We've launched an exciting new project of our own! Introducing the Kickstarter app for iPhone!

Funded! This project successfully raised its funding goal on July 10, 2012.

New Game Mechanic: The Time Stutter!

Update #3 · Jun 20, 2012 · comment

After an amazing first 10 days to the Kickstarter campaign, we've finally found some time to sit down and think about what is truly possible with this game.  We're excited to introduce a completely new game mechanic: what we're calling The Time Stutter.

Essentially, Endless Migration 2 is a game about time-travel, so we have been focusing a lot on cool new ways time-based mechanics will help invigorate the narrative and interactive aspects of the game.

Introducing Intra-Level Time Stutters

A time stutter is a short, unexpected jump forward (or backward) in time that will take place instantaneously during gameplay.  Unlike traveling through vortexes, these stutters do not transport the flock to new environments, but rather alter the current environment.  For example, the Pteranodon begins as a cumbersome and slow featherless flying reptile (Pteranodons and pterodactyls are technically reptiles, not dinosaurs) but grows more and more feathers and bird-like characteristics as the stutters progress.  Do feathered Pteranodons travel faster than their earlier cousins?  Are they more aggressive?  More dangerous?  Do they ever become friendly and join the flock instead of hunting it?  These are questions that will only be answered as the player travels deeper and deeper into the prehistoric environment.

Other environmental changes will occur through stutters as well.  Players may begin in a place teeming with dinosaurs, but will stutter into the devastating meteor shower that ultimately destroyed them, and then again into the frigid colds of the Ice Age, where chilling, cyclone-force hailstorms pummel the flock relentlessly, before finally arriving at a vortex -- salvation from the ever-worsening deep freeze.  Beasts like Pteranodons will be unavoidably caught in these stutters alongside the flock, triggering strange mutations, like those shown above.

Stutters will be rare and specific to certain environments, and we plan to use them sparsely but effectively to keep the game experience fresh and well-balanced.  The player will also come to recognize when a time stutter is about to occur, as the tearing fabric of time literally alters reality for a moment.

Birds of Prey

Another addition we've been working on is the introduction of Birds of Prey.  Hawks, Pteranodons in the prehistoric environment, and harpies in the mythological environment are a few that we've started conceptualizing.  Birds of Prey will appear throughout the game as solitary, soaring adversaries that behave much differently from aircraft.  First, they are susceptible to most dangers that face the flock, such as being splatted by jets.  They will attack the flock if a member gets close to them, so instead of following predictable trajectories, birds of prey remain dormant until they spot a target and enter into a sort of 'attack mode'.  Players will have to avoid them altogether or lure them into the path of an oncoming aircraft to escape.

New Creative Backer Rewards!

We added a couple new rewards and lowered the price on some unclaimed creative rewards to help draw more collaborative support from the Kickstarter community! 

  • Boss Designer: One lucky backer can now work with us to design the look, feel, and capabilities of the boss for the post-apocalyptic environment!
  • UFO Designer: 2 backers will work with us to design the extraterrestrial aircraft when the flock encounters the paranormal over a Midwestern farmland.
  • Character Designer: We reduced the pledge amount for this reward (and we also reduced the limit from 5 to 3 so hurry if you are interested!) where players can choose and design a bird for the game!

We're looking forward to folks who like these creative rewards! 

Lastly, our first Backers Only update is scheduled for Friday, and we'll be sharing the current draft of the script (not including any upcoming backer-generated content, of course).  We hope to get some early feedback from any of you who have the time and generosity to read through it.

Let's do this!

Team HotAirRaccoon

274
Backers
$10,052
pledged of $8,000 goal
0
seconds to go

Funding period
Jun 10, 2012 - Jul 10, 2012

  • Pledge $1 or more

    26 backers

    All backers will be included in a credits page on our site. Thanks for believing!

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $5 or more

    86 backers

    A copy of the game on iOS and a cool custom wallpaper pack consisting of high quality images inspired by the art of the game.

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $10 or more

    13 backers

    A 5x7 postcard featuring custom art, printed on textured card-stock, and personalized by the team! This postcard will be chosen randomly from 7 exclusive designs (you can check out a couple examples in the Rewards section to the left). Your pledge also includes the iOS version and the wallpaper.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $25 or more

    83 backers

    Get the digital Special Edition of Endless Migration 2! This includes both the iOS version of the game and a DRM-free, full-screen version for PC, Mac, or any machine with proper Flash Player (This full-screen version is a Kickstarter exclusive that will never be available anywhere else and includes an entire bonus environment only available here!), a digital art compilation of sketches, production art, sprite-sheets, animation cycles, and more, an official strategy guide written by the developers, and a digital download of the original soundtrack featuring all the great music from the game plus extended cuts and the remastered theme from Endless Migration 1. Plus, you'll get the postcard and the wallpaper pack.

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $35 or more

    25 backers All gone!

    Early Bird T-Shirt Special: You'll get everything from the $50 T-shirt tier, including the special edition, iOS game, wallpapers, and a postcard, but we're offering it $15 cheaper for the first 25 people who take advantage! (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $10).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $35 or more

    5 backers

    Receive a Kickstarter exclusive 24" x 36" Endless Migration 2 poster signed by the development team. Plus, you get the digital special edition, postcard, wallpaper pack, and iOS game. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $5)

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $40 or more

    3 backers

    The exclusive poster signed by the development team, the digital special edition, postcard, wallpaper pack, and iOS game, plus you will receive access to a closed beta test, become an active member of a close-knit community of backers, and take part in the design process! You will also receive credit as a Contributor to the game.

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $50 or more

    1 backer

    The Origami Goose Kit! If you love birds as much as us, then you will have a blast learning how to fold your own origami goose from custom paper printed to look like a bird from the game! Your kit will include a dozen sheets of printed origami paper and directions on how to assemble the bird. We will email you a PDF of the design, so you can print and fold to your heart's content. We also plan to post a video on our blog showing you how to make the birds, since written origami instructions can be quite a challenge. Includes the special edition, iOS game, wallpaper pack, beta access, and postcard. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $5)

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $50 or more

    13 backers

    Endless Migration T-Shirt! Choose your size and one of three colors: white, heather grey, or light blue. We print our shirts at a screen-printing house located here in Pittsburgh that uses Eco-friendly inks and environmentally conscious printing methods. The shirts will be printed on quality American Apparel tees. Includes the special edition, iOS game, wallpaper pack, beta access, and postcard. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $10).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $75 or more

    1 backer Limited (99 of 100 left)

    A beautiful limited-edition print signed by the development team. This print will combine the aesthetics of Pop Art, animation, and the motion photography of Eadweard Muybridge, using the frames of the bird's flight animation to create a colorful work of art! Includes the special edition, iOS game, wallpaper pack, beta access, and a postcard. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $10).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    5 backers Limited (95 of 100 left)

    Box Set 1: For generously contributing $100, you will receive the limited edition print, the full set of 7 custom postcards, 3 origami kits, the PDF origami instructions, and the signed poster. Also includes the special edition, iOS game, wallpaper pack, and the beta access. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $12).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $120 or more

    1 backer

    Get a handmade birdwatcher's journal with information about each and every bird in Endless Migration 2! This leather-bound journal will be a great piece of Endless Migration lore and will feature plenty of cool facts both about the birds and about the behind-the-scenes of making the game! (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $12).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $180 or more

    0 backers Limited (2 of 2 left)

    UFO Designer: Over farmlands, the flock will encounter a few unidentified extraterrestrial adversaries (right about the time when some crop-circles begin showing up in the fields below). Backers at this level will be invited to design how these UFOs behave and what they look like, giving each up to 2 unique abilities. Are they saucers, swarms, organic? Can they turn invisible, teleport, shoot tractor beams? See creative guidelines to the left for more info! Also includes Box Set 1.

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $180 or more

    0 backers Limited (3 of 3 left)

    Character Designer: Choose a completely new bird for the game and then design up to 5 adaptations/abilities for it! We will work with you to make the bird balanced and awesome! We'll also provide some basic guidelines so you can contribute a totally awesome creation! As with all the creative rewards, we retain veto power, but don't be afraid of that, because we will work with you to the bitter end to make your vision a reality! Also includes Box Set 1. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $25).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $250 or more

    1 backer Limited (99 of 100 left)

    Box Set 2: This box has a ton of stuff in it! You get the T-shirt in all three colors (or multiples of one if you prefer), the journal, the limited-edition print, the signed poster, all 7 postcards, and 3 origami kits. Also includes the special edition, iOS game, wallpaper pack, and the beta access. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $25).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $400 or more

    0 backers

    Endless Migration Zoetrope! As artists and animators making a game about time travel, we thought it would be completely appropriate to offer our backers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to revisit a piece of moving image history: the zoetrope! A zoetrope is an early animation device dating back to 180 AD but popularized in the 18th century. The circular device is comprised of a spinning cylinder punched with slits that the observer gazes through to see an illusion of motion inside. Ours will be approximately 2 feet in diameter and stand about 8 inches high. We're going to construct a complete one for you with inserts of all of our bird animation cycles (and some other secret animations as well). Some assembly will be required for the sake of shipping it to you. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $40).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $500 or more

    0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)

    Goddess of Wisdom: Be cast in the game as Athena! Send us some images of you (PG rating please), and we will use your likeness to cast you in the game as the Goddess Athena. You will appear throughout the game when certain owl abilities are cast and will also be a major in-game character throughout the Ancient Greece environment. Also includes Box Set 2. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $25).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $500 or more

    0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)

    God of the Sea: Be cast in the game as Poseidon! Send us some images of you (PG rating please), and we will use your likeness to cast you in the game as the sea god Neptune a.k.a. Poseidon. You will appear throughout the game when certain bird abilities are cast (such as Neptune's Blessing) and will also be a major in-game character throughout the Ancient Greece environment. Also includes Box Set 2. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $25).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $500 or more

    1 backer All gone!

    God of the Sun: Be cast in the game as Apollo! Send us some images of you (PG rating please), and we will use your likeness to cast you in the game as Apollo the sun god. You will appear throughout the game when certain bird abilities are cast (such as Apollo's Phoenix) and will also be a major in-game character throughout the Ancient Greece environment. Also includes Box Set 2. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $25).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $500 or more

    0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)

    Boss Designer: The post-apocalyptic environment is special, because it implements some of the specific tropes of space shooter games, as the flock navigates a future wasteland, where man battles for survival against machine. Become part of the design team and help craft the Boss for this level!! You'll be able to choose its abilities, behaviors, its look, and most importantly, how it can be circumvented by the flock. Part of one of the later levels, this boss encounter will be one of the most epic moments in the game and you can make it yours! Also includes Box Set 2.

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $1,000 or more

    0 backers

    We wanted a challenge when it came to designing our higher reward tiers, because if you are going to contribute such a huge amount to the game, you deserve a unique and wonderful reward. So, we'll construct your very own continuous Endless Migration 2 Emaki-mono! "What is an Emaki-mono" you ask? The Emaki-mono dates back to 11th century Japan, and is a long picture scroll that generally depicts an epic journey across a long single sheet of paper. Jon, our lead artist, studied them in college and is totally excited to design one for you that depicts the continuous journey of the flock from the beginning of the game all the way to the epic finale! Yes it will be meters and meters in length. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $40).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $1,500 or more

    0 backers Limited (50 of 50 left)

    Box Set 3: This is the full monty! You get the Emaki-mono scroll, the Zoetrope, and everything in Box Set 2. We will also credit you as a Producer in the game. (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $75).

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $2,500 or more

    1 backer Limited (1 of 2 left)

    Become a Level Designer! For weighing in at our highest tier, you will get to imagine and help design a complete environment in Endless Migration 2. It could be anything (within a certain degree of reason) in the past, present, or future! You'll imagine and design everything from what's happening on the ground to what kind of obstacles the flock faces. Then, we'll draw, animate, and code everything you dream up! Furthermore, you will receive Executive Producer credit in the game. We retain ultimate veto power, but will work with you to make it happen, and will thoughtfully craft your dream level as long as it fits within a loose set of guidelines. You also get everything else (except being cast as Poseidon or Apollo). (INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PLEASE ADD $75).

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012

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