Sticking with the annual tradition, this blog post will be a complete review of the last year and also what this next year will bring. Not too much else to say, so let's jump into it.
2020
I would call 2020 a resounding success for Home Point Games and Mythlink. Development was swift and with last month's update rounding out the fundamentals of the game, there is no reason not to feel good. Let's look at what was said in last year's January review and see how it compares…
1) Consistent Demo Updates- Complete Training Room
The main goal set forth last year was the implementation of consistent game updates and the completion of the training room. Boy was this goal completely smashed. Demo updates have been fairly frequent (usually once every other month or so) and that has been great. But completing the training room? Obliterated. Not only is the training room done, but so was every other room in the game! Battle, Mytlhink, Tutorial, Dorm, and Training are all fundamentally complete! Great stuff and it's hard to imagine being any more productive than that.
2) Website Update
If you've been keeping score, this was also completed! The website was migrated to a new format and had a decent amount of touch-ups done in the process. Mark this one as good to go.
3) Audio Update
Another one completed. I did work with a third party audio person who created more than a few songs for the game. You can hear these works throughout the game.
2021
Alright, so where do we go from here? There is only 1 goal now.
1) Release the Paid Version of Mythlink
The main target now is getting the game ready for a paid release. For those that do not know, there is only 1 real difference between the paid release and the free demo, and that is that in the demo you cannot level up your Mythlink and are not awarded experience for training and battles. Sticking with that philosophy, technically the game could be released now in a paid version, but alas there are a few things gating that.
First, some more Mythlinks need to be developed. Right now there is only one Mythlink, and I'm not even sure I would call him "done". Having a diverse cast of interesting Mythlinks is key to the game's success. If you want a firm number, that number is three. Three Mythlinks need to be complete before the paid version will be released.
Second, more abilities need to be developed for those Mythlinks. there isn't too much of a point on having a bunch of different Mythlinks if they all work the same. Each Mythlink needs to feel different from the others and as such, they each need their own set of unique abilities, or at least a few abilities need to be unique.
And finally, we need to start advertising hard. Once I feel comfortable enough that the game is stable, polished and fun, we can begin the advertising blitz! A game is nothing without players to support it. Why did advertising start earlier you ask? Simply put, the game wasn't (and isn't) ready yet. When it comes to gaming, people are picky. If they would've played the game in some of its previous, buggy states, they may have abandoned the title and never looked back.
With those steps in mind, all of 2021 will be dedicated to those types of activities. Only once the "paid" version is available will the game be expanded with things like more training activities. Don't worry, there is no shortage of fun ideas to add to the game once the paid version is released.
Ultimately, my goal is to accomplish all of these tasks to the point where I can release the paid version within 2021, or early in 2022.
Now for the bad news. Personal life has changed quite drastically in the past month and this will hinder the development of Mythlink. These changes are the only reason the paid version might be delayed into 2022. Additionally, blog posts might be a little thinner this year due to a lack of progress, but I promise you I'm not giving up or slowing down the passion.
Cheers to another year! See you next month!
Oh..before I forget, remember that advertising blitz I was talking about? Introducing the first piece of official Mythlink merchandise! These keychains will be available for free at any conventions or place Mythlink is being advertised. They even glow in the dark!
