Early Viewing of The Bard's Tale IV Kickstarter Rewards - UPDATE 5/21

[RangerKeenan]

I've noticed a few comments about the $25 "Early Bard" tier, which would be slightly higher when sold out. How would you feel if the # of early bard copies were say, around 20,000? Do you think that would potentially reward the early comers but also be enough to not sell out in the first few days?

[dorkboy]

Personally I just find $25 a bit pricy as a minimum pledge (that happens to include the game).

[sirchaox1224]

I will also echo that I'd love to see a digital copy of the game included with the physical box versions (so I don't necessarily have to open it to play and can get started on the game right on release).

Ignoring the "Early Bard" special aspect, I think $25 is a great price and will work well for the campaign. I'm not totally sure on $30 or $33 however. It will be interesting to see how things turn out. IMO, the game will likely be well worth over $33, but because its a Kickstarter, its hard to say what the end product will truly be... The discount is a indication of this risk, but is it enough of a discount?

[Skirge01]

Based on the confusion which usually appears when saying "you get this plus everything from Tier x", one suggestion for the tier descriptions when they go live would be to simply list everything you get (assuming it fits within any KS character limits). So, if Tier 1 contains A, B, and C while Tier 2 contains X, Y, and Z, with Tier 3 containing G, H, and I, plus everything from Tier 2, just say that Tier 3 contains X, Y, Z, G, H, and I. This way, if either Z or H happen to be identical and you actually only get one of them, you can omit one from the description in Tier 3.

[Ronin73]

Yeah I haven't been impressed with initial $25 price points on other Kickstarters so I won't be giving inXile a free pass here.

Looks like they are going to gamble on the $50 digital package being the most successful. If you miss out on the early bird package why pay $33 for the base game when you can get quite a few extras for $50.

Will interesting to see how that plays out.

[mindx2]

Does the $650 tier include the autographed Premier Collector's edition box along with the album version and Reliquary box?

[Drool]

Hrm, I don't think so. In fact I can't think of any Game which was as expensive on Kickstarter before.

I'm just going based on what Kickstarter themselves say:

The most popular pledge amount on Kickstarter is $25, and the site-wide average for all pledges (big and small) is about $70.

I will also echo that I'd love to see a digital copy of the game included with the physical box versions

Likewise. I'm assuming it's an oversight since many of the physical tiers have every other digital reward.

[BriantheFist]

I've been waiting for this day ever since Wasteland 2 succeeded (And was thankfully awesome). Bard's Tale 1 was my first PC game on my old Amiga 500 and I still go back and play it sometimes. I still have my original boxes for the first 3 games, and a blown up copy of the original Skara Brae map printed on canvas hanging on my wall. The question isn't if I am going to back it, but how much I can afford to. That hand-carved box is sounding pretty nice right about now.

[wmgrace]

So I'm going for the Supreme box collector set, but also want to crazy an in game item. Oh, and I'm going to need that absolution in triplicate...

[shaigunjoe]

Will the official Kickstarter include pictures of the three boxes? Also, will you do addons? Because, personally, I want all the digital rewards of the Collector's Edition, but I'd much rather have an old school album-style box.

Of course, I really want that reliquary box, but I don't think I can justify the cost with the boss...

Well, it probably won't be out for what? 2 years? Just promise to pay the boss back 20 bucks a month or so.

I agree the reliquary box does look awesome. To bad I am not interested in the game though, but the pitch may change that.

[Lucius]

I'd also echo the $25 complaint. I'm not a huge Bard's Tale fan, though I like the genre in general, so you guys would really really need to have a really solid kickstarter project for me to throw that much money at a project, particularly early on. I haven't seen the Kickstarter presentation yet, but right now, my plan is to wait till release and see reviews (here and elsewhere) and then probably wait for a 50% off sale if the reviews are good or an 80% off sale and several patches later if not so much. Bard's Tale just doesn't carry the weight with me for me to throw that much money with blind faith. If the Kickstarter presentation is awesome and detailed you might get $15 out of me if it comes with the game.

All that said, I'm cheap as hell. If a game is on sale for more than $9.99 on Steam, I'm super hesitant to buy. So I might not be the best one to listen to. =D

(Just perspective, I pledged $75 for WL2 on day 1. I did not back Torment.)

[dancingcrab]

Has it been mentioned whether Bard's Tale I-III will be bundled with this? Seems like jumping on #4 will feel a little weird to some folks who love cRPGs but haven't played the first three.

I get that they're old and janky by today's standards, and I also know they are easy to procure if you're willing to do a little Googling, yet I still think it would be neat to officially package them together.

(The 2004 Bard's Tale included them, built right into the game - at least on my Android version.)

[SniperHF]

Is the Album box like the standard box for WL2? Because the box itself was quite nice (and better than the collectors IMO). Less goodies inside of course.

Also is the Alpha going to be a "systems test" like Torment?

[Woolfe]

Personally I just find $25 a bit pricy as a minimum pledge (that happens to include the game).

Agreed. Especially as an early bird.

I could see this as the base amount, but only because InXile have proven themselves capable of delivering. Another untested company I would be very wary of that amount.

I would have thought $20 early bard, and $25 normal.

Also I'd just like to say I LOVE the idealism behind Guilt Absolution If I was going a lower tier I would probably add $5 for the amusement value alone.

But the more and more I am reading about this game, the more excited I am getting. So I think I am going to go higher than I reasonably should. (Sorry kids bread and water for you this week... Next week isn't looking good either )

Hrm, I don't think so. In fact I can't think of any Game which was as expensive on Kickstarter before.

I'm just going based on what Kickstarter themselves say:

The most popular pledge amount on Kickstarter is $25, and the site-wide average for all pledges (big and small) is about $70.

Correct me if I am wrong though, they are saying that is the most popular amount. That doesn't make it the minimum amount, it simply means they SHOULD have a entry at that amount.

Which is part of why I think having it as an early bird is a mistake.

[lionelhutzz]

What about including Bards Tale 1-3 into a tier reward? Wasteland 2 had the original.

[Ixateht]

I'd like the physical tiers to come with a digital copy of the game. I'd definitely do "Premier Collector's Edition - $95" if it did. May end up going with the $75 digital tier. Already have Torment and WL2.

[Kordor]

@Dungeoncrawl
I think the secret is, that first there need to be packages to give you an incentive to pledge for a higher tier to get what you want.
Once the Kickstarter is in the final third or so, these add ons will get enabled to generate an additional moment by having previous backers getting excited and increasing their pledges.

[aratuk]

Hrmm… this thread seems to be split between people who have specific questions about the boxes involved in the $200-$600 tiers, and the people who think $25 is too much for a game.

I guess inXile has determined that a significant proportion of their previous low-tier backers weren't just being impulsive – they were enthusiastic, but didn't care about having any extra doodads beyond the game itself, which they would have been willing to pay $5 or $10 more for, had that been the price. I guess inXile has either determined this, or they're making an educated bet.

I, for instance, would be that kind of a backer. I definitely don't want any physical rewards, and I'm ambivalent/undecided about any digital rewards beyond the game itself. (I did end up increasing my pledge well beyond the minimum on Torment, though.) I don't think $25 or $33 is too much to ask, since this company has delivered on its promises before. There might not be many other potential backers of this variety reading the official forum weeks before the Kickstarter launch, but presumably we're numerous. Make the small fish a little bigger, and it adds up.

By raising the minimum they're going to lose some impulsive pledges, but hopefully they do so in the knowledge that there aren't enough of them to matter.

[madGamer]

Hrmm… this thread seems to be split between people who have specific questions about the boxes involved in the $200-$600 tiers, and the people who think $25 is too much for a game.

I guess inXile has determined that a significant proportion of their previous low-tier backers weren't just being impulsive – they were enthusiastic, but didn't care about having any extra doodads beyond the game itself, which they would have been willing to pay $5 or $10 more for, had that been the price. I guess inXile has either determined this, or they're making an educated bet.

I, for instance, would be that kind of a backer. I definitely don't want any physical rewards, and I'm ambivalent/undecided about any digital rewards beyond the game itself. (I did end up increasing my pledge well beyond the minimum on Torment, though.) I don't think $25 or $33 is too much to ask, since this company has delivered on its promises before. There might not be many other potential backers of this variety reading the official forum weeks before the Kickstarter launch, but presumably we're numerous. Make the small fish a little bigger, and it adds up.

By raising the minimum they're going to lose some impulsive pledges, but hopefully they do so in the knowledge that there aren't enough of them to matter.

I dont mind $25, but 33 i think its to much without nothing special. At least put the soundtrack in 33 tier. but 25 they have to put without limit. for you its not much but for me and many backers it is. because work salary its not to much or have a family, etc. At least take out the limit in $25 tier.

[-Archangel-]

I am not happy with 25$ early bird. I was expecting 20$
For 20$ I can get Serpent in Staglands now or for 25$ a game in 2 years. I was hoping 20$ BT4 pledge would make it a harder choice for me.

Also the 33$ is too much considering TToN website pledge is 35$ and web site pledge after KS campaigns are more expensive