Trials of Ascension, Shady Practices and the Big Crowdfunding Debate

[Deleted]

hahaha, that's 100% spot on.

[Maddoc]

The hypocrisy at the TOA-forums are just unbelivable. They are discussing Star Wars Battlefront over there now and how EA is "all about taking your money".

EA used to be a great company, but now they mostly just suck your money...

Wait... 11/17? Thats two years from now and they are letting you pre-order it?
That sounds like EA...

also this is EA so expect lots of DLC.. you will probably get the Space battle as a $45 DLC.

TOA on the other hand is fine. It's completly legit to ask for funding to develope a game they don't have by selling virtual items for the game that has not been made yet. Oh the irony.

[Azrile]

TOA on the other hand is fine. It's completly legit to ask for funding to develop a game they don't have by selling virtual items for the game that has not been made yet. Oh the irony.

There is a mod on Greedmonger who has donated $3500 who still talks like the game is right around the corner. At some point, you just have to say that no matter what happens, no matter how bad it gets, there will be someone who still believes. Also, as far as ToA, it seems like these two new fans are really new, they might have joined after the cash-shop was already closed down.

[Shriek]

EA gets a bad rep because, well, EA deserves a bad rep. Now, I'm not a part of that conversation in the ToA forums, nor do I intend to be. ToA forums is as Norman Sillman describes war: Long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of terror. I typically ignore the general drivel that crops up between the moments of actual relevance.

But, I'm starting to take a liking to the creativity that this community has to offer when it comes to ToA feedback. After all, all we truly, deeply, dearly want is an actual promised product, right? I mean... if they delivered this amazing game tomorrow, we'd all eat our hats, shit our pants, and pay out the shit-covered hat-clogged ass to play the thing. But that's not the case.

Anyhoo, EA, right? So, I used to work for EA. I was an AP on two projects before I was laid off, and it's completely fair to say that all EA cares about is money. But then again, I bet Paramount Pictures pretty much only cares about money. I bet ASUS only cares about money. I bet Honda only cares about money. It's a business, brahsky. Money is important so companies can keep paying their employees to keep shipping products.

That's one thing people don't understand, which starts to become more clear when you work in the actual "production" field of video games. You are not making a dynamite-cock-exploding gaming experience, you are shipping a product that requires a decent ROI. The product has consumers, which, depending on the market and demographic, display consumer trends, which may or may not fluctuate on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly timeframe. Don't get me started on mobile game production... shit changes so goddamn rapidly in that atmosphere for the sake of adapting monetization schemes to active user trends... fuck my face.

The thing is, which most clowns on the ToA forums don't realize is that most "game development" can fall within some pretty basic scenarios. You Have:
1. The Indie Dev, No Publisher, Good luck on your Kickstarter
2. The Indie Dev/Publisher, 1 Indie Dev in-house, 1+ Indie Dev out-of-house, Has plenty of capital for individual projects, or multiple low-budget market-flooding bullshit (don't get me started on this)
3. The Indie Publisher, No Devs, 2+ Indie Devs out-of-house (This is mostly Asian based companies that are trying to take a foothold in the US market, but keep failing over and over again)
4. The studio, financed by a medium-to-large publisher, probably before they are bought.
5. The bought studio, Fully owned by a large publisher
6. The medium publisher, who only publishes games by out-of-house studios
7. The large publisher, who has in-house developers, and out-of-house studios, some might be fully-owned
8. The mega huge publisher, who has several in-house dev teams, as well as several fully-owned subsidiaries, who might publish out-of-house shit if it looks like it will turn a profit, and might be a decent acquisition in the future

EA is obviously #8, but DICE is #5.

See, DICE actually gives a fuck. They have been trying their hardest, spending countless hours upon hours making the game as perfect as possible. They care SO GODDAMN MUCH about what their users think about the game. But while DICE = EA, EA != DICE.

As a gaming forum, I'm sure most of you understand this concept, but you'd be surprised by how many average consumers do not, and cannot differentiate between the two. When the average consumer watches a commercial, they ignore that ever-so-important bit about what studio actually developed the product, and focus purely on the publisher.

Whenever it comes up that I've worked for EA in the past, do you know what most average mouth-breathers (people) say to me? They quote the fucking commercials for Madden "E - A - SPORTS." And they asked if I worked on that. I tell them that's it's complicated, and then I go stab my dick in the bathroom for a while.

Hardcore ToA fans are kind of like that. I'd rather piss blood than to explain how fucking short sighted they have become.

That is all. Yes, I've been drinking. Sue me.

Azrile, you're still a dick, but that's okay. We can be friends now. I'm a dick too.

[Maddoc]

My intention was not to debate how much EA cares about money. I just find it funny that the TOA-community rips on EA when TOA is no different, except that EA actually has several REAL games and sells virtual goodies that you can use in those GAMES while TOA sold the same shit without having a game.

[Shriek]

Not criticizing you, Maddoc. Just rambling on.

[Maddoc]

Not criticizing you, Maddoc. Just rambling on.

No offense taken Shriek Loving your posts on the TOA-forums.

[Shriek]

One love...

[Azrile]

I don´t think EA or ATVI are wonderful organizations filled with do-gooders. But I do disagree that they are these evil corporate monsters that don´t care about gamers at all. Indy companies (as we´ve seen) are just as likely to be money-grubbing as the big companies. You have stuff like what Ubisoft did the past couple years. Steam is literally covered with shit games trying to con people out of money for early access. I think EA gets a bad rep because they iterate titles ad nausea, but in the end, if they did not, their fans would demand it. If they skipped Madden or FIFA for a year, or didn´t put out a new Sims expansion they would get just as much hate, just from a different group of gamers. As gamers, we over-emphasis innovation and hate to see sequels, especially to games were don´t play.

I honestly do not see that much difference between Indy developers and games made by the big houses. You only have to have Steam bookmarked to see what I mean. There is a game I followed last year by Indies that was released not too long ago. They pulled the same BS as big developers and ´locked´ content unless you bought the gold/special edition.

To me, it is hard to be angry with the ending for Mass Effect 3 or for making Madden 65, when you have Ubisoft and Assassin´s Creed, and at the same time Steam filled with pre-alpha greenlit games that are unplayable but charging $10.

[Deleted]

TOA on the other hand is fine. It's completly legit to ask for funding to develope a game they don't have by selling virtual items for the game that has not been made yet. Oh the irony.

It all sounds like some flavour of Battered Person Syndrome, if you ask me.

I know you didn't, but I'll act as if you did anyway.

Indy companies

Dam-ta-raa-raa Dam-tah-raaa! Sorry, had to do it.

But yea, just look at the whole Jim Sterling and Skate Man Intense Resque thing. If not for a indie dev being a dickhead, at least watch it for the hilarity factor.

[Kyanion]

Heh I couldn't watch much of that video because of the 'fake laughter' of the guy who is Jim Sterling I guess? But holy shit that game looks fucking tragic. Text to speech, horrible framerate...yeesh!

[glo]

No, it'll mess up google again.

We thought it would, but it didn't (too much, at least).

That said, It's slightly worrisome that a mod here can essentially go rogue with questionable motives and manipulate a thread/title for the developer's gains (in this case, removing the word scam from the title and making it a lot more neutral).

With how butthurt these devs have been when discussing mmo-c, logic would bring you to the conclusion that they tried their hardest to edit/delete/whatever this thread. It would be foolish to think that they didn't reach out to mod and offer something.

Here's aiko-chan days before the thread name change saying they were trying to get in touch with developers: http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...1#post29377323

You can also find a bunch of sympathy/enthusiasm from aiko-chan magically happening shortly before the title change: http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...1#post29452803

I'll say it again as I said it before when all of that when down, shame on them.

[Azrile]

You guys have no clue the fun I'm having… they already banned around 10 accounts, a couple of my IPs, the mailinator service and deleted a bunch of posts xD! I wish they would just talk to me instead of trying to hide everything I type there =( I JUST WANT TO BE FRIENDS!

Myobi, a one man DOS attack. I personally wouldn´t post there because you know at some point they are going to blame you for the negativity on their forums... It is better to just sit back and watch their fans turn on them one at a time. Is there anyone besides Talon who has been a fan of them for more than a year? Most of the new guys joined right before the KS.

[dextersmith]

Looks like our old friend HappyWulf doesn't like the Kool-Aid anymore.

There's yet another reference to them being incompetent! Did you see which thread they locked before discussion could reach page 2? "Has Fc Considered Selling/giving Its Game To A Competent Dev Team?" So no then?

They seem to think disgruntled fans troll just for fun but can't seem to grasp it's not trolling. Their frustration and anger from wasted money and promotional efforts is valid and deserves acknowledgement rather than acrimony.

[lawow74]

But, GOD! I mean, Brax has a PLAN, guise! And it's gonna be the most awesomest plan EVER!!! Why do you gotta be a hater and a troll, questioning what it is??? You're all soooo rude, thinking you can just walk in his HOUSE and SAY THINGS! THINGS!!!! How DARE you?!?

[dextersmith]

It is always amusing to read their forums...well not like there has been much activity in the past few weeks but the last few die hard fans (though some of these posters are newer than most, as this Jake person is from Oct 2014) are now trying to turn on the people that are quite negative and then defending the BAN ANYONE AT ANY TIME bs. Even funnier they call out one of the people who didn't donate but was in the community a long long time. "And this sense of entitlement really needs to go. It doesn't appear that you have contributed any money, but even if you have another account through which you have donated, the terms of each purchase from the store were always very clearly "this does not guarantee you anything if the game is not released". So I'm not sure where you got the impression that FC is your own personal butler, but it can slap you as hard as it wants if you push it far enough. Whatever power you think you have is completely illusory."

That was directed at Shriek who has been quite good at calling out ToA for the failure of a KS, having no real plan and being CEOs with no applicable skills in creating a game. They also go on to say "No, I don't think the FC team members should be expected or required to bear any pure anger, complaining, or negativity that disgruntled posters feel justified in throwing at them."

Right, ToA is totally blameless! Let us throw out 'constructive criticism' and all drink the kool-aid!

That quote is sick and something only a crook or psycho would say. People are entitled to the game and transparency they paid for. Take consolation in them being screwed over by someone barely out of college.

- - - Updated - - -

Brax just replied and threatened Shriek with a perma ban! Oh noez!

- - - Updated - - -

From Brax to Shriek "Shriek, you're going to be perma-banned if you don't stop belittling myself, my team, and other forum members. Keep it civil, or you're out of here. Last warning. And just for grins, I will tell you and everyone why I haven't said anything about our plans. Because certain folks would find it another reason to ***** about FC and how it is "just plans". Instead we're doing something about it and moving forward and we will show everyone when I think it's ready. We're rushing nothing. Can't handle that? Get out of my kitchen and enjoy some sunshine while you wait."

Oh man get out of the kitchen! They do realize there is no kitchen right? Get out of...demo isle where we have no programmers and money left? Yeah! Get out of that!

Lol they haven't rushed anything for 13 years. Oh no, banned from wasting money on garbage. So FC's the winner by not getting Shriek's cash? If only there were places outside their forums to voice opinions...everywhere!

[Juvencus]

They already blame us, we are already known by trolls ~ it doesn't fucking matter at this point.
As we say in Portugal "já que tenho a fama, tiro o proveito" ~

Google translate: "since I have fame, shot advantage"

http://www.wowhead.com/sound=41837/v...idens-garan-14

[Azrile]

close enuff xD
"Tiro" from the verb "Tirar", in english "taking" I suppose =P

ha, I understood it just from spanish, but I had it as ´since I have fame, throwing around my advantage´

[srs]

has anyone heard anything from Teddy. I am sure he is NDA´d to all hell, but man, it would be great to hear his ´greatest hits´ of all the stupid stuff he had to deal with.

(Created an account just to post in this thread)

I've followed TOA since inception and I've been privy to some very, very barely known information regarding FC. Let's just say that Brax lied a LOT when he stated the situation with Teddy.

I'm not at liberty to disclose fully what happened but Brax is a lying POS when it comes to throwing everyone else under the bus.

Not that you guys don't know this, but I figured I would state the obvious.

There isn't a plan out there that won't involve them begging for more money.

[Kyanion]

(Created an account just to post in this thread)

I've followed TOA since inception and I've been privy to some very, very barely known information regarding FC. Let's just say that Brax lied a LOT when he stated the situation with Teddy.

I'm not at liberty to disclose fully what happened but Brax is a lying POS when it comes to throwing everyone else under the bus.

Not that you guys don't know this, but I figured I would state the obvious.

There isn't a plan out there that won't involve them begging for more money.

So you are cool with calling Brax a lying POS but won't disclose what this supposed situation is with Teddy? And of course the only plans involve them begging for money, I mean what other option was there? Most of us fully lay the blame at Brax's incompetent feet anyways. That guy is a friggin idiot and it shows.