prototype Thread

[Zep Zepo]

Don't be stupid guys, they are manipulating the bids. Get a grip.

Zep--

 

[Malignant Manor]

$649,723 at 2:22 AM CET.

 

[Zep Zepo]

When you see the 10's, 7's, 5;s etc as they "reach" the next streatch goal drop off, you will have achieved KS bullshit nirvana.

Zep--

 

[Bubbles]

meganothing dread hamster of torment
Finally backed this. Wanted to wait for a linux version and totally missed the change from strech goal to base feature.

I never played ultima underworld but it is practically impossible not to have heard of it. I'm very curious how the new ultima will compare storywise with RPGs like the upcoming Pillars of Eternity or the old Baldurs Gate

Creator OtherSide Entertainment
@meganothing - Story is the Underworlds is more player-authored than in the other RPG games you mention. More fluid and branching, with more player choice.

More choices and consequences than PoE? Not bad, not bad at all.

 

[Bubbles]

Underswamp Unlocked!

In just 2 days we’ve reached the Underswamp! Considering it’s a weekend, that’s amazing progress!

Perhaps now some brave soul will uncover the Underswamp’s mysterious secrets. Be sure to wear your Rotworm Skin boots while you're exploring. This digital item helps you tramp more swiftly through the swamp. All our Kickstarter backers at the ADVENTURER pledge tier and higher will now receive the boots as a free reward.

Next up, the Tracy Hickman Novel

The next Stretch Goal to unlock is the NYT best-selling author Tracy Hickman novel about the advent of the Dark Elves to the Stygian Abyss, set some generations before the arrival of the player. Whether you'd prefer a $5 digital download of the book, or the physical $45 COLLECTOR”S EDITION’s, let's make sure we all have something to read about our favorite place.

Besides having a fun read before the game is completed, having the novel benefits Underworld Ascendant by providing deeper lore, and more extensive back story, that we can tap into for the game’s fiction. So even if you happen to not be a reader, support this goal!

The Team at OtherSide

Adventurer tier is 75$, so if you want that movement speed boost, now is the time to up your pledge!

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

When I finally get my grubbies on this game and fire it up...

My character will spawn, replete with KS pitch junk and trinkets. Ankh, ring, boots, tabard, standard, silver cloak and Morte in a cage. My first order of business will be trudge, encumbered, to find a lava pit and throw all back from whence it came. Then I will begin my adventure.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Don't be stupid guys, they are manipulating the bids. Get a grip.

Zep--

but who is it really

the jews?

the gubmint?

the illuminati?

or must we go deeper

 

[Melan]

 

[Infinitron]

Update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/othersidegames/underworld-ascendant/posts/1150867

Game ended up making 19k yesterday:

 

[Darkzone]

So again i was right with just on 1.5h of deviation. Today seems a little bit slow (14.17 CET) with just 5k. Could this be the calm before the strom? USA is waking up, drinking their coffee, eating their breakfast and then hopefully making their pledges. We got still 97h to go.
Normally the last 3-4 days make up around 75% of the first two days revenues. In our case this are around 162.5k, if this is not a dispersed function, but even then the 100k should be in the account.
If the Thursday events doubled the amount of backers (which is probable, because the data from kicktraq indicates this) then this should be around 110%-140% from 250k. So between 275k-350k could be still in. So with luck we could reach the 1 mio goal. Which again i would highly doubt, and i would rather speak of a number between 850k and 900k.

 

[Infinitron]

Boy, these guys sure do like their hi-tech gadgetry: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/othersidegames/underworld-ascendant/posts/1151825

Kind of funny to talk about "Augmented Reality" in the context of a video game. It's not augmenting "reality", it's augmenting a video game on the player's LCD monitor. That's almost like calling the 3D glasses you wear in a 3D movie "Augmented Reality technology". Sure, there's the interaction stuff too, but...

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

Indeed they are. I had a good chat with Jeff on the forum regarding sim gear. Their interests are right on he bleeding edge.

As for the last few days of the campaign I am not convinced a Vorpal Bunny is a sufficient mid-goal on the way to the desirable enhanced music and sound system at $850,000. Maybe if the bunny lets out a screeching scream when thrown into lava...

 

[Bubbles]

The average pledge per backer now stands at $57. By way of comparison, two other Kickstarted games, Star Citizen and Shroud of the Avatar (both ‘cousins’ to our game, being new versions of the same 1990’s class of Origin System’s franchises), between them reached $74 average by the end of their campaigns. This is not a competition, but we hope we can get close to what these games achieved.

*hint* *hint*

 

[Darkzone]

The average pledge per backer now stands at $57. By way of comparison, two other Kickstarted games, Star Citizen and Shroud of the Avatar (both ‘cousins’ to our game, being new versions of the same 1990’s class of Origin System’s franchises), between them reached $74 average by the end of their campaigns. This is not a competition, but we hope we can get close to what these games achieved.

*hint* *hint*

Normally the average pledge pro backer rises a few dollars at the end of a successful campaign from alone. But to raise a pledge they have also to provide an incentive.

 

[Bubbles]

Normally the average pledge pro backer rises a few dollars at the end of a successful campaign from alone. But to raise a pledge they have also to provide an incentive.

They did:

As community reward, for every dollar over our current $57 average pledge per backer reaches by the end of the campaign, we will add a Silver Piece into an in-game purse for all of our Kickstarter backers at the PIONEER tier or higher. For instance, if we reach a $67 average, you will receive an in-game purse with 10 Silver Pieces. C'mon folks, let's break the (digital) bank! Please note that this reward won’t unbalance the game in for starting players, as a handful of Silver Pieces is a modest amount of currency in the Stygian Abyss, although more than pocket change.

And in other news:

This Monday, March 2nd starting at 6pm EST Tracy Hickman and I will be conducting an AMA on Reddit. Tracy will answer questions about his background, and the book he is ready to write for us. If game story is your thing, make sure to join this AMA!

I would page our resident Underworld storyfags, but I don't know who they are.

 

[Gord]

Their obsession with VR and AR makes me a bit concerned, tbh.
I can understand that they would like to try something new - but within the scope of this kickstarter, I wouldn't waste funds on stuff that requires technology that only a tiny fraction of all players will possess in the near future. Make a worthy UU successor and forget about that other shit until it actually becomes relevant.

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

So it wasn't enough to have all those annoying exclusive items, now they've moved onto boots giving you a movement bonus and just cutting to the chase by handing you in game cash? This sort of shit really deflates the positive impressions I've built up from mindx2's report and other interviews. Still want the ks to do well but much more of this and I fear I'll end up going full Zep Zepo.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

Just realize that some people respond to these things and as lame as they are they lead to more funds and a better core game. Only have to hold our nose for a few more days...

 

[Darkzone]

Normally the average pledge pro backer rises a few dollars at the end of a successful campaign from alone. But to raise a pledge they have also to provide an incentive.

They did:

As community reward, for every dollar over our current $57 average pledge per backer reaches by the end of the campaign, we will add a Silver Piece into an in-game purse for all of our Kickstarter backers at the PIONEER tier or higher. For instance, if we reach a $67 average, you will receive an in-game purse with 10 Silver Pieces. C'mon folks, let's break the (digital) bank! Please note that this reward won’t unbalance the game in for starting players, as a handful of Silver Pieces is a modest amount of currency in the Stygian Abyss, although more than pocket change.

Yes i knew that they have offered an 10 silver pieces as ingame items incentive, but i have to say that this is no such a great incentive like the dark elves sling with the techno purple color splatters . They should offer now neon green color, and some magic mushrooms and rave music. Aka: Welcome the to dark elves rave club, today the music is made by DJ Stonermeister the hard trace dwarf. Please pick up some mushrooms form our guests the dealing shambler fungis.

 

[Mortmal]

Their obsession with VR and AR makes me a bit concerned, tbh.
I can understand that they would like to try something new - but within the scope of this kickstarter, I wouldn't waste funds on stuff that requires technology that only a tiny fraction of all players will possess in the near future. Make a worthy UU successor and forget about that other shit until it actually becomes relevant.

Ultima underwolrd was a first step towards virtual reality in 1993, that was the game(and also U7) that made me switch from the beloved amiga with its fantastic interface to the dreaded PC and its DOS commands . First time you have a realistic physic model you throw a stone up on hill ,the stone was rolling back down to your feet, amazing on my old 386DX40 AMD pc.
On old video games magazines , it was scoring top , even had a 20/20 on the french magazine TILT , something that never happened before and never happened again . Reading old interview of orgin devs, ultima 10 was planned to be done fully for irtual relaity.. we all know how good that turned out , but cant blame those guys to have ambitions and enhance it for oculus rift.

I suppose the 650k$ will allow them to contact private investors, proving theres interest for the game, and get more funds. You arent going to pay many senior devs for long with so little money.

 

[Gord]

I suppose the 650k$ will allow them to contact private investors, proving theres interest for the game, and get more funds. You arent going to pay many senior devs for long with so little money.

Maybe, but the thing is, AR/VR hardware IS nothing but a gimmick so far. It might take off in the next couple of years, as apparently some of the new solutions are much better than what we had before (it's still a bit clunky having to wear those goggles, though). Nevertheless, it strikes me as an additional risk on top of an already risky business model, with questionable gain for the base game. Personally I think it would be more sensible to explore such possibilities in a sequel, should the first game turn out successful.

I just hope they don't come up with other "innovative" AR approaches like smartphone apps and shit (see latest AssCreed).

 

[Infinitron]

lol, Jeff Kesselman just used the term "Micro$oft": http://www.othersideentertainment.com/forum/index.php?topic=423.msg6384#msg6384

These guys are something else.

 

[Darkzone]

Maybe, but the thing is, AR/VR hardware IS nothing but a gimmick so far. It might take off in the next couple of years, as apparently some of the new solutions are much better than what we had before (it's still a bit clunky having to wear those goggles, though). Nevertheless, it strikes me as an additional risk on top of an already risky business model, with questionable gain for the base game. Personally I think it would be more sensible to explore such possibilities in a sequel, should the first game turn out successful. I just hope they don't come up with other "innovative" AR approaches like smartphone apps and shit (see latest AssCreed).

Samsung is currently working on smart VR AR contact lenses. But where do they store the current to run this things?

 

[Melan]

Ultima underwolrd was a first step towards virtual reality in 1993, that was the game(and also U7) that made me switch from the beloved amiga with its fantastic interface to the dreaded PC and its DOS commands . First time you have a realistic physic model you throw a stone up on hill ,the stone was rolling back down to your feet, amazing on my old 386DX40 AMD pc.

In its time, Origin wasn't just designing games, they were also a tech company pushing computing limits with the best of them. "We create worlds" was not just an empty marketing slogan, it was an earnest mission statement. They sincerely wanted to get to VR, and Underworld / System Shock were steps in those direction, both very well funded in comparison with later Looking Glass titles (I think this came up in one of the LGS postmortem interviews). Ultima Online was another attempt in a different direction but the same vein (bringing gaming and shared worlds to the brand spanking new commercial Internet), while Wing Commander was their attempt at cinematic gaming.

Of course, there was a lot of hubris in it, and the enormous funding this required may have been a contributing factor in looking for outside investors, but they were living the dream. And it paid off. It is hard not to look at Underworld (or Ultima VII, etc.) and not marvel at the sheer scope of it.

Too bad the only thing that has remained of that dream is a few guys in burned clothes picking through the smoking wreckage.

 

[Bubbles]

Tracy Hickman AMA now live