I always have trouble thinking about what and how much is good enough to be shared or if it's even something that is needed to be talked about to begin with. However, I think I finally made up my mind: better reveal more, than too little.
What have I been doing
I've been working on a lot of 'under the hood' changes and fixes, while also switching up the way I manage development. I was never much of a fan of an extremely rigorous planning, but ever since I started using project management software, progress has been more streamlined, and much better documented. To sum it all up, I've done:
- 7 bugfixes
- 18 features
- 11 pieces of content
Some of these are minor, some taking multiple days to fix/implement. What people in general don't realize, is that even the utmost basic features in a game have to be created, and you might be spending way more time on extremely basic things than what you'd want to, but if you don't do them, players will definitely miss them.
On such thing is the main menu of the game, that was designed about a month ago, but has only been fully working for a couple of days. Everything from game options, through reminders and help menus, to save and load systems had to be set up, there's no 'drag and drop' solution for these to just materialize with one single click.
There's also some new specific features like a Progress Checker, where you can now see your personal best Detective Rating that you've achieved per chapter. Then there's a Save file crawler, that pops up at the start of the game and allows you to quickly continue from where you left off playing, if it detects any save existing. Simple, but useful things.
Currently I'm reworking some previously set up systems and mostly just adding content, so that you'll get a better experience, and I can have an easier time making updates in the future. This first chapter is taking so long, simply because said systems that are also used by the others have to be set up. But once they are, those can be easily repurposed, so that more time can be spent on actually creating the content.
Roadmap
I whipped up the following roadmap to have a better visual representation on what to expect in the future (a bit hard to this for a story focused game, but I hope I provided enough information). Keep in mind that I'm working on this game in my free time, so any proposed dates may change. While I generally assume development time will be faster than what is pictured, I'd still rather have a bigger time-frame out in public just in case.
The plan is to launch the game via itch refinery, and later on release on Steam as well. Anyone who buys the full game from itch during development time, will also receive a Steam key as a bonus, for being an early supporter.
Additionally I'm planning a virtual ARG that you will be able to compete in, with some prizes attached. This will test your real skills as an Internet Detective while also giving you the option to earn some prizes. Details on this to be announced later.
Pricing
Now onto the taboo subject.: Pricing.
During these past months the project had grown in unexpectedly great proportions. I have talked a great deal with other developers, listened to some talks, and also witnessed the unfolding of some baffling events. While I was aware of the phenomenon, I didn't think the situation with Asset Store Flip games was as bad as it is.
Numerous people seem to just take free content and resell them as their own creation, sometimes even going as far as including copyrighted content or literal stolen material. I'm confused on how this can still happen nowadays, but I'm not the person who should or can fix this issue.
However, related to that: I've been told to value my work. It seems that most indie developers undervalue the amount of effort they put into their games. The price you set for your game, is a price set on yourself and represents the value of your time. These statements and the above happenings had me, and still have me thinking, and made me arrive at the following conclusion:
Chapter 1 of the Internet Detective Club will be a paid chapter.
While I don't have an exact number as of yet, I do believe my work is worth a couple of dollars, and I do not want to make the above mistake of devaluing myself, especially when 'games' so much worse than mine are asking for money. I'm fully aware that this is a very decisive and controversial topic, but I've come to learn to appreciate my work as a creator more and I hope others will do too.
None of us will ever ask you to pay $70, but I think showing support for small creators for the price of a cup of coffee / slice of pizza goes a long way. We're generally doing things that we are passionate about, not because we strive to make a huge profit. We are not faceless companies, rich CEOs or some committee that decides what to make on a quarterly basis. We simply make what we want, because we feel like it. Please considering showing your support to them / us who make original content, so we won't only have the same 4 types of games with micro-transactions.
Conclusion
With all that said, Chapter 1 of the Internet Detective Club will be available as a singular purchase. If you decide that you enjoyed the content and would like to get more, you will be able to upgrade to the full game at a discounted price during development (Think of it as a Seasons Pass). As an added bonus, If you make a purchase before the full release, you will also receive a Steam key as a bonus.
