seventhvixen
A return and a 12 months schedule.
Published: July 12th 2024, 11:08:47 am
Long Post ahead! Last time in a while I swear :P
Summary of planned releases in the next 12 months is:
-0.25, Extra content needed to have chapter 2 complete in various places, Plus a big thing (read ahead) -middle sized update-
-0.30 as the whole Grassmere Arch. - major update-
-0.40 may exist or not, (read ahead) -small update?-
-0.50, the full Chapter 3 released in a go, -major update-
-The inmediate release that we just had is the firestarter, 0.20, Finishing Kaelkirk main story, and filling needed Chapter 2 content. It lacks technicals upgrades because I wanted to release as quick as possible, but some parts of the new romance tracker will be available at release 0.20.c.
First we'll get 0.25.
My original plan was to make a quick release in around two months after 0.20 bugfixing is done. , 0.25, with Leffrin town unlocked, involving around Katerina and the families of the servants of Leffrin castle, With Very important technical upgrades (mainly engines). that shouldn't take extra time (in fact will make coding faster because I've been using those updates in other prototypes and are quite good), but just extra beta testing to see if something is broken with the upgrades. But I know that won't make me happy, 'Cause even if the update will punch some very needed development in some areas, it would still be a small update, with maybe as much as an hour of unique scenes ('cause also a lot of the content is variant dialogue depending if the player takes the new romantic path that will be possible with Katerina, both for new and old scenes) Plus other shenanigans with the new characters. So as I'm working in Grassmere too for 0.30, and the initial scenearios are already created and various scenes, I decided to make 0.25 update something important too (that won't take me much extra work). With 0.25, Since chapter 1, player will be able to travel to Kaelkirk and Grassmere. So in 0.25 you will be able to see, while just a glimpse, the starts of the Grassmere mainstory. The reason is mainly being opening the road to the full freeroam experience since the start of the game, (less work in the future) and also making available the last market of the County, allowing for reaching max affinity at penketh before the end of chapter 1. So basically, it will have the size of a middle sized update (at least) instead of a small one.
Next, 0.30:
As the start of Grassmere and the first freeroam parts will be available and their freeroam debugged since 0.25, the rest of all Grassmere mainstory will go in an unique big sized update.
While 0.20 mainstory had all kind of esoteric tones involved in resolving the quest, with Grassmere we go as High Middle Ages as we can get. As you can be guessed by now, every mainstory of each baronny has been very different. I'm in a roallercoaster of emotions finishing the writting of the full 0.30. Beyond the compulsory gaining the trust of the Barons, As a main event, We'll be introduced to a lot of important characters from all parts of Luvia (the important people that we haven't yet seen but you know they need to appear) in a Noble Feast at Grassmere that will open your apettite to get closer to the end of the chapter, were all we've been working on as Sir Patrik will get to fruition. Previews of the nobles coming to the feast will be sprinkled here and here in the next months.
Next, 0.40:
Why may 0.40 exist or not? Well, When I get there I'll know, but basically because it will be a small update with a series of events and conversations in various locations that ends chapter 2 and leads to chapter 3. Due to its nature, if I see important making a release to fix or add Other stuff thats needs pending to close well chapter 2, then it will be exist. If not, maybe it will be just included as starters in 0.50 release. What is for sure is that I'll not include it in 0.30 to not delay that release and put all the love I can there.
Finally, 0.50, the full Chapter 3 released as a single major update. (No spoilers here :P)
FAQ:
Why the sudden high number on version numbers?
-Well, Chapter 3 is the middle of the game, so makes sense that should be 0.50, so there's why the exponential increase in numbering of versions.
Why I'm refering often that I'm working on 0.25 and 0.30 at the same time?
'cause, precoding, as I am, is simple: 0.25 (Leffrin part as planned) Only has 4 new characters, only a few new scenarios (all done), and all scenes (be it on Leffrin village or any other extra scene) will be related to already known characters in already known scenarios. That's quite a lower tax of work compared to any update I've ever done, where I always open big spaces; I only have to make the scenes themselves. Even the proper Leffrin village town coding workload will be smaller as new gameplay hubs will be few, so coding will be just the new scenes, recoding some Kat parts to take care of her new possible path, and also, most of the coding will not involve what the hell have you been doing everywhere else in the County, like in mainstory code.
So that leaves the way open for me to spend a lot of multitasking time preparing or finishing the many new scenarios for 0.30, writing all the minor scenes not yet written, where there will be many new freeroam hubs, and where when the code arrives, many variables will have to be taken into account in half of the dialogues.
In the end, this has made the decision by itself of including the start of Grassmere in the 0.25 release, and starting to code to full freeroam possibilities since Prologue is finished, so future updates don't carry all that weight.
What more content is needed to round up all locations before chapter 2 ends?
-Some will addressed in 0.40. But some are about under developed side romances. I'll start making polls to see what do you want to see first and add as extra scenes in this and that update. (Hartlepool (helen, porthouse, avani), Akros Manor...)
-Retinue scenes when the Camp System is a go (think of it as the Dragon's Age companions camp) and some random events incorporing Sean or Iva if they're on your party when visiting some places.
How is that you're finally back? That's for real?
As said in other places, I solved lots of problems and I can finally work every day as many hours as needed on my love, that is game making, and if one thing has my OCD is that I have to finish this game before comprimising myself with other stuff, so here we go.
I would still work 1 week a month on my 3d printing business or other 3d modelling sells to keep stuff fresh and sales rolling, unless if is a release month.
As you know I tried to restart my work on BFL past september, but the speed was terrible 'cause I simply had to put a lot of hours on other jobs that gave me stable money. ... And BFL was impossible to code giving it 2 or 3 hours from time to time.
But as the reasons that have forced me to dedicate very little monthly time to BFL are finally over, since the start of June I have been working every day 8-14 hours a day wrapping up the scenes, code, and freeroam, to make up for the time lost. And yes, that was a crunch and I won't repeat it unless release month/everything is good in all other fronts. BFL needs a crazy mind but in a healthy body :P
Next, I'll update the Roadmap pics. Lots of completed now on Chapter 1 and 2.