And the Wasteland 2 choice is only good for who doesn't pledged in their KS. I hope Obsidian adds a expansion add-on

Isn't it a little early in the development process to be making plans for expansions?

Anyway, it's cool that the Wasteland dudes are helping their fellow developers along.

I don't really like this update. Many people who are backing Project Eternity have also backed Wasteland 2, so getting WL2 is not a terribly interesting reward (plus, you can still preorder WL2 from the inXile website using PayPal). I also don't think it's a good idea to give the expansion only to $165+ backers and only bundled together with the (sort of) pointless WL2 reward. With the $165 tier being all digital, you can't even get the expansion without losing the physical boxed copy of the game if you are currently pledging at the $65/$100/$140 level - unless you up your pledge to a whopping $250. Furthermore, I don't like that they are already planning an expansion to come out only 6 months after the game is released. It would really suck if they used Kickstarter funds to create additional content that their backers would have to pay for separately. I'm not saying that they would necessarily do that, but it's not entirely implausible with the expansion being released so soon after the main game.

Some answers of Feargus about the expansion:

"Totally get it and we will talk about having the expansion as an add-on."

"We were worried that people would feel it was DLC - I tried to write the update in a way that explained that it would come up six months after and it is not DLC but really an expansion. We don't plan on working on it until Project Eternity is done or almost done. So, it won't be something we will be able to just switch on - it'll be another big download."

"I don't think if it will be Throne of Bhaal level - partly because Throne of Bhaal was originally going to be be BG3. It will be significant though - more than something like Old World Blues."

"All the funding that we receive from Kickstarter and PayPal will be used to make the base game - No money raised will be used for funding the expansion in any way."

Very interesting. We'll see how that turns out, but I am intrigued. Seems they have a lot of confidence in this project.

I won't raise my pledge, though. $ 165 is a bit too much. If the game turns out good, I'll just buy the expansion separately.

Another Q&A session:

Question: Hey Feargus, any chance we could see the expansion as a stand alone add on pledge? I've already backed Wasteland so I cant really justify shelling out $165 just to get the expansion.
Feargus: We'll talk about it today and have an update for everyone on it tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest.

Question: he one thing I'm not sure about is the expansion at $165, it just seems a bit high to me. I'm at $80 just now and have been considering going to $110 in the last few days but I backed Wasteland and more than doubling my pledge for an expansion just doesn't scan for me I'm afraid. Maybe the $110 but with no Wasteland 2 would have been better? I'd have liked to have seen it broken up a little that way personally, I imagine a lot of PE backers backed W2 as well and I think the expansion at a slightly lower tier might make more of them up pledges. Or maybe offer the expansion as an add-on? Maybe around $20-$30? I'd jump on that in a heartbeat. I realise everyone is in a different situation with how much they have/can pledge but I don't think I can bring myself to stretch to that $165 tier. $110 maybe but not that far :( Other than that, first class again Obsidian. Aloth looks amazing. Best concept art yet IMO. "
Feargus: Totally get it and we will talk about having the expansion as an add-on.

Question: was this update a hint about Brian Fargo taking part in project eternity other than wasteland 2?
Feargus: Brian has been incredibly generous to help us out with offering Wasteland 2. I'm sure we will talk about doing our projects together a lot, but he's not working directly on Project Eternity. We just want to make sure that we continue to support each other.

Question: So, the new tier..is 165$ correct but i won't have the box etc..? Only digital download but how many digital download allowed ?
Feargus: You get two downloads of Project Eternity at the $165 tier - is that what you were asking?

Question: Will the expansion have a box with the $250 pledge?
Feargus: Right now we are looking at it being a download. When we actually start working on the expansion (after PE is done) we will then see if we can get a box version as well. So, it's a maybe at this point - to be up front about it.

Question: Any chance of a screenshot or tech demo video soon? It would greatly boost the kickstarter campaign! :)
Feargus: I might have just been looking at a screenshot. Maybe it was from Project Eternity or maybe it wasn't. Hmmm.......

Question: At 165$, I am already at 140$ as a pledge but with the shipping it's actually 160$, so it's a bit the same for me lol. But i'd rather have 2 digital download allowed like in the 110$ tier for PE (you never know if one screw up..)
Feargus: It is the $165 Tier that has 2 Downloads, Wasteland 2 and the Expansion.

Question: And a question not about the update: lycanthropes exist in the world of PE (if this world is based in souls, lycanthropes can be someone which soul was fused with an animal's soul)?
Feargus: Sorry, not something we have talked about yet. I'll get the question over to Josh, so he has it on his big list of everything.

Question: Just a heads up and i'm sure you anticipated this anyway but I think a few people are concerned that an Expansion pack = DLC. With the day 1 Mass Effect 3 dlc controversy and the amount of on disk DLC around these days I can appreciate their concerns. Might be wise to make sure that people know that the length and content of Project Eternity isnt going to get chopped off for an expansion. I know it wont be but people are jaded on DLC.
Feargus: We were worried that people would feel it was DLC - I tried to write the update in a way that explained that it would come up six months after and it is not DLC but really an expansion. We don't plan on working on it until Project Eternity is done or almost done. So, it won't be something we will be able to just switch on - it'll be another big download.

Question: You might have missed the question I asked yesterday, its about the $1000.00 pledge. I am curious about how much role the NPC will play. How minor is minor? Just an NPC you meet? A vendor, a non interactive trainer? How major if at all? Would they have their own side quest? Would they even play a role in the main quest itself? What about history? If I supplied a long and detailed history, personality and charter of the NPC, how much would be used / adapted into PE?
Feargus: We want the NPC to be important. In other words, it won't be a drunken peasent - unless that's what you want. We are going to work with each person at that level, to figure out what they would like and then build that into the game - within reason.

Question: Expansion is expected to be about the length of throne of bhaal?
Feargus: I don't think if it will be Throne of Bhaal level - partly because Throne of Bhaal was originally going to be be BG3. It will be significant though - more than something like Old World Blues.

Question: Now that we have crafting, will you please consider having materials in a separate inventory tab? I've played way too many rpgs where just remembering what stuff you had/organising your inventory was a chore
Feargus: Absolutely, we will not flood your normal inventory with crafting materials.

Question: something occurred to me earlier, and doing this would fix my single biggest complaint about playing the old IE games. make movement speed changeable, i.e. when you're going through an area make it so you can choose to move really slowly, normal walking pace or run. that drives/drove me nuts with some of those.
Feargus: Got the comment. Not sure if we will do that in this game - speed of characters can effect how the combats work quite a bit.

Question: i think you should add in for 20 bucks the expansion and the pet you threw into the 50 tier, i think that would get a lot of people adding on 20 bucks, i would do it for sure
Feargus: Got it. Also something on the big, big, list of everything. Making inventory matter, but not annoying.

Question: Any posibility for a tier between the new 165 and the 250 with a physical copy of the game + the expansion + Wasteland 2? I'd be nice to have a tier like that without the t-shirt and other stuff I am not interested in. That or have add-ons for those things.
Feargus: We will look at that.

Question: how about promoting P: E on other social media? Like G+?
Feargus: I'll look at that. I have to be honest and say that I played around with G+ a bit and then sort of gave up on it. Probably unfair - or I'm just lazy.

Question: Can we get big versions of the Edair and Cadegund art also?
Feargus: I'll get those on the list to get out there.

Question: Just FYI Obsidian have already comment on the update comments as follows:

"All the funding that we receive from Kickstarter and PayPal will be used to make the base game - No money raised will be used for funding the expansion in any way."
Feargus: Yes, we are going to fund it ourselves and from the sales we get from Project Eternity when it comes available - not from Kickstarter funds. I don't think we will do a Kickstarter just for it, I'd rather see about funding the sequel that way - if you guys will still have us. :)

Question: Is PayPal's numbers shown in the amount on the kictarter main page? If not, what is it up to and how can we find out that info on our own? (I'm obsessed with checking the total.)
Feargus: Not yet. We need to get the update for tomorrow put together and then we are going to talk about how to pull those numbers more often and more quickly. Thanks for the patience!

Question: Just a quick question about the new $165 tier. Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but I'm a bit confused about the wording: This says it's a digital only tier and at the end of the description goes on to say "If you don't need the physical good, then this is a great reward tier for you". I'm current;y at the $140 tier. Does this mean if I up my pledge to the new $165 tier that I'll no longer get the physical goods included in the $140 tier? Again, sorry if this is a dumb question.
Feargus: That is correct, you don't get any Physical Goods with the $165 Tier.

Some more Q&A:

we have updated the last update and are letting everyone know that we are not using the Kickstarter money to fund the expansion. That money will come from us. All the money that we get from Kickstarter will go into the core Project Eternity game.

Question: do we will possibly see any behind the scenes stuff during now and april 2014? Like map/character/weapon sketch models, men at work videos and etc. stuff? So that we can feel that we are boss who breathes down his (or her) employees necks :D
Feargus: We are going to be setting up a site that is going to let us how and talk about the game in a lot of depth. We want to get feedback from everyone throughout the development of the game.

Question: What about stolen items? Will the merchant say "I don't buy fenced item" even though I just stolen it from someone and there's no way for the vendor to know?
Feargus: We haven't decided how thieving from stores is going to work yet. Sorry about that.

Question: I'm playing Temple of Elemental Evil right now and the first 1-2 levels of the game was anoying when it came to battle because you allways miss during your attacks. I took me 30 min to finnish a fight because all my characters always missed. And I hade really good stats on them. And it's far from the first cRPG that have that problem. So what I am wondering, how will that work in Project Eternity? Will you miss most of you attacks the first levels or will it based more on how much damage you do then if you hit or not?
Feargus: I believe that it will work more like the IE games, where you hit more often than you miss - depending on who you are attacking of course. A 1st level wizard attacking a 20th level Monster with a rusty dagger, might miss a lot.

Question: Aren't there normally 3 copies of PE in total at 250 and 500 ?
I just see two right now : the box plus a digital copy. So is the extension taking the place of one previous copy ?
I can't help but feel that the 500 tiers is seriously lacking -__-
Feargus: We will take a look at those and make sure they are correct.

Question: Lots of these type of games that I have played in the past allow you to walk in peoples houses uninvited, with for the most part barely an afterthought. In PE will the householders act appropriatley, and tell u to get the hell out? Will there be mounts?
Feargus: We are not doing mounts this time out. They take a lot of art, programming and general work to have them feel right - we want to focus our efforts on the game as a whole awesome. As for walking into people's houses uninvited, when you are in that situation and it is appropriate for them to respond to you being there - they will respond.

Question: I wonder if it had been discussed before but, will the magic will be influence by school, by the souls, by the gods pr anything else?
Feargus: I'm going to talk to Josh about updating on Magic either this week or soon after the KS is over.

Question: Feargus, what are your feeling on mechanics like magic resistance and save or dies? I.e. mechanics that if you build your character around (monk or Viconia with MR gear, getting over 100% fire resist and casting fireballs into the middle of the party, stacking -saves with things like doom then win the battle spells). These are all mechanics I do find fun in a single player game, even if they allow you to utterly abuse the crap out of the game. But they also do lead to enemies at higher levels being designed with absolutely ridiculous stats to compensate (THACO of ToB enemies being through the roof for example). The main thing I'm afraid of is going the route of a lot of games these days with rather homogenized gameplay mechanics where every mez lasts 2-4 seconds and all weapons and skills are balanced by spreadsheets to be within milimeters of each other.
Feargus: The great thing (and I've been saying this for years), is that in a single player game we can have the game be "unbalanced" at certain points. And, that is for fun reasons. For instance, when a fighter gets that first extra attack in D&D, you could say he is pretty unbalanced at that level all of a sudden. That's fun, makes the fighter feel powerful, but the game system catches up as he goes up levels.

Question: Will there be a way to increase faction reputation easily... like throwing money at temples in BG?
I felt that it was just too easy to maintain a good reputation that way.
Feargus: I don't think so.... I have not heard Josh, Tim and Chris talking about that.

Question: Weight limit. How will it work? And will there be a way around it (Like a bag of holdings)?
Feargus: I don't know if there will be a way around it right now. Maybe a temporary consumable - I'll put that on the big, big list of everything to talk about.

@Patric I think you were asking about the larger versions of the concept art? They should be getting the art up on the eternity.obsidian.net page sometime soon-ish. Not sure exactly when.

Question: many people have asked about animal companions etc any update on that?
Feargus: Sorry no update on the animal companions yet.

Question: How about having a single inventory screen for the party, with a weight allowance equal to the party's combined strength/weight allowance, with different tabs for consumables/equipment/materials. Managing six inventories in the infinity engines is not exactly one of my fondest memories of those games, and you swapped around consumables anyway.
Feargus: We definitely know the challenges of the inventory system in the IE games and are going to work on coming up with a better solution. Won't say it will be perfect, but it will be better.

If you've been reading their Updates you'll get a sense that these guys may not even know what order the development process typically goes in...

There's a reason they got 20 bucks and Wasteland 2 got 150 (or so, forget exactly how much now) from me.

This is ridiculous. The base game is scheduled for April 2014 and in early development. To promise the first expansion only 6 month later for free is overconfident or stupid.

I believed, that a RPG game with a budget of about 2 - 2.5 Million Dollar (after the cost for the pysical stuff and shipping) would be relative short but would offer the opportunity to develope and offer new stuff (DLC/Expansions) with the first profits. But Obsidian wants "to hang in there with the old games" with more than 80 hours of gameplay. I doubt that they can achieve their goal...

Another Q&A update:

Question: I don't know if this has been asked previously but is international shipping available for the $500 + rewards? Thanks.
Feargus: It is included.

Question: 1. how will the physical version of the game be patched? will there be an auto-patcher, or updater like with NWN2? or will it be something that we'll have to check for at times?
2. what happened to the second digital copy of the game at the 250 and 500 tier levels? did it get changed into the expansion?
Feargus: (1) That is a good question. If you are not using Steam, it will most likely need to be a download. We have been talking about updating the front page of the game with news, but we know some people don't want their game connected to the internets at all.
(2) I need to look into that, tbh - I'm not sure which was the mistake right now. Adding them or removing them. Sorry.

Question: What is the schedule for updates this week, by they way? Every other day?
Feargus: We will be updating every day until the end of the Kickstarter campaign at this point.

Question: Who are you partnering with for the t-shirts? In case you haven't decided yet, Double Fine used fangamer.net -- I was very happy with the quality of the t-shirt.
Feargus: Got it. Looking at their site right now.

Question: The $250 tier graphic still says that the book is softcover. The description doesn't say either way.
Feargus: Will get all that stuff fixed up tomorrow. Rob needed to work on some other artwork for the dungeon and other stretch goals.

Question: Something I was noticing Feargus, there was a period we had one extra companion over all the classes, but now we have one more class than we have companions (or we will in about 10 minutes). Can you confirm or deny the possibility of more companion stretch goals? Personally I was hoping for some overlap in some areas (wizardry mainly, multiclasses in general if they exist), so I can build stacking parties, but at least one for every class would be nice. I realize adventurer hall is about to exist too, but those don't have the indepth writing that the 'real' companions do (I would assume anyways).
Feargus: Companions are a lot of work and we want to spend the resources to make sure each one is very indepth. What that means is that we are going to see what we feel we can do.

Question: A nerd question, was Fallout actually a Black Isle game? I know you came up with the name after FO1, but I thought you once said it was only because you could notagree to a name for along time.
Feargus: I consider Fallout a Black Isle game, since I was in charge of the division it was in for 18 months and the team either double or tripled during that time. We also designed SPECIAL during that time.

Question: I'd prefer any patches for the games to be similar to the previous IE games. Just download them yourself. I know I would prefer not having an active internet connection for the game to be checking for updates.
Feargus: We had thought people would prefer that. So, we are going to have the option of turning off any connectivity. We like the idea of being able to deliver info and updates to the game - but we know that a lot of people feel that is intrusive.

Question: You know from what you're saying, it sounds like these companions are gonna be quite a bit more fleshed out than what we're used to. Is that the case, or am I underestimating how much work went into Baldur's Gate companions and the such?
Feargus: More work than what went into a BG companion. The ones on MotB and FNV could take two or more months of a designers time just to get the initial writing done.

Question: Have some of the devs started on character dialogue, already mapped out the world, NPCs, programming, etc? Or is it still in the initial development stages.
Feargus: Still in early development, but the tools guys have our dialog tool hooked into Unity now - reading and writing data.

Question: What is Aloth holding in his hand (the paper)?
Feargus: That I don't know sorry - the concept artist, Paulina would know. :)

Question: Will we see another tid bit about the lore of the game in the upcomming updates like we got when the mega-dungeon was introduced?
Feargus: Absolutely, Josh is already working on some stuff for his next couple of updates.

I think Feargus needs to be given a small break....

Thanks a TON for posting these Coel...

What I really don't like is the "everything was better in the past" attitude those interviews show.

Stuff like "Proper Infinity Engine expansion packs and not shitty DLCs"

Are you f'cking kidding me? Like TotSC? Which would even be mediocre for a 8$ DLC nowadays. That is what you are aiming at?

Yeah, keep wallowing in "the good old days" because you were the guys who shipped freaking betas in a time with no internet. Great, no I have to wait a month and buy a gaming mag to get my game running properly. Yeah, good old days indeed.

I'm really considering to drop below 100$ due to that attitude ....

Mate. Games WERE better in the good old days..PROPER expansions and not the bullcrap DLC (in most cases these days). Not sure why ur upset...

Because Expansion instead of DLC is just marketing words. Do you consider Missing Link an expansion or a DLC? Ballad of Gay Tony? Dawnguard?
I think biggest difference between the two is size of content, so no matter what you call it, if the value for content is good, then it's worth it, no matter what you call it.