For various reasons (including the fact that my artist is currently not able to work on the project, and the fact that it's become a far larger project than I could ever manage alone), Swamplands has been put on hold. It isn't dead... just sleeping. Instead, I've decided to re-focus my efforts on a game I can code and design alone, and that can easily be scaled back if it turns out to be too ambitious. I'm going to make me another FPS. This time, it's based on a little top-down shooter I made about a year back (http://sandbox.yoyogames.com/games/164202-nurf-nerfus-and-the-great-dungeon-shootout?vm=r). And I want to code it through the jMonkey engine, since it seems to have a user-friendly SDK that will eliminate some of the trauma associated with 3d games (and to those it might concern, I won't be messing around with voxels. Probably). Also, it supports a lot of nifty graphical/physics effects that I wouldn't be able to use if I were coding an engine from scratch (or working in the Gamemaker).

The problem? As always, my computer. It simply isn't good enough to run the jMonkey SDK. And although I was originally planning on building myself a new rig, since I've gotten engaged, my monetary situation has become somewhat tighter than it was previously, and it seems that I won't have the money for a new system for a little while yet. Now, it was all well and good when the only thing my obsolete hardware was getting in the way of were my videogaming. But now, it's actually sabotaging my projects. Enough is enough. It's time to fight this problem... with a kickstarter!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/940529766/nurf-nerfus-and-the-great-dungeon-shootout-3d

I'm trying to raise $1,000 to go towards a new computer, which will allow me to deliver the FPS I outline. Please, no disparaging comments. If I've made a fatal mistake in how I present the project, what I plan on doing, or even in having the gall to do a kickstarter for this project period, then I'll find out when the kickstarter fails. For now, let me hope :P

Nobody supporting a fellow GOGer? Come on guys. For the brotherhood! /brofist

Usually, I love your ideas, and I want to see swamplands finished at some point, so even thou I'm completely broke, I'll try to scrub off five bucks from the walls of my empty bank account.

I won't talk about your project, (since you don't want us to) but I have to say something about yout Kickstarter presentation itself.

I think one of the most important parts about every Kickstarter is the video presentation of the
project. In just a few minutes it should cover all of your strenghts and credibility as a designer
and give a glimpse of the game's features. In 3-4 minutes you should present us with your previous projects and the current one. And since this is a video, I'd mostly like to see, not to listen. Don't get me wrong, I don't demand you showing the gameplay of the game. I'd only like to see some character's art, maybe your studio, generally you, not your voice. What people like about indie games is the direct connection with the maker - so you should show yourself, preferably in your studio to add some dev swag.

When I've read the description about neon dreamscapes and wanton destruction, I was like, 'sign me in'. But when I got to see the video with still shots and, from time to time, ZX Spectrum shooter's gameplay - then I wasn't so mad about it.

Yeah, that probably would have been best. I didn't have a camera that could transfer video to computer (or rather, lack the chord that I need). A smarter person probably would have been patient and either borrowed a friend's camera or gone out and bought the appropriate chord. But I'm not a very smart person, as it turns out. I'm very impatient and "full force" when it comes to things like this, and having to pause a project and wait for something is extremely difficult.

Also, I don't have much of a studio to show (after all, if I did I wouldn't be needing money for a decent computer).

Oh well. Once finals are over, I might be able to do a better video. Something to consider if I ever do another kickstarter, at least. Oh, Swamplands will be finished at some point. Even if I end up starting from scratch for yet a 4th time, it will be done some day. I should have known better than to start a dev blog for it, since it's one project of mine that has been delayed and restarted multiple times.

Sounds neat. Here you go, another small step forward from me.

Thanks! Much appreciated!

Woo hoo! Almost up to $100!

Although I know after all the people that know me (through facebook, here, etc) have donated, the donations are going to taper off.

*anxiety*

From another forum where I posted the kickstarter:

"Then find a job and get to it.

I have to admit I'm impressed you managed to fool enough people to raise 85$ though."

"I don't know what i'm more amazed by... The fact that you are trying to justify other people to buy you a computer or that people are actually stupid enough to back this."

hmm... anyone have an opinion on this? I didn't think I was doing anything particularly objectionable, but then I sometimes miss those sort of " internet social no nos" when it comes to promoting my projects. What's so wrong with raising money for the equipment I need to be able to do something? Isn't that what kickstarters are all about?

It was on the Terraria forums. I used to do a fair amount of posting there, so I figured "well, why not." Guess I got my answer :P. Also, apparently the thread fell under "advertising," which is prohibited on those forums, so it got locked. Not really a big deal, but the fact that multiple people responded like that makes me wonder if I committed some atrocity that I wasn't aware of.

Retards will continue to be retards. Got a link?

http://www.terrariaonline.com/threads/kickstarter-for-my-new-fps.86259/#post-1727638

I could have sworn I posted a link, but it seems to be gone. Probably removed by the mods.

Lol it's incredible how the Internet spawns these typical fuckwits who don't even find out what's going on, but must insist on showing off how good they are at making banal, snarky remarks.

My experience is that if you're not a known quantity, you're going to get a whole heap of apathy. I'm part of an ongoing charity project, and in an attempt to raise awareness we promoted it on a couple of forums (in fact, it wasn't even really promotion at that stage, merely just asking for feedback). The places where we weren't really known about already came back with harshness and negativity - for a charity project - and treated us like we'd somehow said something bad about their mothers or something, as if they'd been personally wronged by it.

There's also probably a lot of kickstarter-specific apathy at the moment - now that it's in the public eye there are a lot more people who see it as a quick cash-grab than a genuine resource (not that I'm suggesting you're trying to do so, but people could easily take it as that).

I'm thinking it's the "I need people to give me money to buy a computer" thing that sets people off. I'm not saying you should be dishonest, but people should feel more like "I'm giving you money for your time and development costs". I think it would be fine for you to just say that you need funds to help offset some of the hardware/software costs of development. Its saying the same thing, but sounds much better.