Davaris said:
Click on my link if you think I haven't made anything. Lots of Indie developers told me not to make it, because it was too hard (and they were right), but I went ahead and did it anyway (because I'm a stubborn fool).
Really. You think I am so unobservant, that I didn't notice that?
I do admire the pulpish tone to them, and for having that style you have my respect.
I was just saying that your argument around the PayPal idea are indicative of someone who doesn't have much of an idea of how complicated it is to financially bring something to light in a commercial sense, and the legal nightmare it would be for a number of fans to get together and buy a commercial property or to fund it while someone else develops. You also seem to have missed the point of planning beforehand, as you cannot tell me you developed your game without planning beforehand.
Those who discouraged you did it for the wrong reasons, as they are probably not indie developers, or are in the wrong sense of the word. We know that people have outlandish ideas that surpass the commercial whores, not many others know this better than myself.
To put it lightly, some of us hold Arthur O’Shaughnessy's Ode as fighting words, because we know that is the true measure of success. It isn't by cheaply copying something else; it can easily start with one man with a vision.
I don't know what you should do if you can't go the donations route, because the AAA industry is changing for the worse. Console's are seen as the only profitable route and that means targeting the lowest common denominator.
Here's an idea. You're not the only indie developer on this forum.
There's also a reason why "Remember Wasteland?" was printed on the inside flap of the Fallout box. It means that if one cherished title is whored out, another great one can take its place in the future. Fallout doesn't have to be the last one of its kind, and I see no need to do something that risky if the title is going to be killed off or whored out like Ultima or other series.
I'll have a look for that Saint Proverbius post you mentioned, I didn't see that one, but I did read the one from the Black Isle employee.
Saint goes into depth about how it would be quite a legal nightmare. And without statements or other paperwork, people are NOT going to donate substantial amounts of money. The first few thousand will end up going to a lawyer and accountant for retainer fees.
What a lot of players don't get is RPGs are harder to make than any other type of computer game. I don't know how developers get funding for them, when its so much easier and more profitable to make a mindless shooter.
I know this quite well. Trust me.
Anyway I'll shut up about this now, its not going anywhere.
Well, about the donations idea, that doesn't fly and will never fly. It's about as hopeful as wishing Herve would get a clue or that Bethesda's PR would suddenly become competent. The indie market is growing again, as it surged previously in the mid-90's, again in response to how the AAA market was becoming quite stagnant with copycat fantasy crap.
Then BioWare dumbs it down and calls it innovation, and there you have the industry today. If we're going to see anything more in the CRPG genre with brilliance and imagination that doesn't revolve around stupid amnesia/Godhood/munchkinfest plots, it will be from the indie developers.
Again. Then some stupid, spineless, corporate exec in a few years will take a look at how an indie game is received, and actually fund a commercial product based upon the great gameplay that would seem unique to the other games being released, and we'll have our next Fallout.
Even if it doesn't have the Fallout name.
