We, here at Stranger Games, constantly strive to reward our customers, not only by attempting to create the best possible mixture of gameplay, story and quality, but also by finding ways to involve them into the project, directly, in a way through which they could leave their fingerprint on the game. Every fan who chooses supports us, matters. You give us your heard-earned money, so that we may develop the game that you want. We recognize this and we remind ourselves of it, every second we are working on Cold Steel: Defiance. This is why we have chosen to make several changes, which, although they delay the development, will drastically improve the experience of the player.
We are switching to Unreal Engine 4
This is a very significant change, which has been discussed and analyzed thoroughly. We want to deliver the best game we can and this means that no compromise may be made, in regards to optimization and features. This is why we chose to upgrade to Unreal Engine 4, after reviewing every option, including Unity and CryEngine 3. We found that UE4 is the most suited engine and offers the capabilities and features which we need, while also being the only engine which can support the level of graphical fidelity we want, while being optimized enough to prevent the game from exceeding our projected system requirements.
Switching to Unreal Engine 4 means that we will be able to implement the latest technologies in rendering and physics, while the higher polycount support means we can reduce the number of loading zones, making for a more immersive experience. UE4 delivers the biggest bang for the buck, without forcing us to waste valuable development time tweaking engine source code, in order to make our vision possible. We have raised the quality bar by another level, while also making our development process more efficient, allowing us to do more with less money.
"I want you to join the crew!"
Cold Steel: Defiance will soon be coming to Kickstarter! We have decided not to work with an established distributor, because relying on them for financing, means that they would be able to impose changes onto our project, in order to make it more casual-friendly. This is something that we do not want. We want to deliver a game for the hardcore Action-RPG crowd. We want to develop a game which not only goes back to the roots, to the days of games like Gothic, or TES3: Morrowind, but also build upon those foundations.
Most distributors, nowadays, only want to earn a quick buck. This means watering down the features of the game and delivering an overpriced and ultimately flawed product. This is how they make decisions inside corporate boardrooms. But we are not a corporation. We are a small team of gamers, who have become disappointed with what is available on the market, today and out of that frustration, came the decision to develop our own game, one which we will enjoy playing as much as you.
This means that, not only do we design this game from the perspective of gamers, but we also listen to your feedback and seek to reward you for your contribution. So, what does this mean? It means that we are involving the community into the development of the game, directly. Backing us on Kickstarter, will not only mean that you will receive promotional items and skins, or have your name included in the credits. Your effort will also be rewarded by enabling you to leave your fingerprint on the game, permanently. We want you to join the crew!
While the exact specifics of the Kickstarter campaign, will not yet be revealed, we have decided to include a very special reward to those who support our project. Pledging a sufficient sum, will earn you a place in the crew of the Scimitar, the battlecruiser which you, the player, will use to embark on your interplanetary adventures.
What we mean by this, is that an NPC aboard the ship, will not only receive your name, but will also have your face. You will become part of the mercenary crew which is the last line of defense of the human race, in the year 2084, joining the fight against extinction, in person.
We do this to show our appreciation and gratitude for your support and confidence. Our fans are the most important thing and we want you to know how important is your contribution and how much does it matter to us.
We look forward to seeing you aboard the Scimitar, mercenaries! Cold Steel: Defiance is coming to your nearest Kickstarter recruiting station, soon!
