I know for sure that this has been suggested before (it died after one post), but in light of the recent Steam Greenlight application and the fact that it wasn't very clear at all, I felt the need to post it here again. Kickstarter, in case noone knows, is a crowd-funding site. (Link http://www.kickstarter.com/start?ref=nav

Kickstarter is a no-risk method of fundraising, and it seems a chunk of funding is what Virtrium could really use for Istaria. The previous thread mentions the Furcadia kickstarter, link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...econd-dreaming which, as you can see, successfully raised $106,000 (almost twice its original goal). For a -browser game-. Istaria is a timeless game with a still-thriving and awesome community, but with a little work it could be back as a Big Thing. I am asking that the devs take some time to look into the possibility of a kickstarter for a upgrade/remake to Istaria; with Kickstarter, many options could open up; my suggestion for main and 'stretch' goals (a term you quickly become familiar with on Kickstarter.)

  1. Developing a new engine! Priority one, as it would open up a huge number of possibilities that the devs have shot down in the past (riding dragons and better flight come to mind), including a more modern free-to-play model.
  2. New engine+Graphics upgrade. Personally, I think Istaria has fairly nice graphics for a game its age. But it certainly does show that age...
  3. New engine, Graphics, and UI. By now, it -looks- like a whole new game, with that same fantastic community, multiclassing system, immersive lore, and housing system.
  4. A whole new game? Revisiting and modernizing every aspect of Istaria, for the modern day. A huge stretch goal.

I, for one, would make the largest contribution I could to fund such a project, and given the community, I'm sure many other Istarians would as well; further, if the kickstarter failed, nothing would be lost. Other players, please comment with what you think!