Weekly Update - 2021.9.30
In lieu of a video update, this week we're keeping it simple. Chadrick and I got quite a bit of work done in the past week, but we decided to skip the video for 2 main reasons; 1) Chadrick has not been feeling 100% the last couple of days, and 2) video production takes a lot of time away while our priority is getting the alpha ready.
FYI, to see our previous updates, navigate to our YouTube channel.
What did we accomplish this past week?
We met with multiple accounting firms and hired one! Taxes... ugh
We set up Canny, which is a support tool for reporting feedback to us.
Backtrace is now implemented into the game. It is a tool for automated error reporting (game errors, crashes, etc.) so that we can see problems right away. This will be hugely important in the early stages of the game. (Don't worry, it only sends anonymous data and helpful things for us like which line of code failed, error messages, error counts, etc.)
We got our Itch.io store page online! The page is restricted-access for now, we will open it up to the alpha testers very soon. This will be where the early testers download the game. We eventually will have a Steam store page as well, but this gets us started without having to jump through all of Steam's hoops.
Our NDA is finalized. This will help us, and our alpha testers, stay legally safe. Each alpha tester will be required to sign before getting their download key.
The Castle tile that we revealed last week is now a prominent part of each and every map! It will act as a scoreboard in the game, giving players a heads up on who holds each seal, and ultimately who takes the throne. More work needs to be done to make all that functional, but for now it sits there in all its glory and splendor.
We even had time to knock out a few bugs. Don't worry, there will still be plenty to find for those of you who become alpha testers.
Alpha Testers! Start your computers!
Tomorrow begins the Alpha stage!! We are really excited to reach this milestone! With that in mind, we have some immediate things that we need to get done.
Add some simple "How to Play" instructions to the game.
Make some usability adjustments to the game loop.
Update a few settings in Itch to get ready.
Upload game builds.
But first, sign ups for being a part of the Alpha Test are now open!
You are not guaranteed a spot in the alpha, but we are opening the doors for everyone to sign up. (more play-testers = better feedback)
If you receive an email from us about signing the NDA, you will need to e-sign and return it as soon as possible. Once we receive it back and all is good, we will send you your download key.
Community Questions...
Each week we try to answer questions from the discord that y'all post in the questions-for-weekly-update channel.
Q: Are the promo tiles still useful and can we still use them for blends?
A: Yes and yes. See here for info on promo tiles. And check the blends on NeftyBlocks.
Q: Will there be any pubs with real ale in the game?
A: As much fun as that would be, we are keeping the game family friendly.
Q: Can the community help in terms of promoting, fan art, ideas, etc.?
A: Yes! We have some announcements coming soon that will help you help us and potentially earn you some rewards for your efforts.
Q: Will there be a 'co-op' mode in multiplayer for hoards of invading enemies?
A: There will be ways to team up using the fealty feature of the game. We do have ideas spinning around other types of units, events, fantastical creatures, and things of that nature that may make it into the game at some point.
Q: Will there be female units in the game?
A: We have done our best to keep the language of our game inclusive ("claim the throne" rather than "be the king", etc.) and let the player decide if they are a Lord or Lady or whatever else. As for the units, in addition to the previous question, at some point we would like to give the player the ability to pick their favorite banner color and seal, their Army, Builder (and any unit types we might add) from a list of options of different shapes and styles so that each player can somewhat customize their look.
Q: During the alpha, are we using our real tiles to make maps in the Cartographer?
A: Nope, during this phase you will be able to use your wax account to see how many of each tile you have, which will give you an idea of other tiles you may want to pick up if you're short for your desired map. But you will be free to build maps even if you don't own any tiles. Before we tie all the systems together, we want to ensure things are working properly and will not put your real inventory in jeopardy.
That's all for now...
Those were some really good questions! Keep them coming! And until next time... good game!
~gg