Given my current profession, I am somewhat concerned by their comment about putting a "full web browser" into the game, and using a html/javascript UI... Be interesting to see how all that tech holds up with networking in a geographically distributed test.
Yes I noticed that too, The Secret World uses the awesomium browser perhaps they mean something similar. The HTML/Javascript UI will be something to watch for though.
Update #22 Wow, CU will have a Minecraft like system of mining and structure building. Mining being done in underground non-instanced "bubbles", sounds like the entrances to the bubbles moves around randomly (speculation). The materials are then turned into building cubes and siege weapons, blueprints can be saved from finished products to speed up future production efforts. The crafter class is useless in armed combat, sounds like the idea of "sheep" in the "wolves require sheep" (Bartle?) PvP dynamic. Crafter will be a fun class to play and be mowed down by the combat classes by the score, crafters then get their own back by setting up traps in the Depths and defensible castles.
Damn this is exciting to say the least! REALLY hope this gets the funding - DAOC was the best MMO I've ever played until it was ruined by ToA. Definitely watching this closely
I read somewhere (sorry I can't remember where I saw the source) Mark Jacobs is really only using the Kickstarter to gauge how much interest there is in the game and it's payment model and if the numbers will be enough to warrant going ahead with the project as he and other investors are putting in $3 million separate to Kickstarter. If it doesn't reach $2 million he may still decide to go ahead with the game and update the CSE web site to take payments for the pledge tiers directly during development. I hope this is true and the numbers are what he was looking for!
Mark discussed this in one of the earliest videos. He has $1m in venture capital and will match $2m of his personal finances should Kickstarter fund to it's $2m target. He wants skin in the game, which I feel is pretty cool.
Latest update which is part 2 of the world building update: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/13861848/camelot-unchained/posts They are trying some very interesting things with the game with the minecraft and city building game influences. Looking at kicktraq, unfortunately ts actually now trending below the goal: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/13861848/camelot-unchained/ Their innovative ideas have persuaded me to up my pledge.
LOL, they just release the network client and I got into the server playing the Vikings verses Elves demo seen in previous videos 120 toons on screen, ~300fps. There was significant rubber banding, but I am playing from Australia and was listing to the CU Twitch channel. Thanks for the fun MJ!
Well, I was impressed that they let anyone running DirectX 11 and happened to be looking at the Kickstarter page at the time, play with their prototype for a half hour. It's a good sign that they want to open up the development process to the fans. It was a 21MB download and run in windowed mode. The models (girl Viking and male TDD Elf-thing) are well done. Heavily styled, but good looking with lots of polygons. It played and looked exactly like the videos we've seen before with 500 characters on screen, but the server was clearly having issues with 120. Andrew mentioned that the current stage of the networking code was too chatty and was being trimmed down. So I'm more impressed with the development process, than the mini-game itself.
Alpha-Alpha-Proof-of-Concept-Bleeding-Edge-Demo Client You can jump on the mini-servers right now! Engineering Tests | Camelot Unchained
+1 jumped on and had a quick run around, they have it limited to 32 now I think and I had no lag from Australia and no rubber banding.
this kickstarter is going to come down to the wire it seems. It'll be a shame if they get 10k backers but still not get funded.
In the last update MJ says (around the 3:15 mark) that funding is going to be extended with PayPal for another 30 days after the Kickstarter, for those without credit cards and/or Amazon accounts. I'm pretty sure they'll make it if they've got the extra time.
Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing deal. If they don't reach the target $2 million, no-one will be charged anything and City State won't receive anything. Paypal will only help reach stretch goals after they get $2 million on Kickstarter. There's nothing stopping them from launching another Kickstarter with a goal of, say, $1.9 million if this one narrowly misses its target, but it's not possible to extend the current deadline. That said, I'd be surprised if it doesn't make it. I've followed a lot of Kickstarters, and I've never seen one get this close to its goal, percentage-wise, with days to spare, and not reach its goal. There's always a big surge at the end. See Pathfinder Online: A Fantasy Sandbox MMO by Goblinworks Inc. :: Kicktraq for an example.
