UNLOCKED! NEW 110k GOAL -CHROMA BIKE TRAILS (counting Paypal, this goal is UNLOCKED)
We are at 106k now with 7 hours to go. We create TRON-like Bike trails for the Thunder Bumping Bikes that all backers receive at game launch. Change the colors or cycle them like LED gaming gear. (delivered with bikes at game launch. Can be turned on and off independent of CHROMA bike skin)
KAIJU SLAYER & MAX KAHUNAS
You can down custom design a calldown sound for your THMPR calldowns and also design a horn effect for your bike. (within guidelines and at game launch). Furthermore CHROMA effect on 60k holo wings is available only to Kaiju Slayers and Max Kahunas.
UNLOCKED! 100k goal THMPR mini-pet!
The community demanded a 100k goal and asked for at mini-THMPR pet that can run around and emote mining. This pet will come in standard THMPR skin as well as CHROMA variant. Congrats community!!! YOU DID IT! (to be provide at launch of game)
UNLOCKED! CHROMA bike skin!
Our passionate community has gotten us incredibly far! We are at 90k including Paypal direct donations. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO BACK. After this these stretch rewards will NEVER BE AVAILABLE AGAIN. No bikes will ever be in the game again. the chroma skins, the 60k wings, the NPC greetings, the emotes...all exclusive. THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE TO UNLOCK THESE AWARDS. Even $1 Unlocks a huge swath of rewards! See the full $1 list here: https://forums.em8er.com/threads/just-1-to-get-plenty-of-em-8er-m3-milestone-exclusive-rewards.903/
95k End of Day Goal: CHROMA Bikes
If we reach 95k by the end of day, everyone will unlock the CHROMA bike skin for the Thunder Bumpin Bike, the ONLY bike that will EVER be in the game, exclusive to ALL backers this fundraiser. This bike skin has GLOW strips where you can control and blend colors, or cycle them, just like popular LED gaming peripherals. Help us reach this goal and finish our 400%+ funding with a flourish! (bikes provided at launch of game)
$85,000 UNLOCKED!
Combat Music by Michael Bross!
We've blasted past our 75k stretch goal, so now it's time to announce our 85k goal! Michael Bross, Audio Director and Lead Composer for Firefall, will compose the combat music for the game and the playable mockup!
All backers will also receive (at final game), the Tiki Torch group emote. Throw down a sci-fi Tiki torch and all nearby Omniframes will dance, along with player characters. The Tiki torch will play a popular Em-8ER in-joke (as an option): a classic sea shanty modernized and sung by Grummz himself. For more in-jokes and fun, don't forget to join us on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/A8jsTfU
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Laura Post (voice of Aero) CONFIRMED
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Laura Post (voice actress for Aero in Firefall) is CONFIRMED as coming to Em-8ER. For backers this round, they will get the OP-AI Omniframe voice pack featuring Laura. There will also be an NPC in the game that she will voice!
75k REACHED BIKE UNLOCKED! INVASION MOCKUP UNLOCKED!
You did it! We've reached 75k with Paypal counted. You've unlocked the one and only bike that will ever be made for Em-8ER and ONLY available to backers of this round. If you want this bike, this will be the ONLY time to get it EVER in the game. Just back for $1 (current backers already receive this unlock) and have this epic bike that will be able to hold 2 character player riders (concept still being refined so additional seat will be added).
You've also funded the invasion mockup: a non playable Unreal exe that shows what an invasion looks like. This will be used to add to our THMPR playable mockup and filmed together for our Kickstarter video.
Congratulations backers! New backers, pledge now to receive ALL the stretch goals noted here (Max and Kaiju Slayers have some exclusive stretches not available to everyone)
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LAST WEEKEND of Funding to Go!
$50,000 Unlocked, 600 Backers unlocked!
Sunday is the last day of funding! With your help we’ve already raised enough to allow us to create:
Human Male & Female characters
Geesuit Pilot Suits
An Omniframe Gun and modular art pipeline
Tsi-Hu Shapeshifters in humanoid & beast form
Basic shooting & combat
Motion capture animations
Base concepts
Concept and Model a Kaiju giant monster
NEW THMPR vs Kaiju combat unlocked!
UNLOCKED!!!, 60k-WINGS unlocked on $60,000 stretch goal!
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The wings are shown here in two sizes. We will be experimenting to see if the wings can be scaled up in flight, and scaled down for walking/running. At the very least they will be the same size as the standard omniframe wings.
How to up your pledge: If you want to upgrade your pledge, simply use the "Back This" button and pay the difference between the perks ( DO NOT CLICK ON THE NEW PERK ITSELF, that will just pay the full price. Use the "Back This" button at the top). Then e-mail grummz@crixa.io from the same e-mail address you used to back and inform us of the change. If you do not wish an additional perk, you can increase your pledge by any amount large or small via the "Back This" button.
Note that these stretch goal rewards are nearly for ALL BACKERS, even $1 unlocks all these EXCLUSIVE rewards:
- Pin-Up "nose art" decal and "Tiki God Mask" decal.
- CHROMA jetpack jets.
- Get the mini-Tshi-Hu beast pet.
- Receive the THMPR Chroma skin.
- Founder Emote base set for their characters and Omniframes.
- Receive the CHROMA Omniframe skin.
- 3D files of the Kaiju that you can print.
- 60k Holo-Wings!
- Op-AI voice pack for Omniframes!
- Exclusive, never seen again Motocycle mount!
UNLOCKED! $25,000 - Tsi-Hu Beasts. UNLOCKED!
Model the Tsi-Hu in Beast Form, without animations and import it into Unreal. Reward: All backers get two decals to place on their Omniframe (at final game launch): Pin-Up "nose art" decal and "Tiki God Mask" decal.
UNLOCKED! 300 Backers - CHROMA Jets
Help spread the word and get this backed. Post screenshots, art, and videos of Em-8ER and link to our fundraiser. Reward: All backers get CHROMA jetpack jets. Control the color and other options of your Omniframe's jumpjets (final game launch).
UNLOCKED! $30,000 - ANIMATE & FIGHT THE BEAST. UNLOCKED!
Full animation and scripting of the Tsi-Hu Beast to attack in Melee mode and fight the player characters in their MEKs. Reward: PETS! All backers get the mini-Tshi-Hu beast pet (at game launch).
UNLOCKED! 500 Backers - THMPR CHROMA skin
All backers will receive the THMPR Chroma skin. This unique skin features glow stripes on the THMPR whose color, intensity and cycling can be controlled by the backer (final game).
UNLOCKED! $35,000 - NPCS & Base Concepts
We purchase a motion capture system to be able to make more animations for things like NPCs at bases and emotes for players. We also create the first base concept art for player built bases in the game. Reward: All backers will receive Founder Emote base set for their characters and Omniframes. TBD with community input. 6 (3 human, 3 omniframe) different animations unique and exclusive to backers.
UNLOCKED! 750 Backers - Omniframe Unique AI Voicepack
Spread the word and post our art and videos and demo screenshots everywhere to get us to 750 Backers! Reward: All backers will receive a custom VOICE PACK for their Omniframe Pilot Assistant Intelligence or OP-AI. We will do our best to book Laura Post, the voice of Aero in Firefall for this pack if she is available, or another equally unique voice just for backers.
UNLOCKED! $40,000 - Model the Tsi-Hu and Fight Them
We model the humanoid Tsi-Hu and use our motion capture system to save time animating them and go straight to fighting them in-game. We will also concept and model their gun so they can pew-pew at players. Rewards: All backers will receive the CHROMA Omniframe skin. This unique, exclusive skin has glow stripes where the players can control the intensity, color and cycling. For light/med/heavy frames.
UNLOCKED! 1000 Backers - Deepstrike Omniframe Skin
All backers will receive the Deepstrike Omniframe skin (black with red accents), which allows you to visually (cosmetic only) "teleport in" with your frame instead of having it dropped by drop-ship. (light/med/heavy frames included).
UNLOCKED! $45,000 - Model a Giant Kaiju!
Kaiju is a major theme of the game. We will concept and model a non-animated Kaiju intended to go head to head with the THMPR and similar in size. Reward: 3D files of the Kaiju so you can print and assemble one yourself for your desk!
UNLOCKED!!! 1250 Backers - Founder Flags
All backers will receive a "founder flag" that signifies you are one of the very first to back Em-8ER. These flags are attached and worn on the back of your Omniframe like a warbanner.
UNLOCKED! $50,000 - Animate & Fight a Giant Kaiju!
We take the Kaiju from the last stretch goal, animate it and script it to the fight the THMPR and players in the playable mockup!. Reward: Mini Kaiju pet in final game!
UNLOCKED!!! 1500 Backers OR $75,000 - Thunder Bumping Bikes
If you get us to 1500 backers, we will provide all backers with a unique sci-fi motorcycle for player characters (not your Omniframe) at (final game) launch. Note that this is mainly cosmetic. Most players will travel using skim mode on their Omniframe. Using a bike you will still have to incur the wait-time of calling down your MEK once you reach your destination.
UNLOCKED!!!! $60,000 - Full Playable Mockup
This is it, we fund fully and don't have to do any more milestones. We create the playable mockup THMPR encounter. Call down a THMPR mining mech and defend it from waves of attacking Tsi-Hu shapeshifting between humanoid and beast modes. Fight a giant Kaiju as it grapples with your THMPR and defeat it as the climax of the encounter. This will be our demo for our future "fund the full-time game team" fundraiser to make the final game. Reward: The goal is the reward. Play it and enjoy.
NEW - $85,000 STRETCH GOAL - COMBAT MUSIC
We will include combat music in the game AND the PLAYABLE MOCKUP composed and performed by Michael Bross, Firefall's Audio Director and Composer.
Here it is, our 3rd successful milestone goal on Indiegogo!
Em-8ER is a game with a fanbase!
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Games take a lot of funding to create. Instead of one large goal, we divided ours into cheaper, smaller steps and deliver the latest version of our game to you along the way. Each smaller funding step entitles you to new collectable skins and perks and lets you build confidence in the progress of our unique massive planetary wargame!
Your incredible support has driven our last 2 successfully delivered IndieGoGo campaigns to well over 469-600% of our goals. We're confident you can make this one a huge success too! With our community at over 10,000 fans, we're bigger than ever and growing! 8300 on our mailing list, 4900 on our forums, 2300 in our discord chat server, and another 4700 on our change.org petition. You fans have been amazing in your support!
Don't forget to visit our website for much more detail about the game and progress so far!
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Mine with MEK/A not pickaxes! Mine resources with your calldown pet mech and craft everything in the world from weapons to abilities to bases to help fight the massive war against Kaiju invaders. Mining is combat oriented, fight against waves of enemies. The longer you last, the more precious the ore!
Em-8ER - A Massive Battle Fought Online
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Em-8ER is played online, in a persistent open world where players must conquer and terraform new territory and wage a huge war against an aggressive shape-shifting group of aliens and monstrous creatures. While there is nothing quite like Em-8ER, we've been influenced by games/films/anime such as:
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Planetside 2 - Massive open world wars, but ours are PvE.
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Firefall - Jetpacks, gliding and thumping. Fast movement.
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Starcraft - RTS base building (We worked on this game too)
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Pacific Rim - Kaiju! Giant monster battles!
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Attack on Titan - Fast, agile humans with vertical combat vs giants.
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Xenoblade Chronicles - Mecha! But ours are smaller, more like exosuits.
Em-8ER offers a a blend taken from a little bit of each of these inspirations, and more. Our experience with delivering large scale worlds like World of Warcraft and Firefall mean we are in a unique position to deliver on this vision.
Furious Mech vs Monster Combat
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Pilot MEK suits called "omniframes" in fast paced gunplay and brutal melee combat. Grapple with the Tsi-Hu in their dangerous, bladed beast forms and use finisher moves to eliminate your enemies. Craft and collect multiple omniframes, load them out with your own weapons and abilities, and make your combat style truly unique. Jet up, skim the terrain, and glide over landscapes in nimble combat maneuvers.
Craft Everything, Build Bases
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Mine precious resources with giant autonomous drill-mechs known as MEK/A. Use those resources to craft everything in the game from weapons and abilities, to establishing and upgrading huge military bases. Research tech trees to unlock higher tiers of crafting and join with other players to pool resources to build bigger and better fortifications and upgrades for bases
Terraform the World
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Conquer new zones and terraform them by establishing bases and deploying giant atmospheric machines that churn the atmosphere and gradually alter the landscape into lush biomes. The more you terraform the world, the more unique resources and crafting tiers are unlocked. Players must all work together in a huge group effort to advance the state of the world and defend it from destructive invasion by the Tsi-Hu and their giant monsters.
Giant Kaiju Monster Battles
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The Tsi-Hu enslave and use giant, tech-augmented monsters called kaiju as their siege weapons. The Tsi-Hu have blended their technology with the beasts, augmenting them to control them and equip them with advanced weapons and shield generators. These giant beasts rip through bases and can lay waste to entire zones. Players must band together to bring them down.
Immediate Rewards for New Backers!
In addition to this fundraiser's new goals of characters, weapons, and shooting mechanics, and the eventual playable mockup, ALL new backers will receive immediate rewards.
New backers will receive (at the close of this campaign), the PDF design vision book (with 20 pages of lore, game design and illustrations), as well as the downloadable first build of the game: the THMPR Art Demo made with Unreal Engine 4.
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The unreal test dummy is temporary. The THMPR and landscape are original. As a eligible backer, you will be emailed a download link to this current exe art demo as soon as the campaign ends.
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This 20 page, full-color, illustrated PDF describes the main vision of the game: it's lore, crafting systems, invasions and base building, and much more. It will be emailed to eligible backers as soon as the campaign ends.
World Class Experienced Team
If you are new to Em-8ER, welcome! My name is Mark Kern, and I create worlds with my fantastic teams. I lead the creation of World of Warcraft at Blizzard (team lead on vanilla) and also helped lead the petition with Nostalrius to bring back legacy servers on WoW. Em-8ER is the game I've always wanted to make: an online game where hundreds of players wage a persistent war in an openworld shooter against a ruthless enemy AI!
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Lead by Mark Kern, Team Lead, original Vanilla WoW.
We are currently a team of 6-7 working part-time on Em-8ER's playable mockup in preparation for launching a full-time game company. We have years of experience making massive worlds and intense shooters. Some of the games we have worked on include:
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Working Pilots, Geesuits in MEKs!
At the successful completion of this milestone, you will be able to climb into your omniframe MEK with your choice of male or female pilot in their sleek geesuits (pilot suits). Glide, skim and jet over 1/2 sq kilometers of terrain. Then deploy your omniframe's weapon systems. and start shooting! We'll provide plenty of static targets for you to practice on while we wait on the Tsi-Hu shape-shifting enemy milestone!
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The male and female zBrush sculpts are complete, but we need to finish their textures, low-poly LODs and get them into the game with finely rendered hair. Backing the milestone will help go towards compensating the artist for what they have already done and finish the last steps.
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The medium omniframe in development. Pilots sit exposed under shields. Player can equip a "hard driver" mode to place a hard shell to completely encase the pilot if desired.
Guns!
This milestone we are creating the art pipeline for our modular gun system. Everything is crafted in Em-8ER and you can choose what weapons you want to equip as loadouts on your omniframe. The milestone will feature at least one gun and basic shooting mechanics at static targets. But the art pipeline should allow a small team like our to create the looks we need to support a variety of crafting weapons.
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The KAIJU SLAYER perk allow you to pick components from our art library to build your own custom gun, then art direct us on color and look as we create a custom skin for your unique combination.
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This is the "geesuit" a survival suit worn by Gatestrider players. It allows them to withstand harsh gravity and temperatures. The FOUNDERS version will allow the founder to set the stripes to GLOW and CONTROL THE COLOR of the emissive glow and CHANGE it at any time or set it to cycle CHROMA style in fading cycling colors.
What we already have, or are about to have working:
- 1/2 square kilometers of icy terrain
- Spawning, patrolling, drilling and emoting THMPR mining MEK/A
- Omniframe exosuit/MEK armor (in progress)
- Walking, running, gliding, jetting omniframes (in progress)
What we are creating this milestone:
- Male and Female pilot bodies, faces and hair
- Geesuit concept art and modeling
- Animations for player characters, run/walk, board and exit omniframe
- Omniframe opening/closing animations for pilots
- Concept & design modular gun system (for art pipeline)
- Model enough parts for at least one gun
- Animate shooting, gun FX, and sound fx
- Provide static targets for shooting at and destroying
Milestones? What are those?
Em-8ER takes a unique approach to crowd-funding and building a community around the game. We recognize there is a lot of skepticism and worry about funding games on sites like IndieGoGo. We wanted to build trust, momentum and community to address that. Instead of asking for hundreds of thousands up front and never delivering until alpha or beta, we create smaller milestones instead:
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Milestones are short, achievable steps and goals for the game. The community can inspect each milestone and determine if they want to see it continue by funding, or encouraging their friends to fund the next. This grows the audience and community for the game as we build trust and deliver results. So far we have successfully funded and delivered 2 milestones for Em-8ER at 460-600% of our original goals and grown to nearly 10,000 community members. It appears to be working!
This has benefits for us, the developers, too. First, we don't end up building a game where there is not enough demand or community. Second, we also avoid wandering off course or into feature creep as we have to keep very focused on these smaller goals. Finally, we get to grow an enthusiastic, excited community over time, not based on hype, but based on what they've actually played.
The ultimate goal is to have a couple of milestones to build our first playable mockup of the game. This is what devs call a "vertical slice," which is taking the core elements of gameplay and fully rendering them to see how it looks/feels. This is used to ultimately approve full development of the project. Only, in this case, it is the community instead of a publisher who will be approving our playable mockup. We will hold a large fundraiser when we complete the mockup in order to start everyone on a full-time production schedule.
Becoming a backer gives you access to this milestone, its exclusive rewards, as well as the final playable mockup. We will be focusing on the frenetic combat feel of Em-8ER. The THMPR will drop down and start mining for resources while being attacked by waves of shape-shifting Tsi-Hu. Players must defend the THMPR to extract as many resources as possible while trading fire, using abilities, and jetting and gliding around the combat area.
The Perks:
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