Promotions recap
First, thanks to everyone who participated in the recent redemption and sale before we converted the strongholds to the modular versions!
To address some concerns: yes, we did have some exciting customer service issues because we started out the redemption and sale with a lot of freedom, coupled with a few unexpected web bugs and that didn’t work out well. Fortunately, these proved relatively straightforward to fix, and we have (mostly) resolved the issues now. As always, those who alerted us to the issues generally came out ahead and those who did not were dealt with accordingly.
Our goal in allowing a short-term redemption period was to let people realign their packages to match their playstyles. We think we did accomplish that although we ended up having to restrict gifting and the purchase of a second high-level package per account (as some high-level packages could be redeemed for more than their purchase price).
We want to personally thank the players who came forward to inform us and help us find and address the issues in our store. We continue to be impressed with the Crowfall® audience. You are (in aggregate) smart, active, aggressive communicators who are committed to seeing this game be something special. We salute and thank you all!
This is also a reminder that we are going to make mistakes along the way. We’re a small team trying to do a nearly impossible task: build an MMO as an independent studio.
To reiterate our commitment to you: yes, we will make mistakes, but when we do we will fix them as quickly as possible, and we will always do our best to do right by our customers. As you may have noticed, we will also continue to ensure that earliest backers get the best rewards.
Case in point: the change to the modular stronghold design resulted in all of the pledge packages (Kickstarter/2015/2016) at Gold level and above becoming *much* more valuable, which leads us to…
Introduction of 2017 (launch) packages
With the stronghold changes, the 2016 Gold and above pledge packages now have a significantly higher-than-expected value proposition. Our goal was that every $1 spent on a 2016 pledge would inevitably be worth $1.5 to $2.5 of game value at launch. Our Gold and above packages are now considerably beyond that multiple!
As such, it’s time to retire some of these packages. We’re going to keep the current 2016 packages on sale through the rest of September, but we will move to our “new model year” 2017 pledges starting beginning on Monday, October 3rd.
These 2017 packages will be the last set of pledge packages we offer. We currently expect to take them down in early 2017 when we move from pledge packages to traditional pre-orders.
You can expect the 2017 packages to have closer to a 1.5 ->2.5 x value level versus retail pricing. We’ll bring them up at least a week before the 2016 packages are retired.
If you missed out on the stronghold sale, this is a great time to take advantage of the 2016 packages (especially the high-end ones that contain multiple stronghold bundles; the contents are 5x to 6x the retail value).
Things we still don’t know
All of this begs the question, “Why are you guys discounting this stuff so much?”
While huge parts of our game are well understood (and progressing nicely!) there is still a sizeable amount of things-we-just-don’t-know-yet. At the top of this list is stuff related to game balance; filling out the data tables is typically the LAST item on your checklist before launch (and, as many of you know, beyond!)
That means that we’re still painting some systems in very broad strokes. As we fill in details (and bring things online), they are often subject to change.
The reason for the discounting is two-fold.
First, we want to reward our early backers for having faith in our team and our vision. We look at this as a sliding scale, in fact. The earlier someone answered our call-to-arms, the more we want them to be rewarded.
Second, and equally important, our early offerings are sometimes “fuzzy” in terms of details. How exactly do I place parcels in a kingdom? What is the maintenance cost difference between a small fort and a medium keep? The answer to those questions is that we don’t know yet. The game is still in development and any answer we give is highly likely to change.
In an ideal world, we would provide you ALL of that information so that you can make an informed buying decision prior to purchase. We don’t live in that world. This data isn’t just subject to change – it is guaranteed to change. In all likelihood, it will change numerous times between now and release.
We think discounting – in many cases, dramatic discounting (i.e. 90% off retail!) – is a fair way to reward our early, most faithful (and more risk tolerant) backers. Nothing would make us happier than having you guys get 5x to 10x the value of your early “bet” in our title.
As things change, we will try to let you know. If you are considering buying something from our store, obviously we are very grateful and thankful – but please be mindful of the fact that things can and will change. It is inevitable in game development. Our first priority has to be making the best game possible. If we have to change our plans or shift things around to achieve that goal, we will.
But rest assured that we will always put you first. We will always be grateful for the faith you have placed in us. And if things change in a way that adversely affects you, our earliest backers, we will take care of it.
Thank you again for your continued support,
Todd and Gordon
Co-Founders
ArtCraft Entertainment, Inc.