City of Heroes' Spiritual Successor Kickstarter on Massively

[Peregrine Falcon]

City of Heroes spiritual successor plans Kickstarter for Sept. 8th

I can't believe that this article has been up for 8 hours now and no one's posted about it here.

Go forth. Comment. Tell your friends. Tweet. Facebook. Do whatever else it is the cool kids do to get the word out.


"One of the candidates vying to be the spiritual successor to City of Heroes will be moving into its fundraising stage come this September. Missing Worlds Media's The Phoenix Project, is preparing a Kickstarter campaign for September 8th. The team says that if all goes well (read: the project gets the moolah it needs), the title could be launched by the end of 2015, although it's hoping to get an avatar creator in our hands by next summer.

In an interview with Polygon, Technical Director Nate Downes said that the project is 25% to 33% done, although the game is being made completely by 136 volunteers who have other jobs or are full-time students. The Phoenix Project is being built using the Unreal Engine, as Epic has licensed the engine to Missing Worlds with no money down until the team gets funded.

Downes hopes that fans will continue to rally to the cause: "This project has grown out of the community that was left behind when City of Heroes closed, so it's really just a lot of passionate people getting together to rebuild that home for themselves.""

[Osborn]

City of Heroes spiritual successor plans Kickstarter for Sept. 8th

I can't believe that this article has been up for 8 hours now and no one's posted about it here.

Go forth. Comment. Tell your friends. Tweet. Facebook. Do whatever else it is the cool kids do to get the word out.


"One of the candidates vying to be the spiritual successor to City of Heroes will be moving into its fundraising stage come this September. Missing Worlds Media's The Phoenix Project, is preparing a Kickstarter campaign for September 8th. The team says that if all goes well (read: the project gets the moolah it needs), the title could be launched by the end of 2015, although it's hoping to get an avatar creator in our hands by next summer.

In an interview with Polygon, Technical Director Nate Downes said that the project is 25% to 33% done, although the game is being made completely by 136 volunteers who have other jobs or are full-time students. The Phoenix Project is being built using the Unreal Engine, as Epic has licensed the engine to Missing Worlds with no money down until the team gets funded.

Downes hopes that fans will continue to rally to the cause: "This project has grown out of the community that was left behind when City of Heroes closed, so it's really just a lot of passionate people getting together to rebuild that home for themselves.""

Not to rain on any parades but shouldn't this be in the Plan Z forums, as it technically has nothing to do with the revival of CoH, per say?

[Peregrine Falcon]

Not to rain on any parades but shouldn't this be in the Plan Z forums, as it technically has nothing to do with the revival of CoH, per say?

I suspect that, like myself, a lot of people don't often check that particular sub forum. So this seemed like the next best choice. Obviously any moderator who disagrees will be able to move the thread if they feel it necessary.

Any comment on the article itself?

[Osborn]

I suspect that, like myself, a lot of people don't often check that particular sub forum. So this seemed like the next best choice. Obviously any moderator who disagrees will be able to move the thread if they feel it necessary.

Any comment on the article itself?

I'll reserve comment on it, really, when more educated members of the forum talk about the validity of said fundraising campaign.

During the wake of the closing of the game, a lot of people had tried to start up a lot of various fundraising campaigns to try to serve various goals, all of which so far had been mostly ill advised or fraudulent.

That isn't to say that I'm automatically presuming this is one of those situations (hence, reserving judgement), but even somebody with the best interests of the community and game at heart can jump into murky legal or strategic waters head first.

I'm reminded of an anecdote where a bunch of CoH fans tried to raise money in Mellisa Bianco's name, in a genuine attempt to try to fund efforts to buy the game back from NCSoft and were chastised for it because of the legal problems it could had created, even though they were working in perfectly good faith and just trying their best to help the community, and weren't trying to fraud anybody or do anything wrong.

I'm a bit saddened by the fact that the Plan Z project has splintered into so many competing groups, honestly. I know that it's the official forum position that all these games could be great and there's no reason to stymie competition, and that the forum itself has no want, per say, to bring down other games like Champions Online or even other NCSoft titles, but I always felt that realistically, funding wise, we were going to get one shot at either buying back CoH or making a spiritual successor game, and that has made me wary of putting money towards competing brands without basically the endorsement of community leaders.

So... I don't really know what to think on the matter.

[Artillerie]

I'm looking forward to the kickstarter happening with credit card in hand. I have a lot of faith in TPP and have no worries at all about passing over some cash.

As for there being multiple efforts - that was always going to happen, basic human nature. I am just glad that everything has been handled with care and diplomacy.

[LadyVamp]

Given the likelihood that ncsoft will do an about face and either sell, give away, or put the game back up, I would say it's going to be spiritual successor or nothing.  So if we were to run off spiritual successors, we'd be here waiting forever.

I think it's good for them to announce they are planning a kickstarter and giving a set date.  That alone tells me there's some serious interest in making this work.  Whether my opinion stays optimistic is up to them.  Having product will go along way towards funding.

/e rub hands together and drool with anticipation

[Sermon]

Personally, I hope they have some representation of what the game will look and feel like. Its going to be a lot harder to trust some, um, future professional designers and artists from concept alone. I just hope this kickstarter isn't coming along too soon in the development cycle.

[JaguarX]

Personally, I hope they have some representation of what the game will look and feel like. Its going to be a lot harder to trust some, um, future professional designers and artists from concept alone.

This.

Although my mind is all about made up to give something anyways.

But outside looking in, and depending on high the goal will be set at, it might take some convincing.

I know many here is not used to that and used to us, this community, this group of people, but when it is announced, be ready for some prodding from various people. And try to remember some just asking and try to look it from their end. A relatively unknown (unknown outside of here) is starting another kickstarter, like thousands come and go, is starting a kickstarter program. Now, it might be enough within this community alone to get it off the ground but at the same time, don't want to run off potential people that may have not been following all details of this project or just heard about it in that article or two.

Then even then, remember, more successful the game is, the bigger the impact that is shows that we don't need no stinking corporation to have a successful game. But that requires players which are people. Sometimes it's best to answer many up coming questions with a polite "we haven't gotten that far yet but when kickstarter campaign starts we will have that information ready". For example. Or even a simple, we haven't gotten that far yet. And again keep in mind we here know all about this game, but the general community, it might be just another game another group of wanna be devs with a bright idea asking for money. They may ask for credentials, may ask what you have done in the past, may ask who the hell are you, and so on, but remain polite. We want to change the industry? This is our chance, but we must win the people.  We win the people, we win the industry, we win the industry, then other must follow lead or cease to exist. And I know some people are expert at snark, hell sometimes I even take it too far, but out there, try to keep the tempers and snark low level when it come to this. I personally don't want to see this kickstarter struggle or worse fall short. If I had the dough, I would personally solo it *ahem* I mean finance it all by myself and call it a day.

[Captain Electric]

One bit of proactive, unsolicited advice for all three projects. Don't go stepping on each others toes regarding all of your fundraising campaigns. You'll just be shooting yourselves in your feet. If you try to make me choose between two or three of you at the same time, I'll give all of you some money...at the same time. Which will mean splitting my funding. Which will give each of you less money.

Other than that slight nagging, I have yet another bit of nagging. I'm excited about this and I hope TPP will keep me excited by bringing us a professional, jaw-dropping impressive Kickstarter page. I want videos and pictures and over-the-top stretch goals. Give us rendering if you have to. I want something at least on par with the other RPG/MMORPG projects over there on Kickstarter.com. That means finished-looking gameplay demonstrations, not just a quirky making-of video which shows off animation actors in front of a green screen, or a generic character model dancing around on a giant Chessboard for lack of environments. I might be willing to give you a second chance, but you'll get just one shot to impress the average gamer at large. If you can't do that come September, please reel it in and keep your nose to the grindstone a while longer. I'm sure we'll all understand a delay. A terrible demo won't garner you nearly as much understanding, and you'll always carry its repercussions on your back.

No pressure, though.

[downix]

One bit of proactive, unsolicited advice for all three projects. Don't go stepping on each others toes regarding all of your fundraising campaigns. You'll just be shooting yourselves in your feet. If you try to make me choose between two or three of you at the same time, I'll give all of you some money...at the same time. Which will mean splitting my funding. Which will give each of you less money.

Other than that slight nagging, I have yet another bit of nagging. I'm excited about this and I hope TPP will keep me excited by bringing us a professional, jaw-dropping impressive Kickstarter page. I want videos and pictures and over-the-top stretch goals. Give us rendering if you have to. I want something at least on par with the other RPG/MMORPG projects over there on Kickstarter.com. That means finished-looking gameplay demonstrations, not just a quirky making-of video which shows off animation actors in front of a green screen, or a generic character model dancing around on a giant Chessboard for lack of environments. I might be willing to give you a second chance, but you'll get just one shot to impress the average gamer at large. If you can't do that come September, please reel it in and keep your nose to the grindstone a while longer. I'm sure we'll all understand a delay. A terrible demo won't garner you nearly as much understanding, and you'll always carry its repercussions on your back.

No pressure, though.

Actually we've been coordinating our crowdfunding targets with Valiance, to be sure we are not running into any overlap.

And you do realize we're using the blockhead model and chessboard in order to hold back for the KS, right?

[Captain Electric]

Re: nag 1: I said all THREE projects. Not two.

Re: nag 2: And I didn't realize that, no!

And a third nag: Never make assumptions about what we know. Never take offense at our passion. Slight nags like mine are the NICE kind, and if you read between the lines, it's a good sign when you see them.

[downix]

Re: nag 1: I said all THREE projects. Not two.

Re: nag 2: And I didn't realize that, no!

And a third nag: Never make assumptions about what we know. Never take offense at our passion. Slight nags like mine are the NICE kind, and if you read between the lines, it's a good sign when you see them.

Well, the door is open for H&V, but they've not yet accepted any talks.

And I'm never frustrated at the nags.

[Captain Electric]

Well I understand there's some politics there, but Golden Girl (I know you'll read this!), please keep them abreast of the bare minimum at least. For the sake of your fans, as well as H&V. Everyone knows (RIGHT??? ) how much I'm looking forward to H&V, but that doesn't mean I don't donate to other projects. If I can help crowd fund tower defense games and board games on Kickstarter, I should certainly donate to all three super hero games here.

That's uh...my reasoning and I'm sticking to it!

(And Downix it was the "You do know <insert thing>, right?" that gave off an irritated tone in your post, FYI. No worries though.)

[Peregrine Falcon]

Wow! The comments for that article have really blown up since I started the thread.

And, as expected, the trolls are out in full force. 

I think it might be helpful if we could counter that by making some positive comments.

[LadyVamp]

I am being positive.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they have.  But if they don't have teddy ears and mouse tails, I might have to downgrade them from super awesome to just awesome.  lol

Flying Snow Mouse aka LV

[Captain Electric]

Wow! The comments for that article have really blown up since I started the thread.

And, as expected, the trolls are out in full force. 

I think it might be helpful if we could counter that by making some positive comments.

As much as I've posted and bragged IRL in support of these three exciting projects, Peregrine Falcon, to log in and see my posts being labeled like this just utterly deflates me. A single remark of concern invalidates everything else I've ever said, does it? Paragon Studios was the best and brightest studio I ever witnessed in this industry. And I let them know that on a regular basis. And still do. But I did not worship them, and I did not sacrifice critical thinking on an altar before them. I will treat you no better. If that is not good enough for you, then you are asking for too much indulgence from your audience and for the sake of your success, I hope they never give it to you.

I do want to thank H&V for responding to both praise and concern with equal professionalism so far (at least in my case).

[Aggelakis]

I think you might want to re-read his post....he said "the comments for that article". He said the trolls are out in the comments for that article. And they certainly are, as with any CoH article. There seems to be a group of folks that have CoH articles pinned on some news aggregater just so they can crap all over them.

[Captain Electric]

Let me just take this foot out of my mouth and apologize. I'll earmark a few extra dollars come September to make up for what an asshole I was just two posts up (and no, that's not an invitation for you other two projects to try to get me to be an asshole as often as possible:P). Sorry about that, Peregrine. Really, I am.

In other news, I've got quite a bit of reading to catch up on. For some reason it blew right over my head that the big header in the OP is also a big LINK. Maybe because I've been using lots of different forums lately, maybe because I'm tired from work today. But I see about 200 posts there already.

And you know Agge, I use Google News to hoover up news for me, and I'm the guy who set up the City of Heroes feed if any of you used that. I have set up other feeds surrounding City of Heroes too, and they never seem to give me even a quarter of what I can find by searching around on my own. So whatever news aggregation tool these jerks are using, I'd like to know!

[JanessaVR]

Wow! The comments for that article have really blown up since I started the thread.

And, as expected, the trolls are out in full force. 

I think it might be helpful if we could counter that by making some positive comments.

Yeah, the same 2 people, real65 and Evil1, always show up to trash CoH anytime it's ever mentioned on that site, bombing as many posts as they can, as viciously as they can.  Some people are just...off the deep end; there's no reasoning with total whackos.  I prefer "don't feed the trolls" - better to pretend they don't exist.

[JaguarX]

Yeah, the same 2 people, real65 and Evil1, always show up to trash CoH anytime it's ever mentioned on that site, bombing as many posts as they can, as viciously as they can.  Some people are just...off the deep end; there's no reasoning with total whackos.  I prefer "don't feed the trolls" - better to pretend they don't exist.

actually I been following the article for a while now and reading the comments. This time, there doesn't seem to be much trashing of COH. Some questions and concerns, some presented in a bit brash manner, but not too much outright trolling this time. The comment section for 200 odd replies seems relatively clean compared to many of the others.

But sometimes the whackos are still by definition part of the cox community. At this point, I would prefer the community as it was before the announcement before it degraded.

I like you guys here and nice folk it seems but sometimes, I miss the reading the good discussions about things where there could be half dozen sides to a story/topic and not much hate. Now it seems, everyone is mostly on the same page, mostly in agreement mostly here. It's like I'm missing a view on most topics that would be interesting to see how others view it. Don't get me wrong I like it here and it's relatively quiet, but more and more I yearn for the good old COX community where we could poke fun at each other without worrying about someone taking it too serious or stepping on a raw nerve. Where we could call each other "Noob!" in the Virtue channel and have a good laugh. A place where an idea go through a good trial of fire and usually end up as polished solid idea.