Transmission from the Creative Director
| Administrator, Moderator, Staff | |
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Hello from the Fringe!
I wanted to take a moment to address a few important topics floating around the Fringe.
We do indeed currently hold the license of Wing Commander. We first contacted EA about the WC brand in the spring of 2012, long before the initial announcement of products like Star Citizen. We approached EA because we had a deep love for the space combat genre and Wing Commander was right there alongside MechWarrior as our most beloved franchises we grew up with. In short at the time we thought we were going to be the ones taking that big initial risk to try and bring space shooters back.
Over the course of the next 18 months a significant amount changed – Star Citizen was announced, and by Late 2013 we found ourselves in possession of an exclusive license to Wing Commander and assembling a small team to craft a new experience. We spent six months developing, designing, and working on a marketing video with help from outsourcing partners. As we approached our reveal date, there was a moment of pause when we started to reflect on the brand, and design concepts. We reached a pivotal moment when some of our best design ideas were being pushed to the side as they just didn’t fit within the constraints of a WC game.
We looked carefully at what our WCO product was, looked at other competing products, and decided that we needed to move away from the Wing Commander universe. It was a tough choice, as we have a deep love and respect for the brand.
It became clear that our very best and original game idea was contained within all of the concepts that were pushed aside for our WC product. The concept for Transverse was born from a single thought, and inspired by all those unused ideas. In the end we realized we should be making our best idea and in doing so we found a corner of the spacesim genre that would make us stand out. In doing so we would also be providing Star Citizen with the respect it deserves and what it represents to their customers.
Now onto crowdfunding and a question about what happens if we don’t get a liftoff.
There is a sentiment out there that perhaps customers should not support Transverse because of unfulfilled feature promises to supporters of MechWarrior Online. I wanted to clarify this with some official information for you the potential customers to consider. At this point in MechWarrior Online we have one major missing feature from the original 4 design pillars expressed to players: Community Warfare, the planetary conquest between the factions. However, this feature is in development now and will be completed and delivered to our customers before the end of the year. Now consider this, we first took money from customers into MechWarrior Online in the summer of 2012 which means the delivery of all of those original features will have been delivered within 2.5 years of first receiving money from those customers.
This is longer than we’d planned or hoped for. However, we examined the breadth of MechWarrior Online’s feature set and functionality, both now and at the 2.5 year mark. Then compared that with other similar products that have received crowd funding for nearly 2 years and the content from those games that players can partake in. This comparison offers an important change in perspective. We hope you consider this objectively when judging whether Piranha can deliver content and products at an acceptable rate.
Going into a crowdfunding campaign you build for success, and plan for all scenarios. I am going to give the campaign 30 days from reveal to reach $500,000. If we hit that milestone, we have a solid velocity and interest in the Transverse concept. If we do not reach that goal, we will refund 100% of the money collected from our backers to date, and decide on a new course for Transverse through more traditional models.
Bryan Ekman Creative Director |
I just wish to clarify one thing, If I may;
When you say you 'currently hold the license of Wing Commander', you mean the game, since CR still holds all rights over any Wing Commander movies. (Not that you'd make a movie).
That is all
TL;DR: You've wasted not one but two opportunities with major IPs in the game industry. Is this really helping your public image?
Thanks for the heads up. I definitely would prefer that you guys moved forward with the Wing Commander universe. That would be a great. But hopefully you will achieve success in your campaign.
We need more people focused on results and less on speach, by the way. If you want to follow a good example of project been well-done, follow Braben, not Chris Roberts.
The SC fans (those less retards), are going to come naturally for your game by the way, in the long term, because the SC PU obviously won't offer what a lot of fans of sandbox really want.
I would believe on that if I were you, even if you do not get 500k by now. If you build they will come. There is no way that CR is hold all his "orgs" and such in their game that has no chance to praise greek and trojans, as they claim that will do.
Do not lose the opportunity. Build and release earlier. That's enough for you to win the same respect as the ED team is winning, while the SC trust only drops as more the time pass.
Since you brought it up, perhaps you can address those interviews in Spring 2013 to PCGAMER when you said "in 1-2 month CW will be released" and then at the launch when you said "by end of this year" and then in Dec/13 when Paul said "started to put ideas down on paper". What was really meant in those previous communications to the fab base?
If your "very best and original game idea" that makes up the spine of Transverse is your notion of a 100% player-driven, no-NPC universe - then you're headed down a narrow and anemic path. Do you really want to be running a supposed evolution of EVE? do you really think that concept leads to the best possible success? Re-examine your conclusions. Continue to develop Transverse in a direction that makes it stand out from SC, but put in the effort and commitment to create the NPCs, AI and content necessary to a true universe simulation that provides more than just a sandbox for the most ruthless and efficient power guilds. Make more than the next experiment in the human tendencies toward tyranny. Because yes, all 100% player-driven MMOs head in that direction. It's the only way it can be when real life is not at stake. It's far too easy to choose the criminal and expedient when your real skin isn't in the game. That's one of the primary reasons to build a world established and filled and run by NPCs that limits players to a participatory - not an executive - role, in some manner and degree.
I think I must be high right now...
So Bryan, what was the "single thought, and inspired by all those unused ideas" which lead to your creation of Transverse, instead of a MMO Wing Commander sequel? What is that unique hook that sets it apart as a worthwhile sci-fi project that will allow it to distinguish itself to prospective players in the online marketplace?
The hook is if you send them money and they don't make enough (2 million) to even have space combat, you threw your money away.
Think of the game pitch as gambling on 10,000,000 to 1 odds.
THEY GAVE YOU WING COMMANDER??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?
THEY GAVE YOU WING COMMANDER?!?!
Is PGI's entire goal to destroy every beloved franchise EVER?
There is a sentiment out there that perhaps customers should not support Transverse because of unfulfilled feature promises to supporters of MechWarrior Online. I wanted to clarify this with some official information for you the potential customers to consider. At this point in MechWarrior Online we have one major missing feature from the original 4 design pillars expressed to players: Community Warfare, the planetary conquest between the factions. However, this feature is in development now and will be completed and delivered to our customers before the end of the year. Now consider this, we first took money from customers into MechWarrior Online in the summer of 2012 which means the delivery of all of those original features will have been delivered within 2.5 years of first receiving money from those customers.
Hmm lets see how the community weighs in on this nonsense you're spewing
Oh, I guess they think you're full of shit too
What confuses me is that they were given Wing Commander, but they decided this other idea was more commercially viable than an established franchise. I want to know why.
Top bet: EA didn't like the fact they tried to pitch "NO NPCs!" to WC.
Second bet: Someone at EA (possibly some friends I've warned before about PGI) caught wind as to their track record and dropped it
Third bet: The MechWarrior fan base has loathed what PGI has done, and the Wing Commander fan base is equally as passionate: They thought they'd avoid being hated by releasing some scrub "me too" product to avoid uniting two fanbases (with a lot of crossover) against a single target.
Either way if they still have the rights they need to lose them immediately. There are a million more qualified people to do Wing Commander games, INCLUDING the fan base if you've seen http://www.wcsaga.com/
Let's hope they don't shut them down like they shut down MW: Living Legends.
Also goddamn this forums software is atrocious. Did you get the idiot who made UI 2.0 to program this?
Hi Bryan. Nice to know. Thanks for the heads up. I'm a skeptic about this game and I'm a huge Wingcommander fan. I've already pledged for Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous. The MW:O shitstorm is really bad for you guys, but I'm willing to keep an open mind. I will watch the development closely. Just be transparent. That may save this game.
Bryan, how can you claim that things are taking longer to develop for MWO, when features that were never discussed took precedence to be implemented? Including ones that were focused on pay-to-win mechanics. That sounds like miss-management of funds and development time at best. Don't get me wrong I want to see a worth while idea succeed, but PGI's own history out weights your word sir. Actions are what set people apart in life, not words. If you can't keep your word with MWO, how do you expect us to trust that you will honor what you say now about Transverse?
I do not trust people who can't keep there word. Sure, Chris Roberts and the CIG staff might not have kept their word concerning when the Dog Fighting Module would be released, but they had many issues come up. They couldn't get a facility in Texas for almost a year, that held back hiring staff for 6 or even 8 months, couldn't implement the web services because of said facility in TX and much more. The point is, they were transparent and told us, maybe not as often as I personally liked, about the situation that they were in and why they had to hold the DFM back. I see no such transparency here or anywhere with your company for that matter. CIG has since released a DFM we are proud to play because they honored their promises. That hasn't been done with MWO and you've had much more time.
The reason I am not currently pledging for this game is based on PGI's record and only it's record. I refused to be scorned like those who trusted you with their money for MWO, so at this time I say, put up or shut up. I want your actions to speak for you, not the other way around. Until than, I wont pledge.
Can you comment on the similarities between your ships and those of SC...did those guys rip you off or something?
https://forums.robertsspaceindustries.com/discussion/comment/3308536/#Comment_3308536
NOPE2, it's perfectly decent software. Vanilla forums are used on a few big sites, Star Citizen is the first example that comes to mind for some reason.
I would have quoted you, so you might have received a notification of this message, but PGI didn't implement this feature.
why does it take you to the bottom even if it is the first time you visit that thread?
Mechwarrior Online is free to play so once you finally add some community warfare everyone here would be able to check out how good it is. I'm sure it will be a really good indication of what people can expect in transverse.
I do think this is a good move for you guys and although I still can't justify backing this project at this time. I do wish you guys good luck on this 30 day phase. I was a legendary founder in MWO and quit very soon after launch because I felt the direction the game was being taken was not one I would enjoy personally. I did, however, felt I recouped my pledge in the months I did play MWO during beta.
You have my attention with this project, so good luck! I'm sure there are others, like me, who will be watching closely and are willing to support this game should they like the direction it takes.
How much do I need to spend to get my ideas heard for the new franchise?
Careful, I'm full of ideas.
If the substance is there, I'd buy it. I do have a lot of reservations but if the game actually apears, then there is a lot of interest from me in it.
@ZombieMorson
If I am reading Bryan's post right, PGI got the license because they asked first (and likely were far better equipped to even try than CIG was at the time). When PGI did their initial development of WCO and looked at the resulting product their ideas were being dropped to fit the title. Rather than besmirch the WC series they pulled the plug on WCO. If anything, PGI stepped away just so they would not damage a franchise they have as much passion over as you do. They took the ideas they developed in the process of trying to make WCO, ideas that did not fit in the WC universe, and developed Transverse.
As for MWO, PGI was, until recently, just the developer. IGP held the purse strings, set deadlines, and got the final say in everything. Last month PGI got to start running things the way they wanted to and have given a good account of themselves without the IGP millstone around their necks. The fans have been giving PGI hell because IGP was telling PGI when to do things, whether or not PGI felt they were or would be ready by that time. Give PGI some credit, deadlines notwithstanding, they have delivered a very good game.
Fair enough, thanks for the update Mr. Ekman!
Things fools actually believe:
"When PGI did their initial development of WCO and looked at the resulting product their ideas were being dropped to fit the title. Rather than besmirch the WC series they pulled the plug on WCO. If anything, PGI stepped away just so they would not damage a franchise they have as much passion over as you do."
They suddenly care about damaging a franchises reputation? Clearly their track record proves their undying commitment and passion to BattleTech!
"I quit the only game of BattleTech I ever played, never played MechWarrior. Is the Victor a Trebuchet?" - Paul Paraphrased
"FWLM? What's that? I think it's mispelled. Is it backwards?" - "BattleTech fan" Russ Bullock at the last AMA
$500,000 in 30 days is a tall order! Most successful crowd funded games are based on nostalgia. Wing Commander would have that in spades, but not Transverse. Transverse is going to be a difficult sell. I would have gone with something like:
Wing Commander Zero - 30 single player missions with multi player and vanity cash shop, with extra DLC missions to follow. "Set before the original Wing Commander, you are a recruit transferred to the newly launch Tigers Claw. Your tasked with fighting pirates and space trash, then BOOM the Kilrathi attack!"
The peeps would throw money at that game :)
@OP: Why are you mentioning MWO, is this a MWO forum?
Hi there, I just wandered across from the Star Citizen forums, and wanted to check this place out for myself.
Disclosure: I have backed both Elite: Dangerous and Star Citizen, and am generally happy with both.
The concept behind this game seems to me to have potential, and not having to support NPCs would help make it achievable (provided a sufficiently large player base can be attracted).
I have had no previous dealings with PGI, other than some comments that I have seen in Star Citizen forums that were made by MWO refugees. I prefer to make my own judgement, and have an open mind.
It is possible that I might back this game, but I would have to see a lot more detail about things like
- ship insurance
- PVP/PVE balance
- how revenue is to be generated post-release
- how you aim to give the player a sense of progress in the game
- more about the back story and lore
- flight model (accurate Newtonian space flight?)
- 1st vs 3rd person
- ability to walk around in spaceships?
I guess that will do for starters.
Good luck.
@bliss000 DO NOT ENCOURAGE THAT. Do you really want PGI to ruin another franchise?
Can we see what progress you've made on community warfare? You ask us to take a leap of faith, but you've consistently missed deadlines and have shown nothing of the progress you've made in the last year and a half. That lack of transparency doesn't bolster confidence. At this point I'm inclined to assume that they're simply more hollow placations.
Characterizing it as merely one of the four major design pillars is insultingly disingenuous. Community Warfare, as promised, ought to severely affect the game. Really it's half of the muliplayer experience we should have at this point.
On top of all that, the game itself has evolved very little (to the point where you could argue it's stagnant). It's not much different from where it was at launch. We just have many more mechs and a few more maps. That you insist PGI is pleased with it's current state and given the displeasure of a significant portion of the userbase, does not lend credibility to your argument that 'this time it'll be different'. It sounds dismissive of your fans' and customers' concerns.
I'd like to have faith in you, but you're making it difficult.
@PGI_BryanEkman;
All good stuff to hear and, bluntly, I wish we'd gotten something like that 12 months ago in MW:O. Appreciate you laying this sort of stuff out.
Otherwise I'd like some answers to stuff like the Q&A thread we had earlier - what's the funding model like after release, what's the game experience going to look like?
I love WC. I absolutely understand and appreciate the decision to move away from that IP though simply because that's CRs IP and he's already making something :p Transverse, the concept of transhumanity and the background fluff we've had so far though sounds really cool - it's not a tapped idea and an MMO (with the inherent immortality of players generally being a wonky mechanic to work around) is an awesome place to play with it. Can we get more on that? Is it a transhuman economy?
I like 'show' better than 'tell'. Transverse has the foundation of a cool and different IP but you've got a whole universe to fill in. Really would love something like a wiki, discussing the background universe, science, human development to transhuman, the technologies around at the time and how they work, etc. etc. I get that game mechanics are going to change over time and I'm fine with that. At the risk of being struck with infernal fire I don't really mind the delays in CW in MW:O and such so long as it gets there in the end. I'm pledged for SC, love the game, but I'm already pretty sure (and comfortable) with it being in Alpha 12 months from now. I hope Transverse takes off, I hope it does well and I'd like to feel like it's a game I want to play -
Only I need a lot more info on what that game is. Right now I feel like I'm holding a lot of concepts but no details. Even if it's just fluff details that game mechanics will be worked out to try and encompass over time I'm fine with that - I'm not asking for commitments on X content by Y date. Just more details on the X content.
ok, first of all...this game and company does NOT respect CR and SC because almost ALL of this game is a direct knock off OF SC, these original idea they say that they had? well lets talk a look at the most OBVIOUS thing first, take a look at this companies ship designs and THEN take a look at the ship designs of SC.....hmmmm, is it surprise that the designs are ALMOST 100% identical? and jcrg00, your comments about SC are so laughable that its not even funny, have you EVEN LOOKED AT SC? the SC PU is gonna have the most content in a sand box in a game for meany meany years, and look what happened to MWO? as of right now it's STILL NOT FIXED and they said they didn't have the man power to do it, and yet here they are making a SC rip off and you guys don't have the best rep. out there right now...even more now that your entire dev group just got banned off of reddit, and you expect people to take you are your word? lets take a step back a minute and look at how well SC is doing shall we? 50 million in not even a year and your game is 0% funded still?, are you sure you guys are not part of EA? because they do the same thing...rip off games and buy out GOOD game companies to make as much money as they can and then tell their backers "sorry its your fault for trusting us", I'm going to enjoy watching this laughable rip off game go bust, and i feel sorry for the people that do back you, here is an IDEA!...TRY MAKING A GAME THAT WORKS AND DELIVER ON YOUR PROMISES BEFORE you go an rip off a good idea from some one who KNOWS how to make these games...like chris roberts...you guys should contact EA and tell them you want to merge with them, you're companies would make a good fit with each other
P.S. i will NOT be pledging for this game, actually really hope they fall flat on their faces....and its really sad to see them own the rights to WC....another good franchise destoryed
@StarCitzienForLife;
Please do me a favor. Google 'X3 ship image'.
Look at all the pictures. Notice how they all look pretty much exactly like all the SC ships? Like the Vanduul/Kilrathi/Cylon/Hawk from Buck Rodgers train of ideas? Look at the Aquilo, part of X3:XRM (included in Cadius' ship pack actually) it's a large multi-crew vessel that looks... a lot like the Aquila. Probably unintentional but there you are. There's also more content in MW:O right now than SC has and will probably have for another year.
I backed SC, I love the game and I love CRs work. It's slipping further and further behind with every release though and you're insane if you think that by 9/2015 it won't still be in Alpha. Children who were born on the day SC started its kickstarter will likely have learned to speak and read by the time the PU goes live. I'm okay with that, good things are worth waiting for but trying to hold SC up as the pinnacle of a developer making their deadlines isn't a good idea.
I'm glad you're a fan of SC. A lot of people are. Now quit trying to make SC look bad by coming here and acting like that. The whole 'I hope they fall flat on their face' is just... not flattering to the game you're attempting (wrongly) to represent. Going to another games forums only to rip on it and say you hope it fails is not only pointless and unworthy of respect but it makes whatever you're shilling look bad. It's okay that you don't like the game. It's great that you like another one. This isn't 'either/or' though. I have more than one game installed on my computer; I think most people do. Sometimes... sometimes when I'm feeling really sassy I'll play more than one game in the same day.
I'm bold and crazy that way. You should try it. Change is good for you.
I've said it on the MWO forum but I applaud you for taking the however in reply to this post two things come to mind:
1. Why would you not attempt to monetise an existing and well loved IP like WC? It's a tough sell, especially for a small studio, to be pushing your own IP.
2. In regards to this statement: "At this point in MechWarrior Online we have one major missing feature from the original 4 design pillars expressed to players: Community Warfare, the planetary conquest between the factions.". Do you honestly believe the role and information warfare pillars are anywhere near where they should be? IMO they are very shallow implementations of what they should be and how they were sold at the inception of MWO. I think you really need to reassess what is in place as your perception of completed and great is far from reality.
I like pie.
@GrumpyCat
But how do you feel about Pi?
Just as a counterbalance to all the people talking as if PGI ruined Mechwarrior, I'd like to lend my voice: not all of us from Mechwarrior are angry with PGI. In fact, I think the raging ones are the minority -- they just happen to be rather vocal. I'm a founder from MWO and I've bought every package they've offered as well as premium time, colors, camos -- I'm up to $680 or $780 -- I lost track. If anyone has a right to be upset with PGI for not delivering, I'm that person. And I'm not angry in the slightest -- quite the opposite.
Mechwarrior Online has a lot of potential left in it, and I doubt that PGI will ever fulfill that potential -- it's too big to be completed. However, MWO is still the most fun game I have ever played. Sure, they have lagged behind on the dates that some things were delivered, but did you notice that Star Citizen has done the same? It's common. It happens. And regardless, I've been having an absolute blast playing Mechwarrior every step of the way for many hundreds of hours since closed beta -- which is why I don't get all agro-pissed over them missing deadlines. I just tell them to keep working on it; I'll be busy playing and having fun until the next update when the game gets even better.
Right now the only reason I am at all interested in Transverse is because it's being made by the company that made Mechwarrior Online. I don't care 2 bits about harvesting asteroids or trading some intergalactic commodity, but if they can make fighting in outer space as much fun as they've made fighting on solid ground in the BattleTech universe, I'm in. I'm already 3 figures deep into Star Citizen, but if this turns out to have better combat, I'll drop SC and never come back.
@mischief
you have no idea what you are talking about, sorry
and yeah, saying SC is better and is going to be WAY better then this pile of shit is saying SC looks bad? how does that makes sense? lol, go home your drunk
op is full of some foul smelling fecal matter.... I wonder if they buy their own party line.... So many things so easily proven wrong in that post... but at least you won't be mutilating Wing Commander like you did MechWarrior... and for that you have my eternal thanks. No assuming you still have any rights to any portion of the WC IP please return it to EA's dark vault of death, so someone else, at another time has a chance to resurrect it and let me fly off a Hakaga's deck and kill hairless apes in the name of Sivar and the Emperor.
@chemie
no SC did not rip off these guys, these guys are ripping off SC
I can't even express how much my heart sank when I read you own the license to Wing Commander... I hope, since you're not using the license, you consider relinquishing it.
Fool me once, shame on me fool me twice....
@StarCitizenforlife
blind fanboys like u are a bad sign for SC community, u should read Ben Lesnicks post. U r beloved in SC, so stay there.
(Imho u have not much clue about spacesims...otherwise u would know after 50years sci-fi movies and 25y sci-fi games its not possible to create something "really new". Same story about the ships, each possible design is still used by somebody.
And now grow up and keep on waiting for v0.9 :-)
Fuck you Eckman.
lmao rumrunner, imho you should learn how to form complete and readable sentences and learn english while you are at it, and stay off the rum mr.tool
>>lmao rumrunner, imho you should learn how to form complete and readable sentences and learn english while you are at you, and stay off the rum mr.tool<<
When blasting someone's grammar and english, make sure to proof read your own stuff before hitting 'post'
@StarCitizenForLife;
So I list actual specifics, you offer up baseless opinions.
Seriously, are you actually just a troll from ED or some bitter SC-hater trying to make the game and its fans look bad? Is this a false flag troll?
> At this point in MechWarrior Online we have one major missing feature from the original 4 design pillars expressed to players: Community Warfare
Bryan, how would you grade the other three pillars? Besides phoning in the bare minimum to meet the original design docs, all three pillars are pretty mediocre and lackluster. Role warfare? Where is it? It would be nice if there were more game modes besides "Team Deathmatch", "Team Deathmatch with a base", and "Team Deathmatch with some capture points" The map design makes it impossible to have any kind of significant roles beyond "FIRE EVERYTHING!"
You guys have done your darnedest to take the "thinking" out of "thinking man's shooter."
And now you want to make a 100% player-driven economy space sim? And what happens in 2-3 years when the economy is a shambles because the Goons or whoever have cornered the market on space goo. "Well, we delivered on our original promise. Technically there's a player-driven economy." Great. I'll pass.
$500,000 will need 16,667 players that bought at least $30 within 30 days.
Or 8,334 players that bought at least $60 within 30 days.
If 30 players bought a day it would be 900 player's in 30 days.