Larian Studios Forums Divinity - Original Sin Divinity - Original Sin - General What would be the perfect collector version?

well it seems Larian is working on a collector edition, what would be the perfect collector edition for you (I remind you that the anthology container a developer diary and the soundtracks, and D2 collector contained a cloth map, the OST and, depending on your location, a figure)

My perfect collector would contain of course the Soundtracks, a manual (yeah it sounds stupid but I am nostalgic of those good old times when we have a manual with the basic controls and lore...) a cloth patch of the weresheep (there is a student custom in finland about cloth patches^^) and a funny goodie like a pendant or a Rivellon coin

In a collector's edition, I would like to see:

1) A healthy amount of in-game items. Nothing game-breaking, just things that enhance the game in different ways (like those digital items that came with the kickstarter campaign).

2) A manual. A real manual, with a beefy lore section, as well as a technical section describing the various game systems, skills, abilities, traits, mechanics, etc in-depth.. like games used to do (but now reserve for strategy guides).

3) A cloth map, and not the folded paper kind.

4) A CD of the in-game music.

5) No statues, please. Every developer seems to want to stick a statue in their Collector's Edition, and then jacks up the price an extra $75. I'm not sure where they think the average gamer is displaying all these statues; all of mine are still collecting dust in their respective CE boxes.

6) A way for people who already own the game to somehow upgrade to the CE at an appropriate discount. I wish they had just sold Collector Editions reserve tickets from the beginning (after the kickstarter campagin, when the game went to Steam Early Access). That said, if the CE for Divinity: Original Sin is good enough, I guess I'll just end up buying the game *again*. I've bought four copies already!

1) I doubt there'll be much if any in the way of in-game content so expect disappointment. Don't expect the KS in game bonuses. Maybe a couple small items at most is all I expect they'll have in the CE.
2) The Kickstarter CE includes a printed manual so I suspect the retail one will be the same.
3) The Kickstarter CE includes a cloth map, no idea what it's made of though.
4) The kickstarter CE includes the soundtrack CD.
5) I doubt you have to worry about statues.
6) Extremely unlikely, don't expect it.

Pets. I want a pet.

hahahahaha I agree, a pet would be a nice idea. about the statue, yeah I really wish Larian won't come up with a statue, that's why I would like to see some creativity in the goodies, something a bit "unusual"

Physical items I'm not too fond of personally. I generally look at the stuff once, then put it all back in the box, and it just sits on a shelf somewhere forever.

I'm ok with in-game items, as long as it's fluff stuff. I recall some in-game items I got with DA:O that were actually pretty powerful or useful items, to the point I felt like I was cheating just using them.

I don't have high hopes, but it's not out of the question. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't believe there was ever a promise that those items would remain exclusive to kickstarter backers, only that they were items kickstarter backers would receive.

If anything, I suspect they won't be included as CE extras simply because that would be of little use for kickstarter backers (who are already going to receive them). It's unfortunate these extras weren't extended to Steam Early Access (which, to me, is just another way of being an early backer). Divinity: Original Sin on Steam is $40, where as the Kickstarter Potion and Zandalor's Trunks of Epic Intelligence only required a pledge of $10 through Kickstarter.

Now I'm going to end up owning a physical Collector's Edition & a Steam digital copy as well, which is paying for the game twice (five times for me, actually, as I purchased Steam copies as gifts for friends).

Well it would be bloody odd to see the "Kickstarter Potion" become widely available....it's kind of in the name. Beyond that none of the creative bits like "name ____" or "Design ____" will be available. Modders are more likely to bring everyone the Kickstarter potion. Not sure about the engraving tool but Zandalor's Trunks were also stated quite clearly to only be available for Kickstarter backers or PayPal backers during the Kickstarter timeframe. So if there's DLC in the CE it's likely to be something entirely different.

well actually if I remember well, about the kickstarter potion they said it would remain a kickstarter exclusivity but I cannot recall anything about Zandalor's trunk.

but I really look forward interesting physical goodies (coin or dices are always useful for a real RPG player hahahahaha, and funny pendant might be nice too, Tshirt or sweatshirt usually don't end up on a shelf... I cannot come up with any other funny ideas, my brain is partly dead...)

but about digital content I'd like to see new funny content, even for the kickstarter backers. I really liked the idea of having a pet : it is fun, entertaining and does not break the balance of the game

Zandalor's Trunks were originally revealed as an exclussive bonus for the first 5k backers but was later extended to all backers during the Kickstarter campaign.

Linky: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/larianstudios/divinity-original-sin/posts/441170

And when they decided to extend: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/larianstudios/divinity-original-sin/posts/443345

ok my bad ^^ good memory !!

There is nothing there that labels them as an bonus that will only ever be available to Kickstarter backers. Only that it is being given to Kickstarter backers as a reward. It could be given as a reward for other things as well (promotional, pre-order bonus, CE item, etc).

And, by the way, I've had more than enough "exclusive" pre-order and CE bonuses eventually become available to everyone to know that the term "exclusive" usually only applies to that moment. i.e. "this item is currently exclusive to this group at this particular time, but will be available to everyone at a later point.". Developers rarely hold to the exclusive promise the way people expect (not that it matters here, as the term exclusive was never even used).

Oh well, the least we can hope for is KS backers only mentioned in credits. That's what they promised us didn't they? If you were willing to fund enough that is.

They could but I doubt it for the simple reason this is a more touchy situation than usual....we're talking about backers who pledged on faith. Without them Original Sin would be a much lesser game. I'm not overly concerned about this myself but I can see how some people would be upset. And this isn't a publisher looking to nickel and dime every bit of DLC imaginable like all the preorder bonuses that later went on sale. But I'm sure modders will make them more widely available so I don't really get the concern here.

Yeah I share this opinion, I think that they should come up with exclusive collector content not related to kickstarter tier rewards

I honestly don't see anything touchy about the situation at all, because at no point were these particular digital items even described as being exclusive to kickstarter backers, only that they would be provided to backers as a thank you for their support.

That's like me buying a pizza as a "thank you" for friends who help with a move - it doesn't mean I don't ever plan on using pizza as a reward again.

There was no promises attached to these items, except to deliver them and create a better game. So, I don't know why anyone's faith would be at risk as neither promise is being broken.

As Larian is already saying they've gone over-budget, it's obvious they relied on both Kickstarter funding and Steam Early Access sales to continue enhancing Divinity : OS. *Both* groups contributed towards the development of the game (in fact, it'd be interesting to hear exactly how much money was raised through Steam Early Access versus Kickstarter, as we know how much was raised through the latter). Now, Divinity : OS on Steam costs $40, which on Kickstarter would have gotten someone:

2 digital copies of the game
1 digital soundtrack
2 Kickstarter potions
Zandalor's Trunks of Epic Intelligence
A listing as a backer in the credits
A Kickstarter forum badge

..but instead they (Steam backers) only receive a digital copy of the game. If anyone should be feeling a little upset, it's them. Usually games available through Steam Early Access are bundled with early back rewards as an incentive to buy in early, but for some strange reason Larian Studios decided not to do that despite offering these rewards through Kickstarter (which not everyone pays attention to).

But then the steam buyers are getting a nearly finished game and little risk. The average KS plege was actually $48 so a lot of backers pledged for more, took greater risk(as all KS projects are) and made what's on steam now possible in the first place. If someone is upset about the Steam version not including all that then they're wrong, dead wrong, since the game wouldn't be even close to being as good as it is now without the KS backers.

No, but you're also not going to use pizza as an incentive to convince friends to help you move, and then order pizza for all of your friends, regardless of whether they helped or not.



They were called kickstarter rewards, though, rather than 'generic rewards that are going to end up as pre-order bonuses before you get them'. I wouldn't have a problem with Early Access purchasers getting some bonuses, though.

I think much of what you said is debatable, with some parts being flat out untrue. While we can't know for certain, I would not find it the least bit surprising to learn that Steam Early Access has brought in *far more* in funding than the $1 million raised by Kickstarter, perhaps even several times over.

This game did not need Kickstarter to end up on Steam Early Access; it could have started on either platform first and was very much a game without the funding from Kickstarter or Steam. It just wasn't the scope the developers wanted to aim for. The funding from Steam Early Access has allowed Divinity : OS to go beyond a scope even contributions from Kickstarter could have provided (made evident by the fact Larian admits they've gone over budget). Every dollar mattered.

Simply put, this game would not be what it is today without the funding from either platform, and most of that additional funding likely came from Steam. I don't know why people treat this as a contest of "who deserves more" between the two platforms - had it not been available through one everyone here would have purchased it through the other, as long as everyone was aware of the project to begin with. The "problem" is that more people follow Steam than Kickstarter, and Steam currently gives projects publicity that Kickstarter simply can't compete with.

As for "risk", Early Access on Steam is fraught with exactly the same risks as Kickstarter. There is no guarantee a game will ever come out as advertised or even come out completed as all. I have more than my fair share of games purchased through Steam Early Access that have gone either nowhere or in entirely the wrong direction, and all sales are final, so let's stop pretending the Steam platform offers a risk-free route. This was not a project that was presented as only a hopeful idea when it came asking for contributions, it was already fairly far along in development and the risks for everyone were minimal.

If you want to talk about real crowd funding risks, I invite you to browse through my ridiculously large hangar in Star Citizen.

kickstarter does not always ended in an aweome-kick-ass product (want a good example? the Ouya ^^) so backers take a risk. The early access was there to give a better visibility, to have more feedback and balance the game, not to design "major" new features, those were already chosen during the kickstarter campaign, so people who buy the game in early access did not really take a risk as "important" as kickstarter backers.
about the rewards, they have the "kickstarter label" it is obviously to thank the ones who trusted in the game DURING the kickstarter campaign. So it would be quite weird to see them in a collector edition.
In addition, offering completely new features in a collector edition might also increase the sells (basic example, I pledge for a kickstarter version which I will offer to a friend and buy a collector edition for me if the collector edition is nice ^^)