Signal Boost
As you can see in this video, part of the narrative was to have a response for when we reached a plateau in our funding effort. We had hoped, of course, that CLANG's funding trajectory would be more vertical, but projections are always a tricky business. It's best to keep working on spreading the message about the project, and to keep working on reaching our funding goal.
To that end, here are a couple more resources to share with your friends and networks. Please spread them far and wide, and don't forget take a look at the interview yourselves.
Dan Pearson at Gamesindustry International has an exclusive interview with Neal about CLANG. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-06-15-Stephensons-racket
Neal is doing a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Thursday (tomorrow). http://redd.it/v9z87
UPDATE: The actual Reddit thread is here: http://redd.it/vdt11
9,023
Backers
$526,125
pledged of $500,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding period
Jun 9, 2012 -
Jul 9, 2012
(30 days)
- First created · 1 backed
- Has not connected Facebook
- Website: subutai.mn
Pledge $10 or more
672 backers
Thanks! You get our appreciation and a thank you on our website and the game credits.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $25 or more
5369 backers
Download of the game (motion control hardware not included), as well as a thank you credit on our website and within the game.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $40 or more
410 backers
Two copies of the game. Keep one for yourself, give one to a friend! Includes a thank you credit on our website and within the game.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $50 or more
421 backers
Download of game concept art in pdf format. Includes all preceding rewards.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $75 or more
567 backers
PDF of illustrated Clang fighting manual. Includes all preceding rewards.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $100 or more
584 backers
T-shirt with CLANG/Subutai Kickstarter campaign graphic. Includes all preceding rewards (add $15 for international shipping).
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $150 or more
333 backers
Print edition of illustrated CLANG fighting manual. Includes all preceding awards (add $15 for international shipping).
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $250 or more
64 backers
Motivational poster signed by the team. OMVI patch. Includes all preceding rewards (add $20 for international shipping).
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $500 or more
37 backers
Print version of the illustrated CLANG fighting manual signed by the team, copy of the Deluxe Edition of The Mongoliad Book 1, signed by the writers. Includes all preceding rewards (add $15 for international shipping).
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $1,000 or more
19 backers Limited (1 of 20 left)
Complete Mongoliad trilogy signed by team plus invitations to company parties in Seattle. Includes all preceding rewards (add $15 for international shipping).
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $1,241 or more
10 backers All gone!
Name a character in a future Foreworld story, the alternate history in which The Mongoliad (and CLANG) is set. The name may be modified as necessary to fit the milieu. Includes all previous rewards.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $1,294 or more
7 backers Limited (3 of 10 left)
Name a character in the large world Foreworld game project. The name may be modified as necessary to fit the milieu. Includes all previous rewards (except the $1241 level reward).
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $2,000 or more
1 backer Limited (19 of 20 left)
Your face on your exclusive character! We will have you send us a few photos and we will make you character that only you can use, with your face! Includes all previous rewards (except the $1241 and $1294 level rewards).
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $5,000 or more
3 backers Limited (7 of 10 left)
Original concept art plus invitations to company parties in Seattle. Includes all preceding rewards.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $10,000 or more
1 backer Limited (7 of 8 left)
THE WAR KNIFE VERSION: Gotlandic war knife based on a design by bladesmith Jeff Pringle (a wootz and pattern welding specialist). These are replicas of 8th century weapons, not unlike what would be carried by the OMVI from Týrshammar in our Foreworld stories. In those days, "war knife" meant something akin to "short sword" rather than "pocket knife." This reward also includes a studio tour and lunch with the team, as well as all preceding lower-tier rewards (except the $1241 and $1294 level rewards and the sword).
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013Pledge $10,000 or more
8 backers All gone!
Steel longsword based on a design by noted sword-smith and Foreworld contributor, Angus Trim. Studio tour and lunch with the team! Includes all preceding rewards.
Estimated delivery: Feb 2013
Comments
Creator Fabian on June 24, 2012
Upped from 25 to 75 a while ago. This needs to go the one million at the least!
Creator Baja on June 22, 2012
It isn't traditional European sword fighting, but I think this martial art would be seen in Arena fighting.
Creator Baja on June 22, 2012
I found some video of Guru Buzz doing some sword and shield techniques http://youtu.be/0ESXZBTcleQ
Creator Aaron Ping on June 22, 2012
I'm with Mitchell. I've upped mine from $25 for $75. I'm really looking forward to this!
Creator Mitchell Jones on June 21, 2012
When I noticed donations plateauing I upped my pledge from $25 to $35. I've noticed that most of the backers are pledging under $100, which I think is the main problem right now. Despite the number of backers, the cost of entry is so low that it's sort of undermining the funding effort. Unless we're expecting a lot more swordfighting fans (8,000 of them, pledging $25 each) start coming out of the woodworks, I think it'd be worth calling out to existing backers to up their pledges. Depending on how things go over the next two weeks I might push my own contribution even higher, and I would encourage everyone else to do the same. Just $10 more per person right now would cover over 10% of the game.
Creator Robert Chapin on June 21, 2012
Having run a successful Kickstarter campaign, I found that it's true you get most of your funding in the first and last 10 days.
Creator Da Mayor on June 20, 2012
Awesome. I now have a much higher opinion of your CEO. All I saw before was a lazy stuffed shirt reading the WSJ. This shows me a much more human side.
Creator Baja on June 20, 2012
Kuntaw Sibat
Creator Baja on June 20, 2012
whoops wrong video, I meant this one. http://youtu.be/9Pf2r0hG37k
Creator Baja on June 20, 2012
Make sure to include http://youtu.be/lSmwFrA0MfA
Creator Mark Teppo on June 20, 2012
Thanks, Mircea. There are some useful charts and commentary in that link. Yeah, the trough is a basic part of the process, as is endlessly speculating on what is or is not driving traffic. :)
We had a moment one afternoon when we were building the hamster wheel when we thought, "What the hell are we doing, building this thing?" But we were in that stage of planning where you know what needs to be done and things just have to line themselves up. And not every action has an immediate reaction. Some strategies take a little time to come to fruition.
Creator royblumenthal on June 20, 2012
Stephenson: 'I sent you a memo.'
Cartwright: 'Your memos are longer than your novels.'
Creator Justin Handville on June 20, 2012
Yeah... this is the typical Kickstarter doldrums. Activity will pick up towards the end as long as momentum is maintained. More videos certainly wouldn't hurt though. :-)
Creator Mircea Goia on June 20, 2012
Don't worry much about the plateau...it's normal, you are approaching the dead zone (see below). This will pick steam again in the end of the campaign.
But yes, keep the updates coming.
See here more: http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/trends-in-pricing-and-duration
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When Craig examined his project, he noticed that it dragged during the middle of the campaign. Craig called this period the “Dead Zone”; we call it the trough. When a project first launches, there’s an immediate spike of activity as the creator starts spreading the word.
And as a project nears its deadline, there’s another spike as two things happen: 1. the creator and backers promote the project to make sure it’s funded or that their friends get in before the end, and 2. people who’ve been sitting on the sidelines (but meaning to pledge) finally jump in before the bell rings.
What’s most significant about this graph is how uniform the shape of the curve is for all project durations. Most projects will get that burst of interest in the beginning and end — the middle is up to the creator to maintain momentum, typically through press, events, and other promotions.
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Creator Nakilicious on June 20, 2012
I think we all want to see a little more of the story, of the OMVI -- maybe some artwork? Neal reading a passage? More videos would also do the trick (like the 50% funding one), since sharing those is a lot more effective than sharing 30-second statements or plain text... you could also launch a fan competition, say, let fans make up slogans, sigils, or draw Neal as a video game character. If you haven't done so yet, you should probably check out Chris Taylor's Kings and Castles video blog (http://gaspowered.com/kingsandcastles/) which was pretty awesome in 2010, to get an idea of what people would like to see. They also did a fan art contest at some point. Let us get involved!