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A Hat in Time |OT| A Kid in Space

Phu

Banned
The whole ending and story is a bit strange.
Are we supposed to be on the mafia's side? I guess so. It's just a weird subject for a game like this.

That ending bit where Hat Girl throws everyone off her ship is strange too!

Hat Kid is an alien time lord. She's too big for them.
 

dmcAxle

Neo Member
Steam workshop support coming out soon. This game will probably beat Mario Odyssey for me because of that.

Obviously Odyssey is going to be the more complete/polished package, but if there's an active modding community then Hat in Time is going to have much more potential for replay-ability and exciting mechanics/levels. I don't think there is any other 3d platformer with mod support. Closest thing we have is SM64 hacks.

This is the kind of stuff people can do with modding (posted by the devs):

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/329732604779560960/367357062767837194/unknown.png
 

Kudo

Member
Steam workshop support coming out soon. This game will probably beat Mario Odyssey for me because of that.

Obviously Odyssey is going to be the more complete/polished package, but if there's an active modding community then Hat in Time is going to have much more potential for replay-ability and exciting mechanics/levels. I don't think there is any other 3d platformer with mod support. Closest thing we have is SM64 hacks.

This is the kind of stuff people can do with modding (posted by the devs):

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/329732604779560960/367357062767837194/unknown.png

Yeah, I'm super looking forward to peoples maps for this, challenge levels etc. that use the hats in different ways.
 

dmcAxle

Neo Member
Some people feel Chapter 4 is the weakest but to me it has the best platforming in the entire game (Especially 2/4 of the zones) and that's what matters the most. A lot from it probably had to be cut for sure though. It used to be a desert chapter.
 

jholmes

Member
Seems like it worked out for the best. No point in paying Grant for more songs if you are not going to use them, since he himself admitted the style didn't fit. Using that funding for the remaining project is a good idea.
They could have informed people sooner, sure, but it probably wasn't until 2015 they really went forward with that choice.

It worked out great for everyone except the people that paid them $100,000 in advance for music that was never made, sure.
 

MUnited83

For you.
It worked out great for everyone except the people that paid them $100,000 in advance for music that was never made, sure.

Considering the absurdly high quality of the music in the final product vs music that the very creator of the music said didn't fit the project at all... i'd say that yes, it worked out great for everyone.
 

jholmes

Member
Actually the "means" would literally be worse otherwise, so... yes? Why the hell would I want bad music? What do you think they should have done?

If I had my druthers, they've worked out a concrete plan with Kirkhope in 2013 and then, in 2014, when word came out that he wasn't making all the music originally announced, Gears for Breakfast would've explained the situation immediately, instead of ignoring the problem until the administrators with Kickstarter told them they couldn't just ignore backers. I definitely wouldn't have had them lie about how much money was raised and claim they were ripped off by backers.
 

PaulloDEC

Member
It worked out great for everyone except the people that paid them $100,000 in advance for music that was never made, sure.

Kickstarter isn't a shop. This isn't like paying for extra cheese on a burger and not getting it. Things change during development and nothing is guaranteed.

Anyone who can't handle that shouldn't be backing projects on Kickstarter. I don't say that to be mean, it's just the nature of the system. Risk is a part of it.
 

Mivey

Member
If I had my druthers, they've worked out a concrete plan with Kirkhope in 2013 and then, in 2014, when word came out that he wasn't making all the music originally announced, Gears for Breakfast would've explained the situation immediately, instead of ignoring the problem until the administrators with Kickstarter told them they couldn't just ignore backers. I definitely wouldn't have had them lie about how much money was raised and claim they were ripped off by backers.
If you do not trust them to relocate funds, when it becomes clear that there is no point in spending money for Grant Kirkhope, when he himself says, it's a dumb idea, if you want a quarterly feedback, then you shouldn't back anyone on Kickstarter. You are not an investor, backing is pretty much just a donation, and your rewards a thank you note.
You could use Fig, though. If they don't pay out your ROI, and do not declare bankruptcy, you would be able to sue them for it.
 

Greedings

Member
Wasn't there a WiiU version in the original kickstarter? I haven't kept up with it, what happened to that version? Ditched, or Switched?
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
Wasn't there a WiiU version in the original kickstarter? I haven't kept up with it, what happened to that version? Ditched, or Switched?

That's a common misconception. A Wii U version wasn't a pledge option or a stretch goal, just a possibility:

 

Agent_4Seven

Tears of Nintendo
This game is sooooo goooood! And i can now safely say (after playing for only 3,5 hours) that it is the absolute best 3D platformer i've played since Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Now, where can i buy soundtrack in lossless format? MP3 is not my thing.

P.S. They should release this game on Switch and Nintendo needs to make a shit ton of amiibos for it so that i could buy them all!
 

jholmes

Member
This has to be the only thread on NeoGAF where misleading people to get $100,000 isn't seen as a bad thing.

Wasn't there a WiiU version in the original kickstarter? I haven't kept up with it, what happened to that version? Ditched, or Switched?

They backpeddled on that immediately, said they couldn't afford the UE3 licence, then said Nintendo wouldn't contact them, then said they never promised you anything. Typical move from the Gears for Breakfast playbook.

Which people ? The devs or the backers ?

That would be the backers who were told to keep giving money. The campaign ends, the cheques clear and all of a sudden that money's getting spent on who knows what.
 

sinxtanx

Member
my guess is they spent the money on making the video game good because I just 100%'ed this shit

aJeJmIY.jpg
 

PaulloDEC

Member
Just picked up my first Time Piece in the Himalayan mountain-inspired area; damn, what a beautiful stage.

Very impressed with the mission variety too; there's far more here than basic platforming/collection challenges. It feels like a really creatively confident product all round.
 
This has to be the only thread on NeoGAF where misleading people to get $100,000 isn't seen as a bad thing.



They backpeddled on that immediately, said they couldn't afford the UE3 licence, then said Nintendo wouldn't contact them, then said they never promised you anything. Typical move from the Gears for Breakfast playbook.



That would be the backers who were told to keep giving money. The campaign ends, the cheques clear and all of a sudden that money's getting spent on who knows what.


Backers gave money to back the game and to get the game.
Also, I followed the campaign closely, they never promised a Wii U version or made it a stretch goal. They said they wanted to make it happen and were upfront that they needed a publisher for that because they were using UDK and needed a licence for console publishing.
 

Crayolan

Member
That would be the backers who were told to keep giving money. The campaign ends, the cheques clear and all of a sudden that money's getting spent on who knows what.

What are you implying here? That they took the money and pocketed it?

You do realize that very little of the last 100k was going to go towards paying Kirkhope, right? That's how kickstarter stretch goals work. They encourage people to donate more to help create a better overall game, not add on the exact amount it would cost to fund whatever addition the stretch goal promises. The vast majority of that money would have gone towards developing the game anyway.
 

thefro

Member
Hope they post some videos documenting the tools, in written form would be nice too, but probably more time consuming.

Lots of the team come from Source Engine/TF2 modding backgrounds, so I think it's likely they document these things.
 

Sölf

Member
Subscribed. I don't have the game yet, still need to finish Danganronpa V3 first, but after that A Hat in Time will be next.
 

Mivey

Member
That would be the backers who were told to keep giving money. The campaign ends, the cheques clear and all of a sudden that money's getting spent on who knows what.
Sherlock, I think I might have found on what they spent the money. It took me years to track it down, countless shady criminals I had to "convince", but finally, I found this:
header.jpg
 

Crayolan

Member
Oh, i thought at least relics counted toward that too, so is there no point in collecting yarn balls of hats you already have then?

You need all relics in order to get all time pieces.

Yarn of hats you already have still adds to your total yarn count needed to stitch new hats. Once you have all hats, then you don't need anymore yarn.
 
A question. Is there a secret boss in Act 4?

The monster looking one that appears on the logo itself with the rest of the bosses, at the right side, with red glowing eyes:

D70dcyy.png



I found some wooden signs with a picture of him in the Act 4, that's why I ask.
 
I'm not a huge fan of the stop+start nature of being booted to a hub after every Hourglass but it certainly handles it a lot better than Mario ever did.

The soundtrack is just phenomenal. The art style is a mixed bag, I find that the spooky level in particular is a bit jarring and noisy, but I love it on the whole.

Not the most challenging but not a complete breeze either. Hits a good sweet spot for a casual fun afternoon of thingy-hunting which is exactly what I was looking for. Scratches the itch that Yooka Laylee failed to deliver on.
 

jholmes

Member
Backers gave money to back the game and to get the game.
Also, I followed the campaign closely, they never promised a Wii U version or made it a stretch goal. They said they wanted to make it happen and were upfront that they needed a publisher for that because they were using UDK and needed a licence for console publishing.

In no way were they upfront about it. They said a UE3 licence would cost far more than it would -- far more than Epic's own published numbers. And if they wanted to spend part of I don't know, $100,000 that they weren't going to spend on a composer, just as a hypothetical, they could easily have had a UE3 licence.

And in case you missed it, the game found a publisher.

What are you implying here? That they took the money and pocketed it?

You do realize that very little of the last 100k was going to go towards paying Kirkhope, right? That's how kickstarter stretch goals work. They encourage people to donate more to help create a better overall game, not add on the exact amount it would cost to fund whatever addition the stretch goal promises. The vast majority of that money would have gone towards developing the game anyway.

The campaign stated, plain as day, that for every $15,000 beyond the last stretch goal there would be one song from Grant Kirkhope. People saw this and contributed more money under the guise of that money facilitating new content. Kirkhope didn't make these songs and Gears publicly gave two separate reasons for why this happened. At least one, if not both, is untrue.

It's one thing to say you don't want the tour of the sausage factory. It's another to claim this game's Kickstarter campaign was all on the up and up. It wasn't.
 
That would be the backers who were told to keep giving money. The campaign ends, the cheques clear and all of a sudden that money's getting spent on who knows what.

It looks like they were pretty upfront about most of that money getting spent on the rest of the game, just below the Stretch goals:
A Hat in Time Kickstarter said:
(Please note that not all the money in the Music Madness goes to Mr. Kirkhope; in fact, he's being very generous!! With each new tune, we'll having enough funding to be able to add one or two more enemies, more power pins (attack abilities) as well as NPCs!)

The campaign stated, plain as day, that for every $15,000 beyond the last stretch goal there would be one song from Grant Kirkhope. People saw this and contributed more money under the guise of that money facilitating new content.

Yes, less Grant tracks is a scope change and a broken Kickstarter "stretch goals" promise. It's your call to decide if you want to do something to get your kickstarter money back for them not delivering on that part, but I'm not sure you could automatically extend that request to all backers and say that they were all deceived.
Kickstarter rules only asks their project creators to be honest and candid about their goals, there don't seem to be a real rule about the final product being adapted. Part of the risks? Their budgeting doesn't seem unreasonable, especially comparing their small total budget dwarfed by bigger games like Y-L (which, notably, cancelled its stretch goal Wii U version).
Edit: and heck, you might still encounter other scope problems to complain about in the future, as they haven't delivered on the multiplayer and extra chapters yet.

And in case you missed it, the game found a publisher.

Yup, Humble Bundle, and the game is coming to 2 current consoles thanks to Humble Bundle's multi-platform publishing and funding program. Usually Humble Bundle only publish on personnal computers (since that's where their store is), but apparently "It's also the first time that Humble Bundle, who has taken on publishing duties, is launching a game on consoles.". But I don't think they would have approved a Wii U version at that point in time.
 

MUnited83

For you.
They misled people, they got something like $100,000. Doesn't seem hilarious to me but I might be missing something.

Yeah, they totally planned that Kirkhope would in the future say that his music wouldn't fit the game. Yeah they totally knew this all along and only wanted so scam you, of course.
 

Szadek

Member
Played some more of level 2 and started level 3.
I like creative the levels and that level 2 is structed differently from the other ones.
Can't progress in level 1 and 2 ,I don't know how to get the level 4, so there is only way one left for me to go.
 

sheaaaa

Member
I've finished 4 time pieces in Mafia Town and I'm a bit confused. What's the best way to just explore a stage? Can I just jump into any 'act', start exploring and collecting stuff, and just leave? Do the stages change drastically in between acts?

It feels a bit Super Mario 64 in that each stage seems to change a bit depending on which 'star' you select to pursue, but with collectables a la Banjo-Kazooie. Not a criticism, just trying to wrap my head around this.

Also the photo mode is amazing and has taken up so much of my time, but why is it tied to a badge and not just a default function!
 

Crayolan

Member
I've finished 4 time pieces in Mafia Town and I'm a bit confused. What's the best way to just explore a stage? Can I just jump into any 'act', start exploring and collecting stuff, and just leave? Do the stages change drastically in between acts?

It feels a bit Super Mario 64 in that each stage seems to change a bit depending on which 'star' you select to pursue, but with collectables a la Banjo-Kazooie. Not a criticism, just trying to wrap my head around this.

Also the photo mode is amazing and has taken up so much of my time, but why is it tied to a badge and not just a default function!

For the most part, you can just jump into any act and explore at your leisure, but in some cases there will be drastic changes to a level which may make exploration difficult or impossible. It should be pretty obvious when this is the case though.

And yeah, the camera being a badge is weird. There's another item you'll run into later on which also feels like it should just be a permanent upgrade yet is relegated to a badge.
 

Agent_4Seven

Tears of Nintendo
And yeah, the camera being a badge is weird. There's another item you'll run into later on which also feels like it should just be a permanent upgrade yet is relegated to a badge.
Absolutely agree with this and i hope they'll eventually make them permanent or at least as a single botton press without permanent upgrades and badges.

Also, i just don't get it, why can't you play levels in numerical order? Why you need to complete Act 6 first to unlock Act 5 for example? It's so strange and unnatural to me. I mean, sure, you can just explore, collect some stuff and return to your ship but.. i don't know, it's such a strange decision on their part.

P.S. The music in this game is so goddamn good and feet the theme and the mood of the levels perfectly. Sometimes i just stop and listen to it for an hour straight.
 

sheaaaa

Member
For the most part, you can just jump into any act and explore at your leisure, but in some cases there will be drastic changes to a level which may make exploration difficult or impossible. It should be pretty obvious when this is the case though.

And yeah, the camera being a badge is weird. There's another item you'll run into later on which also feels like it should just be a permanent upgrade yet is relegated to a badge.

Not looking forward to that badge thing!

Are there collectables that disappear or appear from act to act? Is there any way of knowing whether I've found everything?
 

Crayolan

Member
Not looking forward to that badge thing!

Are there collectables that disappear or appear from act to act? Is there any way of knowing whether I've found everything?

Yes, but that's only in cases where a level undergoes huge changes. For example:
Chapter 1 Act 6.

There is a counter for time pieces in your menu for the level you're in, though it only shows acts you've already unlocked. You also get an achievement when you collect all time pieces in a world.

There's no way to know if you've collected all yarn or tokens. You can get something to help you track relics later.
 
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