Obsidian Portal Launch Feedback

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Comments

  • Maesenko
    Maesenko
    Posts: 325
    I'm with weasel0. I backed for Immortal as well, although I would have done the $100 High Ascendant if that wasn't an option. So there's no benefit to free Ascendant time for some of us.
    SkidAce has a very valid point as well. No income means problems.

    Personally, I'd rather just like to see a string of open beta releases as goals are reached. If the name generator is working, toss it into a preview mode and get feedback for improving it. If there's map icons sitting in a queue, throw a couple up; if there are some the devs aren't sure about, have a poll (with options to pick all the ones you like). Stuff like that.

    Smaller chunks allow for more manageable progress, and feedback comes in regularly while it also appeases the backers. And who can't say they like to see regular updates?

    _~Mae_

    ~Mae

    CotM Selection Committee

  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    Ok, you all sold me on it- drop the extra ascendant time- surprised that 122 of the 1692 backers did the immortal, or around 7%. Lets start getting some concrete ideas for rewards going.

    Just trying to help out.

  • FrankSirmarco
    FrankSirmarco
    Posts: 250
    Beta testing is definitely a must, Maesenko. Anything the devs do at this point should be test-driven before going live. Had the devs solicited the feedback from their backers, things probably would have turned out better for them.
  • Belrathius
    Belrathius
    Posts: 206
    I completely agree with the beta testing issue. What boggles me is that for a small dev team, beta testing is crucial because it is essentially FREE labor to help improve quality assurance. Requiring backers to pay exorbitant amounts for the privilege of providing free labor was a huge sign that they were focused on getting money and not about "how do we achieve great results, which also requires funding". This focus on greed and money rather than achieving the means necessary to really improve the site was (and is) quite disappointing.

    Hopefully they will also reinstitute previous features that were actually used but were removed by management "in their wisdom". Not all newness is better simply because it is new or is trendy in other applications.
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    As someone who doubled their pledge to get into the "beta" that was not at all that, I personally 100% agree- this was the first bad taste of many...

    Just trying to help out.

  • SkidAce
    SkidAce
    Posts: 830
    We didn't see any news this week as planned. /sadface.
  • Dungeon_Master_Loki
    Dungeon_Master_Loki
    Posts: 358
    I check back in at random and Jerry is communicating on a regular basis! Whoohoo!

    Seriously, a few quick notes like that is all it takes, thank you for breaking the silence. I'm sorry 2015 has been rough on you, having had several funerals (among other things) over the past few months I can truly sympathize. Hit me up with a private message, I may have some help I can offer and I also may have some podcast fodder for you.

    And thanks, again many thanks, for checking in and giving us the basics. As long as that continues I am confident in saying that we pretty much all have your back. This is a great site and I'm glad to hear it's not going anywhere.

    Best from New Orleans!

    Game Designer, Pro GM, multiple ENnie Award winner

    GM of Planejammer: The Spelljoined (Pathfinder 1e) Campaign of the Year 2011 and still going strong!

    GM of The Planewalker's Guild (Pathfinder 1e) 

    Need a GM? Book me today!

  • DreadGazebo
    DreadGazebo
    Posts: 218
    Hey Skid, that post is coming this week. I'm up right now at almost 4 am trying to get it just right. It's been hard to write. You will see it though.
  • DreadGazebo
    DreadGazebo
    Posts: 218
    1400 words later I think this is ready for the public eye. Hope to have it up by Tuesday.
  • NikMak
    NikMak
    Posts: 379 edited March 2015
    thanks for the updates, they are appreciated - being human I will eventually stop saying thanks for the updates, but even when I do;just take it as read we all appreciate your hard work!

    Cheers

    NikMak
    Post edited by NikMak on
  • SkidAce
    SkidAce
    Posts: 830
    Its okay DreadGazebo, I just let my anticipation get the better of me. I appreciate your being here and reviving communications.

    NOTE: It was a "/sadface" not an "/angryface".

    Its all good.
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    Thanks for the updates Jerry!! Look forward to seeing more!

    Just trying to help out.

  • DreadGazebo
    DreadGazebo
    Posts: 218 edited March 2015
    I'd like to direct everyone's attention here -> "http://blog.obsidianportal.com/behind-the-curtain-2015-update/":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/behind-the-curtain-2015-update/
    Post edited by DreadGazebo on
  • SkidAce
    SkidAce
    Posts: 830
    Thanks you. I also posted a thank you on the blog comments. There's a few questions left...but YOU have always been straight up...so I'm cool, and will gladly be hanging around.
  • Bortas
    Bortas
    Posts: 645
    Thanks for the update! Much like you joined the team, consider recruiting some of the site's biggest fans to aid, even if just in community support!

    -bort
    "Morwindl":https://morwindl.obsidianportal.com
  • RyanHeck
    RyanHeck
    Posts: 33
    Thanks for the update Jerry. One vital question: who owns OP now? Is there a reason their names/organization name is being omitted at this time?
  • DreadGazebo
    DreadGazebo
    Posts: 218 edited March 2015
    Obsidian Portal is now part of "Kaleidoscope":http://kaleidoscopeglobal.com/

    *edit:* Proper link
    Post edited by DreadGazebo on
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    Awesome blog post Jerry!!
    Follow up question to RyanHeck- who on Kaleidoscope is doing OP, and where are you on that team??

    Just trying to help out.

  • twiggyleaf
    twiggyleaf
    Posts: 2,006
    Things are looking up! Farewell Micah, you certainly had a great influence in many lives with your vision. As they once said in the old days of transference of power: "The King is dead. Long live the King!"

    twigs

    "I met a traveller from an antique land....."

    CotM May 2016: Mysteria: set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.

    Previous CotM Aug 2012: Shimring: High Level Multiplanar Campaign

    Inner Council Member

  • NikMak
    NikMak
    Posts: 379
    cool, looking forward to future of OP.
  • NikMak
    NikMak
    Posts: 379
    oh yeah, and on the topic of name generators, I have extensive Latin, Celtic and Saxon/Norse name generators available - includes random NPC characterization details as well - do you guys want them? I did offer them before but never got a reply
  • Belrathius
    Belrathius
    Posts: 206
    Reposting my comment on the blog:

    Following the Kaleidoscope link ("http://kaleidoscopeglobal.com/":http://kaleidoscopeglobal.com/) doesn’t tell me much about the company, other than it is a collection of entrepreneurs. Their homepage is just a picture, their About page is not that informative regarding what the company really does or what that means to OP, and their Blog page is either broken or simply doesn’t exist (content error is “Sorry, this page does not exist”). This information emptiness makes it difficult to get a sense of who is really in charge of OP now.
  • MdBLimited
    MdBLimited
    Posts: 20 edited March 2015
    Very odd and very vague website.

    Let the conspiracy theories begin.
    Post edited by MdBLimited on
  • Bortas
    Bortas
    Posts: 645
    Yeah, super-vague website; I'm going with - they have a D&D game somewhere on OP already ;-)

    -bort
    "Morwindl":https://morwindl.obsidianportal.com
  • schiann
    schiann
    Posts: 19
    Holy crap the Kaleidoscope website looks scammy! I was gonna ask if any no-longer-supported features might come back, but I think I'll just back up my campaigns and look into running my own wikis.
  • saethone
    saethone
    Posts: 153
    Looks like I was right about the transfer of ownership, lol. Companies like that generally do have very vague pages because their role is fairly vague - they usually just provide resources in exchange for shares as their business model. They simply see OP as an investment. I wouldn't be too concerned at this point, they will probably have little impact on the site. I'm happy to see development active again, hopefully we can get the site growing again
  • Black_Vulmea
    Black_Vulmea
    Posts: 277
    @saethone: "Companies like that generally do have very vague pages because their role is fairly vague – they usually just provide resources in exchange for shares as their business model. They simply see OP as an investment."

    If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say the existing OP business model is rather shaky, to say the least, so what changes will needed to satisfy a new owner? How exactly does Kaleidoscope intend to make a profit on their investment? What do the shares need to be worth to justify their resources?

    As a broader question, what exactly is OP's equity? It's won multiple industry awards, but I've argued for years that much of the site's success is attributable to the users' outstanding efforts - that's you and your campaigns, boys and girls - rather than intrinsic site value.

    Simpler? How does Kaleidoscope plan to reach into our wallets?

    Mike aka Black Vulmea
    "_Le Ballet de l'Acier_":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/le-ballet-de-l-acier - swashbuckling adventure in the age of the Three Musketeers and Captain Alatriste
    Featured Campaign of the Month, August 2011

    "Really Bad Eggs":http://black-vulmea.blogspot.com/ - a blog about swashbuckling tabletop roleplaying games
  • Maesenko
    Maesenko
    Posts: 325
    Y'know, I was going to say something very similar to what Belrathius did when Jerry posted that link.
    Of course, following the whole AisleTen debacle I come to expect that.

    But yeah, it does look very scammy. How can we trust a group that doesn't say anything about themselves?
    What's more, how can we trust them to properly manage and maintain our website when their own is so lacking? (Also when I checked the "crew" page, one of the pictures wasn't even right!)
    I'm hoping that all this back-door acquisition junk will finally get the site headed in the right direction again, but I'm VERY hesitant.

    _~Mae_

    ~Mae

    CotM Selection Committee

  • DreadGazebo
    DreadGazebo
    Posts: 218 edited April 2015
    Hey guys, let's take it down a notch. I'll fill you in.

    Kaleidoscope is a fairly new company, thus their web presence is still lacking and not well defined. However, I do have a ton of resources at my disposal to make Obsidian Portal great. Saethone's post has some basis in what the relationship is like, although I wouoldn't say that Kaleidoscope is vague. I have resources at my side now and I have a lot of say so in the direction Obsidian Portal heads. I'm also teaching them about what it is that we do, what we're all about, and where we'd like to go. I came into this thinking I was "getting a new boss" and as it turns out it's more like I'm becoming a mentor for some folks who have invested in what Obsidian Portal can provide.

    If I thought OP got handed off to some corporate mooks who don't care about anything but numbers, I wouldn't have stuck around post-acquisition.
    Post edited by DreadGazebo on
  • SkidAce
    SkidAce
    Posts: 830
    I'm cool. Lots of folks gun shy I suspect, and it is the internet and forums so.....

    From my point of view, I'm just going to adapt to you (DreadGazebo) being the face and the front of OP. Whatever is behind that will be irrelevant to me.

    I appreciate the inputs (we've had more updates in the past weeks than for nearly the last year) and busily updating and working on my portal.

    THANKS!
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