What if the Item Workshop echo'd the Kickstarter model?
I posted this on Reddit but it got buried in posts about 6.86 and what Icefrog may or maybe not have Weibo'd so I'll post it here as I'd like some thoughts on the idea.
Here is a suggestion to changing the workshop model completely. What if the workshop was changed to slightly echo the Kickstarter model.
Instead of backing a project that needs funding, you could basically pre-order sets. Like Kickstarter you wouldn't be charged until the set entered the game and you would receive the set in question when it launched.
Valve could set a target goal for sets, and once a set or item hit that goal they could be implemented.
If an item was has reached the goal, but is NOT acceptable for the game, feedback could be given and it's "Kickstarter" page would be closed.
This would allow us as artists to have a lot more feedback from Valve and a general idea what's happening with out sets. It would also give Valve a great sense of how much something will actually sell. As we know: votes != sales.
This would also solve vote boting issues on the workshop. In the past I've been approached several times by boters that ask for a % cut of my items to upvote it. If i do not agree they threatened to mass downvote my things.
Additionally, it would also allow the community to have a little more control over what they want in the game.
The only problem that would remain to solve is chests. Volvo loves the chests as the randomness adds money to the pay stream. Possibly we as artists could submit things in forms of chests to be "kickstarted"?
I love to hear thoughts or ideas for this concept and also the issue of chests.
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