After another round of testing the Early Access build, we ran into one new crash that affected a frequent weapon effect in combat, and another that affected the attack menu GUI at a common resolution. We needed to fix these and re-test the build – that was done, and now the build needs to be packed up and uploaded to Steam. Then we need to test the Steam build from a fresh install and make sure there are no new issues from a clean install.
Unfortunately, this build probably won’t get up in time to be put up tonight.
But here’s the thing – we could have put the build up last week or even today. The reason we held off was to polish our work as much as possible and make the EA build feel like a complete game. Yes, it’s still an Early Access game, but we didn’t think crashes or other major progression issues would make for a good experience for our backers and everyone else who bought the game early.
The first time we delayed the EA build was for save/load functionality, which needed extensive testing since there is a time component to our game and many variables to track. This week’s work has improved the game even more, and closed out a ton of bugs and playability issues. As of right now, most of us are working on a few hours of sleep a night. We’ve been playtesting the game and fixing issues as they occur, getting our codes generated and ready to be sent out, and making sure we have our forums and testing info ready to go.
Tomorrow, the game will be released. In the meantime, stop by our forums if you’re new to the game and need answers or check out the manual we posted here:
http://www.deadstate.doublebearproductions.com/demo/manual.pdf
One more night, guys – that’s it.
Always remember – no one wants the game out more than us.