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[Pathfinder Online] GW's plan to reduce cost, development time and risk? Kickstarter

S

SquiddyCracker

Banned
Thought this deserved its own thread rather than being put in the kickstarter thread as this is more than just a kickstarter.

I've seen a couple of threads on Pathfinder Online here but for those who don't know what it is, it is an upcoming MMO developed by Goblinworks that will be based on the Pathfinder setting - a derivative/off-shoot of the popular D&D Pen and Paper games.

The game is heavily inspired by EVE online, and will according to what has been said essentially be a fantasy sandbox with some them park elements and heavy focus on player cooperation and PVP.

Their plan was the following:

Goblinwork Blog said:
We're leveraging middleware to reduce cost, development time and risk. We're making a sandbox-focused game with a launch target of 4,500 players on a slow but steady growth plan. We have access to Paizo's huge library of Pathfinder content—which gives us all the lore, factions, history, monsters, plots, and NPCs that we'll need. Because of these factors, I was able to rise to Lisa's challenge to create an efficient business plan that meets all of our goals. And one of the best parts of it is that it means our development plan is much shorter than traditional theme park MMOs require. Once we've begun full production, we'll be sharing milestones with the community so you'll be able to track our progress from start to release. We think you'll be delighted at the speed of the development process.
Click to expand...


and it seems that a draft of a kickstarted for a technology demo has been created, in which the following was stated:

Goblinwork Kickstarter said:
This Kickstarter will fund the Technology Demo of the Pathfinder Online Massively Multiplayer Online RPG. The Technology Demo will be fully playable, integrating account management, character creation, a virtual world server, multiple simultaneously connected clients, middleware used for rendering landscapes and characters, basic game mechanics, and player communications. The demo will only support a few simultaneous users exploring a couple of small locations, so the general public won't be able to play it, but we will produce a short video of the demo that everyone will be able to experience, and a special longer video exclusively for backers of this Kickstarter.

Your support of the Technology Demo will help us raise awareness of Pathfinder Online and will show potential investors what the game is really about. Funding this demo will also signal to potential partners that Pathfinder Online has an audience that's large enough and dedicated enough to allow the long-term success of the MMO. Nothing speaks louder than a ton of people putting up money to show their support of a new concept—that’s the genius element of Kickstarter!
Click to expand...


So are they taking advantage of a fanbase to the setting in question or their game idea, or are they one of many pionering game developers to leverage community interest and power in order to fulfill shared goals - getting the game out.

Thoughts one way or another?
 
X

XANDER CAGE

Member
I don't really like the sound of this. It feels like skimming a little off the top, honestly. If you have the money to secure licensing deals I think you probably should have budgeted for a whole game, top to bottom.
 
Sentenza

Sentenza

Member
Instead of going for a MMO they should try to make their "Pathfinder-based Baldur's Gate" and then they would be suddenly loved by millions.
 
DiscoJer

DiscoJer

Member
BigJiantRobut said:
I don't really like the sound of this. It feels like skimming a little off the top, honestly. If you have the money to secure licensing deals I think you probably should have budgeted for a whole game, top to bottom.
Click to expand...

Well, that's the funny thing about this.

The company making the Pathfinder MMORPG was basically started by the same people who put out the Pathfinder MMORPG.

So you have them licensing the game to themselves essentially, but apparently they don't want to invest in their own game (at least not enough).
 
S

SquiddyCracker

Banned
For clarification's sake:

The kickstarter is for a technology demo that they will show potential investors/publishers, in order to afford the middleware they are planning to use for the development of the game. So this might be their only use of kickstarter, but then again they might use it again if the userbase comes through.
 
X

XANDER CAGE

Member
DiscoJer said:
Well, that's the funny thing about this.

The company making the Pathfinder MMORPG was basically started by the same people who put out the Pathfinder MMORPG.

So you have them licensing the game to themselves essentially, but apparently they don't want to invest in their own game (at least not enough).
Click to expand...

Huh. I did not realize that.

That just makes it weirder, honestly.
 
Sentenza

Sentenza

Member
SquiddyBiscuit said:
For clarification's sake:

The kickstarter is for a technology demo that they will show potential investors/publishers, in order to afford the middleware they are planning to use for the development of the game. So this might be their only use of kickstarter, but then again they might use it again if the userbase comes through.
Click to expand...
I dont' think this sounds any better, to be honest.
They are asking money without offering anything back.

FAKE EDIT: ...And in fact I just took my time to look at their rewards while I was writing this post and they are shit.
 
M

mavs

Member
SquiddyBiscuit said:
For clarification's sake:

The kickstarter is for a technology demo that they will show potential investors/publishers, in order to afford the middleware they are planning to use for the development of the game. So this might be their only use of kickstarter, but then again they might use it again if the userbase comes through.
Click to expand...

That's perilously close to kickstarting a business.
 
X

XANDER CAGE

Member
TucoBenedictoPacifico said:
I dont' think this sounds any better, to be honest.
They are asking money without offering anything back.

FAKE EDIT: ...And in fact I just took my time to look at their rewards while I was writing this post and they are shit.
Click to expand...

They seem weirdly proportioned, too:

You’ll become a Goblinworks Executive Founder, and will receive a gorgeous granite plaque with stand and a leather messenger bag with an embossed Goblinworks logo and a nifty e-gadget portfolio for your tablet. You’ll also receive a special Executive Founder icon on the Goblinworks messageboards. In addition, you’ll get the $250 reward level.
Click to expand...

So if I pledge 500 bucks, I get a stone plaque (not free for them I assume) shipped to me wherever the hell I am (definitely not free) and a leather messenger bag (not cheap, assuming they don't mean "leather")?

Like, I guess all in all out of 500 bucks that'd still be a net gain for them (not to mention money from lesser amount backers), but that seems like an awful amount of money out of pocket. Either they know some ways to get great deals on this stuff or they're in desperate need of an accountant/reality check.
 
K

Kientin

Member
I'm pretty excited for this game, but the way they are using this kickstarter seems kinda off. I dunno if I can put money down like this and what you get back for investing really isn't too great. :\
 
DiscoJer

DiscoJer

Member
Kientin said:
I'm pretty excited for this game, but the way they are using this kickstarter seems kinda off. I dunno if I can put money down like this and what you get back for investing really isn't too great. :\
Click to expand...

Yeah, especially as you could be supporting this and potentially not even be able to play it when it finally comes out.

They're limiting it to only 4,500 players when it launches, then slowly add more.
 
H

HiddenWings

Member
BigJiantRobut said:
Either they know some ways to get great deals on this stuff or they're in desperate need of an accountant/reality check.
Click to expand...

Despite my initial excitement when this was announced, the entire project has seemed like this from the start. They might know something I don't, but it really does seem like they're flying on hopes and dreams instead of good business practices.
 
S

SquiddyCracker

Banned
DiscoJer said:
Yeah, especially as you could be supporting this and potentially not even be able to play it when it finally comes out.

They're limiting it to only 4,500 players when it launches, then slowly add more.
Click to expand...

That is something I can get behind. They're trying to copy the EVE model of a loyal and slowly, but steadily, growing userbase.
 
K

krypt0nian

Banned
Wow! They've done extremely well with this.

They had a $50k goal, and with 68hrs left to go, they are at $168k+.

They just added another stretch goal for $175k whcih I hope they hit as its another dungeon level for the PDF/print supplement for the PnP game, but this one is by Ed Greenwood, the great and powerful!

I backed it for $15 for the PDF, but now I'm thinking seriously of going up to $50 so I can have the print copy to add to my Pathfinder collection.
 
O

Orayn

Member
The idea of a player-driven, individual-scale sandbox awakens happy memories of my time on Star Wars Galaxies. I might just have to contribute.
 
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