KickStarter Mechajammer (formerly Copper Dreams) - cyberpunk RPG from Whalenought Studios

[Whalenought_Joe]

It goes out as a podcast a few days after the live show. I post CRPG related stuff in the Shane Plays LPs and Interviews forum that Infinitron created for me.

However this show their time is pretty quick, around 5 minutes since I already had other guests scheduled but I invited them on just to help remind folks

Thanks so much for having us on again, that was great! Sounded like you had a great (and packed) show planned, we were going to try to catch that when it's on the podcast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lt_pQ9gWnQ

It's here!!

Always wonderful chatting with Matt, hope it was a good one! Really kind of him to have us on again.

The wound system is something we'll be tweaking throughout development, certainly. It started with a simple kind of D6 Wounds setup with tiers but characters were just going to get killed too quickly. The Update gives the general idea we're at now, we want to keep it simple, but we're leaning toward augmenting that with an older concept that can have characters aggregate infinite Lesser wounds and the same cap as Greater and Mortal have now. We wanted Lesser wounds to be flexible, some heal during combat or after a number of turns while some also can stay with you. We're aiming to strike a balance of Wounds being able to strategically kill characters easily, but also allow characters to keep small ones a while without fretting while adventuring. However if you're dueling with an evenly matched opponent, eventually you'll dwindle each other's strength down with Lesser Ailment issues to start breaking bones/limbs.

Having the wounds essentially be HP + ailment would work and be predictable, but the Wounds aren't meant to be metered like HP, they are just representing damaged parts of a character's body.

ushas , one of our old ideas was a per-limb one where you'd just be trying to destroy one of them, but that was going to be too tedious/complicated. And like you said, hitting particular wounds now does already specify what kind of damage is happening.

We'll be playing with it in the future to see what feels right during more missions/gameplay.

 

[Infinitron]

PCGamesN newspost: http://www.pcgamesn.com/copper-drea...eus-ex-isometric-with-the-help-of-kickstarter

 

[Jrpgfan]

there's still hope that it will will get push in the last 72 hours.

that arcadian atlas got 20k in the last 9 hours or so right?

then again an anime-ish styled game latch on FF probably is more widely appealing.

maybe resort to endorsement like insomnia did?

Didn't Hannah and Joe give a shout out for Insomnia? I guess it's time for them to repay the favor?

Also, pretty sure Avellone is aware of Copper Dreams and would endorse it. I think he mentioned it on his interview to the codex.

 

[HobGoblin42]

whalenought_joe

You guys should really make more use of points lights (they're cheap if go unshadowed) and some kind of basic AO (edges only, see Minecraft). Both would definitely add much more atmosphere to your game without corrupting your very own art style.

 

[Sensuki]

inSomnia did post about Copper Dreams in an update

edit: 33K (just)

 

[HoboForEternity]

cool. it's starting to gain torque

 

[ushas]

Good point bros, about simple point stacking being basically the same as HP, which invalidates the design intention.

Well, my concern with the ailment system as presented in the update was at this stage just possible confusion. Even when you manage make it work well mechanically together with other systems. With some misfortunate wording and natural biases setting up initial expectations (eg. Mortal > Greater > Lesser, 6 > 3, etc.), some situations like the one when one juggles different type of wounds (as discussed above) can still feel counter-intuitive, at least at first, and thus lead to complaining. I don't advocate dumping down nor a playing safe approach, far from that*. But I just fear that some things are quiet tricky to communicate...

The change towards infinite-like Lesser wounds sounds interesting, thanks for the info. Naturally, it rises some further questions. However, the Kickstarter campaign finish is probably not the best time to exercise nitpicking.

*Actually I was persuaded to pledge because of the innovative approach. There are too many great ideas in older games, which haven't get a fair chance to evolve...

 

[ushas]

[talking about Mortal and Greater ailments] ... you have to wait to be back at your base or to visit a neighboring physician. This can be done during a rest period, which will last a minimum of 8 hours. During this time, your non-critically wounded party members can train, labor for cash, or gossip in pubs.

Having some Darklands vibe here (strengthened by Joe's comment in the interview).

(Would they by any chance be able to mix some chemical compounds during a rest period?...)

 

[Ninjerk]

Needs a bump to trend to the goal.

 

[Irenaeus]

Seems likely.

 

[Mustawd]

Also, pretty sure Avellone is aware of Copper Dreams and would endorse it. I think he mentioned it on his interview to the codex.

He actually was not aware until Jedi Master Radek brought it up. Damn...that was a really good interview Jedi Master Radek

 

[Infinitron]

Avellone needs to set up a thing so people can contact him for insta-endorsements like I did with Sawyer.

(Well I guess you could email him but that's so old-fashioned)

 

[Ninjerk]

Updated muh pledge.

 

[Abu Antar]

I made some nice money on the stock market in the past few days. I very much doubt the game won't make it to 100%, but if it looks like it won't, I'll be there to make sure it does.

 

[Alienman]

The hero has arrived.

 

[Jedi Exile]

Just 760 backers? Come on, this game deserves so much more. Perhaps we should have made a Codex fundraiser too. I mean, admins should have made it.

 

[Abu Antar]

Just 760 backers? Come on, this game deserves so much more. Perhaps we should have made a Codex fundraiser too. I mean, admins should have made it.

I feel like these guys need help with marketing strategy or something. If I hadn't played Serpent and didn't actively look up rpgs on my own, I wouldn't have known about the game. On the other hand, it isn't easy to get the word out as a two man indie team that are working on this kind of game. Some types of games will get more attention than others. I would have hoped that more PC focused outlets would have written something about this.

 

[Jaesun]

Just 760 backers? Come on, this game deserves so much more. Perhaps we should have made a Codex fundraiser too. I mean, admins should have made it.

We can't until they set up a paypal for the kickstarter.

 

[Galdred]

I almost missed this one. Pledged. I am surprised there was no "meet the dev" tiers. It seems to work pretty well with small indie studios.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Why doesn't one of you rich fucks who are obsessed with cyberpunk, you know who you are even if I don't, just give them the few grand needed? This site's bound to have a few secret or not so secret millionaires knocking about.

 

[Bubbles]

Why doesn't one of you rich fucks who are obsessed with cyberpunk, you know who you are even if I don't, just give them the few grand needed? This site's bound to have a few secret or not so secret millionaires knocking about.

Most of the millionaires on this site only play Hearthstone.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

I backed Copper Dreams for 125$ at very the first day so there is no room for updating my pledge

I am actually kinda disappointed that the Codex after all those years of kickstarter campaigns hasn't developed a small network of people whose shout outs would help smaller kickstarters. There are journalists, developers, websites, smaller celebrities who if approached the right may give a twitter shout out, write a small article, say a nice world or something. Who knows if there is not for example some Bosnian site which has this one guy who really likes classic RPGs and who would write an article about a game and generate 2 or 3 pledges. Find 12 of those and we would generate 30 pledges. A noticeably difference for sub 1000 backers kickstarter campaigns. Or maybe we should have some Codex coordinated attempt at promoting those kickstarters at various forums and sites.

 

[Mustawd]

I am actually kinda disappointed that the Codex after all those years of kickstarter campaigns hasn't developed a small network of people whose shout outs would help smaller kickstarters.

Not all of us are expert journalists with their own custom avatar.

 

[ushas]

Trending toward 40k+

 

[SausageInYourFace]

Yeah, they been having a good day with two shoutouts (Stygian & Insomnia) and the Matt Chat video.