BURNING LANDS: Funding, Transparency & the Future

Up until this point, many individuals have dedicated their efforts to developing Burning Lands Vietnam (BLV) out of sheer passion.

Nevertheless, recognizing the importance of delivering a polished Early Access product on Steam within a reasonable timeframe, we find it necessary to turn to our backers for support in raising the required funds.

To achieve this, we’ve set a minimum goal of $78,000 AUD, which will ensure the release of the game in a stable and high-quality state.

Additionally, our Stretch Goals aim to expedite the development of planned features that we believe will significantly enhance the overall player experience.

For transparency, we’ve provided an approximate breakdown of budget allocation for the base funding goal in the form of a pie chart.

In light of recent events, it is crucial to clarify that a considerable number of developers involved in the project had previously agreed, as part of their arrangement, to be remunerated from the profits generated by BLV after its official release, rather than receiving compensation prior to that point.

This has left me perplexed regarding their actions, as their conduct not only resulted in a setback for the project but also adversely impacted themselves and the online community eagerly anticipating the development and release of BLV.

The initial strategy involved allocating just 30% of the resources to the development team, with the remainder earmarked for outsourcing to expedite the development process. However, adjustments to this plan have become necessary.

It’s essential to emphasize that the outsourcing arrangements, both in the past and moving forward, will not have any detrimental impact on the project. The quality of the overall product will remain unaffected, ensuring that the use of external resources does not compromise the excellence of the final outcome.

We have a few individuals involved and a couple more coming on board though they remain behind closed doors, and this confidentiality is intended to shield them from any targeted negative comments or reactions stemming from the ongoing situation.

I apologize to all those who have been closely following the project and are affected by recent events.

I want to assure everyone that despite these challenges, every project I’ve worked on has been completed, and this project will be no exception. With nearly three years of development investing my time and money, and many individuals who have contributed to it, it will not be in vain. The project will persist, and I am committed to ensuring its successful delivery.

The decision to bring the shared vision outlined in this Kickstarter to life sooner now rests with you, the community and backers. Your support will determine the extent and speed to which we can transform this vision into reality.

As this situation unfolded, my initial belief and hope was in resolving it amicably. To quote myself from our internal discussion in regards to having someone take over as project lead “I’m considering the possibility of bringing in a project lead, but this will only be feasible when the project is financially stable” Over a span of over ten days, I waited for details on their proposal for the number of board members, who they would be, and if they had the financial capacity to process such a request. The prolonged silence raised doubts. Their public statement felt like a betrayal, choosing to speak out rather than engage in a constructive discussion.

Despite multiple public and private attempts to communicate with them, they still remained silent, seemingly content to witness the project’s downfall that they once contributed to. It forced me to question whether I could trust these people to be on a board of directors with me; who have sabotaged the project, the company and myself. Who have sat by and encouraged the harassment and ideas of this product being a scam.

The simple answer is I couldn’t allow members like this to be a part of this project any further.

What has not been stated publicly is that very early on, ZHI entered into legal contracts with each of the developers and these contracts defined the roles that each party would play as well as their entitlements.

It would not be appropriate to discuss the details about the separate agreements that the company had with the developers other than to say that these were very basic and unsophisticated agreements, being about three pages in length in relatively large font, so there was definitely no ambiguity in any terms or legal technicalities that weren’t understood. It was clearly stated that this was ZHI’s project and the developers would play the role of consultants, that ZHI would own everything that was created and each developer that was receiving remuneration would be paid based on a percentage of revenue AFTER the release of the game. There was never any understanding that anyone would be paid before the game began making revenue.

Unfortunately after the fallout, many people began making false and defamatory statements online about the project which caused irreparable damage to the release of BLV. Because a lot of it was not the developers directly, and there are legal agreements with confidentiality clauses, I had to be very careful about what I could and could not say.

Whatever my relationship with the developers, there was now a game that had been worked on for years by a significant number of people and had thousands more anticipating its release. The public had also contributed up to $150,000 at one point in support, so I could not just stand by and let all that go away just because of a personal dispute with the developers.

So after the developers’ initial statement, despite the significant damage they had just caused to the brand and the release of the game, I tried to reach out to them to see if we could work out a resolution but they would not accept my contact. I then had a lawyer reach out to them and in summary what I asked for was to provide the source material that they had already created to date and I confirmed that they would still be paid as per their agreements and no legal action would be taken for any breach of contract. It was after this that they decided to leave the project, some providing their source material, others refusing.

Whatever you may feel about whether their actions were justified or not, they were in breach of the agreement that they signed and further their actions do not benefit anyone, not even themselves. All they had to do was provide what they had already created and had previously agreed to provide, and they would still be entitled to their share of the revenue. However their approach of breaching the contract only serves to sabotage the game we all worked so hard for and causes no benefit to them.

Either way, enough material has been provided to date to complete the game and I wish them all the best. The developers certainly contributed immensely to BLV and it is a shame that we could not come to some understanding in the end. Of the developers that complied with their agreements, they will still be getting paid from the project based on their agreements. For the developers who did not, I still intend to pay them based on what they provided, however it can’t be at the same rate as if they had complied with their agreements. It should also be noted that after their statement the Kickstarter lost over $100,000, and who knows how much in potential donations that would have been made.

Could I have handled past situations differently, and am I partially responsible for the current challenges? Yes. Can I be challenging to work with at times? Yes. However, does that mean I’m unfit or a negative influence to lead this project and company? No. The Kickstarter project shared here reflects my vision, which I’ve successfully conveyed, attracting developers and backers who share my enthusiasm. Navigating this project has required me to balance the fact that, for everyone else involved, it’s a hobby and a side project, whereas for me, it’s a business. This difference in perspective has limited my ability to treat it strictly as a business when dealing with these individuals. I’ve been constrained in how I conduct myself, whether as a boss or just a friend/,mate and thus treating it like a large scale mod. In light of this, my management style stills involves decisively parting ways with individuals who could hinder or divert the project, and as the leader, I am committed to pushing forward.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been a part of the BLV community, both in the past and present. Despite recent challenges and contract terminations, your support has been crucial. These events, while challenging, are instrumental in paving the way for a more stable future for BLV.

The setbacks have prompted a reevaluation of our strategies, leading to a clearer focus on delivering a high-quality product.

I want to assure everyone closely following this project that, despite the recent turbulence, the BLV journey continues. We are committed to overcoming obstacles and delivering a game that exceeds expectations. Your continued support will play a pivotal role in shaping the future success of BLV, and together, we are forging ahead towards a brighter and more stable chapter in the project’s development.

Burning Lands: Vietnam’s development will continue.

Chance Blair | Director