Incarnate (http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/1/26744#325577) suggested a new thread for Kickstarter related discussion)

This thread is for recommendations about what you would like to see in a www.kickstarter.com campaign for VO.

As many of you are aware, there is a tier-based reward system on kickstarter for various levels of contribution. You should suggest what you would like to see on this reward system as well as what exactly the entire campaign should aim to achieve.

Related Threads:
http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/1/26744
http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/26572

To re-state a point from the other thread: Nothing for sale should give anyone a real, direct advantage in the game. We aren't looking to sell out gameplay balance to individuals, here, but rather to fund improving it for everyone.

Stuff I thought of from other thread:

1) Naming stuff for people in the future expanded-universe ring that goes around the current known galaxy (described elsewhere in RFC posts). Names would be subject to our approval, not violate copyrights, so on and so forth.

- Systems (EXPENSIVE)
- Sectors
- Ice/Asteroid fields
- Individual non-owned stations (ie, legit NPC fixtures, like having "Bergman's Outpost").
- Specific features, giant ice ball or whatever. Maybe. Gets technically more involved to "name".
- Individual NPCs, pirates? etc? Giant "SMV Bergman" frigate on patrol? Ships are totally doable, naming is built-in.
- Specialized weapon/ship variants (TRS's idea).

2) Re-printed and edited copy of game backstory (perhaps slightly extended to reflect development goals?), signed by all current developers. I actually have some new illustrations too. This is probably not an epic ordeal to produce, but would likely take me several days to a week.

...

There doesn't seem to be many ingame rewards that don't affect game play, that I can think of at any rate. But, a few:

"Donator" Badge on any tier, regardless of value.

Subscription time for most, of course.
For large donations, infinite subscription?
Giftable subscription?

A unique widget for each person with their name on it.

Ability to name a station for higher class tiers? (EDIT: whoops, Inc ninja'd)

EDIT: In response to Inc: I like the naming thing. Instead of naming individual things, their names could be thrown into the NPC namer-generator thingy, if that's how that works.

I'd love a signed backstory print myself. I'd probably throw in at that tier just for it, heh. ;)

Also, regarding debate on the merits of different kickstarter scale, just going on a ballpark idea of losing around 1/3 of the funds to other crap (taxes, kickstarter fees, whatever).. $50k would probably be the minimum level where the income would offset the time investment to set the thing up and hand out all the "stuff" later. Higher would be better, but as stated elsewhere, it would be worse to fail.

Conversely, around $300k (and getting $200k of it) would be a decent ballpark for giving us some time to actually focus on the game. Not expand the company much, but just.. make VO. Yes, I know the Wing Commander guy is getting a hojillion dollars, but unfortunately we don't have that kind of name recognition.

Possible rewards:

1) A custom skin for ship of your choice
2) The ability to name your Trident
3) Special flare explosions/energy effects unique to you

In terms of goals for the overall campaign - something should be done to the economy, probably making it more dynamic and having supply/demand controlled by players mining and resource gathering. I think if you could implement that for 300k in addition to a few other key expansion areas like fixing Deneb and manufacturing it would be perfect. You do have to answer the question though "what are we buying into" and I think it needs to be more specific than just "developing the game further" for some people. I know a lot of us would just pay anyway just because it's VO, I certainly would, but for those that want to know what is coming it helps to have the answer.

To put things in perspective, here are a few active Kickstarters that will likely fail.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1857884659/distance-a-next-generation-arcade-racer
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1125462381/mak
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zeropointsoftware/interstellar-marines-prologue

The last one even got Greenlit on Steam and is still massively far from reaching its goal. The first one is the sequel to a successful free student game (Nitronic Rush.) I believe Notch tweeted about the middle one.

Here are some common sense tips about what not to do: http://gamasutra.com/view/news/177682/How_to_fail_at_Kickstarter.php

TRS: I have no problem with being very specific about what we could deliver on a particular price point / schedule, and so on. Basically, anything related to actually presenting what we are, and telling the story of what we want to do, and that story being compelling to people who already care about the game is a no-brainer to me. I just have no idea if we would draw in people who don't already care about the game. And while I imagine I can drum up some interest from the 150k people we have on our mailing list, I don't know what kind of spotlight is necessary to "succeed" on kickstarter.

slime: That's cool, but I really don't know what perspective to take away from the three other developer examples. I know some people have been funded on there with basically nothing. But then again, sometimes people can be more motivated by an idealistic fiction than a realistic reality. We have a lot going for us, I know that, but.. yeah, we aren't Wing Commander, and we don't have assets to match some of the latest space projects. I guess I don't really have much of a gut-feeling for what kind of Kickstarter number we might be able to hit, and what might make us fail. But I guess like TRS has said, we can aim low and still provide a lot of "high level tiers" for points way past the initially low-bar.

If you do add any more vanity texture ships, please filter them out of the shop's ship list for those who don't have access. Impossible-to-buy ships should not appear, other than possibly via a checkbox (in case people want to examine their stats to confirm that those guys don't have an advantage).

I would suggest adding an art book somewhere. I don't know about anyone else, but it would be awesome to see past and present art, including both successes and failures.

Or 3D prints of select, iconic ships. A 3 or 4 inch Prometheus or Valkyrie (or Marauder or Raptor) to set on top of the computer would be cool to have.

Go big or go home I say. Next level shit. Failure is not an option. Fear of a failed kickstarter campaign shows weakness and not strength.

You are going to get a million suggestions on what to offer (and, honestly, you already have a million suggestions in the suggestions forum). My piece of advice is to tap into services and/or products that your current devout membership might be willing to donate. I think you might be surprised what is out there...

The following reference my suggestions in http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/26738

IMO, the 2 most immediate needs of the game are:

A) User experience improvements
B) End-game content for group play

Since B is a moot issue if the user doesn't stick around, I'm going to focus my suggestions for A.

Tier 1
Custom skin for new interface design

Tier 2
Custom skin for Corvus Greyhound

Tier 3
Faction reassignment to Corvus faction. (Later incorporate a mission to give players the option to do so through a mission tree)

Tier 4
Midgets

Ok, to clarify, this thread is about giveaway possibilities for a kickstarter. If people start going off onto the "immediate needs of the game" we'll go off the rails pretty fast. So, let's keep it focused to simple things that could be given away.

I stick by having an artbook and/or 3D printed ships.

you should give out a copy of your players pilots license from their nation

+1 Peytros

Wanted posters for Pirates/Nationalist "War Criminals" would be cool too. I guess for UIT... umm... something.

What about a color smoke trail, for the ships. That remains for a few minutes, only visible from mid or long distances (not from close).

Than I make a line in space and say:
- You Shall Not Pass!

What about a color smoke trail, for the ships.

I really like this idea.

I do as well, but not as a kickstarter reward.

Phaser, Pizza... Don't even think about a trail that allows you to locate a ship beyond the radar range!
Make the smoke trail with a button to turn on/off.

PS.: I was sure you were going to troll this sugestion.

Tricorn pirate hats!