Excited yet? I sure am! ːsteamhappyː
It wasn't my original plan to go through an Early Access before a full 1.0 release, but after putting a lot of thought into it, I came to the realization that it could be a great opportunity, for two main reasons:
- Despite the project’s advancement, there are still more features and pieces of content that I want to implement. I don’t want to compromise on my vision for the game, but I also want to manage people expectations. Early Access gives us the best of both world: an ongoing, interactive development based on community feedback and open dialogue.
- Existing in an Early Access form will make the game more discoverable and open several new marketing channels that will hopefully bring more eyeballs to the title. More active feedback would also make for a more stable and polished final product by the time we reach a full 1.0 release.
This is Steam’s Questions sheet for Early Access, that will throne on top of Aeternum Vale’s Steam page:
1. Why Early Access?
Putting the game out there while there is still more content to be added is a great way to gather more feedback, which will help polish the player’s experience one update at a time and get early opinions on the game.
2. Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
As of now, no date has been set in stone, but we’re looking at a time frame of roughly a year. Maybe a bit less or a bit more, depending on players feedback and external factors.
3. How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
In its finished state, the game will have more enemies and Boss encounters, additional game areas and two different endings (false ending & true ending). There will also be more NPC interactions leading to the full main story players will need to follow to unlock said “true” ending.
4. What is the current state of the Early Access version?
Gameplay wise, everything is in there: All navigational abilities (Jump, Double Jump, Dash, Wall Cling & Gliding) are implemented and fully functional. In terms of the game world, players can already get a glimpse of 10 different biomes, fight a dozen unique enemies, get to the “false” ending, and meet a quirky cast of 20+ quirky characters.
5. Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
The game’s price will slightly increase at the full release.
6. How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
Community is at the core of this project. Aeternum Vale was originally founded on Kickstarter by 135 amazing backers who became the game’s backbone through our Discord Server. Since then, they have been able to experience technical demos, alpha builds, and have significantly contributed in shaping the game! By releasing in Early Access, we hope to keep developing this awesome community and gather even more feedback to make Aeternum Vale the best game it can possibly be! : )
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Well, we still have some work to do before that Early Access version is ready to release, hence the vague release window. When it's ready, I will announce the precise release date with a cool trailer. And when the fateful date arrives, I will start sending Steam keys to all backers!
/!\ Early Access will be Windows only for the time being! Mac version will come later down the road /![/b]
In the meantime, I thank all of you for your patience and your undying support!
Stay tuned to the Discord Community Server ! ːsteamhappyː