I’m close to my ideal schedule for August — approaching a playable build of the first half of the first plot as the month ends. I’ve spent nearly one and a half months of work on that part of the game, and I’ll probably need another week before a player can go from start to finish. After that, life gets more complicated.
Playable, comprehendible, and entertaining are disparate concepts. The following few weeks will involve that nebulous “fun” factor. Before anyone else touches the game, I have to like it. If I’m lucky, this will require writing, gameplay, and visual changes. Less fortune might bring additional, scrapped, or entirely overhauled systems. As I’m typing this post, dark clouds are forming over my patio table — maybe not a great omen. And, unfortunately, that’ll be a quest I’ll have to take alone. I can’t tell you the secrets — because, after all of that, you’ll play it!
And, ideally, I’ll be there to watch you. From mid-September to mid-October, Amanda and I will finish our orbit of the planet. London, Dublin, Bucharest, Seattle, San Francisco, Toronto, and very probably Denver will end our trip (I might sneak to Montreal for that poutine, too). I’ll update you on my location and the game’s progress as I go. Player feedback will be invaluable, so I’m excited to get your hands on it.
Then, finally: rest. Maybe I’ll build an office! Maybe I’ll catch up on games! Maybe I’ll drink with friends and plan bachelor parties! I’m excited to make a home, wherever that home will be. As another perennial wanderer can attest, coming home is often its own adventure.
Between then and now there two months of fun, relaxation, and hard work. Let’s get to it!