Vicarious on 14/3/2019 at 21:45
They said they're ready to refund a 100% of everything they got from people - this is over $2m in total. Want to take bets just how much money Epic were willing to spend to bribe them into Epic Store exclusivity if they can give back $2m and still be able to continue on? That also means that they made this decision fully prepared to piss off all the people without whom this project would have never been possible in the first place. This is disgusting. I was looking forward to this game but I won't be supporting those kinds of shenanigans.
Malf on 15/3/2019 at 06:45
That's what they've ended up doing after the backlash. If you backed the game, you get the game on the Epic store on release, a year's worth of DLC free, and then a code for it on Steam or GOG when the year-long exclusivity deal ends.
Also, it wasn't a Kickstarter campaign, but a Fig one. And a few people have raised an interesting ethical conundrum related to that.
Basically, Fig allows backers to invest in a project, essentially becoming shareholders. So the amount of genuine sales of the game after release could end up literally paying dividends to high-end backers.
But in taking enough money from Epic so that they could have every backer ask for a refund and still be in the black (as noted by a developer), does this effectively mean they've stiffed their investors?
I'm not cancelling my pledge, but this whole thing has left a very nasty taste in my mouth, and it's unfortunately tarnishing Julian Gollop's reputation.
Starker on 15/3/2019 at 09:18
Quote Posted by Malf
Also, it wasn't a Kickstarter campaign, but a Fig one. And a few people have raised an interesting ethical conundrum related to that.
Basically, Fig allows backers to invest in a project, essentially becoming shareholders. So the amount of genuine sales of the game after release could end up literally paying dividends to high-end backers.
But in taking enough money from Epic so that they could have every backer ask for a refund and still be in the black (as noted by a developer), does this effectively mean they've stiffed their investors?
Apparently, the money they get from Epic will count as revenue and therefore contribute to FIG investors' returns. So effectively this means the investors probably got the best end out of this deal, since the negative publicity doesn't affect them directly.
Renzatic on 16/3/2019 at 01:20
This doesn't really bother me that much. Sure, it's annoying, I wanted to get it on GOG, but I can't fault a developer for wanting to get more money to make their game, especially when they don't have to compromise much except what storefront you're using.
Nameless Voice on 16/3/2019 at 02:16
And suffer the huge backwash of vitriol from the hordes of toxic players in places like /r/pcgaming.
Starker on 16/3/2019 at 09:53
So I went through their AMA and a few articles and speculation on various forums, and I basically got the following out of it:
* Snapshot Games first approached Epic about putting the game on Epic's store, at which point Epic presumably offered them the deal.
* They signed an NDA before negotiations started, which they say is the reason they didn't tell backers about the deal beforehand.
* The deal apparently guarantees a minimum amount of sales on the store. What that amount is nobody knows publicly, but presumably it's more than they expected to sell on Steam. No mention what else the deal could entail.
* According to Snapshot Games, the deal will allow them to continue development and support the game for several years, including adding some of the features not reached in the crowdfunding campaign, such as underwater missions. No mention how many is several.
* There will be at least 3 major DLC given free for the backers plus some additional content updates. No mention how big is major.
* The first DLC will be a sea-base/missions pack. Other content will include new storylines, factions, alien threats and game mechanics.
* They will give some limited support for modding post-release, but not before the first major DLC is finished.
* Apart from requiring the Epic store launcher to be downloaded, the game will otherwise be DRM-free and not require the launcher to run.
* When it releases on GOG and Steam, backers will get to choose either a GOG or a Steam key that includes all the DLC released meanwhile. Don't see why not both, personally. It's unlikely to placate the most angry part of the backers, but people who are staying on board like me would undoubtedly see it as a positive step.
* Refunds are offered through Transferwise, but apparently you can also request one directly from Fig.
* About 3% of people had requested a refund by the time of the AMA and they expect it to rise to 5-6% in total.
* Apparently, they have enough cash to give refunds to every backer, if needed. If it's true, it would mean they probably also got some advance money from Epic out of the deal.
Renzatic on 9/11/2019 at 17:22
I will use this money to shoot the crab people.
Renzatic on 4/12/2019 at 19:07
Quote Posted by icemann
Though I still don't quite get how chance to hit works in it.
It seemed pretty straightforward to me. 100% chance to land a bullet in the big grey circle, 50% chance to land one in the yellow. Think of it as trying to simulate all the tiny movements you'll make with your arms while shooting a semi-auto rifle.
Malf on 5/12/2019 at 09:27
I had a quick go last night, and was pretty impressed by what I played. While I backed it, I avoided playing any of the alpha or beta releases, so this was my first time.
I managed to play enough to get out of the tutorial, and what has immediately struck me is that it feels more stable and less restrictive than XCOM/XCOM 2.
It's hard to pin down what I mean by stability, but I always found XCOM 1 & 2 felt like they were on the verge of crashing. Animation that didn't respond immediately, long load times, the occasional stuck turn, those sorts of little niggles.
So far, there's none of that in Phoenix Point, and it feels really slick thanks to that.
The management stuff is a little intimidating at the moment, and unless I've misunderstood it, I'm not sure I like the idea of skill points being shared between soldiers.
But it's not enough to turn me off of it, and I'm very happy it's turned out so well :)
Malf on 5/12/2019 at 11:29
Yeah, same here, and I loved Satellite Reign, especially in co-op. I think the only crowdfunded thing I backed where I did take advantage of early access was Divinity Original Sin.