Just when we were getting nervous, 260 new backers joined the team today and kicked us up to almost $302,000. $98,000 to go in a little under four days. We have over 4,500 backers now. Let’s go for 6,500 before we close!
Just in case that seems too hard, here’s the chart for Shadowrun Online – http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/1964352341/shadowrun-online/#chart-daily. They were almost exactly where we are at this stage of their project, except their goal was $500,000. They went from 4,100 to 6,000 backers in the last two days, raising almost $100,000 each of those days.
I won’t promise that Hero-U will do as well as Shadowrun Online at the end. We all have a lot of work to do in these last few days to let people know that “It’s now or never!” But based on past projects, our chances look Very Good.
That makes it time to announce our First Stretch Goal if Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption reaches $500,000 in funding. Drumroll, please…
(NOTE: Staff, sheep, and ribbon not included, subject to Artist Whim.)
The Meep That Came Out of the Woodwork
As we approach the Outer Limits of our goal, we begin to look around the hidden nooks and crannies of Hero University. There among the woodwork hide some of the rather odd furry creatures we know as “Meeps”. (Think of Tribbles with legs, eyes, and very sharp teeth.) Most of them are shy, and avoid the students and school staff.
But what’s this? One little baby Meep seems to have formed an attachment to Shawn. Or at least, it will form an attachment if we reach our first Stretch Goal at $500,000. The baby meep will be Shawn’s unreliable companion – Sometimes following him, and sometimes running off on its own.
Meeps require a lot of care. You’ll have to feed this one, pet it, and generally treat it with care. If you do, you will have a loyal (though strange) companion to help you explore the catacombs. Of course, it might alert monsters to your presence just when you thought you were sneaky. On the other hand, it might distract an enemy long enough for you to get by it, set a trap, or sneak up behind it.
Just remember the Roger Rabbit rule: “You mean you could have done that at any time?” “Not any time! Only when it’s funny!”
In addition to the Companion Meep, if we reach the $500,000 stretch goal, we will be able to add more art and content to the game. Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption will become an even richer experience.
Can A Rogue Even Be A Hero?
Some of you may wonder why we chose the Rogue class for our first Hero-U game. Of all the fantasy game archetypes, the Rogue or Thief is usually considered the least heroic.
That’s exactly why we decided to start with Shawn. He’s an “unlikely Hero.” Think of the game subtitle, “Rogue to Redemption”. This game gives you – the player – a chance to experience Shawn’s redemption, or to see what happens if you fail to redeem him. There is no greater Hero than one who starts out as a scoundrel.
I talked about Rogue Heroes in my “Hero on the Ropes” Quest Log article (the full article is at http://www.theschoolforheroes.com/questlog/450/the-rogue/). Here’s a brief excerpt:
Some famous Rogue Heroes include James Bond, Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and Robin Hood. Note that we only listed fictional ones. The real ones are too good at disguising their Roguishness. African and Native American mythology prominently feature “trickster gods” (Anansi the spider and Coyote) in devious roles. In the old Greek stories, Prometheus was a Rogue when he stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. So Rogues have been around for a long, long time.
Rogues know that when you do things “by the book,” you get mediocre results. They strive for exceptional results by breaking the book, tearing out the pages, and using them for something more practical, like ransom notes or toilet paper. They tend to do things indirectly, because direct action is too easily countered. And boring. Rogues have a problem with boredom.
Heroic Rogues go a step farther. They may break the rules – or even laws they consider stupid – but they always have a Heroic goal in mind. Spiderman isn’t concerned with reading criminals their Miranda Rights. He leaves that to the authorities… and stays away from those authorities himself.
So Shawn is an unlikely hero, but he comes from a long tradition of troublemaking heroes. And he will have just as hard a time of it as most of them did.
Backer Art and Testimonial
Jon Cassou sent us this nice illustration and letter:
I am a huge fan of the Quest for Glory games! I first played the games via the Quest for Glory Anthology back when I was 9, and I fell in love with the games ever since! I’ve always enjoyed the storytelling of the games, the more natural and intuitive speech system (Ask about… Greet, barter, etc.), the witty and random humour, the extremely customizable character creation system, and the fast-paced action combat system! And after finding out that both you and Lori were pitching the Kickstarter campaign (funny enough, near my birthday), I REALLY got hyped!
So far, Hero-U looks to be a fantastic series! I really can’t wait for when Rogue to Redemption begins production! I believe you’ll make it to the pledge goal soon!
Thanks, Jon, for the great drawing and for supporting Hero-U.