Friday, July 2, 2021

Whim Independent Studios - Development Log #60

Hi everyone! Here is the July 2021 update for what's going on at whimindie. Our 60th development log! Note that some of this information will be cross-posted to our Spellbearers project page on Kickstarter for our backers.  

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Spellbearers


For this month's update I'd like to address some concerns regarding the release date and some user feedback from our recent demo release. 


* Release Date delay until Fall 2021

So I'll have to start with the bad news. Previously we mentioned that we were aiming for a release date for September of this year, but due to needing some more time to develop the last two levels, we are making the decision to delay the release of the game until later in Fall. As the game nears closer to completion and we make final adjustments, I'll be able to provide you with a more defined month and date. I apologize for the delay. 


* Addressing User Feedback

Thanks for playing the demo that we've released! We've gotten quite a bit of feedback from players across our Discord, boards, and emails asking for certain features to the game and I would like to address some of the more pressing questions. 


Any plans for a Nintendo Switch version of Spellbearers?

We at whimindie love the Nintendo Switch platform and we would love to have Spellbearers on Nintendo Switch. However, we currently have no concrete plans to release for this platform at this time. If you would like to see a Nintendo Switch port of Spellbearers, the best way to make that happen is to let Nintendo know you want to see our game on their platform. 

North America - https://twitter.com/IndieWorldNA 
Japan -  https://twitter.com/IndieWorldJP


Are you going to implement 360 degree movement for the Spellbearers? 

We currently have no plans to introduce 360 degree movement. 


There are too many monsters and it's easy for me to get cornered and lose a life!

We are aware there are situations where it's easy to get cornered by monsters and bosses, and we are considering a dash/dodge feature using the shoulder buttons to make it easier to get away. I can't guarantee it will be added into the game at this time, but it is something we're talking about at the moment. 

We do have plans to adjust the amount of lives one has when starting the game out as well as easier and more difficult modes of play that adjust said amount of lives available.


Is there going to be Mouse support for Steam/PC?

Adding mouse support has been our biggest and most requested feature for Spellbearers. We are currently unsure about how we would implement mouse support for Spellbearers as it would affect co-op play or extending the development timeline. If only one player could use the mouse, then the other player not using a mouse would be at a disadvantage. We're going to continue monitoring feedback and responses, take a look at how other PC games of the same genre handle mouse implementation, and we  may revisit this topic in a future post, so I'm hesitant to give a solid answer to this at this time. 


We'll continue to keep an eye on Steam/itch.io/Discord feedback and do our best to have a fun twin-stick shooter. Thank you all for your feedback and support! 

Before I end with this month's Spellbearers update, I would like to show you one particular character:

What did the Spellbearer do to become an undead...? Hmm...

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Selatria


* Chapter 4 Alpha Testing end date postponed indefinitely

Due to needing more time to gather feedback and fixing bugs to Chapter 4 of Selatria, we are going to be delaying the previously planned end date of June 30th.

My main development computer is still down for the next few weeks - due to the worldwide parts shortage, the soonest I'll be able to get back on track is looking like mid-July if my emails from the manufacturer yesterday are any indication. 

That being said, there will not be any updates to the Selatria alpha testing until that period, and the Selatria alpha test period will continue indefinitely until a further announcement.


* Release Date Delay until early 2022

Selatria is going to be delayed until early 2022, not because of anything related to the game development, but because we want to focus on releasing Spellbearers and putting our marketing funds towards that at the end of this year and we don't have the bandwidth to launch two games near each other.

Spellbearers also has the bigger fan-base/install-base due to Kickstarter and it's something that will have to be focused on. Selatria will continue its development at its pace and we'll release it when we have the opportunity to do so.

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That's all for this development log. Hope to see you at Gameacon in Rancho Mirage next month! 







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