Stoic released a FAQ list regarding many of the game's features and kickstarter prizes which you can find below.
Won't porting to consoles dumb down the game, compromise the UI or take more time away from working on the game?[]
We started the game with the intention of porting to as many places as possible, which we say in the video and on the front page. Something that we could have messaged better is that we won't be porting anything until after chapter 1 is complete sometime at the end of the year. We're not doing simultaneous development, so we won't have anything to port until we have a finished first release. We do apologize about not making this more clear.
As for dumbing down the game or making the UI worse, we don't think that's true. The game as we pitched it is going to be the same on PC, Mac, Linux, iPad and consoles, the same as we originally envisioned it (at this point, better). The UI will be developed to work on our first release - PC and Mac - and then have to be converted for other platforms in the porting process.
Can I have an XBLA or PSN version of the game instead of the PC version?[]
Our goal has been to make the game universal to backers; that is to say that you pay once and get every version. However, some platforms do not have a system in place for this, such as iPad and console. We may not be able to get free copies of the game on these platforms to give you, we honestly do not know at this time. If we can get keys, we're more than happy to give them to any backers who would like a copy. PC, Mac and Linux will all be available to our backers!
Can you port to the Vita?[]
We're still looking into this, but we can't promise a Vita port before the end of the campaign. We'd really like to get it on the Vita at some point!
Why did you structure your goals music, then porting and content, then cities? I had to support something I didn't want to get something I did.[]
We set out the goals based on what would affect the most people. Music is something everyone will hear, ports and content are something a lot people requested, and the cities are for multiplayer. We needed to frontload the things we couldn't ship without, and cities are something we could add in later as funding becomes available. Our stretch goals were just that - extra - so rest assured nothing about them has changed the game we're already working on.
Can you talk more about the additional content?[]
There are two main things we want to expand with additional content: one is the variety of events that happen during travel. We've mentioned in a few places how this will be reminiscent of King of Dragon Pass. For example, a group of warriors in your caravan may approach you and demand more food than the farmers. Depending on your response you may upset the warriors or the farmers, cause one or the other leave or turn into an unexpected fight. Or you might diffuse the situation and move on. Additionally, we want these events to have some repercussions. You might tell the warriors to back down and think the thing is settled, only to discover that two days later they steal supplies and run off while you're sleeping. We'd like to add a much larger variety of these events and give them more variables.
The other thing is the finale. We're putting an equal amount of effort into the game as a whole but we'd love to put more effort into the finale to 1) make it a longer event and 2) try to account for more variables. We were excited about the ending we were planning to do, and this will let us make a better one. You've already hit this goal, and we're psyched about the ability to work on this!
Can you explain more about the cities? I thought this was about a traveling caravan, not building a city.[]
Like we mentioned in the last update (but regrettably failed to mention in the video), the player-owned cities are part of the multiplayer game and don't affect the single-player story, which is about staying on the move to escape doom. As the multiplayer is largely about building a huge roster of characters, forming teams and fighting other parties in battle, building your own headquarters is a perfect fit, and something we've always been excited about. Both of these scenarios take place at the same time in the game and will make perfect sense within the context of the story when you see it!
Implementing a new system is never a small task, though, and we're trying very hard to be realistic about what we can handle. Additional funding lets us get hired help to make it happen. Unlike porting, if we meet this goal we're hoping to get this content in the game at release!
I'm interested in the Performance prize but I also want the other prizes, which aren't included. Is there any way to come to a compromise?[]
As some of you have noticed, we reduced the availability of "the performance" from 3 to 2 for this very reason- someone contacted us to work out a deal for both packages. If you're interested, just let us know.
Do you have examples of guild crests I could look at?[]
One of our backers named Jessica from neondragonart has been doing some amazing work in the comments thread. Check out her gallery of requested guild crests by clickingHERE . She's no longer taking suggestions but her work is exactly the kind of quality we'd love to see!
When is the game going to be released?[]
We originally estimated the end of the year. We've been careful not to dramatically change the scope of the game but as you can probably tell we've added a LOT of stuff, way more than we ever expected. We don't see it going something like six months over schedule but we do want to honest that it could go past this year. That said, we will absolutely make sure that all the physical prizes are shipped by the given date!
Is the game going to be in my language? And when will it get translated?[]
We absolutely intend to translate to as many languages as possible, starting with German, French, Italian and Spanish. We've also gotten a lot of interest in Russian, Polish and Portuguese. We can't guarantee that they'll be ready at launch but once we add the translations you won't have to repurchase the game to see them.
The Localization Beta Test is active now! For Deutsch, Français, ру́сский, Português, and Polski: http://steamcommunity.com/app/237990/discussions/0/540742667756899958/
Spanish is running a few weeks behind and will be in a patch soon after.
Will you be releasing the game on Steam, Desura or other popular digital distribution services?[]
We're already looking into getting the game up on the major distribution sites including the ever-popular Steam. Believe me, we'll let you know as soon as we do!
Will The Banner Saga be DRM-free? (Spoiler: Yes) Isn't something like Steam technically DRM?[]
DRM-free = yes. We have no intention of installing invasive software on your computer.
You will always have the option of downloading a standalone version of the game to play on your hard drive, if you prefer not to use services like Steam.
Do I need to donate additional money for international shipping?[]
Yes, we've included the additional cost of shipping for each individual prize (some are heavier than others). Please check out the description of the prize before donating. You do NOT need to add up the total cost for each additional level.
Have you hear of Brian Fargo's "Kick it Forward" campaign? Will you be doing it?[]
As it turns out, we're already on board with the idea, and we've been funding projects that we think could be something amazing with our own cash, which we'll continue to do as long as cool projects pop up. We're as into playing games as we are making them.
How about Linux?[]
Linux is now being supported.
What tools do I need to submit a guild crest (the $50 prize)?[]
All submissions must be digital (no mailing us napkins with sketches on them), which means either drawing it on your computer or scanning in a hand-drawn image. We're working out a convenient way to make sure everyone's submission will make it into the game but we don't expect it to be very complicated.
What$50 prize)>[]
To keep it simple we'd like to keep it to four simple guidelines:
1) no sexual content (sorry). That means no genitals, innuendo or implied phallus hidden in the negative space.
2) No trademarked or otherwise plagiarized logos.
3) Try to keep things in a vaguely appropriate theme. If you've really got to get your spaceship logo in there it's not a big deal, but please try to hold off on the assault rifles and trollface guys.
4) It has to be an graphic image or icon. We can't put text on a banner.
For now, just sit back and relax. We literally can't start working on prizes until the campaign has ended, but then we'll be sending out an email to all the donators explaining just how to submit your design.
How are you going to manage all these guild crests (The $50 prize)?[]
From the outset, our plan has been to provide a template and then convert what you give us automatically. Obviously we won't have the capacity to recreate over 1000 symbols by hand. We'll be talking more about the template before the campaign ends so you can see if it's something you can commit to!
As for sorting through each crest, it looks like we are going to have a huge library of images. When you submit your crest it will include a survey which allows you to assign a name to it, as well as categorize it with tags such as "animal" or "weapon". This will allow players to search for their tag or just see everything of a particular category.
How do you know what t-shirt size I need?[]
Once the campaign has ended we'll be sending out surveys to find out all the shirt sizes we need. We can cover any of the major sizes for both genders.
How do you know which animation cel I want (the $250 prize)?[]
Mind powers! Also, once the campaign has ended we'll be sending out surveys to find out which image you'd like.
What kind of items can I submit for Relic (the $800 prize)?[]
Because the items in our game will provide passive bonuses, they can include anything that is a wearable item: earrings, necklace, ring, hair jewelry, bracers, shoes, boots, gloves, brooch, shoulder pad, sash, belt, buckle, weapon attachment, pommel wrap, rune carving, etc etc.
What we cannot do is change the weapon in a character's hand. This would complicate out animation and item system beyond the scope of what we can handle. If you have something similar to a weapon you'd really like to get in the game email us and we'll work with to find a way to fit it in, either as a wearable "secondary" weapon, like a side dagger or as an element of their equipped weapon.
Why aren't you offering a box version of the game?[]
Believe me, we would love to offer a version of the game in box form but we have been unable to find somebody who could produce this for a good price while keeping the prize relatively cheap. Producing a physical box, printing a game manual and burning CDs is time consuming and expensive, and usually only becomes cost-effective in the hundreds of thousands of copies.
If you can do the job or know someone who can, email us at stoic@stoicstudio.com.
How do you know which platform I want the game on?[]
No worries, when the Kickstarter campaign ends we'll be sending out a survey allowing you to pick which platform you'd like your copy of the game. We know some gamers consider Steam to be DRM, so we'll be offering the game for direct download to your harddrive, free to play locally.
That said, we will not be hosting our own multiplayer servers. Mutliplayer will require you to use an existing service such as Steam, which we talk more about at a later date.
Aren't there already viking gods like Odin and Loki? Will you be mucking with them for the Transcendence prize?[]
The Banner Saga is strongly influenced by viking culture, but is not using actual Norse mythology. Instead, we have our own mythology and history, and our own reasons for the end of the world and what happens in the story. Each god in The Banner Saga is a new creation.
What are the system requirements for The Banner Saga?[]
While we don't yet know the exact numbers (and we're still actively optimizing the game), being completely 2D gives us the advantage of running at a fairly low minimum spec. We'll give you specifics as soon as we know ourselves.