Geneforge 2 – Infestation Kickstarter Hits Its First Stretch Goal, $46,406 and Counting

Spiderweb Software kicked off their latest Kickstarter campaign just yesterday. And already, Geneforge 2 – Infestation is not only funded, but it’s reached its first stretch goal promising a new Creation that will be designed based on backer suggestions.

And while the campaign keeps trucking along, you might be interested in reading Jeff Vogel’s new blog post where he talks about his latest project, but also shares his thoughts on remasters in general.

Here’s an excerpt to get you started:

How Much Do You Change?

If there is anything I’ve learned from all the remasters I’ve done, it’s this: Respect what made people love the original.

When I did earlier remasters, I often redid things like the game system, because I thought my wiser game designer brain could make the old stuff better. Nope. Never forget that nothing ruins a good game faster than more game design.

My old worlds and game systems were done when both I and my art form were a lot younger. They were crude, weird, and unbalanced. People also loved them. When I changed them into something more in line with current design standards, players were vocally unhappy.

With Geneforge, I kept the old game system intact as much as possible. When I changed it, it was to add options. More spells, more stats, more strategies, more content. Players generally like getting more stuff.

Combined with updating the interface and graphics (something that never gets complaints), and you have a solid remaster that keeps a game playable for another few decades.