Development Update for April

[BasiliskWrangler]

It seems we need to post a quick update since it's been quiet for a while, and now concerned people are sending us messages (you know who you are! ) Since this isn't really newsworthy, I won't make a front page post but rather just a quick message here.

Development is progressing steadily. When we are being quiet, you can rest assured that it is because we are working our asses off on this side. We are doing a bit of testing now on some of the quests; we have recently gotten a few more music tracks in place; some recent updates to the Character Editor are complete; we have 20 or so maps that are in various stages of completion with many others sill in "sketch state".

No promises as to when we will start beta testing, but certainly not for a few more months. I believe I posted in another thread that our hopes for a Q2 release are looking more like Q3 now, since engine updates took a few months longer than originally planned.

All in all, Book 2 is shaping up to be an awesome game! Thank you all for your patience and enthusiasm!

[Necromis]

Thom actually sounds more towards a Q4 release if you are beta testing in a couple of months(Q3). Either way thanks for the update and keep on plugging along.

[Randomizer]

I concur since you are beta testing a larger map (more areas) and that will take longer. Figure at least 2 months and that doesn't include testers going through all the challenge versions unless you restrict a few testers to each one to make sure they get done quickly.

I forgot you are also adding to the combat system and spells so those will need to be balanced.

Still it's nice to hear that you are alive.

[Unclever title]

Take all the time you need. While I do believe that quality can sometimes be rushed it's generally not a good idea to do so. I'm confident it will be worth the wait.

[IJBall]

When we are being quiet, you can rest assured that it is because we are working our asses off on this side.

That's pretty much what I figured.

I think that's why most of us haven't been bugging you lately!

Still, as long as you're still around to answer occasional questions (and I think I may be asking a question about Book II in the next few days), I don't think any of us are going to complain if you aren't "chatty" right now...

[Evnissyen]

Heck, I'll wait until next year if it means Book II will be that much better a game.

[Dragonlady]

I can wait, just needed a bit of a tidbit of information on what's going on.

I have been waiting for other games to finish or get to the beta testing and suddenly the GM became quiet, too quiet and they disappeared and never posted again. Just wanted to know if you and the game were still breathing

[Rune_74]

Geez guys its only been a month....

Us rpg fans can be so needy:)

[Abyssal]

Nice to see an update, can't wait to play this one. Keep up the good work

[realmzmaster]

Actually, we are not needy. We are starved for good crpgs. So when we see a good one coming we want to help it along as much as possible!

[dteowner]

Good to hear a little news. You'll have to forgive us for being impatient. We likes us some Eschalon, we does.

[CrazyBernie]

Yes, need has nothing to do with it. We don't need extra cash in our pockets. We don't need caffeinated beverages. We don't need fancy sports cars. We don't need entertaining video games.

^_^

[BasiliskWrangler]

I dunno...I kinda need my morning coffee...I kinda need to play a good video game from time-to-time or I'd likely hang myself in my office (all work and no play yadda, yadda)...

[macdude22]

I need caffeinated beverages. Years of high caffeine intake has caused my body to require it as a necessary nutrient. I'm grumpy if I don't get a minimum of 2 pots of coffee a day.

Coffee is a need for my survival.

I take in a minimum of 1000 mg of caffeine a day, usually closer to the 2000 mark. It seems to run in my family but we can all suck down a pot of coffee and go right to bed. My wife drinks half a Mt. Dew (40 mg caffeine) and is up for hours.

I suspect some medical researcher should do some sort of study on me to determine why I live on amounts of caffeine that would kill a normal person.

[Evnissyen]

Hmm.... Perhaps in Book II, BW can make it an option for the player to be a coffeeholic and constantly need coffee, especially after camping, whether or not you've just been awoken by a bunch of bloodthirsty brigands.

"Can't fight, now, gotta drink my coff-- OW! Okay, okay, I'll get my sword."