Anybody notice that all the content from http://www.fargoal.com/ seems to be gone? Is this the final nail in the coffin for Sword of Fargoal 2? Was there an announcement somewhere? I was really hoping this one would eventually materialize out of the vapor...
I'm guessing they're in the middle of updating the site. When I go there on my phone, I initially get a choice between mobile and desktop. Mobile has nothing - not even a basic layout, whereas desktop just shows a missing page error within their site's frame. So it looks like someone's updating and messed up one or more of the pages/links.
Jeff has failed to post KickStarter updates based on his own suggested schedule on numerous occasions. The last post there was in December. I have lost faith.
I know Jeff - we've met in person multiple times. I don't think he's the type to just drop the project without letting people know. I'm sure he's very busy with it, family, and his other projects. Being an indie dev myself, I know what it's like to get in that situation where you haven't updated the community in a while but you want to wait just another couple days to try to finish the feature you're working on so you can show it off and/or not get distracted from it (and TA can be a bit of a distraction at times ).
I'm not sure what is going on with the site, but I think it's a problem with the webhost (Lizard Hill), not any sort of omen, heh. I'm personally keen to get back into Fargoal work again after Death Road to Canada is wrapped up this spring.
Jeff just posted an update to the Kickstarter page saying, among other things like working on a Steam version, that the next update will be March 2.
Spring. Well that kills the "and soon". Guess I shouldn't be shocked. Here's hoping it manages to make it out the door at some point.
They will... just instead of a team of dozens of developers, all we have is ME. So I have to bounce around a lot, and stuff gets shuffled and prioritized and re-prioritized and my roof breaks and I need money to fix that and the dog broke the front porch railing so that needs fixed and oh hey when did the kids grow up I guess I need to pay for college and hmm I'm getting a bit old I wonder if there's a good cheap nursing home around, guess I better work on something else a bit more profitable to make money right now. Fargoal 2 is still there though.
Lol nice. Yeah unfortunately, many people just don't understand what's involved with indie development - they're so accustomed to the AAA development from consoles/PCs and weren't around 25-30 years ago for the last big indie movement. What Fargoal earned from the KS was a decent chunk of money, but it's not nearly enough for what's needed for development, business costs, and marketing for a game of Fargoal's complexity. They JUST made their goal, which means it's enough to see them through IF there are no other extenuating circumstances (and maybe it will cover some of those). But stuff ALWAYS happens/gets in the way, as Madgarden so eloquently described. Heh.
I am sure Jeff had the best intentions going into the Fargoal 2 KS, and one would hope that a certain amount of risk was built into the funding level and expected schedule. Unfortunately Fargoal 2 is in "good" company in not meeting the published goals, as this interesting Gamasutra article demonstrates: http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/UnSubject/20140225/210645/A_Look_at_Kickstarted_Video_Game_Delivery_Rates.php
Yea, I am more out of pocket and in the hole on Fargoal than the full amount that the Kickstarter brought in. Also, we haven't spent any of the KS funds aside from outside contractors to do bits of things, some art, video etc. I haven't taken KS funds myself because I haven't been able to work on it. And if you noticed, the KS was all about MORE ART and MORE MUSIC etc. and not really development. Basically if anyone complains to me about the Fargoal 2 Kickstarter they can stuff it. For the most part Kickstarter is more about publicity than it is funding, and if you're a big studio like Double Fine, well you usually get the best of both worlds.
I don't care what the issues involved are. Statements like that from a developer are NEVER good for "BIDNESS".
Somebody's gotta play the bad cop. I really don't *have* to explain any of this BIDNESS, it goes way deeper than I can discuss here. But I'm glad you don't care though. Neither will I.
So you are saying you don't care what has happened your gonna stand by your point? Isn't that the same philosophy a 5 year old uses when they throw a tantrum?
Do I look like a Wall Street banker hanging out in Touch Arcade forums talking to gamers to you? No suit and tie up in this shizzle. If that's your only point then you can move along now, nothing to see here. I stand by my words. Entitled complainants can continue to stuff it until they are quite bloated and irritable from said constant stuffings. Friends welcome.
