:stars: 1.0 IS ON THE HORIZON!
It’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally at a point where our next goal is a 1.0 release for Tower Unite.
We’ve been itching to tell you guys about this exciting next step for Tower, and we can’t wait to have you all in the mix of making this dream a reality!
:stars: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!
Releasing to 1.0 is going to cover a lot of ground that has been long-awaited!
Updates will be focused on getting the game to a more stable and functional position.
There will, of course, be map releases and in-progress content updates coming up, but we mainly want to get the game to a place where we will be proud to call it version 1.0!
:stars: HOW YOU CAN HELP!
We’ve set up a feedback survey to get some insights on the game!
You can fill out the survey to whatever extent you like, and feel free to come back and add to your submission later.
You all have been so great at helping us out this year, and we’re happy to still be around after all this time being carried by you guys.
We’re still struggling financially and trying to stay afloat as best we can without breaking the team apart. If you want to support us financially while we push to get Tower in great shape, we’d be extremely grateful.
Your support is always appreciated. If you aren’t able to support us financially, please try to get the word out about Tower to friends!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2792910/Tower_Unite__Supporter_Pack/
We also have another plush campaign going on with Makeship, if you want to support that!
:stars: 1.0 IS NOT THE END!
The 1.0 Release is focused on game stability, performance, and major bug fixes. We will be resolving long-standing issues that have been brought up throughout Tower’s existence.
Now that we have a huge percentage of the content that was intended for Tower Unite, we are ready to leave early access.
We will still be providing further updates on Tower after 1.0. Leaving early access does not mean the game will stop having updates. Tower has always been a passion project and we have plenty of ideas and projects to improve the game. As many know, this game is constantly evolving.
:stars: WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO
So far, on the Road to 1.0, we’ve been handling major bugs!
We’ve been already planning for 1.0 before this post, taking care of major bugs such as Workshop, Arcade optimizations, Plaza optimizations, Bowling, and other major areas of the game.
In previous updates, we’ve resolved major issues with Billiards, Pluck-A-Pal, Little Crusaders, Condo I/O, and a lot more.
Expect to see more major issues resolved, long-standing issues first, then more general fixes and polish.
:question: DISCONTINUED & DELAYED PROJECTS
During this transition, we’ll be re-organizing our Trello. Many features on Trello have been seemingly dormant publicly, but internally they’ve had progress. However, there’s a few projects that we need to discuss.
For the foreseeable future, we are uncertain that we’ll be able to complete the following:
Mac Support
Discontinued because: the requirements for the platform have changed drastically since we first announced support for this platform. It would be of great cost to us at this time due to hardware and developer costs.
Linux Client
Discontinued because: Linux client is no longer required thanks to Proton. The Proton port has been very stable. We have a developer who uses Linux daily and they play Tower through Proton exclusively. We are suggesting that Linux users use Proton to enjoy Tower.
Arcade 2D API
Discontinued because: Before we added Libretro support, we wanted to have our own Arcade 2D API for players to create games with. We ran into many issues and security concerns during its development. Knowing this, we worked on adding Libretro support to provide the same experience without the security concerns.
The below projects are delayed, but not discontinued.
Many are in different stages of development.
- Game World: Horror Hill - This game world is still in development for a post 1.0 release. We plan to have more announcements on it in the future. We originally conceived a Game World for this that ended up being too large for Tower, so we are in the middle of redesigning it to better fit Tower.
- Game World: Planet Panic - This game world has had various amounts of redesign. We have put this one on the backburner based on very low community votes and have prioritized other game worlds and projects. We intend to have a demo post 1.0 release.
- Condo: Cooking - Cooking is nearly complete. We have been working on it in the background. We had to change a lot of the crafting code to handle Steam requests better as in the past Steam API’s have been a tad bit unreliable. This will be included in a post 1.0 update.
- Condo: Condo Pets - This will be included in a post 1.0 update.
- Plaza: Ocean Expansion - We will have more information about this feature post 1.0.
- Plaza: Workshop Condo Rental Store - We have the backend code for this completed and we are just waiting on free development time to complete this feature. It’s a feature we added later on in the stages of Condo Hub and less priority than other features.
- Plaza: Dueling - Due to concerns with Plaza performance and lower ranking on community polls, dueling has been on the back burner. We have been planning on redesigning our original idea and possibly moving the arena map into SDNL.
We understand that many players are waiting on these features exclusively, and that it is upsetting they aren’t finished yet. We also feel this way. We have been working on getting them moving again and hope to renew them and their designs so they can come out sooner than later.
:stars: OTHER THINGS TO KNOW!
Among all the development work we’ll be doing, we’re gonna be doing a lot of clean-up and stuff behind the scenes!
We will be updating our store pages, organizing our Trello, creating a more clear and concise roadmap, re-organizing our priorities, taking in feedback, and listening to your comments and helpful feedback on the surveys.
:stars: FINAL THOUGHTS & PERSPECTIVE
Mac came up with the dream of GMod Tower in 2006 when he was in high school, and it’s been 18 years of work on this passion project. Everyone on the team and who has been on the team in the past has had passion for the game, gaming, or their part in the project.
We just want you guys to know that Tower is supposed to be a dream game. It’s a game we on the team want to play and have wanted to exist. It means a lot to us and is shaped by our experiences and love of gaming in general.
We have always been humbled by how much love and appreciation Tower has gotten and that Tower has found a place in many people’s hearts. Working on Tower for these years has been a dream come true. We’ve all gone through life changing events and formed memories that will last a lifetime thanks to Tower. We are so thankful for a supportive community and for those who have enjoyed Tower and shared with us their memories and happiness.
We just wanted to say thank you again to all of you once again, and for any feedback and support of Tower Unite throughout the years, and we can’t wait to keep working on this project with you all!
We want to discuss the history of Tower’s development in the future, and talk to you guys more informally about it when we have the time.
~ wheezwer
<3 PixelTail Games