I'd like to start with quoting Warren Buffet: You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong
The Kickstarter campaign didn't reach its funding goal. Perhaps the campaign wasn't the thing done 100% right, but I don't consider it as a thing done wrong either. There were many positives outcomes
I prepared a playable demo for you,
I had a first voices of feedback, which I use to plan new improvements,
I met great people (like Lewis Woodhouse or Renaud Nadeau) who believe in Galactic Merchant and helped me to move the game forward,
I developed saves system, which I was pushing off constantly so far,
Galactic Merchant community had grown,
Many content creators on Youtube and Twitch (including Raptor and Nookrium) has streamed the game, helping to reach new audience,
Some publishers has shown me an interest in the game,
I showcased the game on Pixel Heaven 2022 and some of you has visited me in person :)
(Original Kickstarter announcement could be found here)
In this message I wanted to assure you that I will be working on Galactic Merchant and hopefully you will see new updates soon.
As a first signs of this you can take advantage of trading hints, which were released recently.
Happy trading, - Grzegorz Jaśkiewicz, CEO
New features coming, Kickstarter update
The first week of the campaign has passed and I'd like to say that I'm really grateful for all your comments, suggestions, feedback and kind words of support.
While it may appear that the campaign is not gaining momentum, there have been a lot of demo downloads, activations and play sessions. Which actually makes me feel really happy for delivering the game you want to play.
A big thanks to Raptor for playing Galactic Merchant and publishing video on his channel. It is a great help for Galactic Merchant to reach his target audience. I'm continuing to develop the game and there are new big features coming soon.
Campaign continuation During the first chapters of the story you obtained B-permit in order to gain access to new star systems to do business with. Now, you will be able to exercise this new opportunity. Two new star systems: Tau Ceti and Beta Hydri have different economic characteristics and you will have to think hard to gain maximum profits.
Expanding story New chapter is also a place where conflict between Federation and Rebellion intensifies. In the first chapters you were able to support both sides. Now, it will be more difficult to keep several irons in the fire. You will have to decide what your role is going to be in the new world order that is coming.
Save system It is hard to finish the game on a single run, isn't it? With adding more content, I will be introducing a save system, which will allow you to split the game throughout several sessions or come back to the moment where you made a suboptimal decision.
Supply/Demand mechanics So you found the best trading route, pushed all your ships there and you are done, right? With the addition of this real-world economical phenomenon the game will be more challenging as you will have to continuously adapt to new conditions as you introduce more ships into your business.
Freeplay expansion Multi-star system trading is also going to be introduced in freeplay mode. I just need to make jump gates working and at prices that star business owners could afford.
All the new features will be available to you as "early features" first, so if you'd like to get a hold of them early. I recommend choosing this tier.
I wish you happy trading and a lot of profits - Grzegorz Jaśkiewicz
There is demo available, which showcases gameplay at current state. The demo contains the complete first chapter of the story in Galactic Merchant's campaign mode. During the game you could trade, run a factory, do shady or outright illegal activities, upgrade your units, hire personnel and take advantage of events happening in the universe.
Each backer receives an alpha build, which will be evolving into full version of the game. You will have a chance to participate in its journey into the final product.
Premium rewards allow players to play early and experimental features. One of such features is sandbox mode which contains two large events: armed conflict and pandemic outbreak. Backers on this tier will always be first to see and test new features.
I hope I can offer you a good value on Kickstarter and your support will help me make good progress in the development.
Kind regards, Grzegorz Jaśkiewicz - CEO
Galactic Merchant's trading opens on Kickstarter
To all future traders and shareholders,
Galactic Merchant will be launching a Kickstarter campaign very soon. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/351077270/galactic-merchant
I have been working hard to add new features to the upcoming demo, which will be available to everyone. The demo will include the first chapter of the story as well as the sandbox mode, with 2 large events. This will allow you to grow a galactic trading company while experiencing some of the early narrative of the game.
The Kickstarter campaign will also include a premium DLC for the demo at the Vice President tier and higher. This DLC doesn’t change the core experience of the demo, but adds more features that will be released with the full game.
While it is possible for me to finish the game with funds at hand, extra funding will help me reach the scope I envision for Galactic Merchant. The extra funds will allow me to implement new gameplay mechanics like weekly challenges, black-market trading and planet raids. A larger budget also means better quality - I would be able to commission better music, graphical assets, and maybe even make full voiceover for the game.
I hope the Kickstarter packages will offer good value for you and you’re interested in sharing, following, maybe even supporting.
Kind regards, Grzegorz Jaśkiewicz - CEO
Gameplay trailer approved
Hi,
We are happy to announce, that Board of Directors have approved new gameplay trailer for publishing. In new trailer you can see more polished version of the game and also it reveals more of the gameplay. You can find new trailer in our Steam page.
Old trailer still remains available, but it will be decommissioned in future. It might be the last chance to see it, if you still haven't.
