KickSmarter (Episode 1)

[TheWerebison]

Folks, as some of you may be aware, TotalBiscuit has started up a new (hopefully) series called KickSmarter.

It's basically him and his "staff" (I always wonder what that means) looking for promising-looking indie projects that need funding on KickStarter.

Now, I know there's folks that love TB and folks that despise him, and I'm sure everybody's arguments are well thought-out and coherent, but this isn't about TB. This is about finding games you think you might like and helping them come into being.

I don't know what the salary is of the average MMO-Champion person, but I always like to see people with talent being encouraged. I myself am just a poor minimum-wage schlub, but I'm going to do my part on games I enjoy, too, and I would love to see these take off.

It appears that Ravaged, one of the games has already gotten they funding they need (they didn't need much, just something to help market the game, apparently), but the other two are far from their goals yet. So if you see something that you like, go ahead and give a bit, you might just help give birth to a game you'll love, and there are some neat incentives for doing so, as well.

Anyway, here's his video:


I'm also including just the KickStarter links, in case you think TB is an arrogant twat and can't bear to listen to his voice.

Nekro : http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/343838885/nekro
Ravaged : http://2dawn.com/ks
Starlight Inception : http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...ht-inceptiontm

Understand, I'm not taking credit for any of this research, I'm just passing the word along in hopes of bringing some good games to life.

[Wilian]

While his idea with this show is nice, I sort of lost my faith in his judgement after he promoted a project with apparently no study at all put behind it and which will most likely fail.

[TheWerebison]

While his idea with this show is nice, I sort of lost my faith in his judgement after he promoted a project with apparently no study at all put behind it and which will most likely fail.

Well, then, it's a good thing this isn't about TB or his judgement. This is about bringing attention to some games that people might not be aware of.

[Deleted]

That should help spread the word around more obscure projects.

@Wilian, care to be more specific?

[wombinator04]

$50 this will turn Into a TB bash thread.

Anyways, this Is a fantastic Idea. Get awareness for games on kickstarter that look kickass.

[jvbastel]

While his idea with this show is nice, I sort of lost my faith in his judgement after he promoted a project with apparently no study at all put behind it and which will most likely fail.

Are you talking about Nekro? I personally would love to see that game, and will pledge some money. If it doesn't reach the 100k, no big deal for me since then the money won't be charged.

How can you be against this? :s

[SirRobin]

I was meandering around Kickstarter the other day and found out that they are making a new Shadowrun game. Its already hit its funding goals too. Not sure about the whole browser based thing but I'm interested to see how it works out. Now to keep my fingers crossed that the new Mechwarrior game doesn't completely suck.

[Wilian]

For people wanting specification, I was talking about the Takedown, tactical shooter that TB promoted not long ago and thanks to which it got the money up. (While it was fairly low on funding with lots of criticism going around due to the stuff I list)

There were TONS of shady things that should've tipped people onto their toes:

1. Kickstarter was not made up to fund to game, but to find a publisher. Basically they could just go "We didn't find any" and jack off with the monies if they wanted to. No liability AT ALL.

2. The supposed "concept art" posted in their update was real life photo, taken out of context, poorly photoshopped to new backround and colouring to look more gamey. Their concept artist truly was quality one.

3. The description for the game itself was extremely vague. First it promotes itself as slow paced tactical first person shooter with many entry points and planning, developed with PC as mainplatform. But when they talk about the different versions of the game, PS3 is supposed to be a 3rd person shooter. So, aren't they just making tactical shooter but 3rd person shooter aswell. Those two need ENTIRELY different type of balancing due to what player can see and do (Assuming it's supposed to be in depth tactical still). Wonder what sort of game comes out of that. Meanwhile the Xbox version is still under consideration, based on Xbox community feedback. It seems like they have really broad definitions of anything they want to hide behind nostalgy hitting marketing speech.

4. With all that mess, the developers are p. much no names beyond Allen himself even though they have high claims from "big places". With the sort of "concept art" they posted, one can only question whetever they consider that being in QA of Ubisoft looks that good on resume.

Anyhow, getting a bit long.

It would be nice to see them succeess and get back some nice tactical shooters, but the way they've laid out their groundwork is basically on riding the nostalgy button while providing very little of value thus far.

[Profyrion]

You can count me among the TB haters.

But Kickstarter is awesome so I'll give your links a look.

[TheWerebison]

For people wanting specification, I was talking about the Takedown, tactical shooter that TB promoted not long ago and thanks to which it got the money up. (While it was fairly low on funding with lots of criticism going around due to the stuff I list)

There were TONS of shady things that should've tipped people onto their toes:

1. Kickstarter was not made up to fund to game, but to find a publisher. Basically they could just go "We didn't find any" and jack off with the monies if they wanted to. No liability AT ALL.

2. The supposed "concept art" posted in their update was real life photo, taken out of context, poorly photoshopped to new backround and colouring to look more gamey. Their concept artist truly was quality one.

3. The description for the game itself was extremely vague. First it promotes itself as slow paced tactical first person shooter with many entry points and planning, developed with PC as mainplatform. But when they talk about the different versions of the game, PS3 is supposed to be a 3rd person shooter. So, aren't they just making tactical shooter but 3rd person shooter aswell. Those two need ENTIRELY different type of balancing due to what player can see and do (Assuming it's supposed to be in depth tactical still). Wonder what sort of game comes out of that. Meanwhile the Xbox version is still under consideration, based on Xbox community feedback. It seems like they have really broad definitions of anything they want to hide behind nostalgy hitting marketing speech.

4. With all that mess, the developers are p. much no names beyond Allen himself even though they have high claims from "big places". With the sort of "concept art" they posted, one can only question whetever they consider that being in QA of Ubisoft looks that good on resume.

Anyhow, getting a bit long.

It would be nice to see them succeess and get back some nice tactical shooters, but the way they've laid out their groundwork is basically on riding the nostalgy button while providing very little of value thus far.

Hadn't heard about that one, actually. Still, definitely a good example of "let the buyer beware". People should do their own research, too.

Again, guys, this isn't "OMG TB thought these games looked amazing, spend money on them nao, lulz!" If I were to be fairly honest, this would be "Hey guys, I've never really looked into KickStarter, but here's a look at some interesting projects that need help, take a look and see if they're for you, and help fund them because I want to play them!"

Oh, and it doesn't matter if the developers are no-names. Terraria was the first game produced by the 2 or 3 people that developed it. Of course, they never claimed to have come from "big places", either. :P

[Wilian]

Oh, and it doesn't matter if the developers are no-names. Terraria was the first game produced by the 2 or 3 people that developed it. Of course, they never claimed to have come from "big places", either. :P

I know, and I hope that the project becomes as succesfull as it has theoretical chances to be. I was just saying that the groundwork for Kickstarter was made very amateurishly and with wrong starting point and that people shouldn't just go for something because someone said so, but to be able to process and think critically given the presentation. This wasn't the case when TB's "fleet" arrived as they said. x.x

[Profyrion]

Ravaged looks decent, I might back that one. The others are pretty meh.

[Eilothorien]

I know, and I hope that the project becomes as succesfull as it has theoretical chances to be. I was just saying that the groundwork for Kickstarter was made very amateurishly and with wrong starting point and that people shouldn't just go for something because someone said so, but to be able to process and think critically given the presentation. This wasn't the case when TB's "fleet" arrived as they said. x.x

That's because, a) Total Biscuit's mindless fanbase are known for being epicly retarded and despite him telling them to do their own research and make their own decisions, they just take his word for it. You can't really blame him for what other people do, especially when he preaches that they should think for themselves. If they don't, that's their own fault.
B) Of course he doesn't do research on those kinds of things - he pays people to do that for him. Normally, he doesn't keep videos that are horrendously misinformed up, but I believe Takedown was mentioned off-handedly in one of his mailboxes, no? He didn't support it in the way you're implying. It's when he takes his time to create a video that is specifically marketed at helping these kinds of projects, like KickSmarter does, and his staff doesn't do the research, only then is he liable for promoting something on misinformation.
C) You're letting your hate for him blind judgement here. Did Takedown actually get funded? If not, and criticism was the reason, why complain? No one lost anything. On the other hand, did it get funded? Did you chip in? I'm guessing that you didn't. If people wasted their money on a high risk project like Takedown, that's their own problem. You honestly cannot blame someone else for those kinds of actions. TB did not tell them to fund the project. He didn't use other people's money to help fund it either. Buyer beware. Just because one person in the public eye endorses it does not mean it is legitimate, or worthwhile. Scientology, for example. People need to do their own research, instead of just tossing money at stuff because someone else said so.

I don't always agree with TB, but I watch his videos because they tend to be informative - but I form my own opinions based on that information, instead of simply deferring to his opinion. I also often look at information from other sources, because that's what it means to be an informed consumer. Anyone who simply calls themself a member of the "TotalBiscuit Fleet" is a fanboy, and fanboys are not known for their great amount of intelligence. In this case, you're simply letting your dislike for him be the basis for your opinion. Because his 'fleet' threw money at Takedown because he mentioned it is not a reason to blame him, but rather, his fanbase. If you didn't pitch in, then you don't really have a leg to stand on here - you made a smart, informed decision. Others didn't. Not his, or your, problem.

[Wilian]

B) Of course he doesn't do research on those kinds of things - he pays people to do that for him. Normally, he doesn't keep videos that are horrendously misinformed up, but I believe Takedown was mentioned off-handedly in one of his mailboxes, no? He didn't support it in the way you're implying.

He posted in Facebook and in his Youtube channel news section that people should go fund the project if they want to see the return of tactical shooters, using pretty much those exact words. Looks exactly like the way of support I'm implying. You can easily check it by backtracking news and Facebook comments to the day before Takedown's kickstarter ended.

It's when he takes his time to create a video that is specifically marketed at helping these kinds of projects, like KickSmarter does, and his staff doesn't do the research, only then is he liable for promoting something on misinformation.

He is liable of what he markets, regardless of who did the job because the show is overall ran by him and he's the one who in the end chooses what comes and what goes. Oh, and is the face too. He's the DUDE. If you didn't know this thing about the world, the one at the top is ultimately responsible of the ones below.

C) You're letting your hate for him blind judgement here.

Really? My hate?

"While his idea with this show is nice, I sort of lost my faith in his judgement after he promoted a project with apparently no study at all put behind it and which will most likely fail. "

From the first post that has the only "anti TB" thing in it. The one you didn't even most likely read. That's considered hate now (I hope you did else your reading comprehension is totally awful)? Sort of losing faith is HATRED now? Way to blow shit out of propotions don't you think? Maybe if you took step back and went through the post again, you'd quickly find out that nothing in the one you quoted, was against TB but the "fleet", the fan base that does anything. Answers for A p. much aswell.

And on the contrary, I highly enjoy TB's WTF, Mailbox (I agree on many things with him, but disagree with many aswell) and StarCraft videos. But you've proven to jump on conclusions with close to no basis so heh, lets look at rest of the post.

Did Takedown actually get funded? If not, and criticism was the reason, why complain? No one lost anything. On the other hand, did it get funded? Did you chip in? I'm guessing that you didn't. If people wasted their money on a high risk project like Takedown, that's their own problem. You honestly cannot blame someone else for those kinds of actions.

I know the concept of "discussing" about these things is difficult for people like you. No one is harmed by bringing up subjects like this, it only promotes caution and self awarness which many people lack. And promoting those two is not a bad thing. In fact few posters asked for more clarification.

TB did not tell them to fund the project.

But he did, in the context of "If you want to see the return of tactical shooters, then..."

He didn't use other people's money to help fund it either. Buyer beware. Just because one person in the public eye endorses it does not mean it is legitimate, or worthwhile. Scientology, for example. People need to do their own research, instead of just tossing money at stuff because someone else said so.

Only last sentence of this made sense. The first part was just repeating what you've been saying.

I don't always agree with TB, but I watch his videos because they tend to be informative - but I form my own opinions based on that information, instead of simply deferring to his opinion. I also often look at information from other sources, because that's what it means to be an informed consumer. Anyone who simply calls themself a member of the "TotalBiscuit Fleet" is a fanboy, and fanboys are not known for their great amount of intelligence. In this case, you're simply letting your dislike for him be the basis for your opinion. Because his 'fleet' threw money at Takedown because he mentioned it is not a reason to blame him, but rather, his fanbase. If you didn't pitch in, then you don't really have a leg to stand on here - you made a smart, informed decision. Others didn't. Not his, or your, problem.

Just long list of self repeat. And I have a stand here, which you fail to regonice because, dare I say, I "attacked" TB (You failed [Perception] skill check) and you have a little bit of fanboy in your soul due to such quick OMGHATER speech? And missing the point while at it?

[wombinator04]

Someone owes me $50.

[TheWerebison]

Someone owes me $50.

Well, haven't seen any real BASHING yet. Just that not everyone respects him, which is a perfectly fine point of view. :P

[Edge-]

Let's keep this on the topic of the thread, which is the KickSmarter stuff, which is pretty cool (supporting good indie developers is always good). Lets not let this devolve any further please.

[TheWerebison]

Just a quick little nudge here, to make sure as many people see this as possible. Also, I think the moderator might have scared a few folks off, although...she? (going off picture) has a fair point.

So far Nekro is at 50k of its 100k goal, and has 10 days left. I am personally involved in this one, and would LOVE to see it come into being.
Starlight Inception is at 48k of its 150k goal, and has 15 days left.

Both games look promising to me, but don't take my word for it. Go check out the links at the top of the page, do some research on the games, and support them monetarily if you are willing. You can get some great incentives for doing so.

So again, take a look, do your own homework, make your own call. But there's no harm in looking, you might find something that you'll really enjoy.

[vizzle]

Just a quick little nudge here, to make sure as many people see this as possible. Also, I think the moderator might have scared a few folks off, although...she? (going off picture) has a fair point.

Yeah she can be rather scary at times.

[Deleted]

I think it is good of you to link it, and hopefully there will not come to many TB fan's or trolls.
The importen is the games, and i like this serie, because some of them can be good