The video is up!

[chemical_art]

Just ad there are people who will not listen if you tell them via audio there is no dog fighting, the very fact there are any camera angles at all from that perspective means some will assume that is will be in gameplay. The only way to truly prevent that assumprion using that logic is to scrap any video depicting it for otherwise people will jump to that conclusion. If someone is not willing to listen to 60 seconds of video...they are going to form their assumption regardless.

For me, visually it was by far the coolest visual part of the game. those visuals are key in a strategy game for it is extremely difficult to otherwise visually depict the potential. For that reason it needs to stay so early. To do a half baked change so late in the cycle is foolish.

[Tridus]

But that's a fair question - what *does* that perspective have to do with playing AI War? When would you do that? *Can* you even do that in the actual game?

If the answer to the last question is no, you are just asking for trouble. Putting stuff in that has nothing to do with the game but because it's pretty tends to lead to unhappy people later who will claim they were mislead. Is it true? Doesn't matter. Perception rules in this space.

If it's something you could do and follow the fight along because it looks cool? Then it's fine. Endless Space's battles are purely eye candy after all, and that worked out pretty well for them.

[chemical_art]

But that's a fair question - what *does* that perspective have to do with playing AI War? When would you do that? *Can* you even do that in the actual game?

If the answer to the last question is no, you are just asking for trouble. Putting stuff in that has nothing to do with the game but because it's pretty tends to lead to unhappy people later who will claim they were mislead. Is it true? Doesn't matter. Perception rules in this space.

If it's something you could do and follow the fight along because it looks cool? Then it's fine. Endless Space's battles are purely eye candy after all, and that worked out pretty well for them.

From everything I read it is eye candy a la Sins of a Solar Empire and Star Wars: Empire at War to name a few. It is a really established concept in the space strategy game realm. It would for me feel more out of place not to have it.

[Tridus]

But that's a fair question - what *does* that perspective have to do with playing AI War? When would you do that? *Can* you even do that in the actual game?

If the answer to the last question is no, you are just asking for trouble. Putting stuff in that has nothing to do with the game but because it's pretty tends to lead to unhappy people later who will claim they were mislead. Is it true? Doesn't matter. Perception rules in this space.

If it's something you could do and follow the fight along because it looks cool? Then it's fine. Endless Space's battles are purely eye candy after all, and that worked out pretty well for them.

From everything I read it is eye candy a la Sins of a Solar Empire and Star Wars: Empire at War to name a few. It is a really established concept in the space strategy game realm. It would for me feel more out of place not to have it.

If it's eye candy in the actual game, that's fine. My impression was that it was eye candy in the video that isn't something you can do in the game, which is not.

[Mánagarmr]

Chris, I'm sorry, but that video about AI War 2 is really rough. It dumps way too much information that's not necessary for Kickstarter without really talking about the Kickstarter itself. It needs to be much longer, much better paced and with a lot more human touch than this. I don't know, I'm really concerned about this being the front running video for your campaign.

I need to keep thinking on this but I have a lot of misgivings on it.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, watches those long, talky bits on a Kickstarter. Catch them in the first 10 seconds or you are #¤%#%¤. The long talky bits can be left for the sprawling text on the page. Or even update videos. NOT the presentation video.

I, for one, that this was short, concise, to the point and above all had EXCELLENT VO. Whoever did that VO: Creds.

[garion333]

I love the video though the explosions sound out of place. Might be a mixing thing. I don't know, I don't do video production and it could be because I'm wearing headphones while at work. Just feel like they stick out in a weird way.

Otherwise I thought it was pretty great!

[Mánagarmr]

I love the video though the explosions sound out of place. Might be a mixing thing. I don't know, I don't do video production and it could be because I'm wearing headphones while at work. Just feel like they stick out in a weird way.

Otherwise I thought it was pretty great!

Taht's one of the things I liked. Crystal clear sound on the voice. Easy to hear, easy to follow.

[Draco18s]

Random question:
Why $299,400?

That's what it's going to cost to make AIW II a reality? 

Q: How much do you think it was going to cost to make the game?

Haha. had the same question earlier from a friend. It's an oddly specific number.

This.  Why 299,400 and not 300,000?

[Captain Jack]

No one, and I mean NO ONE, watches those long, talky bits on a Kickstarter.

I do, so your premise is clearly false and nothing in the rest of your post can be trusted.

[Apathetic]

This.  Why 299,400 and not 300,000?

$299,400 is exactly what our budget shows AI War 2 will cost. Why should we ask for $600 we don't need? Showing you the true amount and not the nearest estimate sends the message that we approached budgetary concerns seriously, and did not say, "Yeah that sounds about right for a game."

I actually though it was an interesting touch.

[Tigris]

This.  Why 299,400 and not 300,000?

$299,400 is exactly what our budget shows AI War 2 will cost. Why should we ask for $600 we don't need? Showing you the true amount and not the nearest estimate sends the message that we approached budgetary concerns seriously, and did not say, "Yeah that sounds about right for a game."

I actually though it was an interesting touch.

For me this sounds a bit like smartassery, especially when you have a "buffer" planned anyway.

[Captain Jack]

This.  Why 299,400 and not 300,000?

$299,400 is exactly what our budget shows AI War 2 will cost. Why should we ask for $600 we don't need? Showing you the true amount and not the nearest estimate sends the message that we approached budgetary concerns seriously, and did not say, "Yeah that sounds about right for a game."

I actually though it was an interesting touch.

For me this sounds a bit like smartassery, especially when you have a "buffer" planned anyway.

Wow, rude.

[Tigris]

Well I am direct and honest I prefer that to being "nice".

This was one point which really set me up a bit. Not only because I like round numbers (lots of 000s!), but also because the buffer is contradicting that.
Additional no one can plan that precise!

Unfortunately that was not the only point which I did not like in the campagne.

And I am amazed that so many people like the video. For me it is worse than this video: https://arcengames.com/5905-2/ (I also do not really like the voice..)

[Cinth]

This was one point which really set me up a bit. Not only because I like round numbers (lots of 000s!), but also because the buffer is contradicting that.
Additional no one can plan that precise!

The buffer is a percentage built in to projected costs to protect against unexpected stuff.  That "$600" is $600 more than what is projected with the buffer and isn't necessary to ask for and doesn't serve a purpose.  Considering how long Arcen has been doing this, I'm sure that number has a high degree of confidence behind it.

[Tigris]

This was one point which really set me up a bit. Not only because I like round numbers (lots of 000s!), but also because the buffer is contradicting that.
Additional no one can plan that precise!

The buffer is a percentage built in to projected costs to protect against unexpected stuff.  That "$600" is $600 more than what is projected with the buffer and isn't necessary to ask for and doesn't serve a purpose.  Considering how long Arcen has been doing this, I'm sure that number has a high degree of confidence behind it.

Well 600 dollar would make out of the 7% buffer about 7.2% so the difference isnt really remarkable.
No one can plan that precisely. I mean just looking at the last 3 Arcen projects show, that a lot in planning can go wrong.