Clarification of long term plans regarding Wanton Cove. (Patreon)
Content
Lets see if I can set the record straight:
-In the beginning, I storyboarded the full tale I wanted to tell regarding Wanton Cove. We are nearing completion of that tale.
-Just because the game is nearing "Completion" does not mean that the game is going to be abandoned. Once the core story is complete, I actually intend to go back and add additional content to the game at a later date. What that means is: I'll work on side stories that fit within the setting as I feel the urge to do so. It will not be on the regular release schedule where it will see a new release every 2-3 weeks like it does now, instead it will probably see new releases every couple of months, outside of regular releases of other projects like the upcoming Inheritance.
-"Allure" is not the only tale I want to tell within the setting. Early on, when I realized just how popular the setting was, I actually started planning two other stories related to Wanton Cove. The first takes place before the current story and is tentatively named "The Road to Wanton Cove" with the intent of telling the tale of how Tom came to be in Wanton Cove in the first place. The second takes place after the current story and is tentatively named "Return to Wanton Cove" with the intent of telling the tale of Peter as he comes looking for his son, and the former partner who went missing (Protagonist from "Allure").
-There is a lot of work still to be done on Wanton Cove. If I really wanted to, I could rush through it in a week or two, but we're looking at a couple of months to complete the main story still because I want to do them right. There are about a dozen major scenes that still need to be written, and while I'd love to see the game completed, each and every one of those scenes will receive the attention that they deserve. If things went exactly to plan, we'd be looking at two or more months of development still. Given how I like to add content as I go, its probably going to be longer than that. Watch the game number. Its .85 as of the time of this post. Updates that only increase the number by .01 probably saw a lot of content I added as I go. Updates that increase .02 or more most likely saw a lot of content that were planned for the game from the start.
In other words, if anyone out there is saying that the game is being abandoned in an incomplete state, they don't really know what they are talking about. If they are saying that I have no intention of following up on the game once the main story is complete, they don't really know what they are talking about. (See a pattern emerging here?) And most importantly, if anyone is saying that I plan to rush through the completion of the game just to finish it, they're completely clueless about how my OCD works.
What you can all expect moving forward:
-Wanton Cove will continue as it has for the foreseeable future. Regular updates will not end until the build number reaches 1.0 or higher AND Inheritance is to a point where it can see regular updates.
-Once Inheritance is mechanically complete, we will start alternating builds between Wanton Cove and Inheritance.
-Other members of Aftermath Team are working on the game Aftermath in the background. There may be test builds of this released in the coming months, but we do not currently plan for it to enter the regular release schedule until the main story related to Wanton Cove is complete (Version 1.0 or higher)
-Once both Inheritance and Aftermath reach a point where they can be worked on unhindered, Wanton Cove will be taken off of the regular release schedule (We want two active games we can alternate releases between.) but it will still see irregular updates. At that point in time, you'll hear about progress and releases for the game whenever it gets worked on, but there will no longer be a predictable release schedule.
-The Allure of Wanton Cove has always been free and will remain so. The exception being the cheat menu that will be reserved for Patrons only.
-Both Inheritance and Aftermath will be early access. $5 will gain players early access along with the cheat menu (That function will become available once the NPCs are coded into the game), $1 will gain players early access, and free users will have access to the previous build of the game
Clear as mud?
And PLEASE, if you have questions or concerns, feel free to say something. I try to stay engaged with you guys, and the only way I can address potential issues or concerns is if I know about them.