Information Tom Hall and Brenda Brathwaite Kickstart Turn-based Oldschool CRPG

[DashiDMV]

Will Cleve put up a demo/beta himself then?

He's considering a few options with some gentle pushing from the people here. Won't even try to predict what he will settle on but people are trying to get him to either do a demo or give some advance copies to the old school people here for play and review.

 

[DashiDMV]

Well guess this one is dust for the time being.

 

[Jaesun]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ol-rpg-by-brenda-brathwaite-and-tom-hal/posts

They decided to pull the plug on it and start over.

Smart move.

 

[Infinitron]

So, what do you guys think could have been done differently to save this project?

I say they should have more strongly differentiated themselves from the other RPG Kickstarters. Maybe gave a little history lesson in their pitch video about the difference between iso RPGs and first person RPGs, explaining their lineages.

They should also have tried to get endorsements from Andrew Greenberg and DW Bradley. Also the Curries. They could have brought in the Siroteks who I believe are in fact involved with Loot Drop. Although on second thought that might have been problematic considering some of these guys have been involved in litigation against one another...

 

[CrustyBot]

So, what do you guys think could have been done differently to save this project?

They should've pitched Anachronox 2 then use the profits after releasing it to make Shaker.

Also, they were really all over the place and unorganised at the beginning. They should've had a more solid plan and something to show when the KS went live. Obsidian got away with it because of the "celebrity factor" with MCA, Sawyer and Cain, as well as the fact that Obsidian are a relatively mainstream studio who are still making games. They've got enough credits in the bank for people to follow their vague promises at the beginning.

Loot Drop, does not.

 

[Excidium]

They should have posted a design document detailing the setting, game systems, mechanics, etc. The day a kickstarter RPG does that is the day I consider pledging. I'm tired of this whole "give us money and we'll make shit up as we go along"

 

[Gragt]

Well, like others said it before, it would have helped if they had some strong design from the start instead of relying on some vague promises that their game will be awesome. Oh, and old-school, because it's always good to say that.

 

[Grunker]

I disagree with the others, the other Kickstarters have proven that all you need is a general idea of what you're pledging for. Shaker didn't give us anything at all. It was just "oldschool RPG." Eh... okay. So Wasteland is Wasteland obviously, Project Eternity wants to be an Infinity Engine game or something along those lines, Legends of Eisenwald is a cross between HoMM and Disciples, and so on.

But just fucking "we're making an oldschool RPG"? You've got to be fucking kidding me.

 

[tuluse]

So, what do you guys think could have been done differently to save this project?

I say they should have more strongly differentiated themselves from the other RPG Kickstarters. Maybe gave a little history lesson in their pitch video about the difference between iso RPGs and first person RPGs, explaining their lineages.

They should also have tried to get endorsements from Andrew Greenberg and DW Bradley. Also the Curries. They could have brought in the Siroteks who I believe are in fact involved with Loot Drop. Although on second thought that might have been problematic considering some of these guys have been involved in litigation against one another...

1. Have an actual idea in mind before making the kickstarter. P:E was pretty fucking vague and they came out with tons more information from day 1 than this pitch did.
2. Don't insult your audience's intelligence. "Not old schooly enough". Give me a break.
3. Writing is important in RPGs and your pitch should reflect the quality one would expect from the game. The W2 videos were hilarious, so I know at worst the people working on that will make W2 funny. P:E initial pitch video was pretty weak, but when they did some lore updates and the update about the mega-dungeon all in-universe speak, they were great and let someone who wasn't familiar with MCA and company that there was solid writing behind the game.
4. A kickstarter is not time to do market research. "Tell us what you want in a game" survey should happen weeks before the kickstarter, if at all. Ideally they should be pitching their vision not a mixing pot of ideas. That's what making modern games all feel the same. Too many cooks in the kitchen.
5. Have an actual idea in mind before making the kickstarter.

 

[Davaris]

They should also have tried to get endorsements from Andrew Greenberg and DW Bradley. Also the Curries. They could have brought in the Siroteks who I believe are in fact involved with Loot Drop. Although on second thought that might have been problematic considering some of these guys have been involved in litigation against one another...

For me personally, celebrity endorsements reek of weakness and probably do more harm than good. A hardcore RPG project will succeed or fail, based on its own merits.

They should have posted a design document detailing the setting, game systems, mechanics, etc. The day a kickstarter RPG does that is the day I consider pledging. I'm tired of this whole "give us money and we'll make shit up as we go along"

I also want to see working code demonstrating interface and basic game play. Not only does it demonstrate technical competence, without it, I can't judge what I will be getting at the end.

 

[Hobz]

Exactly Grunker! Beside, I think their timing was way off. Facing the obsidian ks with such a weak pitch... o_O

 

[Infinitron]

They should also have tried to get endorsements from Andrew Greenberg and DW Bradley. Also the Curries. They could have brought in the Siroteks who I believe are in fact involved with Loot Drop. Although on second thought that might have been problematic considering some of these guys have been involved in litigation against one another...

For me personally, celebrity endorsements reek of weakness and probably do more harm than good. A hardcore RPG project will succeed or fail, based on its own merits.

...except none of those people I mentioned are truly celebrities. It's not their endorsements that really matter, it's the appearance of "we're resurrecting Sir-Tech!"

 

[Davaris]

...except none of those people I mentioned are truly celebrities. It's not their endorsements that really matter, it's the appearance of "we're resurrecting Sir-Tech!"

If they aren't working on the project, its the same thing. If they are then yes, you want them at the front of the pitch.

 

[Cleveland Mark Blakemore]

So, what do you guys think could have been done differently to save this project?

I say they should have more strongly differentiated themselves from the other RPG Kickstarters. Maybe gave a little history lesson in their pitch video about the difference between iso RPGs and first person RPGs, explaining their lineages.

They should also have tried to get endorsements from Andrew Greenberg and DW Bradley. Also the Curries. They could have brought in the Siroteks who I believe are in fact involved with Loot Drop. Although on second thought that might have been problematic considering some of these guys have been involved in litigation against one another...

1. Have an actual idea in mind before making the kickstarter. P:E was pretty fucking vague and they came out with tons more information from day 1 than this pitch did.
2. Don't insult your audience's intelligence. "Not old schooly enough". Give me a break.
3. Writing is important in RPGs and your pitch should reflect the quality one would expect from the game. The W2 videos were hilarious, so I know at worst the people working on that will make W2 funny. P:E initial pitch video was pretty weak, but when they did some lore updates and the update about the mega-dungeon all in-universe speak, they were great and let someone who wasn't familiar with MCA and company that there was solid writing behind the game.
4. A kickstarter is not time to do market research. "Tell us what you want in a game" survey should happen weeks before the kickstarter, if at all. Ideally they should be pitching their vision not a mixing pot of ideas. That's what making modern games all feel the same. Too many cooks in the kitchen.
5. Have an actual idea in mind before making the kickstarter.

Don't pander. If you get caught pandering it will go badly for you because your credibility as a designer is forfeit. This is exactly what sucked the credibility out of Sir-Tech originally, good to see they are learning from their mistakes.

Tom Hall should split from these guys and form his own real Kickstarter team with a real vision for an RPG based on his success with Anachronox which haters aside was an awfully cool game.

 

[Jaesun]

Of interest the Trademarks to Anachronox are Abandoned (no one has renewed them). However there is the issue of the IP of which Square Soft own. They still would probably be better of doing a whole new IP. I did however like the whole shaker concept, but I love sci-fi shit though.

 

[Turjan]

I disagree with the others, the other Kickstarters have proven that all you need is a general idea of what you're pledging for. Shaker didn't give us anything at all. It was just "oldschool RPG." Eh... okay.

Don't forget the "if we get enough money, we will make two RPGs for the price of one!"

 

[mondblut]

Justice is done. The entire campaign of that "old school RPG" was an epitome of jumping the bandwagon for easy moneys and not even trying to pretend otherwise. Nothing good would ever come of it, and I am glad it failed.

 

[Excommunicator]

They haven't even formally cancelled it, the incompetents. They don't have the update on the front page and they're still accepting pledges."Yeah we know we did everything wrong but let's just leave it open in case we get the money anyway!"

The wholesale incompetence they have shown every step of the way means I'd probably think twice about pledging anything to any project they are involved in.

 

[Crooked Bee]

They haven't even formally cancelled it, the incompetents. They don't have the update on the front page and they're still accepting pledges."Yeah we know we did everything wrong but let's just leave it open in case we get the money anyway!"

As far as I'm aware, cancelling a project requires confirmation from Kickstarter, which is done manually and takes some time to go through.

That, or they're really so incompetent.

 

[Excommunicator]

Well it would have been more competent to alert kickstarter (a long time ago) before putting up the update, but if that's the case then I suppose it isn't so bad.

I have nothing against them as developers and I think they'd be quite capable under the right circumstances (yes, all three) but pitching, marketing and financially managing a project with no real oversight is just a whole other world that they clearly have no experience or understanding with. They need to team up with someone who does or it will be disaster after disaster

 

[DashiDMV]

Grimoire Eliminates Another Rival

Oct 20
Posted by grimdarkly
Already weakened as its deadline drew to a close, Cleve Blakemore and his Codexian Army heroically finished Shaker with a skull-crushing blow to the cranium: discouraging comments.
Leading the frontline charge, Cleve unloaded a truth bomb on the Shaker project, revealing to people the mess of self contradictions in the past of Brenda Brathwaite.
The Codexians, although mainly trannies, are quite resourceful. It seems they used their tranny abilities to pose as women and advocate Grimoire with false accounts. The historical role of gender bender geisha assassins comes to mind.
Once again, Grimoire emerges triumphant.
Addendum: Almost everything that was stated by Cleve in the Shaker comments is public information (Interviews etc). Much of it was stated by Brenda herself and has simply been repeated by Cleve.
There is some evidence implying that their Kickstarter was launched purely for monetary purposes. However, if they really intended to make a fun, old-skool RPG, then both Brenda and Tom have my best wishes.

 

[Infinitron]

BTW, check out Loot Drop's Facebook profile ("Family"): https://www.facebook.com/lootdropgames

 

[Major_Blackhart]

That is awesome dash.

 

[Jaesun]

You must log into Faggotbook....

 

[Infinitron]

You must log into Faggotbook....

Chris Avellone is Loot Drop's "husband".