Alpha Version 3 Update News
As mentioned before progress has been slow and it will get a bit slower going forward. There are a few key points I want to address for those following the development.
Funding
This game has been and will continue to be personally funded. Several external factors have severely reduced the amount of funding available which has added to the slow development time. Due to the limited funding, I am unable to support a team so I have continued development solo. However, for context, I was only sub-contracting art, assets, and advertisement, meaning I am still capable of developing the game alone, just much slower.
Current State
I understand the current state is of a lower quality and I am aware of the networking issues. I want to address some of the reviews and give my opinion. Per an advisor, I was told it's best not to acknowledge negative reviews, as it would hurt sales and potential sales. However, I refuse to sit back and allow people to bash a game when it's not finished. Those who have bashed the game without any constructive feedback are the reason most games now are cookie-cutter, unfinished cash grabs because the small teams trying to bring new ideas are crushed out or unable to compete advertisement-wise with those large companies. If you want to help games like mine you would provide tangible feedback. If you leave a thumbs-down review then at least get some feedback and examples so I can improve. I want to make a game that people enjoy and want to play but I won't know if something is broken or doesn't work unless you tell me. I can't afford giant QA testing and I hoped early access would bring the feedback in, however, I was wrong.
I refuse to let my game die and fade out, so while I won't be able to move as fast as I like I will not give up. I will prove to those short-minded people that this game will be fun and 100% not a scam per Deadcharm who gave it a negative review. I will not apologize nor walk on ice for game sales. If you are a person like Deadcharm I don't want your business I would prefer you not play my games.
Personal Commitment
I will continue to work on the game alone, and it will be complete when it is ready. It will never be a AAA game, and there will be bugs during development and after, but I promise to continue to fix bugs and take in all feedback.
Plans
I am still working on AI, it has become the biggest challenge and the most complex problem I am solving for. The current AI is functional, but I want something more, something scalable and challenging. Networking is also a big concern and is proving to be the second biggest challenge. I plan on working on those until they function without delays and with improved stability.
Lack of funding will reduce the time, hence I will be working on several other smaller, single-player experiences while I work on this game. The hope is to bring in some funding via small simple but fun single-player games while I work out the current issues on this game. During this time I will reduce the price of the game and hope for any feedback, constructive feedback.
Ask
For those who like the idea and want to help, just tell people to wishlist it and/or provide feedback. Please be patient, play some Baldur's Gate 3 (A great game), and keep an eye on this game. And a big thanks to those who supported the game.