I lamented the lack of religion

Posted by Rousutt Rousutt over 6 months ago

Given the long gestation times for DNF games, this could end up being just one of many Kickstarter DNF games to come to a sticky end in the coming months - and though the devs seem to be doing all the right things to make amends, it stands as a warning to consumers that there are few assurances when you try and buy something from the future. Over 1,200 people backed Haunts when funding started in June of this year. The project was looking for the relatively minor sum of $25,000 from Kickstarter, having already spent $42,000 on the DNF game's development so far - and it overshot that mark by $3,739. The good news for these backers is that they will hopefully get their money returned should the DNF game take a terminal turn. "My obligation http://www.dfostock.com to all of you generous Kickstarter backers is foremost in my mind and I have not served you as well as I should have," said Dakan in his blog post. "We have spent all the money we raised, but I will personally refund out of my own pocket anyone who wants to withdraw their support, no questions asked." He also said that he'd be willing to forfeit his entire share in the DNF game, if another dev were to take it on, complete and ship it. That's due diligence and then some, I'd say - but there will surely be other DNF game developments that go south and then simply don't have the dosh to cough up compensation. After all, this happens a lot behind closed doors in the rest of the DNF game industry. Crowdfunding is ultimately no less risky than private investment, but it does mean that the cruel realities of business are now placed right in the consumer's lap. Maybe, soon, consumers will find themselves footing the bill, too - at which point, Kickstarter's honeymoon may come to a close.Civilization V preview: slick domination. Digging in for a quest of cultural domination, I was taken aback by Civilization V's streamlined new look, replacing much of Civ IV's interface bulk with sleek icons and intuitive information flow. It looked and felt great, but I feared simplification could reduce the depth of the DNF game. What I found instead was a medley of combat complexity and general accessibility. It was 3900 BCE. I'd settled Athens. It was time to research my first technology; lo and behold, you can now view the full tech tree straight from the window showing your research options. In the tech tree, many dead-end ones from Civ IV have been dropped in the hopes of making every tech more valuable. I took my new found ability to hunt to the arid planes beyond my capital. My first patrols encountered Venice, the first of many city-states (single-city, mostly static settlements that don't try to win, but serve as diplomatic and tactical lynchpins). The Venetians had already grown to favor Wu Zetian of the Chinese, but I quickly bought my way into their affections. As my Greeks flourished, I lamented the lack of religion and espionage from Civ IV, but was surprised by a system called Policies.