KickStarter Underworld Ascendant Pre-Release Thread

[Zep Zepo]

A Rewarding Announcement
To thank our fans for their patience as we work to ensure Underworld Ascendant is everything it can be…
First off, we’ve gone ahead and unlocked the current Stretch Goal for The Necropolis of The Ancients, a foreboding lower level location where the game’s most powerful Undead, hidden secrets, and rarest arcane treasure can be found.

This is the big news of the update for me. They not only have a chance to make a memorably haunted and scary place in the vein of the crypts in Arx Fatalis, but think bigger and go for "Haunted Cathedral/Shalebridge Cradle"-esque mood and tension from Thief.

Let's see what they come up with...

If you're a stupid enough faggot to believe stretch goals (that don't meet the monetary requirement) mean anything...

Well...Ok. Keep dreaming that dream, faggot.

Zep--

 

[Zep Zepo]

And Jaesun,

I've said from the beginning, BOTH UA or SotA were scams to cash in on nostalgia.

I wish it wasn't true, but it is.

Zep--

 

[Zep Zepo]

Sheeple rating must be the new Goldfist...

I'll accept.

Zep--

 

[Zep Zepo]

"I'm Drunk" -Infinitron.

You know where the thread is, my man.

Zep--

 

[Ash]

And Jaesun,

I've said from the beginning, BOTH UA or SotA were scams to cash in on nostalgia.

I wish it wasn't true, but it is.

Zep--

Where's your proof in the case of UA? Even something not concrete but worrisome that triggered your suspicious would be nice to hear? Taking fan pledges with no intention to deliver much of substance is highly immoral, and they don't strike me as the immoral bunch.

 

[Infinitron]

You get a sheeple too for replying to him

 

[Zep Zepo]

The jew got you!

Ice Burn!

Zep--

 

[Ash]

So you're some old alcoholic cuckshed dweller that was screwed over by Lord British with SoTA that you thought you'd come and take it out on UA?

Where's your evidence of UA being a scam?

"I've got nothing"
--Zep

I'd like to hear you out, save us all from decline and the supposed scam, but you've got fuck all.

 

[Darth Slaughter]

Well, zep has no proof, but there's still no proof he wrong either. And he must continue his adventure until, if at all, the game gets released.

For me, it's kind of a win-win situation, because l'm amused by his posts, but I hope the game eventually gets released. And if not, well, there's o lot of games out there.

 

[Doktor Best]

Well their lack of communication isnt very reassuring. Until a few days ago the game was supposed to be released in two months, they must have known that they have to delay the release for months now.

We got nothing until now aside from a really clunky engine test, a short gameplay video that really doesnt show much and some artwork.

 

[Zep Zepo]

I've got no proof?

They are trying to turn underworld into some parkour dancing clusterfuck?

Enough said...

Zep--

 

[Aenra]

Funny (am being ironic) how people notice different things.

- MIT testers. A half joke, in as far the "testers" may be concerned, but still. Today we get random, anonymous brats whose sole qualifications are mommy's wallet or a well known youtube account.
And then you fuckers wonder why i'm a racist, think highly of Herod, or altogether a pessimist

- The wording is rather ambiguous in as far the stretch goal being unlocked. Am i to understand that they (ie the suits paying them) unlocked it themselves? Ergo that it had not been 'reached' normally? In turn signifying how all this is a parody of fund raising, but we already knew that..?

Anyway, hope this keeps up either way, only another 100k (only, lol) for the editor. Really, really want that to make it. Whatever this game shapes up to be, i sincerely doubt it will even be half as 'big' as either of the originals.

 

[Aenra]

Disagree in what?
edit: ffs, they gave you buttons to play with i know.. but still, try and communicate. It adds to the forum's purpose you know.

 

[duanth123]

Taking fan pledges with no intention to deliver much of substance is highly immoral, and they don't strike me as the immoral bunch.

“If your intentions are good, nothing bad can happen.”
― Debasish Mridha

Dr. Debasish Mridha is an American physician, philosopher, poet seer, and author. He is a seeker of the deepest truth that affects human destiny. His empowering, insightful, thought-provoking, and life changing words have been changing human conscience everyday.

I'm agnostic on UA but it seems to me that scams don't have to be pre-planned or even intended, at least as an initial matter.

Which is to say, will there or has there come a point internally that the developer realized he cannot deliver the game as outlined in the Kickstarter and if so does he then admit as much and make the painful but necessary decision to cancel?

Or does he soldier on, laboring under a delusion that the impossible can be achieved or perhaps out of financial incentive due to what continued development might bring.

That to me would be a situation in which what was once a genuinely sincere venture could transform into a scam.

And there are many examples.

 

[Ash]

I'm agnostic on UA but it seems to me that scams don't have to be pre-planned or even intended, at least as an initial matter.

Well, not technically, no.

Which is to say, will there or has there come a point internally that the developer realized he cannot deliver the game as outlined in the Kickstarter and if so does he then admit as much and make the painful but necessary decision to cancel?

The game outlined in the kickstarter wasn't of the glorious ancient lost RPG/Immersive Sim arts though. I recall a dungeon crawler with multiplayer, bunny companions and not a whole lot else promising. I don't even recall promise of it being an RPG, which seemingly holds true as it doesn't seem to have much in the way of RPG systems so far. It was a pretty underwhelming pitch, so at least they haven't over-promised I suppose. Our expectations of 90s style masterful game design are our own.

 

[Infinitron]

They've recently hired additional people, not to mention founded a new studio in Austin. Clearly, OtherSide have access to money. I think this delay might actually be because they've decided to invest that new money into upping production qualities across the board. The game we see in February might be very different from what we saw this year.

 

[Zep Zepo]

They've recently hired additional people, not to mention founded a new studio in Austin. Clearly, OtherSide have access to money. I think this delay might actually be because they've decided to invest that new money into upping production qualities across the board. The game we see in February might be very different from what we saw this year.

Drunk Warren Spector does not count as a studio. He pulled the same shit at ION Storm refusing to leave (((Austin))).

When your CTO bails on you...you've got a problem. Both in Vision and Technical.

Game will be shit, They Got Nothing, Blah Blah Blah, Sheeple rating.

Zep--

 

[Turtle-Zone 3000]

Since when did Austin become Jewish?

 

[Thonius]

They've recently hired additional people, not to mention founded a new studio in Austin. Clearly, OtherSide have access to money. I think this delay might actually be because they've decided to invest that new money into upping production qualities across the board. The game we see in February might be very different from what we saw this year.

And still with all those monies they run website from early 2000s. Hire a guy or make new WordPress site!

 

[Infinitron]

They've recently hired additional people, not to mention founded a new studio in Austin. Clearly, OtherSide have access to money. I think this delay might actually be because they've decided to invest that new money into upping production qualities across the board. The game we see in February might be very different from what we saw this year.

And still with all those monies they run website from early 2000s. Hire a guy or make new WordPress site!

Read the update, they're going to replace the website this month.

 

[Zep Zepo]

Read the update, they're going to replace the website this month.

Because...well...we got to show these losers something.

Paul: I know! Update the interwebs site!
UA Cucks Team: *clap clap clap* That's why u is leader.
*Paul plays with his dink with a smug smile.*
Spector: I'm STILL not leaving (((AUSTIN)))

Zep--

 

[Thonius]

At last! It was long overdue.

 

[Aenra]

The game outlined in the kickstarter wasn't of the glorious ancient lost RPG/Immersive Sim arts though

You need decide if your line of argument is based on the game being an RPG (or not) or on the game's taking an Immersive Sim direction (or not). And if your definition of RPG is 'stats', you have other issues to consider before deciding that. Issues unrelated to UA ^^
Different principles (that RPG and Sim may run parallel does not alter their being different; and they are) and as such, different expectations.

Whichever your line? The game ending up being neither (as in resulting in.. some combination of the two) is actually a good thing. The vast majority may be perfectly happy receiving the same old with a fresh veneer, some of us however are not. Even if you -do- happen to fall in the "been killing elves for 30yrs now, gimme more elves!!!" category, you do have to acknowledge that experimentation is always a positive thing. Doubly so when the people doing it have succeeded in it before. Thrice in fact

Our expectations of 90s style masterful game design are our own

Wrong. I will remind you their, not mine, their insisting on 'pushing forward', on achieving the level of thief, SS, UU, their continuous reminding us of what they've done before, ie what we'd be getting again with UA. This is precisely WHY this game got funded, this is precisely why people gave a fuck about it in the first place. This is an obligation they have; not a priority, not an option. Stop being a victim (pay in advance, excuse, accept the loose regulations of the gaming industry, the money for nothing, etc) and start being a consumer.

 

[Ash]

Whichever your line? The game ending up being neither (as in resulting in.. some combination of the two) is actually a good thing. The vast majority may be perfectly happy receiving the same old with a fresh veneer, some of us however are not. Even if you -do- happen to fall in the "been killing elves for 30yrs now, gimme more elves!!!" category, you do have to acknowledge that experimentation is always a positive thing. Doubly so when the people doing it have succeeded in it before. Thrice in fact

No, no and no. Of what they shown, little has been innovative. Of what they pitched, little has been innovative, so drop your pretentious "Experimentation is all that matters!" nonsense. They are making a successor to Underworld, and created certain expectations in their kickstarter campaign. Do I want innovations? Of course, but innovations in the context of these genres. They're not going to create a whole new genre out of this, you're delusional if you believe otherwise. The majority of their genre innovations have been heavily based in reality. The industry has sucked reality dry to the point where the only thing "new" is walking sims (which aren't new). Innovation is a diminishing return as the industry grows older.

 

[Ash]

That's not to say big innovations like LGS made back in the day are not possible now..it's just not possible for this project. They called it an Underworld successor. They showed First Person, minor RPG, C&C, old hat stuff. Any innovations will likely be small in scale, and I don't take issue with that. Hopefully they will be small in scale, but numerous.

Was Ultima Underworld 2 highly innovative over UW1? I can't say for sure as it is the only legitimate Immersive Sim classic I have not played, but it looks like your typical sequel: same formula, some small scale improvements and innovations. Ain't nothing wrong with that. The formula is awesome and deserves to be innovated upon and improved in a sensible way.

Edit: I did play UW2, but I never left the room you start in after fiddling about to see some differences in core systems, control etc. Blasphemy I know.