We’d very much appreciate it if you could help with a little marketing survey. We’re blown away by the type of support–Star Citizen pledges average almost three times those of ordinary crowdfunding projects–but we’re also nervous that the total number of supporters has remained low. We need to show the world that there are PC gaming fans out there who want this sort of AAA experience!
We had 30,000 registered users before the project was even announced, which means that two-thirds of you haven’t pledged. So, today’s poll is about trying to figure out why that might be. If you have some other reason or any thoughts about promoting the game, please post them here! And thank you all for the incredible support shown to date; if you’ve pledged or even just offered your thoughts about the games on the forum we truly do appreciate it.
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I’d prefer kickstarter, but I have pledged.
what makes kickstarter special?
1. A misguided trust that somehow kickstarter is safer for pledgers.
2. You work for kickstarter and want a cut of the pledge.
Which is it?
I for one would rather all of the pledges going to where it needs to be, the devs. CR gave us so many good games in the past and I doubt he has seen more than 30% of the sticker price filtering down to him and his dev. His space sim pedigree is flawless, thats reason enough for me to hand him money directly. (lets forget about the WC FMV ever happened)
Could not agree with this more!
Kickstarter is great, don’t get me wrong. But why should it be the *only* way to do crowdfunding? If the idea is to “do your own thing” without publishers, why comply to just another funding model?
For this project, I love the work that has been done. You get a much greater integration and deeper relationship with your audience/fans that you can ever obtain on kickstarter.
I could not agree more with this, and the previous statement. Kickstarter has shown that Crowd Funding does work, but by no means, is isolated to one company, or excludes direct crowd funding as is being done here.
900,000+ dollars raised from private Crowd Funding, I’d say that’s working fine without kickstarter.
I pledged the Lancer Package, but I will probably do more depending on details about the RSI Constellation’s trading functions.
The thing with Kickstarter is that it has more people checking out whats new on the Kickstarter scene, if Star Citizen was to show up on it it would be free advertising, all it would do is show this game to alot more people. There is only more to gain from adding your game to it imo.
I too have pledged but would’ve preferred Kickstarter. The thing I like about KS is that my pledge isn’t instantly transferred from my account, so I have time to put aside more money for my pledge and to make adjustments to my pledge amount. Now, Star Citizen plans to offer the opportunity to increase our pledge amounts, so that’s a welcome addition. I’m comfortable with Kickstarter; but, aside from the slight hiccups when Star Citizen’s pledge system was rolled out, I have had no problems.
I would agree with you with all, except one thing. Lets not forget about the WC FMV. If anything, it shows us how much the old publishers/moviehouses can ruin a product by pushing it for their own means/needs (like the WC movie was mostly used to show the new Star Wars Trailer, more than making efforts of getting a good movie out). Same applies to the choice of actors that had to be in it. There is a whole story about it out there. It tells precisely why it’s a good thing to not be tied by publishers. Crowdfunding enables the actual creator to make what he envisions, rather than what publishers want in it.
On the question asked in the poll. I’m going to pledge Lancer, after my CC flushes for the coming month.
What if I prefer Amazon payments, to PayPal? I’ve already pledged, but I’m sure there are reasons for wanting Kickstarter beyond the two you mentioned.
Kickstarter is a vast improvement over this current funding model (for star citizen) if only for the fact that you can change your pledge, or cancel it, at any time inside the open period. You’re not charged when you consider donating, your payment is authorized but money does not change hands until there has been a long vetting period. As new details emerge and the devs speak more about the game in detail you can adjust your pledge as necessary.
It’s also not an option to keep a portion of the funds if you don’t meet your goals. I think the decision to make refunds an option that each user must choose is a bad precedent to set.
I agree fully on the bad precedent thing and not taking the money until funding level has been reached. Its part of what makes me hesitant about funding this.
Kickstarter payment is tied into amazon, that is why loads of kickstarter project have their own paypal option on their forum/website.
I heard that there is alot of overhead cost involved in using kickstarter, and Chris using crowdfunding this way might mitigate this.
Honestly it isn’t much what makes kickstarter special. Kickstarter would simply give the project additional visibility and additional funding on top of this page. Almost every big kickstarter project has its own paypal-based funding on the side, so nothing prevents Star Citizen to have a main altenative funding with kickstarter on the side for those that favor it and to gain additional visibility and funding.
If I were Cloud Imperium Games I would start a kickstarter on the side, with a lower target there (like 3-500k? The survey can help them decide), in order to gain additional visibility and funding for the game. Alternatively, in order to avoid the two crowdfundings to conflict with each other, they could do it after this one has concluded.
agreed to this,
the project will take years anyways (1 year before this crowdfunding, plus 2 years after) what is another month.
This crowdfunding is only to justify the private investors to add 10m next to the 2m, and the kickstarter project adds extra money to justify a small expansion after release of this PC game.
Wow, I didn’t expect things to get so out of control… All I said was that I prefer kickstarter. I never said kickstarter was safer or that I ‘thought’ it was safer. I would have ‘prefered’ kickstarter because of their system infrastructure. They would have been able to cope with every pledge that people wanted to put forward. We have no idea how much money we potentially lost because of the outage. I pledged 125 for the Lancer package, if I was a “kickstarter employee” or I ‘favored’ them, do you think I would have put my money down for it?
I want more ship details first.
I think a lot of people would like to have more details in general about what the gameplay is going to be like and a better idea of whether the game will reach its goals before pledging. Dogfights are dogfights, but what about more info on how trade is likely to work, how big the universe will initially be in terms of systems, planets and dockable ships/stations, how you acquire missions, ally with/oppose factions, what upgrades will be available, and so on.
Most of the things I was hoping/looking for in the game would only be delivered if the Stretch Targets were met, and in some cases the latter ones, with some stuff I don’t really care about being delivered earlier. Perhaps another poll is required to see which elements of the Stretch Targets people would rather see delivered sooner, e.g. would people prefer the priority being on more ships, more missions, a bigger universe, a bigger SP campaign, etc., or better yet, a poll that let you pick and rank your top three stretch targets.
Anyway, I suspect that if it looks likely that the game will reach a given funding level, then there will be a flurry of pledges from people that would be happy with what that level of funding provides, with everything else being gravy. Right now, I’d say things are looking pretty good for Stretch #1 and probably Stretch #2, so putting what more people want into the earlier Stretch Targets might encourage a few more pledges.
Exact my thoghts.
This is a really good point when looking at the different tiers I was a bit confused as to what each really meant. More details about what you are actually getting would be excellent.
Solid, unqualified ‘yes’.
I pledged via the backup site.
Ship Informations!
MMO-World Navigation Information!
I’d like this information and also a little more info about the game economy.
I have already pledged Lancer on the backup site. As a fellow software developer, I have said almost verbatim the same things about my own projects that Chris Roberts has said he wants this game to be (though I have said them about Fantasy games, as I prefer them to Space games). His vision deserves a chance to become a reality. We need more innovation in game play instead of the mindless stream of WoW clones and click-fests that have plagued the gaming landscape.
I just pledged around 5 minutes before this poll started…
I really ought to begin convincing my father to borrow me the use of his credit card…. I have plenty of spare money (around USD300) in cash, but no credit card to pledge with! RSI, would you accept it if I mailed banknotes in an envelope? I’ll be happy to pay postage myself….
I used cash and bought a GreenDot card and loaded up a Paypal account made just for the purpose of pledging here — maybe that would work for you?
Perhaps, but I an not sure this is available in the place I live in…. A little place in the middle of nowhere called “Hong Kong”.
Was there once for a conference. Amazing place you live in. Is that lil island south which had some sort of electrical power thingie still car-free?
That blew my mind. Plus bamboo scaffolding as high as the eye can see
I live in the main Hong Kong Island. There several islands further at the South, the one with a power plant is Lamma Island. It has a coal-fired power plant and a wind turbine there. In those islands, cars are rare sights but I’d not say it’s 100% car free, it’s mainly cycles and little electric carts, though.
I have to say, though, being a visitor to Hong Kong and a resident are two very different things. For instance, from what I see, the air quality in most places is horrible, rapid urbanization is destroying the countryside, and high property prices are generating a long list of social problems. I personally suffered badly at the hands of its education system, which produces excellent grades at great personal cost of the students.
Enough ranting. I think as a visitor and as a resident, we see the same things differently. We are used to the good of Hong Kong and so would only focus on the bad, while for visitors, it’s the other way around.
I figured you might not live in the US when you mentioned USD… i didn’t mention it though because typing on my mobile is a pain. I’m sorry… I hope I didn’t offend you at all!
No problem! I didn’t even feel offended by anything you said.
Yeah do what StiligFox said. Sending cash in mail is never a good idea.
Roger that. I’ll look around for pre-paid cards. Hope to see you all in space one day.
You can link paypal with bank accounts, so you dont need a credit card at all.
Hong Kong is one of the financial capitals of the world, so I am sure that paypal will support your bank to perform direct debits from your account.
That may work, too, perhaps even better. I actually have a bank account.
I’m away from my proper pc atm, when I get back i’ll definitly pledge.
I pledged going only on thrust, hope I will not become a broken down old man if it is broken
You pledged only on thrust? Wow. How much would have pledged if you engaged afterburners? ;-D
Dying to pledge but need a Linux version!
+1
Already Pledged but this would be +1 for additional pledge.
Chris has already said that Mac OS and Linux support is one of the long-term goals for the game, mostly depending on time and money. If there aren’t enough pledges to keep the game going in the first place, other OS’s are a moot point.
In order to get matching funds and wider interest, they have to go for the dominant operating system, which is still Windows. The sooner they can get the base game out the door, the sooner they can add features and grant those wish lists.
I have already pledged, but a Linux version is very welcome!
It’s about time an AAA game is made for Linux, and I believe it’s well achievable for RSI/Cloud Imperium Games Corp.! Especially since there are no publishers involved (they seem to hate Linux)..
If Linux is promised, I’ll double my pledge!
Maybe start an OS-poll?
Just pledged on Kickstarter, but I’d really really want to have a Linux version as I don’t currently have a Windows PC (and rather avoid having to buy one).
I’m waiting for more info on ships and the MMO. It seems that some of the pledge ships are more applicable to multiplayer. But the stretch goals make it appear that the MMO features appear unlikely at the current pledge rate. So I plan to pledge. But won’t decide the amount until I have more info.
all features happen above 2 Mil. . It will just take longer and not 2 years as the dev team will be smaller. And they’ll have to wait for money from gamesales to get to do the more ambicious MMO parts…
I have pledged, and I want to pledge more, and I’d like a bit more in the way of in game perks (things that don’t matter like a special item only pledge people will receive, in-game)
I pledged but told my friends to wait until the technical issues are sorted out.
I can’t pledge yet as I’m a student and low on funds (and too lazy to work every moment I have free time) but I’m going to pledge soon or before the 30 days are over, still have 23 days so no rush for me.
I have also already pledged, but I would like some information about the Ships we are pledging for!
My problem is that my only option to pledge is pay safe – which this pledge system
doesn’t allow.I’m from Slovenia 20 year old men so I don’t have VISA or credit card like that.
Don’t have credit card either. Loath CC companies.
But I can transfer funds from my bank account to a special paypal bank account and a few days later it will be on my paypal account.
Maybe that exists for you in Slowenia too?
In order to enjoy the game I’d have to spend several hundred on a serious graphics card (and would like to spend another hundred on a flight stick). I’m not ready to put that much money into one game.
I may decide to pledge anyway as a show of support for an excellent project and see if I can get a sweet/used deal on a card in the next two years. So I think I’ll vote I can’t afford it; although the truth is I don’t ~want~ to afford the hardware updates I’d have to invest in.
You have 2 years to save up for said hardware
Truth be told, this is going to be the game I build my next PC around. A LOT will change in 2 years time in hardware and prices.
Even if you dont want brand new, when the game comes out, that card today that will cost you “several hundred” in 2 years will cost under one hundred :p
Exactly, and I remember reading or hearing the game will “be playable on the computers of today but built for the computers of tomorrow” so I’m sure you’ll be able to scale down the graphics to run on a graphics card that will only cost under a hundred USD like Edenist said.
Y’all are making sense. I’ll probably pledge $30 to support the game and get my copy, and keep an eye out for deals in a year or whenever we get the call for alpha and beta testing. Just have to watch for my friends to get rid of their “old” cards when they upgrade
I pledged $125, as the majority of the staff from the old server Freelancer Avalon Seg (FR). We all hope this fantastic dream come true and didn’t hesitate for long. Come on guys ! Do like us : pledge the Lancer option, so you’ll earn credits by trading. And then you’ll buy all ships you want !
Big thank you to Chris Roberts and his team !
I have allways made credits in Freelancer doing missions
so I am The Wingnut.
I did a combination of both. The Heavy Fighter in Freelancer had quite a bit of cargo space. I was torn between Wingnut and Lancer, but went Lancer since it was the trading aspect that appealed to me most. That and the exploration, I *loved* searching for the derelict ships to get all of the really advanced weapons
Loved Freelancer. Loved Wing Commander: Privateer (and it’s expansion). Both great games with great stories… I kept waiting for add-on packs for Freelancer with new story missions or new characters to play other than Trent. So much potential in that universe…
I have pledge but I have to say that even if the games sound perfect, I am not sure that it will be the one I dream of: I mean having a Wing Commander space sim back again is so great but I still do not understand how the multi/mmo part will work. What if I want to play the trade part, meaning not being in a permanent military conflict but act as the trader, mercenary or some other mission? Are those part of the game exists? Are they MMO or can be played in single player? Can you ship be upgraded or repaired? I think this project will be great anyway, it is just that I prefer privateer 2 game style as Wing commander fight game. Anyway, I pledge and I may pledge again because I am sure it will be a huge success but maybe your need to be more present on social media and dedicated games web site.
I think that some more inter-community cooperation might be a good idea. The team from HD Interactive is also currently running a pledge campaign to make Nexus 2. These are two games of a different genre, but a similar setting that I think appeals to fans of both. Both are PC-only games, and currently suffer from the same publishing issues. I think if RSI and HD interactive were to co-promote each other, it might serve to grow the momentum and exposure for both.
I might also try to get onto a tech site like Gizmodo/Engadget with an article about innovation in game development or something. They have a huge readership, and I’m sure more than a few PC and space-sim fans.
“Oh, and one last thing:”
GERMANY!
It is the mecca of space sim fans! You have mentioned a localized version for them is in the works, but I would get a German version of the pledge site online as fast as humanly possible!!!! Otherwise, I think you are leaving a ton of money just laying on the table.
Another place for co-promotion: Egosoft, the makers of the X-games. They are a more direct competitor, so I’m not sure how keen they’d be, but they also have a gigantic fan base.
Indeed, I think that the team leader of the excellent Wing Commander Saga (fan-made sequel for the WC-series) is from Germany. It would be wise to contact them, since I have not seen any advertisement in their web page: http://wcsaga.com, but they are top WC-fans, so they will sure contribute to spread the voice.
I must also say that language support could be critical for gaining extra pledgers in Europe. Despite English is becoming the common languange in our old continent, not all the people (even younger ones!) have enough skills in practice, so that language support will help them a lot. The problem is that Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) should then deal with multiple languages (that is, the team should incorporate translators or rely/trust for the duty on the fan community). Spanish should be easy, it is still spoken in Texas, where I think Mr. Roberts lives
I didn’t read all the replies and maybe someone pointed it already but I saw it in the forums. Some sort of official banner would help for sure to promote the game, something we could add to signatures in forums and websites.
At this point I’m promoting the game through a thread I opened a week before GDC announcement in one of the largest hardware and software spanish forums: Noticias3D (link to the thread: http://foro.noticias3d.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=398990)
I’ve pledged money, and I’ll be examining options of contributing in other ways as well.
I am planning on pledging. Will probably wait until the end of the month so I can pledge a little more than I could if I pledged right now. Also more info is always a good way to get more out of people. The more confidence I have in the project the more I am likely to pledge.
Want to know about single player first, but 99% I will pledge:)
I havent pledged yet since im broke, but i will as soon as i get my economy back on its feet!
Very good. But we need more. So push it!!!
“I haven’t, but plan to” was my vote but definitely will but haven’t decided on which pledge yet (I know I can upgrade my pledge) would be a more precise description.
I´m waiting for my next paycheck, so i will pledge at 1st of November!
In between pay-day’s, can’t do anything until the end of the month.
We need more publicity. We need to market this thing ourselves. I’ve only told one other person about it..
You make a good point about marketing. Where is the publicity for the game? I’ve seen almost no media coverage of the game and funding drive since the GDC announcement. Have Chris & Cloud Imperium been contacting the tech/gaming press and trying to get some coverage on the web to raise awareness (and get pledges from) people who may have missed the GDC coverage? What about a “Slashvertisement” at Slashdot.org, and stuff like that?
I agree on that. It needs to be somewhere people will look.
I found about this project by sheer luck. It’s been years since I played Freelancer and just happened to types freelancer 2 in google. In a completely random forum there was a single post barely mentioning Star Citizen.
Proceeded to typed that in google and MIND = BLOWN.
Proceeded to pledge 250$.
I feel like this could be the next gaming revolution/legend/step and i’ll do everything i possibly can to help it become what Chris wants it to be.
I do want to hear more about ships and single player (and everything else) but I have pledged already and also told all my friends about it. Sadly none of those have pledged yet, but I hope I can still convince a few people. This is exactly the game I’ve been waiting for!
I intend to, but I’ll have to wait the begining of next month to afford it ^^’
I just pledged last night. I was ready to pledge on day 1, but hesitated. I took so long to pledge because of constant problems with the website and the low amount of information about the ships. For example I can’t even vote normally in the poll right now because of some sort of wierd error. I’ve been somewhat frustrated with how poor the site runs even for simple things. From home on Chrome it does run fairly smoothly, but from work on IE, it’s pretty terrible. I know IE sucks in general, but you should make your website run equally well on as many browsers as possible. I’ll try to remember to vote when I get home. I think the initial problems with the site caused alot of people to pause and wait. And as they waited they wanted more information (espeically on ships). It probably would have been wiser to launch on Kickstarter, however it’s to late for that.
Hey, Firefox does not such!
Sorry, I meant sucks. IE is pure garbage, the hamsters running the systems are not well enough fed, I think
i pledged days ago. Right after a was in a yard sale with a friend and sold enough junk to buy the wingnut pledge. So if ur low on money have a yard sale or just get creative in think of a way to make some extra cash. This game is worth it!!!
Doin’t ask what Chris can do for you – ask what you could do for Chris
Spread the word…
I’m iffy on pledging, not because I don’t trust that the game will be successful, but I don’t even know if I’ll be playing games in 2 years time.
2 years is a loooong time, don’t want to pay for something that will come in two years. who knows what will happen by then.
a longer pledge time would be nice. maybe 6 months is a nice time frame….
Well, the problem is that Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) needs the damned money for starting the work. Chris Roberts and colleagues have invested their OWN money in searching for “business angels” to pre-invest in the development of a prototype. I work in R&D (not in the game industry, but in water resources management) and I am aware of how difficult is to atract money. On the other hand, what you suggest would be a chance: there can be 2 speeds for pledging. I mean, a basic one, for starting the game production, which should reward people with faith (like me
) with some kind of privilege (for instance, access to some extra features such as the option to pilot a special ship class or something like that); then, a second stage for pledging, where those people not willing to risk, will have access to general features.
More or less, it is the same philosophy of the GOLDEN TICKETS: fans and believers, first
But everybody is granted access. Business is made when you believe in something and others do not see it clear enough. If you do not risk, you have no options for a prize! I wonder… what about having the chance of entering in some exclusive rooms of the carrier if one is 1st-stage pledger?
Well, there it goes…
I intend to, but I have to wait for my new credit card. Don’t even dare to tell my I should just use PayPal. I don’t trust PP enough to consider them as a choice.
I would love to get some more information on the ships first, but it will not stop me from making my pledge.
Not sure what you mean by not trusting PayPal to make a payment, I used the option (and it’s linked to my credit card) and works out as expected. Been using PayPal for well over a decade without any issues.
Hey, PayPal is fine. I pledged also that way (in Europe). I never had a problem with this payment option, and I normally use it in E-bay :O
I’ve had my PP account frozen once. Made a quick phone call to learn that someone in Iran tried to hack into my account and that they froze the account until I could prove my identity.
I changed my password and never happened again. I think paypal is quite safe.
I only link a 500$ credit card and no bank account to mitigate the losses if the worst case scenario happens. And with my pledge, theres not much left on the card.
Ship information first
I feel your nervousness about the low number of small pledges. My thoughts so far are twofold. First of all there is timing. Either people can pledge 10$ and get nothing but showing support. Or 30$ and already a ship. If I only want to show support, I think I would wait till the minimum of 2M is reached and the project gets a go and my 10$ will for sure make a difference by accelerating the development or wait till the very end and in case it’s still below 2M help getting it over. And in any case I might just wait for more info about it all to come out. I guess I just wouldn’t be much in a rush.
Secondly I feel there is a bit of a hole at the bottom. Maybe an additional 20$ pledge could fill that hole. Where ppl not only show support but also get 20$ off the final digital version of the game. But no ship, etc. Basically a partial preorder. Might fill the hole between 10$ and not getting anything and 30$ (soon 35 and 40 as the earlybirds tiers run out) and get full game and ship. I am not sure if such a deal would fly with your private investors. But might just be a very tempting one for people which are not THAT enthusiastic about Star Citizen but pretty confident that they will play it in the end and don’t have much disposable gamemoney. Maybe even another 15$ pledge option with 10$ off the final game?
IMHO, the 2 USD million target will be reached, since there are 20-something days left but around 50% of the target has been achieved. I believe that simply more marketing is needed. For instance, a video with Chris Roberts playing the role of Uncle Sam saying “SPACE SIM GAMER, THE SQUADRON 42 NEEDS YOU” or something like that, and showing some extra features of the game in an epic sequence will help a lot. For a video producing team such as the one in Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) this will be both cheap and funny, but the outreach will dramatically improve. Come on, guys (CIG), give something to the audience! Nearly 20.000 ready-to-pledge users deserve some “market-uptake” measure… They have taken a look, they only need to be pulled into the carrier
Concerning the gap between 10 USD and 30 USD pledge, you are somewhat right. But paying 30 USD for a game such as Star Citizen promises to be is a real bargain, mostly when a lot of guys (hey, teenagers, married, with childhood or not!) out there are paying even more for some garbage games existing in the market. Perhaps a 15 USD pledge for taking part in a contest would work: some exceptional goodies could be put on the hands of fans. For instance, the real model of a Vanduul ship, the chance of visiting CIG after 1 year of game development, and similar ideas. All this could be in a “pack”, so it would be attractive to pledge for it. Even many who have already pledged would do it again for that
In fact, that video I was suggesting could include cinematics for some of the ship models in action. Many people is claiming to see what they have bought. Surely, many people out there will be definitely convinced with an stunning 10 minutes EPIC VIDEO. Indeed, it would be nice to dedicate some time to military, some other to trading, etc. You know, JOIN THE ARMY, BE A TRADER, EXPLORE NEW WORLDS (something like in Freelancer). But above all, TODAY IS THE DAY FOR BEING A STAR CITIZEN! PLEDGE TIME IS ENDING. (Visit RSI website and so on…)
I made my pledge and I am debating pledging more (once that system is in place), also some item(s) clarification and rough ship(s) information would go a long way for most of us.
I would have already pledged, but the payment options prevent me from doing so.
I would relly prefer ClickAndBuy. If this feature is delivered soon, you will definitely see me pledging
I have not pledged yet.
Main reason is I am waiting for payday (Nov. 1st), but I can say with certainty that more info about the different ships in the tiers (concept art, stats, comparison between the different ships) and more info in general (what exactly are the blueprints in the 250+ tiers, for example? why have different tiers different manuals in them? will the “private server” software allow people to run a full-fledged server like the main RSI one will be, just on a smaller scale or will it be limited to setting up PvP training matches?) would go a long way to make me consider pledging at a higher tier than I currently plan to.
In short: more info = more money from me come payday
I really think information is the key. While you’ve released information on your ideas and what you’d like to see in the game your designing you haven’t shown us the potential. More concept art, more information on the pledge ships (not to mention the art on them) how the skills will work…. more concrete information and I think you’ll see a surge in pledges.
I plan to pledged on first of november when i got fresh money to spend
I think i take the Make me a Double…
More Ship details would be nice to chose what pledge you favorite ship is about…
I would love to see some more Videos and hear more about the technical part of the game like physics, supported hardware like oculus rift and other stuff. How you plan to use the pc as the aboslut superior platform.
I hesitate only because I can’t decide which ship. I will pledge, absolutely, and soon. I currently plan to pledge the “Wingnut” level. I love the look of the Hornet, and tend to prefer high maneuverability fighters (interceptors). But I’m tempted to pledge the “Come Fly with Me” level. I just want to know more about the Constellation.
If it was just me with this dilemma I wouldn’t bother bringing it up, but almost everyone I know who hasn’t pledged has claimed this to be the reason.
if you don’t like the big boy, then sell it and buy a hornet and upgrades with the extra credits you’ll make on the sale.
You make a good point.
I seem to recall reading somewhere that pledged ships can never be lost/destroyed by the original holder.
which isn’t really including can’t be sold
Have pledged, dont think I can pledge more due to me renovating my house, but will do so if I can find more for you
Have pledged and will likely raise my pledge if everything goes well.
Apart from that, I guess there is a number of reasons, why just one third of the registered users have pledged. You need to give money in good faith – and people have seen a number of promising space-sim-projects which didn’t materialize (yet), e.g. Infinity. The technical problems in the beginning probably didn’t help to build the trust of the sceptics.
I also would guess that the number of older pledgers (older than, let’s say 30/35) is disproportionately high – people, who played WC and Freelancer and always wished for a Freelancer 2. Maybe it would be a good idea to specifically adress younger gamers (by viral marketing or so, what do I know, I’m an old fart …).
I agree. yet, it’s the older gamers that have money to throw at RSI.
I was thinking the same thing, more specifically how that the $10 pledges didn’t offer anything at all. It’d been wise to at least offer some sort of discount to the final game.
in theory they do.
but there are a lot of factors.
I think it would be nice to see more goodies for the higher $$$ pledges.
I did pledge, as soon as the full site was up again, without opting for a refund. I’m a space opera enthusiast for more than 20 years, so I saw that as an opportunity to invest into something I’ve spent a long time waiting to come back. But I see everybody else’s concerns.
So, my 2 credits on current pledging dynamics. I bet you have a marketing plan and a strategy to keep the tension up over the remaining time, but let’s compare notes:
- Information Pacing:
You got the message out, and you got the bait out. The site offers promises, and the press is still echoing those – but now the fans want meat. Storyline, technology, and yes, ships. You’re promising ships for pledges, people want to see them. I’d wait until 20 days are left, then roll up the garage doors to reel in all the fans that are interested, but hesitating – and the press will have the next news item to buzz about too.
- Pledging process:
Many of us space sim veterans are just that – veterans. Many of us are in Europe, or other places outside the US. So, many of us are not used to pledging. Help those folks to understand better how to do it, and what will happen. Do a pledging FAQ, talk about ways to give money, give an example of processing fees if all goes downhill, tell people if several pledges can add up to reach that damn RSI Constellation. Make pledging feel easy, secure and fun.
- Show the goods:
Ships, ships, ships ain’t everything. Yes, I want to know how many barrels will be sticking out my bird, too – but talk about the rest of the stuff. Spaceship-shaped USB stick? Show one! Make a mockup of the soundtrack CD, show a blurry blueprint, give an example of the 3-inch spaceship model. Get people to salivate. Even if the stuff in the end looks different, they’ll forgive you that if you explain why. Around 15 days before the goal.
- Get the site cleaned up
The advertising blurbs in the landing page are getting old fast. Right now, people will come in that have read articles on other sites or heard stuff from friends, and all they find here is what they already know. Reduce, move the “Why”-stuff on another page, have a news-section for hesitant fans, an information/FAQ-section for first-time users and a quick-access portal for registered citizens. And probably select a video frame where Chris looks a bit less, well, doped. ‘scuse me, Mr. Roberts, sir.
Well, in the end: Best of luck to y’all.
I completely agree with you. Clever words.
I would like to add to this:
- There’s no 20 dollar/15 euro ‘Just buy the (digital) game’ tier.
- People like to think they will get something exclusive, something that no one will be able to get if they didn’t throw money at this project NOW.
- I mean, where are the boxed collector editions?
- I also mean, where are the exclusive “signed by Mr Roberts himself” goodies?
- The Tiers are not cumulative: It keeps people on the fence waiting for more info, to help them make that ‘tough decision’ on what tier to choose. There’s no “F*** it, give me all the ships” tier.
Agree with everything in your post. I have already pledged, but would probably have done it through kickstarter if there had been one.
Additional thoughts from me:
- Kickstarter site is easier to go check the updates on information and the pledge amounts gathered(it is simple for a reason, you don’t have to search through a whole site/forums for information) think of it from an advertising perspective, you have a set amount of time to convince a buyer about your product and that time counts when searching for all that information.
- Kickstarter is easy for some people, personally I don’t see much of a problem with having both funding systems, but this project has already gathered people who feel negative about kickstarter and vice versa, I have no idea what starting a kickstarter for the funding now would do..but there needs to be a good explanation for the parties involved.
- When the site had some problems before it somewhat killed the momentum for a great start, what there really needs to be now is additional video update (perhaps about ship types and to talk more about the design and maybe show some more of that carrier insides..) the momentum to pledge isn’t going to rise too much without this.
- The pledge tiers: Are a bit of barebones, I somewhat like this but they won’t work since the ship information is so low right now that people won’t know what they’re pledging to(and no additional incentive to pledge somewhat..). Here is another reason why kickstarter would be good..people change their minds about what pledge level they want, and right now I don’t see much ability to do that in here.
Personally I don’t think kickstarter is necessary, but a lot of people do. If it is to be done though it needs to come with a good video & information about the pledge ships, gameworld, and other info..it needs to sell the idea and get the momentum going again and just doing the previous videos again won’t work, I can see that setting up a kickstarter would help the project funding to get a second start. Sure it is a bother to update two sites, but it should be thought as doing the fans a service to ease their possiblity to pledge.
Also the people want to know about the other development members..maybe a video tour of where the magic happens would be a good step.
The only thing that’s keeping me from handing Chris my money is that it’s still unclear to me whether the SP’s story driven campaign will simply “end” once it is completed, or it will allow you to continue playing a sort of openSP, like Freelancer did.
I wont be buying it for its multiplayer of MMO parts, because my internet connection is rubbish. So it all comes down to how much freedom the game will offer during -and more importantly, after- the campaign.
The draft FAQ and the GDC unveil didnt help me get some certainty about this, so i’m waiting untill there’s more info about this.
Good question, after reading the lines and watching the videos carefully again it does appears that there will be incremental “Wing Commander” style campaign updates in form of DLCs.
From the initial comments from Chris and the FAQ I understood things to be that the game would switch to be an open-ended Freelancer style gameplay once the SP campaign was complete, or you could skip the campaign altogther and go straight for open-ended. However, given what is going to be delivered when in the Stretch Targets and in particular $5m+ being required for “Privateer-like gameplay” and “Multiple Star Systems to Explore”, it sounds like the base game (for $2m funding) is a pretty small subset of what was discussed at GDC.
The forums and past polls show a significant number of people want a new Freelancer, but Chris initial plan seems to be for an extendable Wing Commander that might, if there is enough cash, grow into a new Freelancer as well. If that’s wrong, and I hope it is, then that needs to be clarified, because it’s almost certainly going to be a reason why some people have not pledged yet.
It’s been mentioned in several places that the multiplayer aspect (like Freelancer) will remain in place regardless.
I pledged $500 on the backup site. My pledge hasn’t been connected to my account and I’d really like to upgrade my pledge to $1000 before it’s to late. (11/31 Backers)
Yes, Yes, Yes! I pledged as soon as the site was back up and running. For 2 or 3 days there I couldn’t even get registered to the forums, but I’m a happy Wingnut right now. I may increase later on if my wife let’s me!
I’m only waiting for more info on the ships. That’ll hopefully point my compass to the level of pledge that will suit me… don’t worry, I won’t not pledge… just waiting for the info
I’m waiting to have some spare money. A small health issue popped up so pledging had to wait.
I think kickstarter would be a good idea to get a bigger audience. I guess kickstarter has its community and some people might feel saver there. I will eventually pledge here directly, but to be honest, i prefer to see the $2mio reached first. And my pledge will be about a normal pc game price, maybe CE-price because again to be honest, i dont have enough money to just gift it over to anyone, and i wont get any money back from the sells like a regular investor.
I just think if there are ways to get more money in to make it a bigger and better game they should be used.
I also dont see what the sense of the 30 day timelimit is (except maybe to show big investors, that there is a lot of interest)
What about a minecraft style model, that you could buy all the time, just got more expensive when it reached the beta and gold status.
actually you can request to get your money back if they don’t make the game or it doesn’t reach the goals. it’s a check mark on the pledge page.
I made my pledge on the euro site, and was more than happy to do so. But why not use both kickstarter and RSI to raise the money? I might just make another pledge to kickstarter if going down that road. Oh and I’m still waiting for my pledge to appear on my account
(.) I want to hear about the persistent world first.
A couple of thoughts on helping pledges.
1) Chris is the draw here, so he should be a lot more visible on the forums and interacting with the community. Answer questions on the forums, for instance. People need to know that this is real and that he’s ‘all-in’.
2) Leverage the supporters more by giving them tools to promote the game. A banner, for instance, is really easy and should be a priority. Web/Blog buttons to support the game would also be good. Provide a well-written synopsis of the game for people to post on their blog, etc.
3) Definitely give more info on the rewards. Provide more vanity reasons for people to pre-order in the rewards, as well. I think pre-orders should get a special ship skin, even if it is on the lowest level ship.
4) Provide a ‘contributors-only’ forum (maybe starting at $60 or so) that gets more interaction from the Devs. People will pay to influence the direction of the game.
Agree, some sort of “RSI – We create universe (you all have been waiting for)” sort of commercial.
And some jawdropping trailer.
Whatever, there is 41% that already pledged those 900k and some 47% that will pledge later. Im my math lower goal will be met.
I disagree with option 4/, because many people with excellent ideas (that’s not me, unfortunately
) could be put aside. There are many tallented fans out there (the evidences are in WC Saga or the Freelancer mods), mostly young people, not having the chance to invest 60 USD in Star Citizen (despite loving it!). Anyway, some kind of privilege for stimulating people to pay more than 60 USD could be a good idea, but not at the cost of influencing the game or interacting with developers. We all know that people with the money is not always people with the good idea (and that is the reason why we are pledging, after all!).
I agree with 1-3…
And there is missing something that keeps people interested right now! With the time capsules there was something that made me come here every day because i NEEDED to read them. something like this is missing now that keeps people interested!
After the release we got to see pics and a concept art of a ship that was in the video already. so nothing really new.
Reveal some planets, maybe a spacemap (or part of it), just something that keeps people interested without too many spoilers.
And another problem: Facebook! Make this website the number one recource again for infos and news. On facebook there is no pledge button as far as i know. So make people come to the website, see the pledge option and maybe some people that wouldnt have checked in here and pledged would just do it, because they are right here anyways.
About point 3… maybe let people that pledge already name planets, or even write backgrounds on those planets (ok, for that we need a bit more insight in the past). But that would be something people would be interested in and it would save the team some work.
Was on the site weeks before the reveal but have not been able to pledge yet due to not having the money at hand…family etc come first
just !!
Will be going for one of the $125 packages at the end of the month. Would love to do more but times are hard
There’s no option for “I pledged on Day 1, but need more details about pledges and features so I can justify spamming my social networks with updates.”
Bring on the concept art!
I did.
Almost as fast as I could get to the backup site.
The thing that cost some time was deciding which level to choose.
I’d like to have the title “Scout”, as well as being very interested in the blueprints and ship models.
But alas, german customs… you never know if something passes without inspection or if there’ll be another trip to the nearest office. I’m lucky in that it’s just across the road and they do know me and the sometimes “strange” items I order overseas but I’m always kind of annoyed if I have to go there and discuss what something is and which category of good it’s best fitting in.
So, to say something useful:
I’d definitely like a building-block-system where you get a list of avaiable items/rewards and the price is summed up according to your choices. With the chance to add more money, but I think that might be asking for a bit too much.
I pledged just about as soon as I could. I’m a huge fan of the Wing Commander series and Freelancer. Initially I had reservations about the crowd funding not being done through something like Kickstarter. My worries were mostly about visibility. Will enough people stumble across this and be interested in supporting it? The more I think bout it though, with all of the social networks and conduits for spreading information and ideas through the ‘net, I don’t see why a site like Kickstarter should be a necessary means to create crowd funding.
The RSI team needs to be full on making noise out on the web to help get people here and get them excited to help fund this, but it’s also on those of us that are excited about the prospect of this game to spread the word through twitter, facebook, or whatever and help generate hype. More people generating buzz and excitement will lead to the funding. So go tweet the hell out of how cool this will be, talk it up to your coworkers or facebook friends or whatever. Just make sure people know it’s here.
What may happen also is that people came in, registred, then forgot about the project. It happens a lot with games and websites in general.
May I suggest you email all registred users the link to this survey? It MAY bring you more answers. You will notice that few people (relatively) answer the website polls.
Registred users > Active users > People who answer polls
On my reason, I’m waiting for the end of the month. I could get the $60 deal now, but I want to get the $125 one for the physical goodies. Then again, I still have all WC manuals, including the WC1 ship blueprints
I’ve pledged via the backup site, but am a bit concerned about the low numbers. I imagine that it’s entirely possible that there are loads of space sim fans out there who still don’t know about this proposed game.
I’ve even gone so far as to send emails to one or two websites I generally look at for gaming news and have politely asked them if they are going to run any articles about it.
Educating the world that this game needs funding is the key to its success, so perhaps we should take it upon ourselves to spread the word?
The thing that was holding me back was not knowing the minimum requirements. It is a little scary to hear about how Chris wants to push the envelope, and not knowing what kind of money it would take to get a machine up to specs for it. I eventually found this on the PC gamer website that laid out some requirements:
http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/10/17/star-citizen-system-requirements-modding-and-potential-microstransactions-detailed/
and my machine is good to go (might need a slightly beefier graphics card, but that shouldn’t be too expensive two years from now) and I am ready to pledge. It would be great if this info was in the FAQs of RSI to allay peoples fears about pledging to support something that they might not even be able to play.
It is.
In yesterdays Comm-Link announcement: http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/draft-faq/
In fact pcgamer.com got those requirements from this Draft FAQ
I voted for “I’d prefer Kickstarter”, but the truth is that I’d prefer anything other than PayPal. Put on Google or Amazon checkout and I’ll back it.
And… I see that you’ve put Amazon on there when I wasn’t looking.
I still think KS provides a small amount of consumer protection against fraudulent projects, but I don’t think yours fits in that category, so it doesn’t really matter.
I actually think a 1/3 of the community pledging is actually a very good return. Thinking back when I joined the community and got a golden ticket, everyone was actually in the dark about what the project was about, what the tickets were for, and so on.
The results for me are spectacular – the video is awesome, and the ideas Chris has pitched are mouth-watering. This is definitely something I want to see happen!
However, this won’t be the case for everyone. How many of the 30,000 members are repeat visitors for example? Counting them as true space-sim fans because they signed up early might be off the mark. There was no cost for signing-up. There is for making a pledge. Like I said at the start, I think a 30% take-up rate (so far) is actually very good.
The worrying thing for me is that I do believe the pledge total will be met – and I hope some of the stretch goals can be met too – however the number of pledges is really quite low.
The marketing hasn’t really got into gear yet. RSI/CIG really need to get this thing viral and hit the social net all guns blazing.
How about setting up some Facebook competitions which reward winners with ships and/or systems/planets/jump gates being named after them?
Or give out goodies at certain random numbers of likes on Facebook, or followers on Twitter?
You should run banners on prominent gaming sites inviting gamers over to the future of space combat/exploration.
Another thread suggested Chris should do an AMA session on Reddit – all of these things need to happen in tandem to maximise visitor numbers.
And most importantly of all: have a stable site to receive an increase in visitors!
The RSI site itself, and the marketing materials and ideas present here, are fantastic and very polished so there’s no need to re-examine what’s already done. I think it’s simply a case of not enough people “out there” having heard about it…
well, i’d see kickstarter as an additional option, that should be considered to use, even if they take their small cut.
it could help to reach and gain more, should be worth a try and the nessesary double watch and communication.
unfortunately, i cant afford to pledge atm, for some more or less difficult reasons, otherwise i would if i could, as this project seems to be worth it.
After thinking a while, I propose something that should be done quick in order to raise more funding: why not make a call to the community for an script of topics to be discussed in a 5-10 minutes video? (Sorry, Mr. Ben Lesnick, but you will have to read them all
). Some rules should be given (max. of words/questions for instance and issues like that). 1-2 days for organizing that and publishing it on the RSI website. It should be spread through social media (“This is your chance to prove that you will become a STAR CITIZEN” or something like that). Time is very short, but you guys are highly specialized in video producing. Chris Roberts and some other of CIG could appear and show the people some features and answer the several questions formulated by the audience. Do you remember that a fan made a physical model just watching 2 seconds of a promotional video? (I think it was a hornet).
Pledged day one at wingnut. With all the chaos of the first few days, I’m sure you’re behind sched a bit… but the daily updates you were so amazing with before the reveal have pretty much gone by the wayside…loved the tidbits and the letters of thanks and all but it would be nice to see a bit more a bit more frequently. Even some fictitious “Daily News” reader from Terra or Earth would be welcome!
Of course were all on the edge of our seat waiting for ship information and at this point, rough sketches would trump speculation ( we all know concepts and final products are never the same). Ideally, some video updates would be awesome, providing some new looks at whatever you have, however trivial it may seem, is worth a thousand words.
Lastly, the forums need (at the very least) a search function and sticky threads. Ben and Chris have posted some great info and users have been great about trying to keep that stuff up to date, but we see so many repeated threads that its difficult for conversations to move forward.
you can use google to search through the comments atm. Just google http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/forums/ + (what you are looking for here)
I’m waiting for an info about physical copy of the game.
Will it be avaible for people who pledged? Or the only way to get it would be buy it seperatly after the release of the game?
Or maybe they won’t be a physical copy of the game?
based on what pledge you get you do get the game $30 pledge & up. It says how you get them in each pledge line. For instance $125 gets you a usb stick with the game on it. So That would be your physical copy.
I want a box. A box that i can put between Freesapce 2 and Freelancer not some usb stick or fighter model
.
And i’m not the only one.
They should say if the physical copy of the game, in a box, will be avaible to buy in 2 years. If it is what’s the problem with making one more copy and sending it to me? I can pay for transport fees extra and 125$ pledge now is at least twice what the game will cost in 2 years.
Videoblitz for the youtube age: Internal and external.
Internal:
Additional 1-5 minute videos like the ones about physics/immersion/etc that already exist but other topics (ppl seem to not like reading anymore, but rather watch a video):
- Base Goal of 2M versus 5M; what gets made when.
- single player
- private servers
- RSI server/ MMO Part
- one for each ship. Where the designers that made it present it. Show it off rotating around CGI. Maybe even get some time on one of those 3D Printers and have then hold Chris a sizeable Model 20 inches long or so and explain it’s basic capablities and purpose..
- battle instances/matchmaking etc.
- Upgradability of ships.
- Character customization
- One for each of the main playdirections (merc, bounty hunter, military guy, trader, explorer, gun for hire, etc)
External:
Y’all been in the business for a long time. So you know a lot of people including a lot of other former and current legends (ign has a top 100 list of them). Plus others with rockstar weight (Tim Berners Lee, Balmer, new guy from Apple, the designer guy from Apple, Wosniak, Torvalds; that kinda people). Of some of them you probably even know they loved your games back when. Ask them if they dig your current idea to make a short 30-300 sec video endorsing your idea, validate that it can be done by Chris and his team and urge their followers to pledge 10$. I mean I’d even watch Balmer if he talks about Star Citizen
Get some rockstar PR blitz going! Might get some youngens into pledging and make that low pledge amount counters go way up
If you do make some sizeable 3D Printer Models of the ships for videos about each ship with designers and chris: Either Auction them off or create new high$ pledges that will include them. Or use them for specific pledge pushes:
- “make it a double” push: One lucky pledger out of the next 500 “Make mine a double pledges” will get the Origin 300i model.
Waiting for more info on the ships design and what concretely does these citizen cards means in game. If there are no info on that by the end of the crowd funding I will pledge ‘blindly’ regardless.
You should release all these ship design at the same moment the counter hit 1 million dollar. This way it is more than likely most game magazines/sites will write a specific news about it.
+1 for the idea to release more info (with the 1 million mark)
I also like the ideas of Cpt. Archie C. Eagle and Tim. (no quotes possible in this forum)
You really nead to get more people to realise Star Citicen exists and it will only be possible if they help (by pledgeing)
I just saw this page yesterday, regged, and pledged some. But I will consider pledging more depending on the info coming out on ships and citizenship..
I think it’s a lack of information mostly. People I’ve talked to are confused about what the game is actually going to offer and what the pledge rewards actually are. Questions I’ve run into the most:
What are those ships? What do they do? Where do they fit in in the grand scheme of things?
What exactly is offered in the single player game? The multiplayer component? The MMO component? What can I do in each of those parts of the game? Is the single player a linear campaign or can I buy and customize ships there too? How do the ships in the rewards fit into the single player game, if that’s all that ends up being created due to lack of meeting stretch goals?
Tons of questions about the persistent world MMO part especially. This section of the game needs to be presented better on the main site.
In my opinion:
1. People usually plan their budget monthly in advance – many of us was surprised and wait till November to pledge,
2. For those who cant afford pledge difference between 1st and 2nd options are still quite important.
3. More people would pledge cheapest option when it would support easier payment methods like SMS.
Ya, this is the reason why I can’t pledge atm, even though I have the money on me. I just need to be responsible with it so I can support this project & myself
RSI, here is your reasons why only 1/3rd pledges:
1. There is very little known about the game, People were excited based on Chris’ announcement and some in-game gameplay footage but that was only enough to bring them to the website.
2. When people come to website they look around and try to find more information about the game. There is even less information on the website than there was in Chris’ presentation.
3. They look at pledges and their uncertainty increases even more. Pledges basically say – hey we will give you a digital copy of the game, a ship in game and a few thoudands of in-game credits.
[b]What needs to be done to increase number of pledgers:[/b]
1. Adjust the website so that information about the game could be easily found. Consider adding sections like
“Game Features” – give players a good understanding what the game will be like. Right now you can only get a vague hint and only if you read forums a lot and combine your draft FAQ, Chris’ presentation and possibly details about Chris’ previous games.
“Game Story” – Time capsule is good, but it only listed events that happened until the pledge started. When I read it felt like you wanted to emphasize current project ideas and wrap them into ‘lore’ perspective. it worked well. But keep going, this keeps players’ interest. Start working on showing the players what events of “Squadron 42″ single player campaign will be based around.
“Star Ships and vehicles” – this is one of the biggest reasons why some people still hold their pledges in their wallets. Start working aggressively on early ship designs at least on the paper or a drawing board. People want to know what they will fly and how it will look. Even art design will already give us some food for thought.
“Planets” – people will want to know information about the worlds they will be playing on. They will also want every world to have it’s own ‘atmosphere’ and ‘mood’. Say one word is very technologically focused, another world is filled with say some Psionic race.. etc. Since we will most likely have missions on these planets in Squadron 42 have an artist do some sketches.
“Space Sectors” – same thing as with planets, show us the uniqueness of the sectors so that we are hyped to explore. Say one has some abandoned station ruins left long after some ancient race was annihilated by some other race. Create some kind of an emotional attachment between player and the place they’ll want to go in your game.
etc etc.
2. Review your pledges. At this point they are not very attractive. Each pledge has some art work representation but it doesn’t really show what pledgers will be actually getting. Visual connection with your pledge bonuses will create additional interest and desire to won that or this specific pledge. So along with that pledges are visually not attractive pledges also don’t include enough bonuses. Check out some biggest Kickstarter projects and check out their pledge packages. See if you can adjust your pledge packages to be overall more attractive content wise and visually on your website.
Hope this helps!
It all actually gets to this: As more information about the game you can advertise on the internet as more pledgers you will be able to draw in. Good luck!
Michael asked a very interesting question over on FB http://www.facebook.com/RobertsSpaceIndustries/posts/442063469169014
I voted “Yes, but I want to pledge more!”
exactly due the same concerns people has shown over in FB
I pledged yesterday
I couldn’t register my user the first day, because the site went down, and when the backupsite was up i wasn’t sure how well it would work, so i waited for the main site to come abck again.
I wanted to know some info about the ship’s, but at the end i just went and pledges, since i really want this game, and want to help you guys
Sorry, no time for reading the comments here, maybe my reason is already mentioned:
I want to know more about the ships, yes, AND I want to know if it is possible to get the Lancer ship, but the 42-page manual of Squadron 42, which is in the Wingnut pledge, because I am no modder at all.
Too early in development for all information on ships, but you can get the manual with both wingnut & lancer pledges.
At first, I hesitated pledging because I wanted more info on the ships as well. Then I realized that, it’s still so early in development that anything they tell us would likely be tweaked to Eridani and back before the game is released anyway. Plus after learning that all the pledge ships can eventually be bought in-game anyway, I relaxed and went ahead and pledged what I felt worked best for me.
I have Already pledged, but wouldn’t it be Good to get some Hardware companies like NVIDIA Or Intel into the investmentprocess? I think especially a Company like NVIDIA will have a Great Interest in pushing pc Performance. And I can’t imagine Anything better than Star citizen to help selling the next Generation Or gpus
Waiting for my paycheck…
Anyway yeah kickstart would be great, it really calls more attention.
And yeah I wish we had a sneak pick of the pledge ships.
I SERIOUSLY want to pledge. I want the Lancer and/or Wingnut package. But I’m hoping that I’ll be able to afford it before the month runs out. Now if it was extended another month or even over the Christmas break I know I’d be able to make a pledge (maybe even a bigger one) and I feel many others would too.
cyphyr
I’m 90% sure I will pledge, but I’d like to keep trolling the site and forums for a couple more days to get a little more information first.
What kind of more information would you want in order to get your support?
Well, I’m pretty much sold at this point. One thing I would really like to know more about though, is the micro transaction system. I tend to be adamantly against such games, as it usually means I can’t even compete against other players simply because they spend more on the game than I do. The saving factor of this game, of course, is the fact that it relies heavily on player skill rather than on character skill. That being said, I would love it if the micro transaction system involved things like buying custom paint jobs for my ship, or paying a fee to give my ship a custom name, or similar things which don’t affect core gameplay. Buying weapons and ships for real money would not be ideal in my opinion but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker. Anyway I would like to hear more specifics on what they have in mind for this system.
Another thing I want to know more about is their system of instanced combat. For example, if there are a few people doing battle near a key point like a planet or station and I happen to fly by, will I be able to see it and jump in? I understand that people will be able to get friends to help out in a battle, but I really like the chance aspect of, for example, a random stranger averting a pirate raid, or getting caught in the crossfire of someone else’s fight cause you were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Things like that really add to the immersion and excitement of the game in my opinion.
I haven’t pledged yet because I really want to know how multiplayer will work. Is it going to be like freelancer where you can fly around the systems the same as single player, or is it going to some crap like star trek online where you basically fly around a stupid galaxy map until you enter into an instance. This is really the deciding factor for me, like freelancer, I’ll pledge big, like star trek online, single player only for me. If it’s single player only for me then I’m not going to pledge for a ship and credits that are of no use to me. You really have to clear this up!
You can choose an offline mode to play single player, or online. You are not forced to do either, your choice.
I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be like freelancer. Cmon now.
I wish there were an ~$80 pledge package. I plan on upgrading when the option rolls out but jumping up to $125+ is a little too much for me
I went Lancer. I can’t really justify going much higher for a game, and all the physical goodies aren’t much of a draw for me. The RSI Constellation sounds nice, but the Rear Admiral title is actually a turn-off. It would be nice to have all 3 42-page manuals (Star Citizen, Squadron 42, and Engineering Mods) in digital format. My package comes with physical items, but I’d also be interested in the digital star map and soundtrack. How do I go about having a Hornet and a Freelancer waiting for me in my hangar?
according to their facebook reply http://www.facebook.com/RobertsSpaceIndustries/posts/442063469169014
it’ll be possible
I think that not going with Kickstarter shows an incredible shortsightedness. I’m not overly attached to Kickstarter, I just don’t understand the thought process behind choosing to do this in-house. Between the lack of stability of your own servers for the first few hours and the reduced page-views you’ll receive for not being on the well known platform, it seems like you’ve already lost far more than you’ll gain by not paying Kickstarter their cut. To me, this apparent shortsightedness does not bode well for the overall future of this product. I hope you succeed; I hope you manage to deliver a game at least as amazing as you intend to. And if you do, when it’s done, I will still be here and will be happy to pay you for the privilege of playing it.
I have the come fly with me, the more info pump out the better the youtube channel will differently bring in new gamers show the carrier of more that’s is just amazing the new q and a is the way forward we are hungry for real info not just speculation.
will the Engineering Manual for Modders Squadron 42 Manual be available to perchance separate from the pledge
I really want to pledge (come fly with me), but I have no credit card.
And I wont therefore start with a credit card agreement.
Find other options to pledge before the time runs out.
PayPal is an option
I do not have a paypal account.
)
But I have an european EC Card
Paypal also not possible with “Refund if Project Goal is not met”
I’m a certified Wingnut. I had to use the backup site, but who cares as long as this thing gets done!
I have pledged twice now, one was the $10 one and the other was the $35 one. I plan on pledging another time to Wingnut after the weekend and once we can upgrade our pledges, I plan on upgrading to the Lancer level (if I’m correct on how the system works).
I want this game to come to fruition because there isn’t really any good true space sims out there. Sure we have the X games but that has a very steep learning curve and to really get all out of that game, you have to be a trader.
First of all – Mr. Roberts, thank you for many months I’ve played playing Freelancer! I know it hasn’t been shaped exactly the way you wanted due to time restrictions but even without some of the features you planned, it was AWESOME!
Now that I can see your plans to push Star Citizen where Freelancer couldn’t have been, you’ve got my vote! Blind! And my money! Allow me to get my pay and I’ll gladly support this project.
Thank you and see you in space!
Pledging near the end of the month, so that I know I can pledge & not spend too much before I pay bills.
Pledged as soon as i had borrowed a friend’s credit card.
I do not care if the pledging is done on Kickstarter or via your own homepage – as soon as i heard from Star Citizen, it was settled that i’d pledge. Went with the Lancer Package for now. Star Citizen and Project Eternity, this has already been an expensive month ^^
LOL
after D3 major fail in the gaming history.
I’ve been throwing big chunk of money else where to all the new start up games like:
- Path of Exile (closed beta)
- MechWarrior Online (closed beta)
- Torchlight 2 (released)
- Star Citizen (Alpha coming soon)
Don’t you guys think that there is not enough information about the shiops because the entire game has not been completely designed yet? I mean part of the fun of making this game will be the fans having an input into it.
Right?
I pledged–however I know at least 2 people who will not pledge until they see a gameplay video from the cockpit to see how flying and fighting will be like.
i’ve mentioned elsewhere (in forums &/or commlink) i wasn’t expecting crowd funding, or at least not so soon –it takes me a while to put together funds for videogames.
i generally shop the bargain bin when i DO buy games. i am married w/two children and games (no matter how awesome or how badly i want them) are not a priority unfortunately.
i don’t know if crowd funding was mentioned before the reveal… if so, i missed it. if i had known ahead of time i could have started saving. : (
i really REALLY
I believe the Problem is the technical problems the first two days.I think especially for People that never played WC, Srike Commander or Freelancer like me, for thoose that just found out about this game were amazed and wanted to support, the technical problems were fatal. I mean imagine you just watch a video with big promises and high goals that Chris wants to implement and how he wants 10 times the graphics etc. and then the site crashes and does not work. It does leave you in some doubt that if they cant handle a website and the funding properly how will they be able to make a working and great game with all the promises included? And I dont really want to hear explanaitons on why it happend or that its perfectly normal that something like that happens with so many people on it, because frankly many people, especially the ones that are not fans/ dont know his games simply dont care. And that reflects then in the sales and income. I think it also explains why so few people paid so much money, you can see that its the hardcore fanbase that is pledging and only few newcomers.
Another thing that almost stopped me was the paying options. At the time the site was down the amazon option was not available and I didnt want to pay wiht paypal and I dont have a credit card, so I had to rely on a friend to do the transaktion.
But at this point I want to praise Chris and the Game too. What you showed so far is simply amzing and if it werent I would have never gone trough all the troubl to pledge.
However that technical problems give off a auro of inprofessionality so please do all your best to avoid them in the future.
Btw if Chris happens to read this, I heard that the piloting and figthing will feel like a WWII game now I wonder will it be similar to Wings of Prey aka more realistic and Simulation or rather arcadeish?
(grrr, stupid touchpad)
REALLY want to pledge. i would like to pledge $500 but that is completely unrealistic for me. at most i think i can come up with $60 before the 30 days are up.
i am happy to hear i can increase pledge later…
I can tell you for my part Chris, I had to wait for today and payday as I don’t have a ton of disposable income for the time being, and I intend to elevate my pledge at my next payday, which will be near the end of the 30 day window.
You have my complete and total faith sir.
You should consider planning a collectors edition like many other games and adding that to the pledge options. They sell well and would give people who are pledging upwards of $100 something nice.
I voted “Can’t afford it”, but if I can afford it before crowd-funding ends, I definitely will make a pledge.
Not enough information about the game yet and mainly the lack of information about the announced features. It concerns me that you are not being more transparent about you vision for the game and the details about the features already planned (even if they are still a work in progress).
I pledged as I was a BIG fan of the Wing Commander PC game series (loved III & IV especially); BUT I couldn’t do so using MSIE – I had to download and install the Google Chrome browser as there were numerous errors and I couldn’t properly progress using MSIE. (I’m also in IT and have been working with computers in some fashion since 1975 and believe me; I checked everything, tried lowering security enabling pop ups, etc – just to try to get it to properly progress.) My point? Like MSIE or not, if someone is considering pledging and runs into issues like I did, you’ll probably loose the pledge; and that would be a shame as I too want to see this project completed. I don’t think many will decide to try another browser if they run into issues or are ‘on the fence’ as it were.
I’m pretty sure you can upgrade your pledge, and just be charged the difference between what you’re already in at, and what you’re going to. That’s my understanding anyhow.
It better be, I’m at a lower tier than I intend to be before this thing ends.
Whoops, meant to put this on the comment below. Stupid me.
The reason I haven’t pledged is because I was caught unawares. I kind of live by the seat of my pants right now, paying bills paycheck by paycheck and whatnot. I will eventually pledge, but I need time to get my finances in order. I can of course do a small pledge now, but I really want to be a top tier donator, so because there is no option to continuously upgrade your pledge I am waiting until I have saved enough money to do so… sorry I haven’t yet.
I have pledged however when I was checking out there wasn’t any way I could add the $15 for international shipping so I will need some way to add that later.
I managed to pledge on the main site during one of it’s brief periods of uptime, I got through everything but it was gone again when I got to the confirmation screen, I have a transaction ID from paypal so I know you got the money I’m just waiting for you to link pledges to accounts so I can double check.
I have already pledged, but I agree there is a serious lack of information about the game on the website. THere needs to be a navigation pane with sections like:
* Gameplay Features
* Story & Background
* Ships
* Multiplayer universe
and so on. Maybe we can put up a wiki and have the community fill in this information? Who would like to help organize a wiki?
I have to say, and it shames me greatly, I never played wing commander… any of them (I played Freelancer and loved every minute of it) but some more information about the universe would be appreciated. I know it’s out there, elsewhere on the internet, but if there was a section of this page that could tell people about the WC Universe, sort of give them a crash course if they are unfamiliar with it, I feel they would be a good bit more comfortable laying down some cash.
It seems there’s already a wiki started at http://starcitizen.wikia.com.
Maybe we should all rally around a wiki page and begin building it out? And then maybe Chris can spotlight it on the main website?
As soon as my salary comes I’ll pledge – Plan for the $60 one., so relax, you’ll get my money eventually
)
I think I have played every game Mr. Roberts has ever had a hand in, when they were new.
Dating myself here.
Would be happy to pledge and plan on it, but need time to scrape up the money. Be understanding of the economy and we will help get you there Chris. I trust your game vision enough to put money in sight unseen as would any gamer that has ever played any of your games. Absolutely. We simply are not getting the games we deserve as PC gamers, and you have proven willing in the past to push the limits of the platform.
You obviously still have an unfulfilled vision for the WC universe as your style for this game is clearly a spiritual successor. That’s great! Nothing wrong with working with what you know since we all love it anyway. I’d have known who was making this game if you just showed the 10 seconds of the carrier and flight deck.
I would rather put money here any day than in another terrible console port that gets old in a week.
If I could change my vote it would now be “Yes”
These are the problems as I see them
- You are not doing anything at all to promote it. All you did was a launch and now you expect everything to just fall into your lap, it doesn’t work that way, you have to work for it. Keep posting information, post new videos, make people excited.
- Your horrible launch killed your buzz. You should never have attempted to do this yourself. Your first buzz hit has gone and it’s never coming back, basically you f* it up.
- The best video I’ve seen so far is the gamespot video, and you have to watch it at least half way before the exciting stuff begins. When you want to sell an idea in a crowded market you need something short and concise, show whats unique with your game, this makes it easier for us to sell your ideas to our friends as well.
Dude you need to pay attention.
First off, you keep calling this a “launch”. It isn’t. It is an announcement of a launch that is still years away – if it were a launch, you’d be justified in expecting a lot more info than what they’ve provided.
Secondly, they have been providing a ton of information. Their YouTube channel has a large and growing collection of videos, their website has something new on it every couple days, and the forums are very active with devs posting regularly. For a game that is a couple years from launching, the amount of information and the extensive community involvement is impressive to say the least.
Oh and another thing, why do you use vimeo instead of youtube? Youtube has a lot more users than vimeo, and there are a lot more implementations on third party sites for youtube than vimeo.
Also, here is a link to their YouTube channel….
http://www.youtube.com/RobertsSpaceInd
(Google translation)
Unfortunately I can not afford to invest in the game. I live in Russia, and there is no guarantee that it will be Russified under your leadership. Your previous series of excellent games did not come out in Russia, only licensed to localization Freelancer but it was not under your supervision (site)!
A lot of people play your games outside the U.S. and Britain, but few understand English. And buying pirated versions of your games with a good translation into the native language, that would give us something to overcome the language barrier and see your game. These people very much. And I can not pay for a game which is a foreign language to me that I do not quite understand. If I was sure of game localization in my country with the license transfer language, I would have paid with peace of mind and joy, as well as the other players.
And so I continue to monitor progress in the creation of the game, and if it comes without a license transfer will be waiting when the pirates transferred at least text.
Does not benefit anyone from abroad to invest for the project that ignores his country, for financial or ideological reasons.
(other translation)
Unfortunately I don’t presume to put in game. I live in Russia, and there are no guarantees that it will be Russified under your management. The previous series of your excellent games didn’t leave in Russia, only Freelancer licensed with localization but it wasn’t under your management (localization)!
Many people play your games behind borders of the USA and Britain but very few people understands English. Also buy piracy versions of your games with a bad translation into the native language, what though as that to break a language barrier and to see your game. There is a lot of such people. And I can’t pay for game, which on the stranger to me language which I badly understand. If I was confident in game localization in my country with license transfer of language, I would pay with quiet soul and with pleasure, as well as other players.
And so I continue to watch progress in game creation and if it leaves without license transfer I will wait when pirates will translate at least the text.
Not favourably to anybody from abroad to invest for the project which ignores its country, for the financial reasons or ideological.
Chris,
I honestly think the technical problems are the big reason – I’ve been trying to ever since the announcement, and it was only this morning that I could pledge.
I’ve already pledged and hope to pledge more but I’d quite like to know more about the ships you get with the pledge.
It would be really nice though if we could get just one, short, all-in-one trailer that cuts straight to the chase. That would make it much easier for me to promote it to my friends. And, to be honest, while I get the “they said I was dead/I am a PC game” shtick, it’s pretty rubbish at grabbing your attention at the start of the trailer. It’s a good point, but it’s the kind of opening to a trailer that’s likely to make people give up on it before they get to the exciting parts.
Also, just speaking as a Brit, I’d quite like it if there was an option to pledge in pounds instead of in euros or dollars. But that’s just a minor thing I’d like to see so it’s not really that important as I didn’t really mind too much having to pledge in dollars
I already pleagded on day one (after 5 or 6 atempts on back up sites
), but i do think that having star citizen on kickstarter will give this game a wider audience. I love star simulation games, but that doesn’t mean that Star Citizen can’t be apealing to people that never heard of Wing Commander. Also I think the Kick It Back initative is also a great idea on Kickstarter.
yes! I have pledged and waiting to report to duty! or just wanna fly my freighter and be a merchant…
I’m currently hesistating to pledge. The issues I saw are:
-Few visibility of the current recolt fund. I gave an e-mail I don’t visit often, I thought some of your e-mails were SPAM (you should announce in the subject it’s about Squadron 42, don’t put just “We’re Back!”). Also, no e-mail announce of the beginning of the resolt fund.
But more importantly, I feel there isn’t as much visibility of the recolt fund on the internet as it happened with Planetary Annihilation or the project from Obsidian.
You can solve this by creating more buzz: release more content, do PR with gaming website, etc.
This was about the reason in general you have fewer person who are pldging than you were expecting. For myself, the reason is:
-I’m really hesitating because of you announce you may put micro transaction in the game. I want to buy a full game, not a portion of it.
Thanks!
i have pledged. time to go find more fans – those that know your earlier games, but also those who are too young to know them. find marketing partnerhships and get thought and opinion leaders to support you! fingers crossed man, if this happens it ll be a dream come true for me!
What you have shown us is beautiful and I will probably make an entry level pledge just for that.
What bothers me, and prevents me from pledging more is that, apart from general goals, we have no idea of what the finished game will be like.
Will there be territorial conquest like that of Eve Online? If so, I’m in.
Will there be micro transactions/ pay to win? If so, I’m out.
I’d like to hear more about the multiplayer part of the game before I make any commitment to the game, sorry.
I haven’t pledged yet because I haven’t got answer to whether the game will support TrackIR or not. I own a TrackIR and not planning to buy Oculus Rift, so the TrackIR support is essential for me.
I have been debating on what pledge to go with. Because I don’t want to see a polished teaser of a few assets. I want to see some kind of comparison. Like how big is a star system(play area?). Like will it be like a bunch of hubs with jump gates going in between them? or will it be a continuous universe? Lets see some size comparison concepts. Like man, ship, carrier, planets and moons, star systems, star clusters, and then the galaxy. I don’t care if it is concept art or not. It is just really difficult to picture on what you are trying to achieve exactly, if I cannot see some kind of big picture size comparisons.
NO ! I haven’t made a pledge yet.
And I doubt that I will do so.
NOT because I don’t want to play this game.
NOT because, due to Chris Roberts “history”, I doubt a little bit on his time horizont.
NOT because I wouldn’t be able to (somehow) raise my personal funds to pay for.
BUT because I won’t be able to afford a gaming PC, capable to play this game.
Yeah, I pledged. In fact my brother pledged for me. His pledge showed up. Mine hasn’t. So, what’s the deal?
The timing of the crowdfunding couldn’t possibly be any worse for me, personally. I’ve been trying to look for a job since before I was made aware of RSI (practically day of the site creation, to boot!), and I’ve had absolutely no luck. My money must unfortunately be saved for very essential items until I get back on my feet.
Otherwise I’d fork over some $60 RIGHT NOW.
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