SpaceVenture's Backers... Where are they hiding?

[Kynrek]

I've been listening to the commentaries for Space quest series, it's pretty awesome. I may be going for the next reward tier here soon although I'm not sure if I will be able to gift the gog.com game download credit to someone else since I already have both sets of the space quest games.

[Sir Procestuous]

I've been gearing up for the Cole's upcoming kickstarter, as well as popping in here and the SpaceVenture Rewards site, as well as the main Two Guys sight for any news that may pop up....I know there's exciting times ahead and much more plugging left to do! :D

[pcj]

I've been listening to the commentaries for Space quest series, it's pretty awesome. I may be going for the next reward tier here soon although I'm not sure if I will be able to gift the gog.com game download credit to someone else since I already have both sets of the space quest games.

 

Checked with Chris on that one and this will most likely be possible.

[s_d]

The GOG.com redeem/reward code we were issued for the Tex Murphy Kickstarter was giftable. If the SQ games are to be delivered similarly, then it should work out OK. The thing to keep in mind (at least in the experience of other Tex Murphy backers) is that you'll probably have to gift all or nothing, neither individual games, nor one "pack" separate from the others (1+2+3, or 4+5+6).

[Decaffeinated Jedi]

The thing to keep in mind (at least in the experience of other Tex Murphy backers) is that you'll probably have to gift all or nothing, neither individual games, nor one "pack" separate from the others (1+2+3, or 4+5+6).

There goes my plan to hand out the games to people I know based on how much I like them. "You're my oldest and dearest friend; enjoy this copy of Space Quest 3 -- on me!"

 

"Oh, you? Yeah, I guess you're okay. Here, take this copy of Space Quest 2 and leave me alone." ;)

 

Jess

[pcj]

Well, the GOG versions aren't DRM'd...

[Nikolai]

I have no idea why (at least) the rewards site isn't seeing more attention... after all, people paid for that access! I've been lurking mostly, and backing adventure games on Kickstarter, and making slow progress on my own projects. I do see 10-20 regular forum denizens here. I'm positive that if our Two Guys hung out here much, that the forums would buzz a lot harder! But then that's less attention on SV, so I suppose we are where we are now. :)

 

I didn't even know the site existed before I got the kickstarter update today telling me it was up. Turns out I never got the notification mail. I just thought the Andromeda guys was slow and ultimately forgot about the promise of the site. Just logged in at the backer site and now I'm wondering where the content is. No voting up, no beta/alpha as far as I can see.

 

EDIT: And thanks for fixing the registration problem so fast pcj! :)

[pcj]

Just logged in at the backer site and now I'm wondering where the content is. No voting up, no beta/alpha as far as I can see.

Right, it's just diaries/concept art at this point. Let me know if you can't see those.

[Christian Giegerich]

Hey, I finally found some time to stop by. Sorry I was away for the last few weeks - I had a LOT to do here, hopefully I have some more time to stop by and join the discussions on a regular basis in near future. I really dug the stuff they posted at the Backer site.

[Cear Dragun]

I just got my email about this site. The email assumed i had received an email with login credentials which i didn't. I just used the password reset instead of emailing them back.

 

Glad to be here now!

[MadStyle]

For me the Rewards site is a turn off for me especially the comment area, should of a had an actual Private forum site with concept art in the threads to discuss instead of half-baked looking WordPress blog site. That's just me..

[13thGeneral]

I was wondering where my svrewards notification was. I never got it. Wasn't even in my Spam/Junk folder.

It was the recent Kickstarter Project Update #58 email that made me aware of it.

Is there anything else we need to do, other than sign in?

 

Some projects have run into a problem with mailing list services having trouble delivering all the notices, or email clients flat-out blocking the email - so you may want to look into it.

 

I know for a fact that many backers forget/stop paying attention to a project once it's funded. I suppose some tend to only be in it because they like the excitement of just being involved. The whole 'Social Media' mentallity - If I tocuh it, I'm part of something, with menial effort - has caused some unusual social behaviors. It's an odd society we've carved out these days.

 

Though why there isn't much effort of people looking for thier reward(s) is kind of mistifying. Obviosuly, I'd think they're more interested in the end result, but rewards are still something tangible for your monmitary efforts.

[MusicallyInspired]

Some people may just like to know that the option is there, too. They have rewards and they can check into it whenever they want. Just belonging to a "elite group" can be all it takes. They don't have to do anything to be involved as long as they carry the label. Some people.

[Johnathon]

Hehe... :lol:

 

Well... I suppose my launching of this topic/question was not as redundant as I'd earlier predicted. I hadn't realized there was a common malfunction in the kickstarter's emailing system.

[Sir Procestuous]

I get easily side-tracked with other tasks and whatnot, but try to make a conscious effort to pop by the backers site at least once a week and see if there's anything new/comment and give my input on the character designs when the mood strikes.

 

We're in the "slow period" right now, but I know exciting times are ahead as more progress is being made "behind the scenes" which, for me is the next phase of excitement. Normally with projects like this that I'm really pumped for I try to avoid spoilers and go in not knowing what to expect...but in this case, I know that's practically unavoidable do to being an "insider" which in this case is an awesome exception to the rule and I'm stoked to be privy to insider info! :D

[slopesandsam]

After backing the SpaceVenture, I went on a spree of playing through all the SQ games. It was awesome! I hadn't actually played some of them since, I think, I was in high school (I'm 31 now). I even wound up re-reading the Red Dwarf and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books after I finished playing SQ because I hadn't sated my hunger for comic space opera yet.

 

However, I haven't been particularly involved since then. I actually only just thought to check up on any SpaceVenture news, saw this thread and signed up to join the forum just so I could post this reply.

 

A big part of why I haven't been active, for me, was because the SpaceVenture's online presence hasn't been particularly compelling. The websites that have gone up (twoguysfromandromeda.com and svrewards.com) both look pretty rough, and are not easily navigable. I also haven't liked how all the instances of Mark and Scott talking have been filtered through this Chris Pope guy. I was excited to listen to the commentaries of each game, but I was expecting Mark and Scott to just be chatting, like a director's commentary. When it turned out to be Chris interviewing them and directing the conversation, I switched off.

 

This isn't because I dislike Chris. I don't know anything about him. Perhaps if I took the time to listen to the podcasts and commentaries, I'd be reassured. But the initial impression I got, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was like this for a number of backers, was that he was just some guy who'd elbowed his way into things and tried to take it over. That was my first impression, and it turned me off.

 

My enthusiasm for the project hasn't waned. I'm still excited about the finished product. I just wanted to hear from Scott and Mark directly, and to feel like they're in control.

 

Those are my reasons for not being active online, anyway.

[pcj]

Let me just say this, if it weren't for Chris, you would probably not be hearing anything out of the Two Guys (relevant to SpaceVenture). It's not their fault either - they're just not promoters like Chris is. If you listened to many of the commentaries, the guys tend to ramble off-topic occasionally and Chris is the one who brings them back.

 

The Two Guys have full control over the game. Chris provides input, sure, but Scott and Mark have final say on everything.

 

Incidentally, if you want unfiltered access to Scott and Mark, they show up occasionally on Twitter - @SlashVohaul & @Wilcofever

 

Do you have any ideas on making the websites more navigable? I'd be happy to give that a look if you have anything in particular in mind.

[Johnathon]

On 10/14/2012 at 7:02 PM, 'slopesandsam' said:

After backing the SpaceVenture, I went on a spree of playing through all the SQ games. It was awesome! I hadn't actually played some of them since, I think, I was in high school (I'm 31 now). I even wound up re-reading the Red Dwarf and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books after I finished playing SQ because I hadn't sated my hunger for comic space opera yet.

:y:

 

On 10/14/2012 at 7:02 PM, 'slopesandsam' said:

this Chris Pope guy.

 

(slaps forehead) Poor Chris. 😛

 

Not that your impressions and opinions aren't valued, but I just have to chuckle now, not only at what you're saying, but at how you're saying it. He must hear (read) his name preceded by the word "that" and followed by the word "guy" about a hundred times a week. I just feel bad for him.

 

Sincerely though, I don't mean to give you a hard time. I just find this amusing; but I must also tell you. Chris is a great Space Quest fan. I know it's not the public's job to know who EVERYONE in Hollywood/Gaming is (the technicians, and the cameramen/women, etc.), but contrary to common misconception, Chris is quite a seasoned professional in the industry. He's done plenty of work for Disney aside from the Two Guys.

 

But, the part you'll care about more. His fanship for the series goes way back. He even visited the Oakhurst location back when he was 16.

 

Furthermore, as others have pointed out before me, The Two Guys are accustomed to working their magic on their own terms and behind the scenes, without the pressure of 10,000 Ken William proxies egging them on or bugging them with questions; hence, I presume, Chris as the in-between public relations specialist. It's a different age and time. The Two Guys are adjusting to working for a mass of kickstarter funders. As Scott says, he's a stand up guy, and I'm certain they know what they're doing by having him hired on.

 

If I may say so, people can tend to worry too much and be too critical before having all the facts/sense of things as they are.

 

Imagine yourself, as a sculptor, for example, knowing your tools and knowing your assistants and employees, and having much experience, but also needing that special time to yourself, to work your magic, without distraction, and constantly having your boss or your clients hovering over your shoulder and pestering you as to why they're paying another $10 per hour for a laborer, or why the thing isn't done yet, or why you're using this tool instead of that.

 

The way I see it, we know what Scott and Mark are good at, and we either have faith enough in that and take things on their terms... or we don't.

 

Feel me?

[slopesandsam]

I wasn't trying to diss Chris - as I said, I really don't know anything about him. I was just explaining the impression I'd gotten, and that it might be the impression that a number of backers got.

 

The websites don't give the impression of being professional. They're both quite busy, visually, and their tabs don't make much sense as far as grouping information goes. Why, for instance, is the News tab not just the front page? Why are there two separate websites? Why divide the content like that?

 

Compare them to this website, spacequest.net, which is much cleaner looking, and has tabs that are immediately understandable, with information grouped into a simple tree structure of clear categories.

 

Sorry, I don't like that my first two posts are such critical ones. I was inspired to write the first simply to explain my reasons for being a non-active backer, and this one as a response. I just want to re-iterate that I am still very enthusiastic about the SpaceVenture, and can't wait to play it.

[Johnathon]

That's all fair enough my friend, I don't see your posts as especially negative or critical. You even have some valid points. If I hadn't been following more of the podcasts and have come to know more about Chris in the last several months - who knows - I may have had your same first impression. So, don't feel like I was trying to scold. I didn't mean to have too much of a scolding tone.

 

It's just Chris does read this forum, you know, and he hears "this Chris guy, that Chris guy" from at least 20% of 10,000 people, lol. You're not negative or out of line. I was just trying to fill you in.

 

And I agree with you on the website issues: both as far as layout and in the fact they are multiples. I can't say that I find them particularly unnattractive - just below par, and a bit disorganized, as you say.

[pcj]

Regarding the website(s), I definitely agree that the main page of guysfromandromeda.com needs a bit of tweaking. I've been giving some thought to how to re-arrange it without giving the PayPal pledge thing less priority. The organization of the site in general could also use a refit.

 

Unfortunately, the stuff going on behind-the-scenes won't permit an easy blending of guysfromandromeda.com and svrewards.com at this point. Conceptually, they're organized rather differently so I'm not sure it would have ever worked.

 

Others have mentioned that a forum style would have worked better for SV Rewards. I can see that works pretty well for other projects, but I think Chris wanted at least some presence for interested non-backers to pick up on what kind of things were going up.

[slopesandsam]

If I may say so, in light of having respect for your opinions and first impressions as a fan, people (all of us in general, and I INCLUDE myself, when I'm not conscientious of my instinctive first-thoughts/impressions) tend to worry too much and be too critical before having all the facts/sense of things as they are.

 

As I said above, I wasn't trying to make out like I distrusted or disliked Chris in any way, it was more me trying to explain what turned me off being an active participant in the online community. And, I suspect, my sentiments are shared by a number of others (your reply suggests this is the case, given that you imply that Chris has suffered the "who the hell is this guy" treatment multiple times since the project started).

 

Based on other Kickstarters, and how game developers in general have interacted with fans during the age of the internet (and I understand that Scott and Mark predate that era), I think a lot of people were expecting Scott and Mark to be the primary voices of the SpaceVenture. Tim Schafer is clearly the major voice behind the Double Fine Adventure. Obsidian Entertainment's Project Eternity kickstarter (which is going on right now) is primarily being driven by the guys who will actually be building the game. So with the SpaceVenture, you can probably understand why a lot of the backers had misgivings when the guy doing the lion's share of the talking and interacting with fans was someone they'd never heard of before. Escpecially when you consider that, unlike most game developers, Scott and Mark are actually a part of their own game's lore - they're more prominent than most game developers are. So not having them be the spokespeople for their own game just seemed odd.

[Johnathon]

But the initial impression I got, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was like this for a number of backers, was that he was just some guy who'd elbowed his way into things and tried to take it over. That was my first impression, and it turned me off.

 

[emphasis added].

 

(Sighs...) And now I feel like we're going backwards, as we are digging into two-posts-ago.

 

As I've said, and continue to say here. I find certain worries/language-use (as quoted and emphasized above) a bit much.

 

I cannot argue with your pointing out that Chris's extent of criticism or being questioned by a lot of fans may be a sign of, "well, who the hell IS he, then, after all???" I suppose your logic is sound there: minus that you don't really know if that "many" is the majority. If you go by what my sense was of it, I said 20%, which is actually quite small (though too many for one person to handle week to week).

 

I don't suppose then, that we have convinced each other of anything. I will just say I'm disappointed, and that because I happen to have quite a different impression of him than do you and those other "20%," I will continue to try and clean up after the thoughtless/paranoid flame-throwing, when I happen to feel like it or that it may convince "somebody" to think twice.

 

I now excuse myself from this topic for now. When I come back, I will not be responding to this anymore, but rather to what it was started for.

 

 

... "elbow" ..."take over"...? I mean, really? From what basis does such a feeling spring...? I tried to keep it pleasant in light of my first gut-reactions to THAT, but now that you're really pressing my hand open, here's my cards: Stop worrying so much.

[slopesandsam]

... "elbow" ..."take over"...? I mean, really? From what basis does such a feeling spring...? I tried to keep it pleasant in light of my first gut-reactions to THAT, but now that you're really pressing my hand open, here's my cards: Stop worrying so much.

 

I wasn't trying to flame anybody, or cause upset. I merely thought it might be constructive to give a possible reason for why some backers have not taken an active role since the kickstarter. I apologise.

[Johnathon]

And there's many more than one way to "give reasons" or otherwise express yourself: it's called having "tact," something I myself never used to possess, and which unfortunately the average person still doesn't.

 

Apology accepted.