Engines take years in some cases; they can work on an engine and smaller seasons @ the same time. 2 - 3 characters, 1 new map, etc and still do initial work on a sequel. Then in 2 years, go full scale into sequel production.
I still think seasons for 2-3 more years is a better idea, espec if SF V and MK X keep getting updates. Not sure a sequel to KI would be big enough deal to make money as a full release.
I’m not sure exactly what the options are. I want a sequel. But I’d rather squeeze more life from this KI if that means the devs completely abandoning this one for almost 2 years.
a very selfish statement:)
I’m not sure that Shadowrun was the biggest tabletop RPG next to D&D but it was (is) well known and is synonymous with the “Cyber Punk” style of near future sci fi setting where people have Mohawks and technology kind of replaces the role of magic in a fantasy setting. I’ve never played it as a tabletop or any of the computer games - although I did demo the FPS, which I found just okay.
I agree completely that KI fits well with the CyberPunk motif - more so the first game but it still works. I’m just not sure that a crossover here serves the purpose of a guest character, to kind of draw an audience from one game to the other and vice versa. Maybe. The other issue is there is no famous Shadowrun character. You would have to say “Here is a character from the Shadowrun universe!” Rather than “here is Bob the cyberpunk hacker.” It seems like maybe the two franchises lend themselves more to a different sort of crossover. References to ultra tech in Shadowrun and outfits for KI characters made to look like the Shadowrun style etc.
This is really the most iconic Shadowrun character. On rpgcodex you’ll see his image grace the forums. He was in the old Sega one and the new one. But I do agree with your other notions of crossingover. 
Other than him though I’d like someone from Hong Kong. And yeah, I could very well be wrong about it being the second biggest tabletop RPG, it just looks that way to me.
Pedantic correction incoming: Shadowrun has a very elaborate magic system as well. There’s some awakening event that happens in their megacorporate cyberpunk alternate future where some arbitrary subset of people get magical powers, Harry Potter style, and they tend to be completely incompatible with artificial augmentations.
I’ve never actually played Shadowrun all the way through. I went through the character creation process in full depth once, which was really interesting in itself, before starting a game and not even meeting up with the rest of my party before it kinda just dropped off.
IMO, the best thing that can happen to KI right now is to get polished. We don’t need a 4th season in the same model as we got seasons 1 to 3. We don’t need 8 more characters and another overhaul to the game engine.
I could go for a 4th season that would maybe have a couple characters and focus on polishing the engine, already existing characters and maybe creating stages for the characters which didn’t get any. But I don’t see the mainstream crowd going for that at full price…
I’m thinking a crowd fund for an extra 9th character for season 3 and a couple extra sweets would probably be the best move, and then just polish what we already have and focus on a sequel to come out a couple years from now.
Let the game rest as a finished product and give it time to mature before any other big changes.
Yeah, the reality is it’s hard to get “polish” to be a high priority in your project workflow. That last mile takes a lot of time and effort ($$$) and it doesn’t really translate to new players. I would love to see them start rounding out the rough edges in a lot of places.
Ubisoft’s policy in a nutshell…
