Telepath Tactics Kickstarter Campaign Updates #6-8, $8,900 and Counting

The Telepath Tactics Kickstarter campaign has managed to raise $8,964 of its $25,000 funding goal, with 15 days to go, and while that’s not a tragedy, it does look like it will need a serious push to make it by the end of its campaign.

In the meantime, Craig Stern has released three more updates for the project, including a look at the character classes, one on the stretch goals (which also includes a breakdown on the basic budget and some new rewards), and finally one with info on multiplayer.

Here’s a quote from the stretch goals update, which includes some pretty lofty (and unlikely to be reached) ones:

$35,000 – Mobile Ports

At $35,000 raised, I’ll port Telepath Tactics to iOS and Android devices so you can play it on the go. Want to fight a battle on the train? Feel like having a quick multiplayer match at a friend’s house? Just whip out your phone and you’re good to go! The extra funds from this stretch goal will go to cover the costs of reworking the game with intuitive touch controls and ensuring that the game’s assets fit properly / are easy to tap on differently sized touch screens.

$45,000 – Choices and Consequences

Right now, Telepath Tactics is a linear, Fire Emblem-style game with permadeath. The “permadeath” part means that there are already big consequences for the tactical choices you make in the game’s battles–but what about noncombat choices? Wouldn’t it be cool if the game supported dialog options, faction allegiances, and a plot line that could fork based on the player’s decisions? (The correct answer to that question, by the way, is “Hell yes!”)

Adding this would entail a pretty big increase in the game’s scope. However, at $45,000, I’ll be able to take some time off from my day job and dedicate myself to working full-time on expanding the game’s scripting system in order to make these sorts of choices and consequences possible.

$50,000 – Dungeon tilesets and objects

Want a dungeon tileset complete with spiked pits and scriptable buttons and levers? Me too! At $50,000, I’ll be able to cover the costs of commissioning this stuff.

$80,000 – Dedicated Linux Port

I know that AIR can be a little wonky on Linux, and I’d like to make sure that the game runs well on every distro. At $80,000, I’ll be able to hire a programmer who knows Linux development like the back of his/her hand to help me port the game natively to Linux.

$100,000 – Phoenix-like rebirth as a wRPG!

At $100,000, I’ll be able to take a full year off of work and craft a new portion of the engine to support open exploration, player-initiated character dialog, and side quests. In short: the game will go from being “a tactical RPG” to a full-on “wRPG with robust mod support that just happens to also sport the best tactical combat system of any wRPG, ever.”

So that’s that. Those are the stretch goals. Are you inspired? I know I am! Please pledge what you can, and encourage your friends to give generously–we still have three weeks to make Telepath Tactics not merely great, but frickin’ incredible.