KickStarter Underworld Ascendant is a disaster

[d1r]

So is this more System Shock or more Legend of Grimrock?

This is more a tech demo a few third-year students threw together over a year, so that scammer daddy Paul Neurath had something to release to the suckers (myself included) who gave him a million dollars on Kickstarter.

And to put the cigar on the wound one guy is making the exact thing most people wanted using fucking magic or something.

Can't we just convert this thread to a "Monomyth"-thread to finally end this spook?

 

[baud]

So is this more System Shock or more Legend of Grimrock?

This is more a tech demo a few third-year students threw together over a year, so that scammer daddy Paul Neurath had something to release to the suckers (myself included) who gave him a million dollars on Kickstarter.

And to put the cigar on the wound one guy is making the exact thing most people wanted using fucking magic or something.

Can't we just convert this thread to a "Monomyth"-thread to finally end this spook?

Monomyth already has a thread, no need to taint it by associating with this shitshow

 

[Glic2000]

I'd actually compare Underworld Ascendant to Trespasser. Same idea: spout tons of crazy ambitious ideas and make everything "physics based" with no idea how that would translate into actual proper gameplay.

I just looked back at the Kickstarter. I can't believe that was back in 2015! And they said the game would be FINISHED in 2016! Unbelievable. I feel like that was an eternity ago.

I do have the Collector's Edition on the way. I'll probably throw that in the trash, or just do a return to sender on it, because OF COURSE they'll probably ship it via some courier that charges an extra $50 in brokerage fees (as I'm in Canada). That would be the perfect ending to this disaster.

I just noticed the KS mentioned a "boxed version" and a "collector's edition" boxed version. But I suspect they are the same box.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

I like how their apology is basically “Oh, er... sorry! We thought that you guys would have forgotten or not cared about the map since the game turned out to be a massive pile of shit! Our bad! We have now contracted someone to make a totally-not garbage-tier paper napkin map. It’s going to be awesome, trust us. Would we lie to you?”

Truly aspirational snake-oil salesmanship.

 

[Glic2000]

I really think they were trying to avoid producing the physical goods at all. Like if they dragged it out long enough, people would just forget or quit asking about them.

 

[Nyast]

It's hilarious to think they've been "hard at work" for... YEARS now... and this is the end result for the physical goods.. and even then, they messed it up. At least it's consistent with the game itself, which is also the result of "years of hard work".

 

[LESS T_T]

Again, Sam, who is no longer an employee of OSE, is doing much better job at dealing with people's frustrations. (Just in case, I'm not slandering against the new CM, who is part-time and likely has nothing to say about the matter than what she was told. It's the higher-ups, specifically Paul, hiding behind all this time.)

Catching up on the posts from here, even I'm a little confused; how was the map lost? FG didn't ship all of the pieces of the CE's at once?

Yeah, I know the exact map it was supposed to be. Fangamer should have had it in the folder we delivered even before we left, but I understand there were a lot of moving pieces

I'm trying to recall what happened for the Box vs Disc Case. KS backers can rightfully be angry about this.

nobody pays 200$ for a DVD case

I completely understand that, and I think you all have the right to be angry. I know for sure that when I joined in 2017, nothing had been started on any of the KS rewards; I had to spearhead, manage, and run most of that. From asset preparation, negotiating dev time, etc

So when the KS was initially launched, I am 100% certain that when they said "CE box" or "boxed edition," they were also thinking about true Boxed editions, like the old Thief and Underworld games

I think overall it's a shame that there were a lot of physical and digital promises made in the KS that just... weren't thought of once development began. Or couldn't be worked on. Certainly a mix of both.

For example, by the time I joined, it had already been decided there were no customizable Avatar players, which meant we had to really think about how to rectify the figurine reward. I don't remember the details of the Box -> Case, or whether that was a dev or a FanGamer limitation, unfortunately

My biggest hesitation is that I genuinely don't remember what the cost estimate for the boxed editions were. If I had to wager a guess, a part of it was our demand, and that we weren't interested in selling more CE's than what we would give to our KS backers, which would incur a large cost

I wonder if the Ascendant novel in hardcover will exist

It should? I remember negotiating with Fangamer for those too

I also like pointing that we were promised a novel but got a novella

That's a whole other story that's definitely NDA'd

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

Just send me something official, anything at all, so I can burn it on video. Frankly, the more pathetic it is the better.

 

[agris]

Just send me something official, anything at all, so I can burn it on video. Frankly, the more pathetic it is the better.

Got a PO box? If not, rent one for a month and make the address public. Collect all these physical goods and make a proper pyre.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

Just send me something official, anything at all, so I can burn it on video. Frankly, the more pathetic it is the better.

Got a PO box? If not, rent one for a month and make the address public. Collect all these physical goods and make a proper pyre.

I will do that if things start to ship. I'll fill this old claw foot bathtub. I have an unopened T:TON collectors box to throw in too.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

 

[Mikeal]

Mood is between and .

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Ugh, shameful toxicity from the so called "fans".

 

[Alienman]

In before death-threat article by PC gamer.

 

[Metronome]

Underworld Ascendant? More like Underwear Accident!
Because this game is a piece of shit!

I mean what were they thinking?

 

[Curratum]

Minute of silence for the fellow codexer whose name I sadly forgot and who bought my KS key ahead of release, with my full disclosure that the game is one huge scam. Managed to cut my losses to just 5 dollars thanks to that brave and honorable man.

 

[80Maxwell08]

I wonder if they will ever send the collector's edition out. I would have assumed no, but seeing as they managed to get those copies out the door, I wonder. I expect it to be crap if it ever gets made.

 

[Silly Germans]

I wouldn't burn it. It will probably gain some freak value due to its notoriety as shit game, just give it some time.

 

[LESS T_T]

Boston studio's new hire Madeleine Shopoff, wears a few hats: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-shopoff/

Technical Designer - Narrative & UI/UX

Company Name OtherSide Entertainment
Dates Employed Oct 2020 – Present
Employment Duration 1 mo
Location Concord, Massachusetts, United States

Narrative design, tech design, and UI/UX for an upcoming unannounced title.

She previously did narrative design and implementation on Ken Levine's super secret project and UI at Bungie.

Resume from her website mentions their new project is actually based on an existing IP: https://www.madeleineshopoff.com/resume

What would it be? Underworld: Thick as Thieves? ... Thief 5?

 

[Child of Malkav]

Thief 5 - Thive. It's no laughing matter.

 

[gerey]

thieVes

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

There is already narrative justification for having more than one playable character in a proper sequel to Thief III: Deadly Shadows.

 

[forumvisitor#451]

Okay, but this is not Monomyth or Dark Mod feature suggestion thread. Unless you are sadistic and enjoy suffering.

 

[Nyast]

I'm starting to NOT regret having pledged this. After all, the LOLs keep delivering and are priceless.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

Thief 5 will be a 2D roguelite platformer for mobile.