Hey everyone, this'll be a shorter update, but one that's important for those hoping to participate in the final round of testing before our launch in the winter!
Thank You for 10,000 Wishlists!
Over the weekend, we had the pleasure of having a playable demo at Southeast Game Exchange!
We got a lot of feedback that we'll use to improve the game, like improvements to the UI/UX! We've already made some notable changes, and we hope to make even more in the future!
Enemy attack patterns are now displayed simply by hovering over a character! In addition, certain icons have been made more readable, and there's also a constant indicator of which character is selected, since we noticed certain new players losing track before!
On top of helping us improve the game, we were also fortunate enough to reach over 10,000 wishlists on Steam! This is a massive milestone for us -- one that I never thought we'd reach -- and one that we're grateful for. Thank you for placing your faith in us, and know that we're committed to delivering an experience worthy of that support!
The Last Testing Build is Coming Soon!
For backers with alpha access (Rocksolid and above), the last testing build will go live on July 30th!
Like before, you'll need to opt into the "alpha" version of the game. We'll be sending instructions on how to do this in your Kickstarter messages on the 30th! If you have not already redeemed your Steam Key for the game, it's also in your Kickstarter messages!
Notice about Troubleshooting and Save Files
IMPORTANT: Save files from the previous versions are incompatible, and may be deleted upon opening the game. Save data, including certain important data from custom campaigns, are also now located in the "Campaign" folder within the game's files.
Also, once you're done playing the build, we'd love for you to give us feedback! After completing all the playable chapters, the game gives you the option to complete a feedback form. This helped us tremendously in the past, so do feel encouraged to fill out the form after you're done!
Our Priorities
This time around, we're able to examine the entire game's scope. Barring a couple minor things, every chapter, character, piece of equipment and feature is included and ready to be tested. The gap from this testing build to the full release will be larger than the usual 1-2 month gap between alphas and betas, as we'll be using the last months of development to polish and finalize everything. Below are some important elements that we're looking out for at this stage of development.
Though we have already thoroughly tested bookmark saves, players are still encouraged to frequently use bookmark saves and report any complications that happen with them.
This is the first build with Custom Campaigns, adding a ton of different modifiers to the game. Players are encouraged to experiment with them and report any issues that they bring.
Players are encouraged to comment on progression and map design, as the entire campaign is playable for the first time.
Thank you for your support and your time! We're excited to start the final round of testing with you all next week, and we're excited to get started on the game's last stage of development!
-Smithy, Hybrid Fiction Games