Black Geyser - Kickstarter Tales of the Moon Cult live

[HiddenX]

The Kickstarter for the expansion pack Black Geyser - Tales of the Moon Cult has started:

Tales of the Moon Cult

Tales of the Moon Cult (TotMC) is a major expansion pack for Black Geyser coming to Windows, Mac and Linux on Steam and GOG. It adds new locations to the world map with brand-new content and a questline that revolves around the Cult of Zoria. Several new features are introduced to the base game as well, including Strongholds, Dual Wielding and a number of QoL improvements.

This Kickstarter is the last time you can get the Collector's Edition Box for Black Geyser. The box contains a hardcover handbook (including a monster manual and artbook as well), T-Shirt, mouse pad, keychains and a beautiful cloth map.

Even though our manufacturing possibilities are very limited, we received a lot of e-mails asking about the Collector's Box so we decided to offer this edition for a very last time, extended with the new expansion pack. Thank you so much for your interest, it means a lot!

Main Features
You won't need to start a new game in Black Geyser to activate the expansion pack content. However, if you are around the end of the last chapter (point of no return), you'll need an earlier savegame to initiate the plotline of Tales of the Moon Cult.

The estimated release date is August 2024. Our core team is currently very small, so we ask your support to help bring this project to life. A successful Kickstarter campaign will also give us a clear message that we should keep doing what we're doing and stay together.

Existing backer? If you already have an add-on from a previous campaign that gives you this expansion, please refer to our FAQ in the top menu of the page.

Tales of the Moon Cult will be available in all 12 languages supported by the base game, and will extend Black Geyser with the following features aspects:

• Major questline focusing on the Cult of Zoria and their answer to the corruption of greed affecting the world
• Indoor, outdoor and underground areas with new side quests and riddles
• Brand-new spells and magical items
• A standalone fixpack with many improvements to the base game, delivered to all owners of Black Geyser as a free update (no DLC required)
• Additional features, depending on the stretch goals reached

[...]

Thanks Couchpotato and Screeg!



More information.

 

[skally_wag]

Backed

 

[bjon045]

Looks like they will meet their goal easily. I haven't backed yet but will do it later today.

 

[Carnifex]

I've not kicked in for a gaming project in a while, this one is tempting.

 

[Pladio]

Looks like they will meet their goal easily. I haven't backed yet but will do it later today.

They're already almost there. I assume they didn't want to ask for too much and then lose it all.
This will probably help them focus on what they can achieve as well (i.e. if they get 30k, they'll know there is some interest but it is limited and they should not spend 3 years completing the project)

 

[Carnifex]

The request amount seemed reasonable to me and obviously they've impressed enough people with the base game to all but ensure this one will succeed. It looks to have been a smart campaign that will pay off.

 

[mbuddha]

Done

 

[Saxon1974]

I like black geyser, do need to getting around to finishing it. Easily backed from me.

 

[HellRazor]

Backed. They are $2,500 from their funding goal with 19 days left.

 

[Carnifex]

Gosh, they should get that easily, without the usual last push at the end. Well done on them.

 

[bjon045]

Only about 300 euro to go and they hit the target. Should be today or tomorrow I guess.

 

[Taluntain]

I find it interesting how nobody is talking about the definition of shoestring budget here...

 

[Morrandir]

Yeah, it's obvious that this is not the actual budget for this expansion. They must have other funding (most likely just private time) and this KS campaign is mainly to test the interest (and perhaps boost sales of the main game). They say themselves:

A successful Kickstarter campaign will also give us a clear message that we should keep doing what we're doing and stay together

I don't want to paint a black picture, but the fact that they are struggling to get even 20k is not really encouraging.

 

[Couchpotato]

I find it interesting how nobody is talking about the definition of shoestring budget here...

Why should it matter just look at the AtomRPGs made with $35,000. I'm guessing they have other funding as well, and frankly this is an expansion not a full sequel.

Also I've had enough negativity over the first game with certain members already.

 

[Couchpotato]

Yeah, it's obvious that this is not the actual budget for this expansion. They must have other funding (most likely just private time) and this KS campaign is mainly to test the interest (and perhaps boost sales of the main game). They say themselves:

I don't want to paint a black picture, but the fact that they are struggling to get even 20k is not really encouraging.

That's the reality of crowdfunding you can barely get $20,000 if your lucky. Now if it was Larian or Obsidian they might struggle but could get a million because of their name.

 

[Taluntain]

Why should it matter just look at the AtomRPGs made with $35,000. I'm guessing they have other funding as well, and frankly this is an expansion not a full sequel.

Also I've had enough negativity over the first game with certain members already.

It matters because the game is being developed in Europe (unless they're outsourcing some of it somewhere cheaper) and 20k after all the KS fees (5% + 3-5% payment processing fees), plus the money needed to set up a KS campaign, realistically leaves them with maybe a bit upwards of 15k. Which won't even pay one person's very low salary until August 2024, when the expansion is planned to be released.

Obviously everyone goes into a KS campaign hoping to hit at least one or two stretch goals, but even at the first one at 30k (which doesn't seem very likely to happen right now), I'd still say that the sum would be too low to make much of a difference overall. Though if they're doing the KS just as a promotional campaign, it makes sense, I guess.

 

[Stingray]

It matters because the game is being developed in Europe (unless they're outsourcing some of it somewhere cheaper) and 20k after all the KS fees (5% + 3-5% payment processing fees), plus the money needed to set up a KS campaign, realistically leaves them with maybe a bit upwards of 15k. Which won't even pay one person's very low salary until August 2024, when the expansion is planned to be released.

Obviously everyone goes into a KS campaign hoping to hit at least one or two stretch goals, but even at the first one at 30k (which doesn't seem very likely to happen right now), I'd still say that the sum would be too low to make much of a difference overall. Though if they're doing the KS just as a promotional campaign, it makes sense, I guess.

They said they were based in Hungary when I asked them about it on these forums a few years ago, back when "Rothgor" was around. He also mentioned they had some Slovaks involved. I guess $15-20K may go further there than in most of Europe (I guess you would know?) but yeah I don't get how $15K could make or break a game expansion, or a studio itself. These guys have always been super weird.

 

[Couchpotato]

Correct the dollar goes a lot further in other countries depending on where their based. The first game didn't have a large budget either. Hopefully it's enough.

The developer yeah they are weird but always come thru in the end.

 

[Vaelith]

Making a game with 35k is remarkable. They couldn't pay a single good lead engineer for more than a quarter in the US or UK with that money.

 

[Couchpotato]

Making a game with 35k is remarkable. They couldn't pay a single good lead engineer for more than a quarter in the US or UK with that money.

I've been watching a few Tim Cain videos lately about his experiance in game development past and present. It's amazing any big budget game gets released at all.