Well it seems developer Adam Mayhem had no luck getting his game The Scoundrels Guild funded on his second attempt at crowd-funding. Anyway here are the details.

This is the end...

Well, it looks like strike two for the Scoundrels Guild, and that's fine, we're not going to get all depressed about it. We will continue to focus on making the game and hopefully someday we can get some sort of funding. Since this project won't be cheap to make, voice actors and modelers want to get paid as well, so, we will look to other avenues for funding, Kickstarter has lost it's steam and only seems to be getting worse. 2013 was a great year for indie game devs, especially on Kickstarter, but it seems the fad (if you want to call it that) has fizzled. I know there are several theories behind why things have changed and we're not going to get into a debate over it, so we will leave it at that. 

Thank you everyone who backed us and supported the project, we do feel humbled that so many of you were interested in this project and maybe we will be able to bring it to fruition in the future. 

Will we do another run? Probably not, there is something discouraging about striking out twice, but not to worry, there will be other things we can do. Mayhem Games USA as a company is not going away and this will only be a speedbump on the road for us.

Mayhem Games relesed a new promo trailer for The Scoundrels Guild.

The kickstarter for The Scoundrels Guild has failed to get funded, and the games developer Adam Mayhem posted a new update with news on the games future.

Scoundrels,

First of all, let me just welcome all the new backers to the project. We had a big influx of new backers after we hit the 48-hour mark, which is great because we hope you guys will jump on board with us for the re-launch. 

With that being said I want to once again thank all of you for your support of this project. You have all been terrific and I hope to see you again. 

Development News

One of the aspects of the game that I myself do most or all of the work on is the animation. Animation can cause a real headache, it can take days to perfect even the most simplistic moves, but the end result is always exciting when you get to see your hard work come to fruition. 

This past week I have been focusing on creating new animations for sneaking around, a really cool mind blast attack that Victor can use to subdue his enemies, a new and improved idle animation for Victor in which he looks around the room while waiting for your input. as well as other improved animations. The goal is to show off some of these new animations in the new and improved Kickstarter promo video. Instead of only showing off a few in-game shots, we plan to do a video focused on mainly gameplay. We find that backers want to see how the game works more than fancy cutscenes. 

This is not the end of our journey, it is a small taste of the adventure ahead.

Adam Mayhem released a new gameplay video for The Scoundrels Guild. The games kickstarter on the other hand is in trouble of not getting funded.

It's finally here! The long awaited gameplay video! It took 3 weeks to put this demo build together, and while it's not polished and I couldn't squeeze in all the mechanics and goodies that I wanted to, hopefully it will at the very least give you a better understanding of the game. You will notice a few issues with the gameplay, like Victor not facing people when he talks to them. These are all kinks that arise when you make a game without any testing. Please keep in mind this is a very early press demo build that should not be considered a reflection of the final product. 

I hope you guys enjoyed. If you have any comments, questions, concerns, or other suggestions please let us know. We're always happy to take backer suggestions into consideration. With any luck, we will get this demo out to you guys so you can experience it hands on. We just need to run a few more tests and work out a couple of bugs.

Adam Mayhem posted a link to a new interview for The Scoundrels Guild, and provides news about a new game build in the latest kickstarter update.

An Interview

Scoundrels, I just wanted to let you all know I recently did an interview with Ten Minute Interviews. I discussed my inspirations and motivations for becoming an indie game dev. Check it out. 

http://tenminuteinterviews.com/adam-mayhem/

New Build Update

I only have a few more things to do to finish up the new build demo. It's taking longer than expected, but I should have a gameplay video ready very soon. In the meantime here are a few screenshots from the new build to show you what I've been up to.

The latest kickstarter update for The Scoundrels Guild has information about a new game build, a gameplay video, and a new press demo on the way in the folowing weeks.

New Build / Gameplay Video Coming Soon / Press Demo Coming Soon / First Look At Lord Laron

Sorry it's been so long since my last update. I've been busy working on a new build for The Scoundrels Guild. It's coming along quite nicely. I know I said I would go over the combat mechanics in the next update, but I'm putting that on hold temporarily so I can discuss a few big things about to happen. Introducing the small fishing port village of Seaberry. Here's an early teaser screenshot. Victor has just arrived in town.

Seaberry is shrouded by green mossy cliffs that hide this cozy, yet clustered little fishing port. Its inhabitants consist mostly of fisherman, and traveling merchants that often stay at the local Inn, and book passage with willing fisherman. When the fishing season ends most will come boast of their exploits with a mug of ale at the tavern. Rumor has it a secret guild lies cloaked in the shadows of this sleepy town.

Gameplay Video Coming Soon!

Concepts and teaser shots are great and all, but what really convinces people is a good gameplay video. As soon as I wrap things up with the new build I plan to do a little "Let's Play" video with the press demo. With any luck this will bring in some new pledges or just get a few laughs from my goofy demeanor. 

Press Demo Coming Soon!

My initial intentions were to avoid releasing a demo, because it can potentially draw negative criticism from those not in full understanding that it is from an early pre-alpha build and does not reflect the final product, but after much deliberation I decided it was worth a shot. 

I'm polishing up the new build and should have a demo ready soon.  Anyone will be allowed to try the short demo in hopes of bringing in new backers. It will not have all the game features, but a good variety to show off how the game will work.

Adam Mayhem posted a new kickstarter update for The Scoundrels Guild with information on how Relationships & Friendships work in in his game. 

Relationships 

Dating can be fun, rewarding, and exciting if you and your partner are equally interested with each other. However, if you suddenly start to change your attitude and make choices that conflict with your partners interests, dating can soon become a nightmare. 

In the game you will occasionally have the opportunity to ask someone out for a drink, or a midnight stroll around the courtyard. You will be presented with several options as to how you want your date to go. If you choose the right options then the other person may want to see you again, but if you choose the wrong options then you may get a slap in the face. 

You will quickly learn about the their interests by inquiring more about them. They may like wine over ale, perhaps they prefer to sit in a quiet corner of the room opposed to dancing on the floor. Once you know more about them it's up to you to decide how you wish to talk to them.

If you form a strong bond with your partner, you will unlock more options. These options will depend on the type of person they are. 

  Friendships

 Forming an strong friendship can unlock a number of great opportunities, but these things take time, don't rush it. The bouncer at the pub might not like your face when you first meet him, but over a period of time you guys just might become best buds, trading old war stories and enjoying a mug of ale. 

 You can't befriend everyone in The Scoundrels Guild, because you just can't please everyone. Sometimes folks will get into arguments and it will be up to you decide who you agree with more. In such an instance the party you disagreed with might be more inclined to dislike you after that. Tough choices will arise and you can't always stay neutral.  You might even cause a conflict requiring a good punch in the face, but that's entirely up to you. Sometimes violence is the answer and cannot be avoided.

 Just remember, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. It won't be long before you find yourself building a reputation in the guild and weather you decide to be the good guy or the bad guy you're going to make some enemies either way.

Adam Mayhem posted a new kickstarter update for The Scoundrels Guild with information on how Items & Crafting will work in his new game.

Game Mechanics #2: Items and Crafting

In part two of our game mechanics series we will cover items, crafting, item combination, crafting recipes,  and inventory in The Scoundrels Guild. I'll try not to make this sound like a user manual. 

  Items

In adventure games, as well as role playing games, items play a key role in the game play. From finding them, buying them, acquiring them, as well as crafting them.  Some will give you boosts to your skills, others can be used in combat, while some may come in handy as a quest item.

  Item Combination

Sometimes you will find yourself in a predicament which requires you to use a certain item to solve the puzzle. Like most adventure games, this will require you to figure out which items can be combined to make a new item. Maybe you have a rope in your inventory, but you're missing the axle and wheel needed to make one. That would be a simple puzzle that involves exploring the surrounding area and looking for the proper items to combine. 

 Inventory

 Your inventory is crucial to your success. You will begin your adventure with a few simple items, your handy journal, a rusty old dagger, and your father's smithing hammer. These were the few things they didn't take from you. Along your journey your inventory will grow with new and useful items, as well items that are necessary to completing a task. Mousing over the bottom of your screen will bring up your inventory, right clicking on your mouse will give you a brief description of the item, left clicking on the mouse will drag the item around the screen so that you can use it on different areas and other items, you can even use it on an NPC. 

Crafting

Crafting and item combination are similar in nature, both use the same technique of taking various items and combining them together to make a new one. Sometimes you will need to craft a new item from raw materials such as ore, ingots, stones, powders, gems, leathers, hides, and others. These items can be crafted with recipes that you will learn along the way. While stackable currency is prevalent in the game, remember, this isn't Minecraft, you probably won't find yourself spending hours crafting and selling your wares, but you are welcome to, we won't judge. 

 Whenever you feel the need or desire to craft something, you would simply check your inventory and click on your smithing hammer. This will bring up the crafting menu. The craftring interface is quite simple and user friendly.

Just got word that The Scoundrels Guild is on Kickstarter, which is nowhere near being funded at the moment. It is labeled an adventure-RPG, although the RPG elements appear to be on the light side. A good thing is that during the Kickstarter they already removed QTE's from the game due to the feedback they received.

Here is a list of the features according to the developer:

• Experience the game the way you make it – your choices will have lasting and dire consequences that you will have to live with.
• Your actions and choices will forever change the fates of all those around you.
• Commit nefarious deeds to build your fortune in gold, and increase your reputation in the guild.
• Dialogue choices will put your wits to the test, as you are forced to make difficult decisions on the spot.
• Combine objects together to make new ones in a classic adventure game style or craft an item from raw materials the RPG style.
• Choose a path of good or evil, depending on the choices you make.
• Semi non-linear adventure game with a splash of RPG, combined to make a gripping story, which is both true to the adventure genre, but has an RPG-like feel, allowing for more room to explore the beautiful world around you, without being confined to total linear gameplay.
• Earn or steal loot that can be used to purchase items to advance further in the game.
• Interact freely with the world and those around you and become the role of Victor Oreh—build both platonic and romantic relationships with characters in the game. Experience exceptional voice acting and wonderful original musical score. 
• Immerse yourself in the beautiful and dangerous world of the Scoundrels Guild.

Their latest update is on the skills in the game.

Instead of a points and leveling up system, skills will be acquired over time by either purchase, or something story related. Some skills will need to be learned to progress further in the game, while others might be just for fun. Perhaps you're a bad gambler, so you acquire a higher gambling skill to better your odds.  Betting in seedy illegal gambling halls is a fun pastime for the average scoundrel, but betting on a cock fight and loosing can be frustrating, so with the help of a higher gambling skill, you could almost rest assured you will pick the right rooster for the fight. If nothing else, you may have a copper shilling or two left over for a mug of ale.

Thanks Kristoph.