PeaceIsland

The Schedule For The Next Few Months...

Added 2021-08-22 23:57:44 +0000 UTC

Currently: Laura is working on tweaking the dialogue system UI. Personally, I was never a fan of having dialogue text playing out at the base of the screen - I think the guys behind "Disco Elysium" had it right, when they positioned the dialogue UI on the side of the screen (I believe we can leave the preference of 'which side' up to the player.) The camera will adjust to keep the player in the center, during interaction.

We FINALLY got the "Touch React" foliage working. This is the system that allows the cats & NPCs to agitate & flatten the plants around them. It's a subtle effect, but it adds just a bit more depth to the player's connection to the game world - and it also allows us to drastically increase the amount of foliage, without impacting performance.

Expect FAR more lush foliage in the next alpha (more on that, below!)

We also have the small "footstep" sounds added, as the cats walk around. The cats' "idle" animations are also now linked to their status levels, meaning a sad cat will appear just a bit more mopey than a happy one, when at rest.

In about 3-4 days, we'll be announcing a neat contest for the general public - more on that, when it happens!

On August 30, I will again attempt a YouTube live stream. The previous attempts fell victim to Murphy's law. Here's hoping we get it right, this time!

On the first of September: We will resume assigning in-game name placements for patrons who have contributed at the 100 dollar level. We will send out another appeal to all those elligible, who have not yet been assigned. We sincerely hope we get a better response than last time- to date, only about 45% of those elligible have sent in their preferences.

To re-cap: We have created a list of over 100 ways in which a contributor's name can be included. We understand that some folks might want their name "up in lights" as it were - so you can choose to be a historical luminary, a famous author, or perhaps a politcian.

We also know we have supporters who prefer to keep a lower profile. You can be on a piece of junk mail, or a scrawled footnote in an obscure book.

On Septmeber 12: I will be conducting the first of my informal "Inspiration Tours" of the islands in Casco Bay. These will be short walking tours around the islands that inspired the creation of Peace Island, and we're starting off with the easiest one to get to, Peaks Island.

However, as I don't like things being TOO easy, you'll have to follow the information below, to figure out exactly WHERE to be...

In early October, we will be releasing "The Last Alpha." This will be the final release, before we achieve "Minimum Viable Product." It will feature overhauls to just about every system in the game, along with new content. It will run faster and cleaner than any previous release, on both PC and Mac.

In Mid-October, Peace Island will take its first tentative steps onto STEAM. This will be a MAJOR step for the project. I am hesitant to give out details that are still under discussion, so this is another subject where I'm just gonna say: More news, as we have it!