Project Update #40: The Plan so Far
Posted by Mike Nystul
Thank you all for your feedback to my earlier post. I spent most of today reading what you had to say and responding to many of you. I appreciate everyone taking the time to speak their mind. Some was supportive, some harsh but all welcome and appreciated.
Taken as a whole the reaction seems to be "that sucks" and "we want to see what we paid for as soon as we can". (I think the reaction has been stronger than that... but whatever)
My priority is getting a playable version into your hands. (which should have been completed months ago) Some of you have mentioned making a download of current work files available - this is close to that. I know you want to know when but I can't and won't say more than as soon as possible, especially considering where we stand on delivery dates (there are none). All that matters is delivering. I just hope that when you get the document you will enjoy it.
Once you have this Preview edition we get t he full blown game book into your hands (you've blown thru $75 k on 3 projects without even PDFs to show for it - how are you going to ship hard copies, let alone the additional "loot" folks pledged for?) . I have some possibilities in the works for solving my financial issues but can't say anything yet. (It better not be crowdfunding, because your rep there is shot - Dwimmermount looks like a small bump in the road compared to this mess)
Thanks again. In the end I hope this will be a journey that we are all glad we took together despite the rough spots.
and now for something completely different:
MORTICIAN: Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
[clang]
Bring out your dead!
CUSTOMER: Here's one -- nine pence.
DEAD PERSON: I'm not dead!
MORTICIAN: What?
CUSTOMER: Nothing -- here's your nine pence.
DEAD PERSON: I'm not dead!
MORTICIAN: Here -- he says he's not dead!
CUSTOMER: Yes, he is.
DEAD PERSON: I'm not!
MORTICIAN: He isn't.
CUSTOMER: Well, he will be soon, he's very ill.
DEAD PERSON: I'm getting better!
CUSTOMER: No, you're not -- you'll be stone dead in a moment.
MORTICIAN: Oh, I can't take him like that -- it's against regulations.
DEAD PERSON: I don't want to go in the cart!
CUSTOMER: Oh, don't be such a baby.
MORTICIAN: I can't take him...
DEAD PERSON: I feel fine!
CUSTOMER: Oh, do us a favor...
MORTICIAN: I can't.
CUSTOMER: Well, can you hang around a couple of minutes? He won't
be long.
MORTICIAN: Naaah, I got to go on to Robinson's -- they've lost nine
today.
CUSTOMER: Well, when is your next round?
MORTICIAN: Thursday.
DEAD PERSON: I think I'll go for a walk.
CUSTOMER: You're not fooling anyone y'know. Look, isn't there
something you can do?
DEAD PERSON: I feel happy... I feel happy.
[whop]
CUSTOMER: Ah, thanks very much.
MORTICIAN: Not at all. See you on Thursday.
CUSTOMER: Right.
[clop clop]
MORTICIAN: Who's that then?
CUSTOMER: I don't know.
MORTICIAN: Must be a king.
CUSTOMER: Why?
MORTICIAN: He hasn't got shit all over him.
Okay.. I waiting for this one.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I am missing something here: Wouldn't it make more sense to have something most of the way done (if not more or less finished) before doing a kickstarter? Maybe the art / layout / etc., might have to come after the fact - but the content should be there in the first place. Especially if they happen to get over-funded, which would mean said project should come out Extra Spiffy.
ReplyDeleteI really think a lot of these guys are scams. Oh, and I also know about the fella who claims his artists 'flake-out' on him all the time. He likes to pull funny little contracts that basically say: 'I have a right to reject the art and not pay for it, however, I can still use it in my crap I sell.' Yeah, like that doesn't deserve a solid curbstomping...
i dont understand how you could blow so much cash on a game project for nothing - even a pdf and art compilation would be something - i wont even try KS until my text mostly finished and had a few rounds of proof and i have a layout started - art and print would be priority of cash but i would send a pdf of work to date to any backers. Not spend money at conventions to sell something that doesn't exist - im a flakey artist but im flakey on bothering to bill people which is my problem - ive worked with artists most of my life and you can get some issues even with best friends and same problems of collaborating in general. Id like to see people failing to show a escape plan of some kind. To blow 70k youd have to be a con man or a gambler with mental problems
ReplyDeleteI have avoided posting a rundown of where everything went not because I[m unwilling to do so but because I'm confident that it won't help anything. At this point, I can step away in which case no one gets anything or I can do everything I can to honor my commitments. I choose to keep working. There isn't nothing - quite a bit has been done - but all that will prove that is seeing it. Until then, it's all words. Look, I knew posting this would create a backlash but if i wasn't inent on making good, why would I do it? Why bother? I can tell you that you will see something soon but you would be understandably doubtful. So in the end, as long as everybody gets what they put in for, I'm hoping we can all put this behind us. Until then, I'm not going anywhere and I'm not giving up.
ReplyDeleteMike, once again, thanks for being up front about the situation. Frankly I find it shocking that there seems to be more vitriol towards you, someone who admitted they made a mistake and are trying to make things right, than someone who allows things to fail and doesn't give a crap/never owns up to it. Perhaps people are harsher when they know that the person will actually read their words and be affected by them - after all, why bother berating someone who doesn't care what you think? You, sir, chose the road less travelled/the harder road and I give you credit for it. I wish you luck with the rest of the project.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to assume you haven't read much of this blog's Kickstarter posts. I call them as I see them.
DeleteMike put the cart before the horse, the "company" before the projects (both with time and money). He said so himself.
Until the latest updates there was little hint that the cash that was raised by those that funded his projects was gone with nothing to show for it.
The attorney general of Texas lives for stuff like this. I'm surprised no one has contacted their office yet.
ReplyDelete