It’s important to set deadlines and work towards them. Some of the best work that I’ve done is when I’ve had a deadline. It helps focus a project and make sure that I’m hitting the things I need to get it done. If I was preparing another closed beta build, or a show build for a convention I would push out what I have. It’s different this time. I want to put my best foot forward for early access. I wanted to get it done because I saw a great window opened up for game release but I would rather have something complete that I’m just testing and tweeking before launch. I don’t have that right now. I have something that is playable but it still requires some more TLC to get it across the finish line.
Here’s a list of things I need to get done before I can confidently release on Steam Early Access
Replace all enemies in stages with proper enemy models - right now many are still default enemy models
Build out all the spell effects - right now maybe 1/4 are done and this is changing all the time
Fix the spreadsheet and ensure that the final baseline starting troops are available
Balance combats to be interesting but not overwhelming
Remove a feature that was never fully fleshed out
Build all the sound effects for clicking on buttons (just started this week on this one)
Ensure that the tactics setting is being carried through on saves
There are possibly some other things that will crop up, and a lot of other quality of life changes that will inevitably happen between now and full release. I will say that I’m so thankful that I scaled back from 30 stages to 12 because I’m seeing a lot of processes I need to work on streamlining somehow. When you’re doing an action like setting a “boop” sound on a button it would be nice to have that set one time and it automatically get done 30 times across 30 stages. That’s probably one of the biggest lessons I’m learning through this process. It’s another reason why a lot of indies rely on randomization for rogue like games, it’s simply to exhausting to author tons of organic stages. Still I’m doing my best to do a lot of the stage authoring by hand which has been very rewarding.
I’ve been doing a lot better socially lately. I have a network of people I communicate with during the week as we are all in social distancing mode. I’ve had some real solid connections lately, and like most I have my parents for support as well. I pray that things get back to normal soon, but I’m fully ready to hunker down for the next 18 months.
The job search has been exhausting and I’m starting to get the feeling that it’s not in most businesses best interest to hire anyone right now, even if they say that they are hiring. That’s totally understandable, and so each day I’m leaning more and more to stay in the military for another year until this blows over. The benefits might outweigh the drawbacks heavily at this point. It would be nice to take a breather instead of forcing the issue.
The fiverr venture has turned up some interesting game development related clients, although I don’t feel like I’m a great fit for what they’re asking for. I’m focused on giving my course if someone hires me. The course is a simple intro to Unity. So far it’s also turned up some nastier solicitations as well however. I keep getting mail inside fiverr from supposed Chinese that want to install a remote tool on my computer to do work like they’re in the US. Yeah…. ok go ahead and take over my computer China, there’s only 6 years of my life poured into my game development project here. The more digital we become the more it seems like people have little respect for others online. It’s still the wild wild west and unfortunately there are no “internet cops” to go after and prosecute bad actors online. Cyber warfare can only get worse as we get more connected. Stay safe online and stay safe at home.
Sorry that I’m pushing back the release date, I’ll do my best to assess the work and get a new plan worked up to release as soon as I can. Just as Miyamoto says, “A delayed game is eventually good. A bad game is bad forever.” Of course he said that before we could fix games over the internet but still initial impressions are important. I want to deliver quality, even if it’s early access.