Kickstarter Update #6

[Semmy]

Kickstarter stats analysis and creative rewards guidelines
Hey all,

The RimWorld kickstarter continues to defy all expectations (especially my own) as it cruises past the $150K mark without any sign of slowing down. So - thank you, very very much!

Now - let's get on with the update.
Creative rewards guidelines

RimWorld is a character-driven story game. Players will get to know a colonist or prisoner over the course of many hours of play. That's why for the good of all players, it's important that every character make sense and fit seamlessly into the world. This includes all characters added by backers at the Pirate tier and above.

To make sure nothing narrative-breaking gets in the game, we're going to moderate the names and character backgrounds you submit. Everything will be submitted through a Web form; if your content doesn't work you'll get an email explaining why and an opportunity to change it and try again.

To make this whole process as super-transparent and consistent as possible, I've written a series of documents to help everyone out:

*  Pirate and above backers should read the creative rewards guidelines. It covers what's considered acceptable to add into the game.
*  Mercenary and above backers should read the RimWorld universe quick primer. This is a short introduction to the setting of the game, so you can write your character backgrounds in a way that makes sense.
*  Those who are interested can read the longsleep revival briefing. This is a longer in-world fiction piece that I wrote months ago, largely for myself, to develop the universe.

Please take a look and make sure that your planned character can work in these guidelines. If you want to discuss the fiction or ask about how it can be stretched, the Ludeon forums are a good place to do so.

And that's enough strictness for today! I hate to lay down rules like this, but it is important to make sure the game itself is consistent for everyone.

When will I get the game?

I should clarify the timing of the pre-alpha release. Unfortunately I can't promise Influencer backers that they will get the game November 1. Kickstarter will take some time to process people's financial info. And then we'll have to move all your info into our SendOwl DRM-free game distribution partner's system. I've tried to prepare all I can to make this a smooth and quick process, but it could take several days.

The moment the game is available, you'll get an email with your download links.

Kickstarter traffic analysis

Forumgoer LobsterSundew has posted an insightful analysis of the progress of the Kickstarter so far.

It's been interesting watching the sources of our backers shift over the course of the campaign. Early on, our key source of traffic was an article on the popular PC website Rock Paper Shotgun. Later, Reddit took the top spot, as fans of the game posted about it all over /r/basebuildinggames, r/indiegames, r/gaming, and, of course, our very own r/RimWorld. As time has gone on, however, Reddit has been supplanted by YouTube. YouTubers seem to love the game, and so do their audiences. Even more recently, we’ve received a lot of support from viewers of Twitch streams, especially Sacriel’s. I chilled with Sac on his stream for a couple hours, answering questions and watching his colonists get stomped by muffalo. It was a good time.

This very broad base of support has given RimWorld an exceptionally steady inflow of attention. Since we're not dependent on big individual sources of traffic, no one event causes a spike or drop in traffic. I kind of like that this seems to be a grass-roots thing. It's gratifying as a game designer to see the game spreading not by marketing or graphics, but by people experiencing it in play.

I'm on Twitter at @TynanSylvester. As always, our forums are open to you. I recommend the story of the Happenings of Hope's Landing by tester danderson.



Cheers all, and thanks again for the continuing support!

Ty

[SteveAdamo]

woohoo! background reading ho!

[Starkiller]

Just read the fiction piece and it is awesome, i really like the transhuman flavor you have given it; i am not sure if this is the right place to post but here some sources that could be of inspiration:
- http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?294175-Sci-Fi-Setting-Riff-Counting-to-Infinity : good example how hypertech could be flawed
- Stars Without Number (free version on DriveThruRPG): shares some concepts with rimworld (aside FTL)
- Eclipse Phase: the best transhuman rpg in existence, great survival tech and exoplanet colonization descriptions

[salt1219]

after reading the background info i'm picturing a vat grown soldier from a marble world who is addicted to joywires.
he had them implanted to cope with what he's seen/done and now he is a shadow of his former self drifting from world to world.

[SteveAdamo]

Just read the fiction piece and it is awesome

it was pretty impressive... im curious.. Tynan, have you written any other fiction?

[Tynan]

Just read the fiction piece and it is awesome

it was pretty impressive... im curious.. Tynan, have you written any other fiction?

Yes, but not in any serious capacity.

I did write a nonfiction book, though. And it included chunks of fiction.

[SteveAdamo]

I did write a nonfiction book, though. And it included chunks of fiction.

programs games... writes books... and is witty too? your talents know no bounds... :p

*reads book jacket*

[rsdworker]

sounds very good - so i hope i get rimworld around nov and i hope i could make videos of it