Hero-U

[Tawmis]

It doesn't sound very good at all. They're out of money from the 2nd kickstarter and in need of 1-2 programmers.

Yeah. The Cole's Hero-U project seems to be taking as many hits as the Space Venture one is... Despite that, as long as I am alive, I will (try and) remain patient. These aren't folks who are an actual company; so things happen. Which means delays. (Sometimes after delay after delay).

I just hope, when it's all said and done, Hero-U will be worth the wait; and harken a little (at least) to the nostalgia I find with QFG. (I don't have a doubt that SpaceVenture is going to fill that SQ need I have... Hero-U, however... seems vastly different...)

[Mostly]

It doesn't sound very good at all. They're out of money from the 2nd kickstarter and in need of 1-2 programmers.

Yeah. The Cole's Hero-U project seems to be taking as many hits as the Space Venture one is... Despite that, as long as I am alive, I will (try and) remain patient. These aren't folks who are an actual company; so things happen. Which means delays. (Sometimes after delay after delay).

I just hope, when it's all said and done, Hero-U will be worth the wait; and harken a little (at least) to the nostalgia I find with QFG. (I don't have a doubt that SpaceVenture is going to fill that SQ need I have... Hero-U, however... seems vastly different...)

Hero-U seems to be plagued by management and budget issues much more than Spaceventure has been. Spaceventure has had their issues and stalls, but Hero-U feels like it's never found its footing. They went through a couple major design changes in the first year, and they've had more trouble with funds and retaining team members. At the very least Spaceventure didn't have to go back to Kickstarter but they did make that Cluck Yegger game to raise more funds.

While I am of course rooting for both projects to come out and be successful, it's harder to be optimistic about Hero-U. I think Spaceventure has a better chance because it's just focused on being an adventure game, and they've designed it with mobile devices in mind. Hero-U has the classic adventure meets RPG backbone and the screenshots in the new update do look very good, but it may struggle to meet expectations from old QfG fans. Overall expectations for both games will be so low at release that they could be pleasant surprises.

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmm, I don't know what to think about Hero-U. On the one hand, I hope that the game will be a success, both artistically and commercially. On the other, it sounds like there have been problems at the managerial and financial level, which I won't bore you all by reciting.

So... I'm trying to stay optimistic for the Coles. It sounds like they've had some bad luck with the staff too - some people going through family tragedies, others finding full-time work, still others unable to commit, etc. etc. - and all this could not have helped. So, I understand and sympathise with the Coles, and I certainly won't be booing and shouting something in the vein of "It didn't come in on time!?? BOO!!! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!" etc.

[Tawmis]

Hero-U seems to be plagued by management and budget issues much more than Spaceventure has been. Spaceventure has had their issues and stalls, but Hero-U feels like it's never found its footing. They went through a couple major design changes in the first year, and they've had more trouble with funds and retaining team members. At the very least Spaceventure didn't have to go back to Kickstarter but they did make that Cluck Yegger game to raise more funds.

Oh. Make no mistake, I do think Hero-U has taken more hits (and the fact that they had to do a 2nd Kickstarter - which I didn't back - simply because I can't afford to). It was because of these delays, that I swore off backing any other Kickstarters. (But that got undone when Greg, of Toejam and Earl fame, turned to Kickstarter to kickstart the next TJ&E game). But, that will be the last one I back up. (I am still waiting on SpaceVenture, Hero-U, Bard's Tale IV and Toejam and Earl to complete). Of those, Hero-U and SpaceVenture have definitely taken the longest. Bard's Tale IV, my complaint is way too few updates. Toejam and Earl has been pretty good about everything.

While I am of course rooting for both projects to come out and be successful, it's harder to be optimistic about Hero-U. I think Spaceventure has a better chance because it's just focused on being an adventure game, and they've designed it with mobile devices in mind. Hero-U has the classic adventure meets RPG backbone and the screenshots in the new update do look very good, but it may struggle to meet expectations from old QfG fans. Overall expectations for both games will be so low at release that they could be pleasant surprises.

SpaceVenture I am still very amped about. Hero-U, the more I see of it, the more I worry, that the game isn't going to be what I was hoping it would be. (I might be very, very wrong). But my expectation of Hero-U is considerably lower than SpaceVenture.

So... I'm trying to stay optimistic for the Coles. It sounds like they've had some bad luck with the staff too - some people going through family tragedies, others finding full-time work, still others unable to commit, etc. etc. - and all this could not have helped. So, I understand and sympathise with the Coles, and I certainly won't be booing and shouting something in the vein of "It didn't come in on time!?? BOO!!! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!" etc.

Heh. See - for me, we're already what - almost two years late of the promised due date? Piled on, as mentioned above, with the additional Kickstarter and such - it makes me more and more nervous. I know they're going to eventually deliver a product - I just want to know if I am still going to be alive by the time it comes out.

[Mostly]

Hero-U seems to be plagued by management and budget issues much more than Spaceventure has been. Spaceventure has had their issues and stalls, but Hero-U feels like it's never found its footing. They went through a couple major design changes in the first year, and they've had more trouble with funds and retaining team members. At the very least Spaceventure didn't have to go back to Kickstarter but they did make that Cluck Yegger game to raise more funds.

Oh. Make no mistake, I do think Hero-U has taken more hits (and the fact that they had to do a 2nd Kickstarter - which I didn't back - simply because I can't afford to). It was because of these delays, that I swore off backing any other Kickstarters. (But that got undone when Greg, of Toejam and Earl fame, turned to Kickstarter to kickstart the next TJ&E game). But, that will be the last one I back up. (I am still waiting on SpaceVenture, Hero-U, Bard's Tale IV and Toejam and Earl to complete). Of those, Hero-U and SpaceVenture have definitely taken the longest. Bard's Tale IV, my complaint is way too few updates. Toejam and Earl has been pretty good about everything.

While I am of course rooting for both projects to come out and be successful, it's harder to be optimistic about Hero-U. I think Spaceventure has a better chance because it's just focused on being an adventure game, and they've designed it with mobile devices in mind. Hero-U has the classic adventure meets RPG backbone and the screenshots in the new update do look very good, but it may struggle to meet expectations from old QfG fans. Overall expectations for both games will be so low at release that they could be pleasant surprises.

SpaceVenture I am still very amped about. Hero-U, the more I see of it, the more I worry, that the game isn't going to be what I was hoping it would be. (I might be very, very wrong). But my expectation of Hero-U is considerably lower than SpaceVenture.

I'm not very optimistic about either, but less so about Hero-U. Spaceventure might be a decent sci-fi point-and-click with a sense of humor, but I expect it to be fairly short and have easy puzzles. As I wrote above that may work in its favor with finding an audience in mobile markets.

I also worry about what Hero-U and don't really have any sense of what kind of game it will be. The combat demo from last year did look good. It really just depends on who they're targeting with the game. Will there be enough puzzles to satisfy adventure gamers? Will the RPG elements and combat satisfy RPG fans? Will the writing and narrative be smart and witty enough to overcome drawbacks in the aforementioned to win people over?

Despite my skepticism I still give the Coles the benefit of the doubt. I know they're capable of designing a good game, but it's very worrying to read in that update that they are financing the game with their retirement funds. On the bright side they may have no choice but to simply wrap up the game before they go into severe debt.

One other good thing for Hero-U and Spaceventure is that they were relatively high profile kickstarters, and I'd expect some of the major gaming news sites to mention them when they are released. Given how crowded the gaming industry is and how hard it is for indie games be noticed, just a blurb on a couple sites like IGN or Eurogamer might be enough.

[Tawmis]

Hero-U Update:
http://blog.sierrahelp.com/2017/02/15/h ... edemption/

[Mostly]

We might still slip, but it won’t be by much. Lori and I have strong financial and creative incentives to get the game out the door and into your hands.

I hope that works to their advantage. Sounds like they are almost in the home stretch.

[Tawmis]

We might still slip, but it won’t be by much. Lori and I have strong financial and creative incentives to get the game out the door and into your hands.

I hope that works to their advantage. Sounds like they are almost in the home stretch.

I hope so. This and SpaceVenture having taken a very long time. And both resulted in me forgoing anymore Kickstarters... then the Toejam & Earl maker went the Kickstarter route... then Bards Tale went the Kickstarter route... so I am knee deep again.

[Mostly]

We might still slip, but it won’t be by much. Lori and I have strong financial and creative incentives to get the game out the door and into your hands.

I hope that works to their advantage. Sounds like they are almost in the home stretch.

I hope so. This and SpaceVenture having taken a very long time. And both resulted in me forgoing anymore Kickstarters... then the Toejam & Earl maker went the Kickstarter route... then Bards Tale went the Kickstarter route... so I am knee deep again.

[Tawmis]

We might still slip, but it won’t be by much. Lori and I have strong financial and creative incentives to get the game out the door and into your hands.

I hope that works to their advantage. Sounds like they are almost in the home stretch.

I hope so. This and SpaceVenture having taken a very long time. And both resulted in me forgoing anymore Kickstarters... then the Toejam & Earl maker went the Kickstarter route... then Bards Tale went the Kickstarter route... so I am knee deep again.

^ Truth.

It was really the Toejam & Earl one that interested me. I backed the Bard's Tale, thinking that it would be funded and produced quickly. It was funded quickly, but they're very sparse on their updates. I get they were busy - but if I were to ever do a Kickstarter, for anything - I'd literally hire someone to do the PR and release updates on a weekly basis, even if it's "We don't got much this week, here's some concept art/a peek at (whatever)/tight on money, but we're going to hire (whatever), etc." Just to keep those who are backing you constantly informed.

The lack of communication from Kickstarters is what really bothers me. I wouldn't even mind Kickstarters, like Hero-U, that take... oh, four years... if they were better at communication. Again, even if it's trivial bits of news. It's something.

[Mostly]

^ Truth.

It was really the Toejam & Earl one that interested me. I backed the Bard's Tale, thinking that it would be funded and produced quickly. It was funded quickly, but they're very sparse on their updates. I get they were busy - but if I were to ever do a Kickstarter, for anything - I'd literally hire someone to do the PR and release updates on a weekly basis, even if it's "We don't got much this week, here's some concept art/a peek at (whatever)/tight on money, but we're going to hire (whatever), etc." Just to keep those who are backing you constantly informed.

The lack of communication from Kickstarters is what really bothers me. I wouldn't even mind Kickstarters, like Hero-U, that take... oh, four years... if they were better at communication. Again, even if it's trivial bits of news. It's something.

That reminds me of how Chris Pope was doing frequent updates (1-2 per month) on Spaceventure for a couple years. He eventually slowed down since most of the updates were insignificant. I can go either way - more time between updates is fine as long as there's a good sense things are moving along. If there haven't been major developments for quite a few months, then it's easy to become anxious or concerned over what's happening. However, a simple "we're still working and things are going well" is all you need.

[Tawmis]

Hero-U Updates:
http://blog.sierrahelp.com/2017/03/29/h ... edemption/
and
http://larrylaffer.net/archives/2524

(It's the same at both links - I just update both)

[Rath Darkblade]

I just saw this. Hero-U is looking very good by now. I wonder what will happen next... looks like Beta will be ready by 1 July. *fingers crossed*

[Tawmis]

Hero-U update: http://larrylaffer.net/archives/2539 or http://blog.sierrahelp.com/2017/06/14/hero-u-update/

[Tawmis]

Hero-U update at http://larrylaffer.net/archives/2552 or http://blog.sierrahelp.com/2017/08/17/h ... edemption/