Version 1.0. Released!

[DavidBVal]

Re: Roadmap to version 1.0. Features I'm working on!

There will be an adjustment to the XP table on next update. Nothing big, and in the end it takes the same XP to reach level 20, but it should make the progression more "even". The changes will apply retroactively, so you might find out you gained one level after updating (or not, depending on your level).

This should be particularly noticeable in levels 7-12, which many new players find too steep and in many cases they are right. When you are level 6 you are still probably killing the same stuff than when you were level 5, yet in the old table you needed almost twice your current XP to reach level 7. I think it's more logical now.

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: Roadmap to version 1.0. Features I'm working on!

I completed a good chunk of the new content already. Master's Laboratory is now a completable quest, with a very unique and game-changing reward. It's probably completable by level 9 hardcore players, but more reasonable at 11-12.

I have nearly completed the design of the 11 maps that will be included in the next update; there's a LOT of work in them. There's more new graphics and sprites in this update than in the last two updates put together. You'll see what I mean when you play it, I think you're all gonna love it.

There's also 23 new items so far, although the count might go higher in the end.

As for *when*, well, still a few new mechanics to implement, and lots of writing to do and internal testing as well. I am still weeks away from it being ready, and this summer I'll also have a few short trips, so hard to say. Wildly optimistic estimate would be mid-July, I guess, but end of July sounds more like it.

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: Roadmap to version 1.0. Features I'm working on!

The state of things for next update:

-Map design: Already complete. Largest update ever in this regard with 12 new areas.
-New items, new monsters: Mostly done.
-Engine changes and new mechanics Most of the work is done. Will be completed this week, I hope.
-New assets: there has been a lot of work on new monster sprites, map tiles and items. Mostly it is ready, but some art assets related to the ending are still pending.
-Quests and writing: Two new quests are fully written and working. Master's Laboratory is ready as well. But I am still far behind in the rest of writing. I am not sure if it will take me 1 week or 3 weeks to write and refine all the pending conversations and descriptions.

As this overlapped with my vacation time, looks like my estimates were too optimistic (what a surprise!). But I still work on vacation, fear not

If you want another completely unreliable estimate, I would say mid-august.

The good news is it's going to be awesome

EDIT: reworded a bit the "new maps" part to avoid confusion.

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: Roadmap to version 1.0. Features I'm working on!

On unreliable estimates.

It's not easy to estimate how long it takes to design and write software, and through my career on the IT world I've constantly seen projects getting delayed. However that's not the main reason of EK updates being delayed. The reason I tend to require more time is that I keep having ideas "along the way". Example: I had one of the dungeons completed for weeks and just decided it would be much more interesting with a puzzle, so I just added it yesterday. This morning I decided certain new dialogue was not written in the right mood, looking through the whole quest in retrospect, so I rewrote it from scratch.

If I was a hired developer working for a studio these things would be unthinkable; I would have to sacrifice everything to meet deadlines especially if we consider all this new content is going to bring me no extra revenue; no company would allow that. That's why many great RPGs from the past, even some of the greatest and also written by people way more talented than me feel a bit "rushed" towards the end. And I am myself not entirely immune to this rush, but I try to reach a compromise halfway between what I'd like and a reasonable update schedule. Because, believe me, nobody in the world wants this game completed more than I do.

Back to work now!

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: Roadmap to version 1.0. Features I'm working on!

A brief post here just to say all keeps progressing as expected. Working on the final dungeon and main quest resolution/dialogues; all the other content is done and internally tested.

The tally for additions so far for next update is:

-50 items, about 12 of them quest items, the rest equippable or usable.
-4 new quests, 3 previously incomplete quests are new completable, raising the total number of available quests to a round 80.
-11 new maps broken down as: 4 outdoor (one is very small), 7 dungeons. A couple of the dungeons are mid level (11-15), the rest are end-game.

I am working slower than I'd like as this is supposed to be my vacation and I'm on my laptop, so I'm investing less hours than usual and in a smaller/slower computer, but still every day more work is done and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I return home on the 15th, and I think I can release the test version a week after that. As there's writing involved, I can't be 100% sure of this, but if I'm wrong it won't be by much.

Version will still be labeled 0.9. The reason is, I want to make a relatively quick update after this one with more translation files added, and many balance adjustments and also probably important fixes. That one will be 1.0. and won't have the "Beta" word included.

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: Roadmap to version 1.0. Features I'm working on!

More slots for testers open! You can become a tester here:

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/ne ... ek.android

The testing update should be out within 3-5 days. Remember, testing builds are prone to crashes and other issues, so you might prefer to wait for another week or so and get a stable update. General information about testing here.

A side note about the update and the ending: I love the last dungeon. I can't wait to have you folks playing there and unfolding the end of the story. Many people are emailing me asking wether they'll be able to continue playing after completing the quest. The answer is YES.

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: Roadmap to version 1.0. Features I'm working on!

I tried to complete everything today but it's nearly 1 AM and a few things are still missing. It'd be reasonable to expect the test update to be out tomorrow in the evening, unless I get into issues.

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: Roadmap to version 1.0. Features I'm working on!

unless I get into issues.

Which of course is happening. Well, not exactly issues, it is just that there is *SO MUCH* to test, this update has 40 new conversation files (many are small, but several are huge), to give you an idea it doubles any previous updates.

I have fully tested one of the game endings, another had a few errors I am fixing now. But I decided I want to give the writing another pass after sleeping, so I am afraid it will have to be tomorrow. This time for real :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: Roadmap to version 1.0. Features I'm working on!

For all of you non-testers: the test update was released yesterday and it's going well. No major issues so far, if all goes according to plan this will be released around next monday.

 

[DavidBVal]

Re: Roadmap to version 1.0. Features I'm working on!

The testers are doing an incredible job this time.

This was a very complex update, with so many things that can activate or not, plenty of new mechanics, etc. So tons of bugs showed up. The last 4 days have been intense, but 10 updates later the new version already feels very stable, with only minor issues around.

As I have sometimes a little time in-between bug reports, I've been integrating new localizations. Italian and Turkish partial translations will go live on next update, and probably the already existing translations will get more conversations added. It will depend on how bumpy is the testing road ahead.

Estimated public release: between monday and wednesday.