There is an important thing regarding this:
The project DIDN'T reach the 1 million stretch goal! Everyone was happy as Swen told us they want to implement it even then.
Well, Larian might not reached the goal on Kickstarter ONLY but in the sum of a money collections (paypal donations) they DID reach the 1$ million stretch goal.
So I think its a very fair process if backers / customers complain about that this mayor stretch goal has been kicked. Especially if a company argues like it has a publisher sitting in the neck and is forcing them to kick the game out of the door. I thought that's exactly one of the reasons WHY (game) companies USE kickstarter these days. No shitty publisher telling them when and what they have to do.
I am also worried players could buy this game expecting the next Ultima. I think expectations should be low, and full of good surprises, instead of high, with lots of deceptions. Just saying.
Sadly, I have to agree here. From the today's point of view it's easy to say that the expectations, especially in matter of all the huge amount of canceled features regarding all kinds of world simulation aspects (NPC schedules for example) can't be fullfilled.
If you're new to the game, hear the first time the name Divinity Original Sin, do a quick look on some videos showcasing the game you think: hey it looks really Ultima like, or: this remembers me of Ultima. I think we all agree here.
But if you do a much deeper look, spending like 50 hours into the (alpha / beta) game already, you quickly realize that (maybe your own) expectations were too high and it's definitively not in the same league as Ultima in terms of world simulations / feeling. Divinity does, what I would call, "basic approaches". It's not consequently done to the end. As I said before: the game is a rough, edgey diamond now, far from finish. It could be a pink star (most prized diamond in the world) if you spend more time and don't RUSH it out of the door with basic approaches.
Let me add one thing: if you look back TODAY to the blog entry Swen wrote about how much the game will be similiar to one of his favorite games Ultima VII, you realize that clearly the wish was there back during the development but not, have to say it again, consequently done to the end.
I know, I might sound like a smartass...it's always easier to analyse decisions at a much later point from different perspectives. I'm aware you have to take at a special point decisions.
Do I enjoy the game? Probably, Steam shows like 50 hours for Divinity Original Sin.
