Devblogs/2024

DevBlog #30: Short-term roadmap, current issues in the game and a recap!

• Development blogs resumed on a two-week schedule, with one larger post planned each month and a smaller update between them.
• Closed Beta wave one had launched, with early feedback and bug reports being reviewed after the initial release period.
• The Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee integrations were rebuilt to improve supporter linking, eligibility checks, and Closed Beta invite handling.
• Wave two was planned for roughly two weeks later, after important fixes and QoL improvements were completed.
• A new developer was being onboarded to help reduce the single-developer bottleneck.
• Player feedback was described as positive overall, especially around WalkScape encouraging players to walk more.

Added

• Portal now shows the earliest support date, next-wave eligibility, and an estimated invite timing for eligible supporters.
• Server emails were added for Closed Beta eligibility and game download invitations.
• BMAC linking was updated to support one-time support events.
• Localisations were being added to the game, Portal, and website.

Changed

• Patreon and BMAC status checks were changed from hourly to every 20 minutes.
• Patreon and BMAC status checks were no longer limited by runtime, fixing scaling issues with supporter processing.
• Patreon and BMAC email handling was improved to tolerate trailing spaces in supporter email addresses.
• Chest and gear acquisition were identified as future balance targets, since most gear was currently gated behind chests until more loot sources were added.

Planned

• Wave two participants were planned to be invited in February.
• February priorities included bug fixes, QoL improvements, minor content, Friends, Consumables, Achievements, and localisations.
• March was planned to include the first minor update with new features and more content.
• April was planned to include a second minor update and wave three invitations.
• May-June was planned to include the first major update, focused on a significant new feature to improve game longevity, alongside another smaller content update.
• New items, rare drops, and recipes were planned before or around wave two.
• The saved steps limit was planned to increase.
• Portal polls were planned so players could help influence future update priorities.
• Smart watch support was confirmed as desired but described as a larger feature, with current bugs and phone pedometer reliability taking priority first.
• New supporters could still gain access to wave two until the unannounced wave two cutoff date; after that, access would move to wave three.

Known issues

• The “rollback” issue could load an older save after connection loss or rapid reopening, especially on iOS.
• Smaller issues included Miner’s Shirt being treated as pants, incorrect item attributes, broken total level leaderboards after a server update, skiing and frisbee golfing not working, and infinite waiting when a character name was already taken.
• Chest balancing was not yet ideal, especially for players who walk less and for transformation skills such as carpentry, smithing, and cooking.
• GDTE had limited content, though its gated access made this a lower immediate issue.
• Swipe/navigation issues, especially on iOS, were planned to be fixed before wave two.

DevBlog #29: Closed Beta Releases. The past, the present and the future.

• Closed Beta wave one was made available for download through the Portal account page, with the game initially kept in maintenance mode before play opened.
• Closed Beta characters were confirmed to be wiped before Open Beta, with a possibility of additional wipes if major technical issues require them.
• Wave two was planned for after the first update, estimated at around three weeks depending on launch bugs and critical issues.
• A Closed Beta update structure was outlined: OTA content updates and minor patches every 1–3 weeks, minor feature updates every 1–2 months, and major updates roughly once per quarter.
• Farming was named as the first planned major update, with future regions such as Wallisia, Galeforge, and Wrentmark mentioned as possible later additions.
• Players were expected to help influence feature priorities through Portal and in-game polling.
• The Closed Beta version requires an internet connection to open and interact with the online game, while phone pedometer steps still count offline and during maintenance.
• Offline mode was planned for later as a separate way to play without any internet requirement.
• The developer planned to attend Pocket Gamer Connects in London from January 21–26, with the first fixes and polish update expected after returning.

Added

• Closed Beta wave one download access through the Portal account page.
• Temporary tutorial mechanics to introduce some game functions.
• Infrastructure for OTA content updates, online requirements, and game validation.

Planned

• Achievements and Consumables were listed as top post-launch priorities.
• Localisations, settings, and additional QoL features were planned for the following weeks.
• An adventure mode was mentioned as a possible future solution for longer periods without internet access.

Known issues

• Apple review delays affected iOS/TestFlight availability, delaying the lifting of maintenance mode until Apple allowed users to download the game.
• Game validation, OTA updates, and other recently added systems had bugs and confusing error messages; restarting or reinstalling was suggested as a temporary fix.
• Android step counting could fail after restarting the phone because the pedometer resets to 0; players were advised to open the game before and immediately after restarting.
• UI elements and tutorial coverage were incomplete, and some search/settings/QoL functions were not yet working.
• Performance had not yet been fully optimised, with Android expected to lag more than iOS on some devices.
• The Patreon linking system slowed down after a large increase in supporters, causing recently linked Patreons to not be processed correctly.