Timeline Update

One of the most common questions we get asked is:

When will the game be finished?

The question is exciting to us because it presumably means that people are interested enough to play it when it comes out and are, therefore, wondering when that will be. However, the question is also making a big assumption. That assumption is that the game will come out. Now before you jump ship, thinking we’re pessimistic or not confident in the game we have to offer, we want you to understand that that could not be further from the truth. In fact, we are extremely happy with how the game is coming along and are excited to share it with the world. For that to happen, though, a few other things need to happen first. In this article. I want to share the steps that will take us from where we are, to where we need to be and when we expect to be at each step along the way.

Where We Are

If you have been watching our devlogs on YouTube, you know that we are working hard on getting the core gameplay mechanics finished for our game. The mechanics we have finished include: world interaction, non-playable-character movements, and companion artificial intelligence. Mechanics we haven’t finished, but are working on, include: scene transitions, dialogue, and combat. So far, we have gotten good feedback from those who have seen it, but one question is often asked:

What’s the point?

We feel the same — gameplay elements are only worth something if there is a direction or goal for the game. With that in mind, we are writing a short story, the plot of what we are calling Chapter Zero. We have finished a first draft of Chapter Zero and are currently in the process of editing, revising, and polishing that draft.

Where We’re Going

Obviously, our ultimate goal is to release a game. Getting Chapter Zero Out will be a huge success for us, but its purpose is to be a prequel and introduction to a much bigger and more ambitious game (I’ll refer to this, hereafter, as Project Alpaca for fun and to differentiate it from Chapter Zero). As of now, we have an outline of its major characters and plot points, but we are far from a finished state. In order for us to be able to estimate, with any accuracy, a release date for the game, we need to look at the intermediate steps. The success of those steps will determine whether we can, and should, make the game we ultimately want to make.

How We’ll Get There

The first major milestone will be completing Chapter Zero. With core gameplay being completed at a rapid pace and the story being polished, we would like to see the game’s completion by July 1. Of course, this will consist of much more than core gameplay. We will need to add cut scenes, collectibles, and more. That being said, we feel well on our way to meeting this goal.

The second major milestone will be making it through a period of feedback. Upon completion of Chapter Zero, we want to go through a phase of play testing and reviews. This phase will help us identify problems and determine if the game is good enough to warrant the more ambitious Project Alpaca. We imagine this period to consume all of July and some of August. We’ll be using that time to not only receive, but also react to the feedback we get.

The last major milestone before moving on toward working on Project Alpaca will be the Kickstarter. If reviews warrant the project, we plan to launch a campaign for funding in the near future that will help us financially justify our efforts, afford licenses, software, and hardware to be used in development of all aspects of the game, and pay for logistical concerns, such as marketing and creating an LLC. Our tentative plan for launching the campaign is August. The closer we get to wrapping up the game, the more accurate that date will become.

Call to Action

We are so excited to continue on this journey with you all. We will be active on social media throughout this process, keeping you up to date on progress and direction. If you have not already, you can follow us at Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for the latest news. If you like what you are seeing and want to help us have the best chance of successfully completing this game then you can help us by spreading the word and letting us know what you think about the content we release.

Thanks for joining us on this adventure!