Hello all! Through many trials and setbacks, that I'm sure we've all had our fair share of this year, Chapter 2 of the game is NOW live! As promised, I have throughly playtested this deployment package myself to check for any major bugs. Though some of the minor text formatting and other small oversights will be resolved by me when I can devote more time. I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised at how much content is available with Chapter 2, I certainly hope you find it enjoyable to experience as well! I'll keep this succinct as I'm still ironing out some of the marketing materials (screenshots, trailers, etc.) for this release today. Here are a few notes and points I want to make everyone savvy to...
Chapter 1:
- As hinted at above, I have played through this portion and have made some fixes on issues that came up with this deployment package. Most of these were related to some "trimming" I did with the Ch. 2 deployment package, but if you experienced issues with a prior deployment, the game should have these issues resolved.
- More "polish" has been applied to Chapter 1 overall...from text formatting, unifying some of the lore text/backstory, and even adding animations with new sprites are among some of the changes made. As noted in a previous Steam announcement, much of the music has been changed around as well...especially for your companion's themes.
- If you've not played Chapter 1 in the past few months, I would strongly recommend giving it a go again. Given the complexity of Chapter 2's story content, and how much it elaborates on more subtle historical lore mentioned in Chapter 1, I have made certain concepts or information a bit more amplified to assist in unifying these narrative points. Being familiar with the lore in general will assist a great deal with understanding the story elements found in Chapter 2. I also feel the quality of the dialogue has improved some as well.
- If there are functionality issues with save games, this can unfortunately be due to some past fixes that needed applying. When in doubt, it's better to start fresh. It'll be great to see the new changes anyways!
**EDIT (9-3-2020)**
I have been able to devote some time to a few of the "polish" updates that I've wanted to add in for Chapter 1 thus far...these are including, but not limited to:
- Longdale Warehouse scene has been streamlined to not have jarring "jump cuts" between the events. This required streamlining the eventing (which was early on and poorly organized), but it flows much better now
- Picked a more appropriate sprite for the Sewer boss
- Fixed/re-worked dialogue bits that had characters missing on the map screen, though they were speaking in dialogue boxes. (one or two more scenes to go)
- Expanded cutscene in the later part of the ship scene, adding better effect transitions and effects to the scene.
- Added a more fitting introduction scene to the encampment, explaining the setting. Guards were also given "guidance dialogue" to help progress through that area effectively.
- Final cutscene has received some tweaks to make it look smoother.
Chapter 2:
- Chapter 2 is big...VERY big. It's hard to gauge it with pinpoint accuracy, since many people read or explore at a different pace, but the estimate from playtesters and my own playthrough is that Chapter 2 is about 9 - 10 hours on it's own, if you encounter all the narrative and flavor content. Given the previous estimates of Chapter 1 being roughly 5+ hours, we'd be looking at nearly 15 hours of content to run through everything. Again, this can vary from person to person, and most people will discover new things with each playthrough. If the large chunk of Steam achievements didn't imply it clearly enough, there is a LOT to discover! :)
- Much like Chapter 1, the game doesn't force you to experience all the side content if you don't wish to. However, with the story being the focus of the game (and what the most time is invested in), it won't be the experience I'd like you to have. I do make the game this way since some people have already played through certain parts and may not want to go through everything again...but it does pay to explore! You never know what you'll find this time around!
- The spirit and "feel" of the game and characters is certainly alive and present in this chapter of the game, but as characters develop and Deirdre becomes more acquainted with the world at large and its inhabitants, things may not always be sunshine and roses for Deirdre and her companions. More dramatic elements are to be found in this chapter than in Chapter 1, but the whimsical nature and comedic heart of the story is still very alive and present in Chapter 2. Despite whatever may transpire, hope remains for those who seek it :)
I certainly hope everyone enjoys the game and looks forward to this and future chapters in Deirdre's story! Yes, I will begin working on Chapter 3 very shortly!
- Andrew (Creator)