I mainly agree with you. I've abstained from backing several Indiegogo projects for this very same reason. However, fixed funding isn't a total guarantee either -- ask Tim Schaffer about it. :whistle:

I think in the end it all boils down to the sense of trustworthiness and reliability the creators are able to transmit to you. And certainly many of them don't do it at all, particularly on Indiegogo.

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Done. ;)

However, for further clarification please refer to these two comments from two of the developers on their website: [url=www.frogatto.com/?p=1305&cpage=1#comment-109679]#1[/url], #2 [External Link]. According to them, the source code and the art assets remain available to everyone for free at their GitHub [External Link]. They'd only appreciate people to give something in exchange, either money or collaboration in the project.

They don't say anything (or I've been unable to find it) regarding free copies of the game included in many Linux distros. My guess is they won't be updating them anymore: the current version is 1.3 [External Link] and the one available at my Ubuntu 12.10 Software Center is 1.2.

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Excellent cast, Samsai! I had a great time with your gameplay and comment, especially with your troubles in the last level you played. :D

Don't worry too much about your English proficiency. Except the somewhat awkward and rushed ending, the rest was perfectly OK to me -- but then again I'm not a native speaker either, so I'll better leave for them to judge you. :P

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I hope that doesn't mean the game will be only available through Steam... :(

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Wow, so many issues I want to address... Let's go one by one:

Quoting: SpeedsterI liked the surprise appearance by the GOL mascot

It also came as a surprise to me. Alex V.Sharp sent the SVG file to me just as I was writing the column yesterday night. I didn't even remember he had offered to draw a SUATMM version of the mascot... :P

Quoting: SpeedsterLate-breaking news, Sword 'N' Board dev finally decided to put up a Greenlight page despite some qualms about what happened to Paranautical Activity

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=171660295 [External Link]

True, I should update the article to include it. I'll do it in a minute: I'm waiting for some answers from a couple of developers I contacted earlier this afternoon so I'll give them a little more time to reply.

Quoting: scaineI'd prefer that you didn't include games into the Biggies section unless they're definitely heading to linux! I spent 15 minutes looking into U55, nearly pledged, came back and read your whole bit on it and discovered that linux isn't happening unless they hit a fairly hefty stretch goal! Close one - nearly wasted my money there... because I can't see them hitting anywhere near the linux stretch, and even if they do, I tend not to pledge to linux stretches any more, unless it's something I'm super-excited by, or the stretch has already been met.

But ah, you should always read the entire piece before prancing over your prey. ;)  And anyway, on Kickstarter you can always cancel your pledge and no money will ever leave your bank account.

Quoting: GuestWhy are there next to no female characters to play in certain types of video games? Said differently: Why is it always the man that goes on an adventurous trip and uses his smarts to solve puzzles? This seems to be especially true for horror games. When was the last time we had one in which we played a female character? And with that... a female character that wasn't just reduced to her boobs. What I mean is: It isn't enough to just swap the characters and replace Indiana Jones with Lara Croft. I think at best this swap of characters should be reflected in gameplay and reactions of the character in certain situations as well, to some degree.

I guess, in essence, my complaint is about diversity. That game characters should have different viewpoints and not necessarily go the same old route over and over again.

Whoa... I think this topic is a big can of worms I'm not willing to fully open. While I totally agree with your last paragraph (an Extra Credits episode [External Link] on this topic quickly springs to mind here) I think the stereotype you describe in the first one is slowly -but steadily- disappearing, at least in the indie market. Out of the top of my head I can come up with many different games that do not adscribe to the male-character-who-does-all-the-job cliché: Fran Bow, Waking Amy, Legend of Iya, Pandora: Purge of Pride, Project Maiden, Laika Believes (she's a female dog, after all :P)...

PS: And cheating by looking at the crowdfunding wiki I realize I missed many more: Akaneiro: Demon Hunters, AR-K, Cryamore, DreadOut, J.U.L.I.A., Lilly Looking Through, Nelly Cootalot, Whispering Willows, etc.

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Welcome to the team, Samsai! :)

Really looking forward to your next casts. Will you comment while you play in the future?

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Updated the article to mention the nice gesture from the developer of College: The Game [External Link], who listened to us and decided to add new rewards to the $25 tier. :)

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Quoting: PicLinks to games from ShinyLoot are broken :(

Damn right you are! Corrected it, thanks! ;)

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Quoting: s_dSad about the Shinyloot deal, as there are games in that collection that have native ports being sold right now on other sites!  Jack Keane is up on Desura for Linux, and BoUT/BoUT:CC are both being sold on Steam for Linux.

Though, now that I think of it, RuneSoft probably can't sell the Linux/Mac versions on Shinyloot while Nordic is selling the Windows versions.  Maybe that would be too complicated for Shinyloot to divide up the money?  Has anyone here bought games from Shinyloot?  Is it like GOG/Desura/Humble where you can download all versions?  If so, then the ports would have to occupy a separate "SKU" in their store.

I have bought from ShinyLoot and yep, you can download your games for any OS available just like in Desura and Humble. And I also thought it a pity not being able to purchase the Linux DRM-free versions of The Book of Unwritten Tales series. I'd bet it must be some sort of licensing or exclusivity issue rather than a stock management one, as other stores do sometimes sell the Windows and Mac versions of certain games as separate products.

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D'oh! I forgot to mention the Introversion games source code! :S: Thanks for pointing it out.

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