The Mandate - RIP

[Jenner]

The Mandate - a Kickstarter game by Perihelion Interactive from back in 2013 appears to be dead.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1964463742/the-mandate

https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/20...ace-strategy-rpg-the-mandate-seems-to-be-dead


I backed this game as it looked really interesting, albeit somewhat ambitious. It was supposed to meld several different genres together into one big, epic space drama. You'd have xcom style tactical combat for ship boarding, ship to ship combat, RPG elements.... the works.

I haven't been following it much since I backed, but after looking around for any new news it seems the whole project imploded. The last Kickstarter update was from April last year, and even that was an apology for how the project had run into 'difficult times' and how they were trying to secure more funding. The Reddit sub is practically a ghost town, as is the official forum. There are a few threads from backers lamenting the total silence from the devs and regretting their backing of the project. No devs ever seem to reply.

Sad state of affairs, and yet one more reason why I don't much care for Kickstaring games anymore. Of all the ones I bakced back in 2012-14 or so, only a handful were worth it. (Elite being chief among them).

 

[Snarfbuckle]

The Mandate - a Kickstarter game by Perihelion Interactive from back in 2013 appears to be dead.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1964463742/the-mandate

https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/20...ace-strategy-rpg-the-mandate-seems-to-be-dead


I backed this game as it looked really interesting, albeit somewhat ambitious. It was supposed to meld several different genres together into one big, epic space drama. You'd have xcom style tactical combat for ship boarding, ship to ship combat, RPG elements.... the works.

I haven't been following it much since I backed, but after looking around for any new news it seems the whole project imploded. The last Kickstarter update was from April last year, and even that was an apology for how the project had run into 'difficult times' and how they were trying to secure more funding. The Reddit sub is practically a ghost town, as is the official forum. There are a few threads from backers lamenting the total silence from the devs and regretting their backing of the project. No devs ever seem to reply.

Sad state of affairs, and yet one more reason why I don't much care for Kickstaring games anymore. Of all the ones I bakced back in 2012-14 or so, only a handful were worth it. (Elite being chief among them).

Too bad, but that IS the risk of kickstarters.

 

[Jenner]

Too bad, but that IS the risk of kickstarters.

That's true, and luckily I was only in for about $20. Still it's unfortunate, as the concept was really cool. I made the thread to let people know here who may have backed it too (if they were, like me, not following it closely).

 

[Snarfbuckle]

That's true, and luckily I was only in for about $20. Still it's unfortunate, as the concept was really cool. I made the thread to let people know here who may have backed it too (if they were, like me, not following it closely).

Yup, i got in with 25$ for Battletech and then a year later my wife managed to get it free for both of us so some kickstarters go in different directions.

The majority of game kickstarters do get made on the other hand.

I had my doubts about Kingdom Come - Deliverance but they are on track for release now.

Feels like a MORE medieval no-magic version of The Witcher but more focus on history and realistic sword fighting and less hack and slash.

 

[Chevy66]

I backed the mandate as well, some you win some you lose I guess. It did sound ace at the time

Most of the kickstarters I've backed have delivered something, some have been excellent, others were a bit meh

I backed Kingdom Come as well, looking forward to that

 

[Snarfbuckle]

I backed the mandate as well, some you win some you lose I guess. It did sound ace at the time

Most of the kickstarters I've backed have delivered something, some have been excellent, others were a bit meh

I backed Kingdom Come as well, looking forward to that

Yup, the early demo looked nice although my old puter had issues then.

I loved the fences they had put up at the end of the demo area with yellow signs of construction work ahead.

It was kind of immersion breaking.

 

[Chevy66]

To be honest the best ones have been games with a more realistic level of ambition, stuff like Superhot and Rimworld delivered pretty much exactly what I expected and turned out to be great fun

 

[Heavensburn]

I wonder too about the current trend of “early access” Steam releases. How many get finished vs how many stay in “early access” forever?

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

This is sad one, because I like that idea.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

That's true, and luckily I was only in for about $20. Still it's unfortunate, as the concept was really cool. I made the thread to let people know here who may have backed it too (if they were, like me, not following it closely).

wow it is lucky i missed that one as that game is right up my street!.

do you get any money back from failed KSers or is it literally a toilet you flush cash down if they do a runner?
(Elite and Star Citizen are my only 2 KSers i have ever done - as well as a few Early Access Titles)

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

wow it is lucky i missed that one as that game is right up my street!.

do you get any money back from failed KSers or is it literally a toilet you flush cash down if they do a runner?
(Elite and Star Citizen are my only 2 KSers i have ever done - as well as a few Early Access Titles)

No money back. It's like venture capital investment.

 

[Jenner]

wow it is lucky i missed that one as that game is right up my street!.

do you get any money back from failed KSers or is it literally a toilet you flush cash down if they do a runner?
(Elite and Star Citizen are my only 2 KSers i have ever done - as well as a few Early Access Titles)

I've only ever gotten my money back from one. As Snarfbuckle says, with Kickstarters you take your chances.

 

[Chris Simon]

You can get the money back if the KS campaign doesn't reach its goal. If it does, the KS is no longer involved and it's up to devs to potentially refund the backers. Which they, for obvious reasons, rarely do.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

good to know, thanks!.

In all honesty I am kind of surprised KSers are as popular as they are.... its like investing money where the only positive outcome is breaking even :/

that said, i did help KS E and SC so there you go.

but without them and those prepared to risk their cash, there are a bunch of decent titles which i never would have had the pleasure of playing.

for all their flak (some deserved) I have to, with hindsite hand it to SMS with how they rewarded pCARS backers.

I bailed on that one after not liking the direction the game went, but my mate has had multiple out of the blue payments from them.

 

[Chris Simon]

good to know, thanks!.

In all honesty I am kind of surprised KSers are as popular as they are.... its like investing money where the only positive outcome is breaking even :/

that said, i did help KS E and SC so there you go.

but without them and those prepared to risk their cash, there are a bunch of decent titles which i never would have had the pleasure of playing.

for all their flak (some deserved) I have to, with hindsite hand it to SMS with how they rewarded pCARS backers.

I bailed on that one after not liking the direction the game went, but my mate has had multiple out of the blue payments from them.

I think that thinking of KS as "investment" is just as wrong as thinking of Patreon as "employing a content creator"
It's not investment, it's not even a purchase of a product. It's just a support - a good will.

It has closer to a gift, than to anything financial.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

I think that thinking of KS as "investment" is just as wrong as thinking of Patreon as "employing a content creator"
It's not investment, it's not even a purchase of a product. It's just a support - a good will.

It has closer to a gift, than to anything financial.

I'd always expect to get the game when backing a game - so it's more like an investment to me in that case.

 

[lysan]

The Mandate - a Kickstarter game by Perihelion Interactive from back in 2013 appears to be dead.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1964463742/the-mandate

https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/20...ace-strategy-rpg-the-mandate-seems-to-be-dead


I backed this game as it looked really interesting, albeit somewhat ambitious. It was supposed to meld several different genres together into one big, epic space drama. You'd have xcom style tactical combat for ship boarding, ship to ship combat, RPG elements.... the works.

I haven't been following it much since I backed, but after looking around for any new news it seems the whole project imploded. The last Kickstarter update was from April last year, and even that was an apology for how the project had run into 'difficult times' and how they were trying to secure more funding. The Reddit sub is practically a ghost town, as is the official forum. There are a few threads from backers lamenting the total silence from the devs and regretting their backing of the project. No devs ever seem to reply.

Sad state of affairs, and yet one more reason why I don't much care for Kickstaring games anymore. Of all the ones I bakced back in 2012-14 or so, only a handful were worth it. (Elite being chief among them).

Kickstarter is dead to me, especially for games, CIG took good care of that....

 

[jasonbarron]

The Kickstarter game that brought me the most sadness was Limit Theory. After an optimistic start it is now just so much vaporware.

I don't let the failures discourage me, though, because the ones that make it through are often quite special. Elite, Divinity Original Sin, Obduction for instance.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Too bad, but that IS the risk of kickstarters.

The issue is that normally investors have way more insight and control than the KS platform offers. Basically we're going blind into projects rejected by people who know what to invest in.

 

[metatheurgist]

It's a gamble. You shouldn't put more money in than you're prepared to lose. Which is why some of the amounts spent on a certain space game boggle my mind. Especially the refund sob stories about them going broke and living hand to mouth. What the hell were they thinking?