The best way to please backers is to consistently deliver on your campaign promises. Larian Studios wanted to raise $500,000 with their Divinity: Original Sin 2 Kickstarter back in 2015. When the campaign was funded in less than 12 hours, they realized this was their chance to take the project even further.
The team released a series of stretch goals (up to $1,500,000) which surely seemed excessive at the time. However, as support for the campaign continued to grow, they quickly realized they’d need to reach even further. Once funding surpassed $1,350,000 they added more goals, including the illusive $2 Million dollar Game Master Mode.
In the end, 42,713 backers came together to push Divinity: Original Sin 2 past its final stretch goal. The community rejoiced and Larian got to work on their massive new project. After a successful early access launch last Fall, the team has been steadily progressing on delivering their campaign promises and stretch goals. Finally, after two years and with the full launch of the game on the horizon, they’ve finally given backers a peek at their grand GM mode reward.
Epic Encounters For The Making
The in-game editor gives game masters the ability to create their own campaigns, updating encounters on the fly, and challenging their players in new and exciting ways. Essentially, this bridges the divide between the freedom of tabletop role-playing and interactive graphic abilities of computer RPGs. The robust system allows for players to dictate every detail of their stories. Everything from the map, right down to the boots of the goblin who mugged you. It’s sure to impress those from table-top backgrounds, but its accessibility opens it up for new audiences as well.
The new mode is a great tool for storytellers of all walks of life. It could absolutely be used to help aspiring game designers learn to plot out their narratives in a familiar and gorgeously rendered world.
Larian secured permission from Wizards of the Coast to create the Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign in GM mode. Primarily for promotional purposes and to demonstrate the capabilities of the tools. They’re still tweaking things a bit, but expect to have Game Master Mode ready when Divinity: Original Sin 2 gets its full release, later this year.
