Ahoy, cosmic debtors!
First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for a tremendously successful launch. These past few days have been an absolute whirlwind of excitement -- did you know we've been on the New and Trending list for three entire days? I'm still barely on this planet. To every single person who played the game, or wishlisted it, or posted their thoughts on it: thank you, thank you, thank you.
So, with that in mind, let's talk about the future! I'm not planning on resting on my laurels here. Y'all have shown that there's a genuine desire for this game, and so I want to continue making it the best that it can be. This boils down to three things: optimization, usability, and content.
OPTIMIZATION
I've heard the reports that the game doesn't run as well as it could -- I'll fully admit I'm not the best programmer when it comes to optimization, which is why I'm bringing in a more experienced programmer to help. They'll be looking over the codebase over the next week or two, noting any and all possible performance improvements, and I'll be making as many of them as possible. With a little luck and a lot of work, the game should be running much more smoothly soon!
USABILITY
I want to thank everyone who's been posting their thoughts in the forum about parts of the game that are unclear or don't work as expected! I'll be fixing as many of those issues as possible over the next few weeks, and rounding out some of the game's systems to better answer some of the questions that keep coming up (e.g. "where the hell is the Red Herring"). This may be a little patchwork over time -- certain things that seem easy are actually extremely difficult, and certain other things that seem difficult are surprisingly easy. I fully intend to get to everything, but it might take a while.
CONTENT
As it stands, the game is a complete experience. It sets out a series of premises -- the life debt, the Leviathan, the book of forbidden knowledge, the multiple maps -- and fully explores each and every one of them by the end of its runtime. I wouldn't have launched the game if I felt it was incomplete! But that doesn't mean there can't be more to the story.
So, with that in mind, I want to announce my plans for the first free content update to FISH FEAR ME! It's still very early in its planning stage (I don't even have an idea of a release date yet), but I want to give you a taste.
You awaken in the middle of the night as your boat lurches. "Rise," a voice calls from the lake, and you do. You step onto the deck of your ship, gazing out at the reflection of the shattered moon on the water. The light coalesces into a figure beneath the surface: glowing, ethereal, feminine.
The Lady rises into the air, and as she does, you notice something trailing behind her. A long, metallic object: the only part of her that seems remotely real. "I wish to give you something," she says, holding the sword aloft. It lifts from her hands, suspended in moonlight, dripping and weighty.
In an instant, the sword points at you, flying forwards. No time to react. It pierces your heart and you fall. As you succumb once more to the Deep, the Lady whispers one more thing: "If you wish to prove your worthiness, find me again..."
Announcing the first free expansion to FISH FEAR ME...
FISH FEAR ME: WOMEN WANT ME will focus on a new map, the Lake of the Lady, and its supernatural inhabitants. It will feature new upgrades, new weapons, new boats, new fish, and new gameplay mechanics. If I do my job right, it'll provide both new content for new players and a new challenge for experienced players to overcome!
As previously mentioned, this will be a free content update, available to everyone who owns the game. I'm not certain when exactly it'll come out, but I'll keep y'all updated on its progress!!
That's all for this time! I have even more plans once all this is done, but I don't want to overwhelm y'all. Thank you for reading, and thank you for playing FISH FEAR ME!
Happy fishing,
Heather Flowers