Schedules, Histories, and Livecasts.

THE BIG NEWS IN THIS UPDATE IS THAT WE HAVE RE-EVALUATED THE DURATION OF OUR PATREON CAMPAIGN

Here are the quick details:  We previously planned to terminate our Patreon campaign at the end of October - we are extending it, and adopting a new development calendar.

Does this change premium requirements?  Absolutely not. Our policy remains the same:

If you have donated 25 dollars total to the Peace Island project, you qualify for the 25 dollar premiums.  Likewise, if you have donated 100 dollars total to the project, you will remain eligible for the premiums & rewards of that level - even if you reduce your monthly donation to one dollar per month - or even if you cancel your support.  All that we ask is that you DO NOT cancel your Patreon membership, because that is how we will be getting in touch with you.

Does this mean I have to wait longer to play the full game?  Yes, and no.  See below.

What is this new "Development Calendar?"   Laura and I had an in-depth discussion with our fellow PI devs, and we realized that given our manpower (and the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day) we could not reliably predict precisely when we would meet all the goals necessary for Beta release.

It was proposed that, rather than setting a deadline for the release of the "FINAL PRODUCT," it would be more compatible with our capabilities (not to mention more satisfying for our supporters) to set a series of shorter milestones.  

What are these new "Milestones?"   Some of these milestones are easier than others  - For example, getting the skyboxes finalized and the nighttime lighting placed can be finished in a week or two by one person.  Getting the conversation engine fully integrated & working is a taller order, and might require the efforts of several people over a full month.

We're still working out the absolute order of priority, and will be presenting a list of these goals in our next update in two weeks.

As always, we appreciate your support, confidence, and patience as we work this out.

Last update, we presented a lot of back-end technical development news.  This time around, I'd like to talk about another facet of development:  Creating the history of Peace Island.

You see: in addition to learning the stories of the now-departed humans, you will also be walking through a world with its own, unique 200-year history.  I must admit, stuff like this is a guilty pleasure, as exposition does little to advance plots, and sometimes leads to "Story Creep."

That having been said, such deep window dressing also creates a more immersive "sense of place," and opens up SO many solutions for storytelling (something to which anyone who has played the phenomenal "Disco Elysium" can attest.)  The research required is also FASCINATING at times:  naming certain landmarks required comparing three Native American language families, in which we learned the origins of striking etymological overlaps and differences.

It forces one to examine the game world a little bit more carefully.  Instead of just placing a structure, you have to take time to consider "WHY is this structure HERE?" - or - "How can THIS seemingly ordinary element fit into a story that began in 1837 and might play out a century later, and still be vital to THIS story NOW?"

This process is also important, to properly reflect the Islands of Maine.  Let's take a look at this postcard, for example:

This is a photograph of the attractions, theaters, and hotels that awaited visitors to Peaks Island in 1904.  Understand that NONE of these structures still exist.  Today, a five-story hotel of that size would stick out like a sore thumb on Peaks Island - not to mention that world-class theater.  These days, this entire area is small houses and businesses that rarely peek above the tree line.

But even THIS is relatively recent, when you look at even older depictions:

In the scores of times I have visited this particular island, I have yet to find ANY evidence or footprint remnant of a structure such as this GIGANTIC 5.5 story building at its highest point.

In creating Peace Island, we're seeking to build a history every bit as rich.  Laura and I have found ourselves arguing over details like whether a certain historical figure of import lived on Peace Island for ten years, or twelve.  We've discussed family trees, and the origins of bitter grudges that go back decades (and sometimes centuries.)

Now- understand:  To play Peace island, you won't HAVE to delve too deep into this history - but if you choose to do so, your gameplay will be a MUCH more rewarding experience.

I recently did another livecast over on youtube - you can watch it here!  Should I do more of these?  Let me know in the comments!

SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS.  THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT, CONFIDENCE, AND PATIENCE!