Chief Chat Friday, May 3rd, 3pm PST - 10 K Celebration!

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Ronyn

Commander
Staff member
Community Manager
Director of Marketing and Community
Jul 26, 2016
724
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#1
Greetings Reapers,

Are you all ready for a chief Chat? I certainly hope so! Today we are celebrating something wonderful. The forum has officially reached over 10,000 members! That's right, this community keeps on growing and the love for em-8er just keeps on flowing.

So join us on the official em-8er discord today at 3 PM, pacific standard time. We will be doing some give-aways as well. Don't miss your chance to get some M3 goodies!

See you there – Ronyn


CLICK THE WORD SPOILER BELOW TO READ CHIEF CHAT NOTES BY FAERYL
0:00 to 14:30 TEN M3 One Dollar Pack Giveaway
@14:32 What's included in subscription begins

- New Patreon-like subscription goes live MONDAY, MAY 6TH, 2019, USA, PACIFIC TIMEZONE.
- Cost is $7.95 USD per month.
- Subscription will be hosted on my.em8er.com; NOT using any 3rd party sites.
- The Subscription will include:
+ The work-in-progress of the tabletop game rules; chapter by chapter.
+ A series of novels; chapter by chapter. They will be in .mobi and .pdf formats.
+ Includes access to prior demo builds one release behind backers to preview changes.
+ Receive a custom skin - a weapon or a frame skin. First one is going to be a weapon skin for the plasma cannon.
+ Access to private forums to give feedback on the book, the tabletop, and the game.
+ Access to the Vision Book, which will be updated over time during development of the game.
+ Does NOT include any items from backer packs - custom skins, copy of the final game, alpha, or beta access.

- Grummz Attended the Archers Rest Society Summit - an annual gathering of sci-fi/military sci-fi and fantasy authors.
- Writers in attendance of note: writers for Gears of War 3, Star Wars books, Karen Travis, Kevin J. Anderson, and Frank Herbert's son.
- The authors discussed how they are revolutionizing publishing by going Indie; they're going direct to Amazon to publish.
- Grummz got a lot of questions from the authors - what about Em-8ER, where is the cross-over there?
- He received a lot of advice from the authors on how to create this.
- Grummz believes there's going to be a revolution in game publishing along the lines of what's happening in book publishing.

@ 19:36 What the community really wants

- Grummz & Team want to create the games the community really wants.
- The theme Grummz hears the most from the community: Please give us as much of the original Firefall as you can; the spiritual successor.
- Working on tuning the Jetpacks & working with the omniframe; and getting some animations worked in with that.
- Talking with Justin Hanson, the original designer of the jetpacks in Firefall; so they are tuned very similar to the ones in Firefall, to get the freedom of movement everyone wants.
- ALL Firefall abilities will be included in Em-8ER; Grummz is porting all of them over, with different names of course.
- Players will be able to mix and match EVERY abilty; rather than being limited to specific ones.
- This means players willl be able to create a LOT of new build types as well as their favorite build types from Firefall.

@22:20 The community wants Firefall.

- Big take away from the summit: Give people what they want. The community wants Firefall.
- Other take aways:
+ People want new themes and some tropes.
+ To attract new fans too: Em-8ER is really going to go after the military sci-fi aspect and exo-suit mecha theme; the invasions, the warfare.
+ Indie is the way to go.
+ We need more frequent drops to our users (re: books).
- More frequent drops from the Em-8ER Dev Team; they may not be as polished as the Art Demo. They could have some test pieces or grey levels.

@24:29 TERRAIN DEMO BUILD RELEASES IN 2 WEEKS!

- Where is the money from Newcomer packs going to?
+ It's going to the fact the Team is late.
+ To multiplayer.
+ The additional runway and time allows us to keep the lights on and things running.
+ The multiplayer demo is up and running.
+ Fillmore is working on the multiplayer demo. John Galt provided some matchmaking code for that on scene, which provided a template for what we used.
- The Em-8ER Dev Team is working on "things" Grummz couldn't talk about yet.

@25:40 Animation is the final bottleneck

- With most of the art done, animation is the final bottleneck. So we're going to be using our MoCap suit the community funded.
- We're going to be adding some additional animations for some of the creatures.
- You're going to see more frequent builds from us.
- Grummz would like the flexibility to do things like bring other authors in to do an anthology of short stories.
- A lot of possibilties for the IP of Crixa and Em-8ER before and after the KS.
+ Grummz does not want to go as crazy as Earth Defense Force (EDF).
+ Some of the community has said they want EDF.

@27:40 Wants to show additional things in the Playable Demo.

- Grummz wants to raise enough money (via subs) to show addtional things in the Playable Demo.
+ Show this is an actual military that is fighting against giant kaiju; and ridiculous types of giant kaiju.
+ Show that players are fighting back not only with exo-suits but, also with tanks, aircraft, and giant mechs available during invasions (dependent on category/size of invasion).
^ Functions as a resource sink similar to capital ships in EVE. Must be player-made.

@30:36 FIVE M3 One Dollar Pack Giveaway

@34:24 Twitch Controls of a Giant Mech

- If there is enough to do all this, then Grummz wants to do the Twitch Controls of a giant mech.
+ Players get to control different body parts of a giant mech; see if they can work together.

@35:33 Art Style

- THMPR and Omniframe are an anime style.
- Grummz knows the some of the community likes miltary, front mission, and Mechwarrior type stuff.
- Players will be able to choose between realistic and stylistic appearance for their mechs.
- Borrow the idea from Firefall to have different corporations which will have different looks for their mechs.

@36:38 Male & Female Human Characters

- There will be some tweaks to the human male & female characters.
- Grummz is not sure if this will be done before or after the Playable Demo but, definitely post Kickstarter (depends on how well packs & subs do).
- Going with more stylized and less photo realistic look (NOT full on anime).
- Ability to change pilots into potential waifu/husbando candidates for weebs (like Grummz).
+ Will be Rule 34 friendly.
- More wifu pics, possibly 3d printer files for it to be sold.

@43:16 Here is what Grummz would like to do ...

- Grummz would like to:
+ Show the stylized human male/female characters.
+ Show the anime vs. military versions of the Omniframes.
+ Show the tanks and the air vehicle.
+ Show the giant mecha.
+ Show a base being destroyed by a kaiju, in a big effing battle between the mecha and the giant mech.

- These items will be done at least post KS but, Grummz would like to do it before hand but it all really depends on the community.
- The Em-8ER Dev Team has the art for the original scope ready to go.
- The Dev Team is working on terrain, jetpacks, and they're working with the original ff designer on those jetpacks.
- Grummz has NO ETA on KS. Let's see how we do on subs and packs.
- Then Grummz will have to make a decision whether or not to do the KS without the additional goodies he wants to get in there.
- Not sensing a lot of excitement about the character design so far. So pushing it to a more stylized realm.
- Grummz was going to save it for another game but, why not do it now?
- Grummz is not sure he's going full on cartoon like Firefall. He isn't sure yet; needs to explore the visual style.
- Is thinking possibly something like Overwatch?

- There is going to be a retcon in the lore because of additional characters; that will make its way into the game.
- tank armor plating OR swoopy curves like anime ... in terms of mech skins.
- The look of the game is NOT changing.
- The stylistic differences of the human male/female characters FACES, HAIR, and variable OUTFITS are changing to give more VARIETY.

images of the stylized human female character below




@51:41 Genre here is Firefall

- You gotta satisfy the tropes of your genre and the genre here is Firefall.
- Grummz & Team are bringing the weapons & abilties from Firefall, plus they're bringing in a TON more.
- You can mix and match them on your Omniframe; unlike Firefall where you were stuck with the abilities that are on the frame.
- You can mix your crater with a healing beam, for example.
- No plan to support VR right now.
- No PvP plans right now. Em-8ER's concentration is PvE.

@54:54 FIVE M3 One Dollar Pack Giveaway

- Cat ears are absolutely going to be in the game, at some point.
- Question: Possibility of FF battleframe style geesuits? Maybe? It has Grummz thinking.
- Grummz has often liked the idea of stylistic characters in a photorealistic world. It stands out in a pleasing way.
- Grappling hooks when? The Tsi-Hu have that. Players should, with sufficient research, be able to unlock that item.
- Wifus/Husbandos possibly a 3D printable and/or a downloadable purchase.
 
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Siv

Deepscanner
Aug 8, 2018
10
21
3
#5
Wew that was a lot of stuff covered this time around. My thoughts on the points put forward:

1) Bringing Firefall abilities in to Em8er - This really helps to highlight Mark's stance on "giving players what they want". I think the embers (heh) of Firefall still burn brightly in most of us, so it's great news. In addition, we get to mix up abilities as well, which is super important because back in Firefall, we could create mix builds of basic frame abilities and advanced frame abilities, e.g my Recluse was heavy on poison abilities but I retained my Healing wave and Triage from my Biotech so I could help out random Ares pilots I bumped into who were either injured or downed, so I'm thrilled at this news.

2) More stylized look of mechs to be more military sci-fi-esque - Seconded. I'm a fan of the WH40k, Gundam, Front Mission, Armored Core and Mechwarrior spheres, so I really like the rugged industrial-grade look of mechs, which I think is the phrase that would best describe Mark's direction on this. As a reference, here's a pic from the manga Front Mission: Dog Life and Dog Style. You can see the gratuitous details in there. That's my kind of "fan service." proxy.duckduckgo.jpg
Fun fact: There are competing corporations in the Armored Core series who, aside from trying to wipe each other out, manufacture different mech parts, giving the player a wide range of choices on which parts to assemble their mechs with.

3) The Subscription Program - As for this one, I'm a bit on the fence. I understand that the goodies in there aren't all game-related, with stuff like the tabletop and the novel chapters. It's just that(at the time of writing) I pledged up to Deepscanner already, and I wanted to play the game for a bit before deciding to get more invested in Em8er. It's how I handle all my online games such as Warframe, World of Tanks, etc. I just put in more money as I go along. It just comes down to the money I put in vs what I get out of it, but hey, if players are willing to further support Em8er, this is a good idea.

Those are the 3 points i have. I'm excited for the upcoming demo versions, especially the multiplayer one!
 

lOrD gHoSt

Base Commander
Jul 26, 2016
7
5
3
Germany
#6
3) The Subscription Program - As for this one, I'm a bit on the fence.
yeah, me2. Im in no need of a table top, and i dont need novels for lore...
Right now im holding back, because i only want to support the game, and in my mind, every penny i put in here should go there.
maybe do a... idk... 5$ game only sub in there? Would get that np!

for the rest: keep it up guys! :)
 
Likes: Wyntyr

Pandagnome

Kaiju Slayer
Fart Siege
Welcome Wagon
Happy Kaiju
Jul 27, 2016
7,894
10,171
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Island of Tofu
#7
This is where i ponder alot more anime or more realistic hmm
I like the anime style but not super cartoonish though but then i like the realistic too :O aaaaaaaaaaaaa

I wonder if there is some balance that is realistic enough but has that unique anime style hmm

I have to say the subscription is an interesting idea but i also thing those one off payments
to get certain things nice also since not everyone can pay every month.

Though i understand its a good way to fund the project and is like spending for a netflix standard subscription

My question is do the subscription expire for example say you missed a few months and started in the middle of the year would you still qualify for the past comics and skins etc

Are there options to pay for those separately e.g the skin or is that only with subscription?
 

Wyntyr

Omni Ace
Ark Liege
Jul 26, 2016
6,336
11,602
113
Florida
#8
...I have to say the subscription is an interesting idea but i also thing those one off payments to get certain things nice also since not everyone can pay every month.

Though i understand its a good way to fund the project and is like spending for a netflix standard subscription...
For me the sub is nice as I don't find that there's anything in the Newcomer packs that I necessarily need or want (other than to support the game development; was waiting on KS for that until now). With the sub I will receive some in game skins, more up to date game development info/changes, and some sci fi reading material that all should be directly related to Em.8ER. As for the tabletop game, I've been a fan of those for a long time and even though I've moved on to PC/Online gaming it's interesting to me (I have a variety of table top game systems; some with a lot of supplemental material).

...My question is do the subscription expire for example say you missed a few months and started in the middle of the year would you still qualify for the past comics and skins etc

Are there options to pay for those separately e.g the skin or is that only with subscription?
Both are good questions. IMO a subscriber should get the skin of the month the sub was activated on but not the month the sub ends in (ex. I would get the May skin but if i cancel my sub I won't get the June skin even though the sub goes into June). Also, I doubt the skins will be sold separately as I believe they're an incentive to subscribe.
 

Maven

Kaiju Slayer
Max Kahuna
Philanthropist
Jul 26, 2016
262
1,197
93
#9
I have to say the subscription is an interesting idea but i also thing those one off payments
to get certain things nice also since not everyone can pay every month.
We already have one-off purchases set-up.

https://my.em8er.com/perks/campaign/6

is one such item.

My question is do the subscription expire for example say you missed a few months and started in the middle of the year would you still qualify for the past comics and skins etc
Rewards are not retroactive. If you miss a month's subscription, you will not receive the exclusive rewards for that month, even if you were to purchase a subscription in subsequent months. This has been confirmed.
 

Siv

Deepscanner
Aug 8, 2018
10
21
3
#10
We already have one-off purchases set-up.

https://my.em8er.com/perks/campaign/6

is one such item.



Rewards are not retroactive. If you miss a month's subscription, you will not receive the exclusive rewards for that month, even if you were to purchase a subscription in subsequent months. This has been confirmed.
Yikes, so if i were subscribe a few months down the road, I would only get half a novel? :eek:
 
Likes: Pandagnome

VRK9

Active Member
Sep 15, 2017
123
201
43
Portugal
#12
What if old reward and campaigns could be purchased separately after they expired but more expensive?
What if a whale player comes to this game later and want to buy everything even if the price was the double or the triple of the original?
It could be a way for em8er to earn more money, every campaign and other things that was expired could raise in price until a certain limit.
For example the bonus skins of the subscription could raise their price one dollar per month after expiration until 20 dollars max.
 
Likes: Wyntyr

Maven

Kaiju Slayer
Max Kahuna
Philanthropist
Jul 26, 2016
262
1,197
93
#13
What if old reward and campaigns could be purchased separately after they expired but more expensive?
What if a whale player comes to this game later and want to buy everything even if the price was the double or the triple of the original?
It could be a way for em8er to earn more money, every campaign and other things that was expired could raise in price until a certain limit.
For example the bonus skins of the subscription could raise their price one dollar per month after expiration until 20 dollars max.
While this does seem like a very easy method to earn money, it is exceedingly unfair to the backers.

The exclusive rewards during the early backer phase are not special simply because they are unique. These are rewards that are given out to those that put their faith into the game at a nascent stage. These backers are the ones that were willing to take a massive risk and invest into the game at a point where it was unsure whether the game would even see the light of day. Where we are today is a testament to that faith. Hence these rewards must remain unique.

While some may be fine with having these rewards being made available later, the majority would not appreciate it. Regardless of the money involved, the 'whale' does not incur any of the risk that the original backers took up. That's never going to sit well with the community. And no honest developer would ever attempt to risk losing the faith of their community for a bit of extra cash.
 

Btabc

Veteran
Jul 28, 2016
141
178
43
34
Florida
www.facebook.com
#14
I must say, with the little that I have listened to and read about. I like having the thought of multiple payment options. Personally I will not be getting a subscription as I refuse to play games that require them, that's why I love that Ember has a one time payment option. As SLV said, I do the same thing with Warframe. I pay as I go. I do see the benefits of a subscription to help fund, but personally it's not for me at this moment. With me, you'll be making more money once there are things to buy for the game and expansions and such.

I haven't played star citizen yet because it's in the same situation. Pay for a pack to unlock/download the game. I know eventually they'll have a "free" area for people to come into and THEN to advance you'll have to upgrade.

I like to try games and then take it from there :)
 

Pandagnome

Kaiju Slayer
Fart Siege
Welcome Wagon
Happy Kaiju
Jul 27, 2016
7,894
10,171
113
Island of Tofu
#15
We already have one-off purchases set-up.

https://my.em8er.com/perks/campaign/6

is one such item.
Hope there will be more some stylish community content in the future?


What if a whale player comes to this game later and want to buy everything even if the price was the double or the triple of the original?
Everytime a whale player buys something you see a big splash on the big collection board with a whale tooting!!

Also what if you wanted to pay for a year subscription with a percentage discount so instead of paying monthly you could pay for 1 year sub or 6 months sub etc but the longer subs maybe could provide a certain discount hmm


yeah, me2. Im in no need of a table top, and i dont need novels for lore...
Right now im holding back, because i only want to support the game, and in my mind, every penny i put in here should go there.
Novels.... wonder if we will have Em8er comics?
I do like my comics with the anime style like firefall had hmm

Suppose if i stopped my em8er fan site/site hosting could save and put it towards em8er probably end up doing this as there are many talented site creators already out there plus my time can be restricted :O

The carbon weapon skin sure looks superb
1557274833838.jpeg
 
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