State Of The Realm: January (Patreon)

We did it! A year’s background work, plus three months’ crunch, and we’ve turned the page into Act V. December’s build is the biggest update we’ve ever done, in word count and file size and technical scope, and I hope you’re enjoying the hunt for all its many possibilities. On my side, I have been catching up on sleep, and getting the team ready for our next major undertaking - which is to finish what we’ve now begun.

Our first priority is to deliver the content that we wanted in for v500, but wasn’t finalised in time. That means the bulk of the Court Events for Chapter One, Naho’s catchups, and the continuation of Maelys’s redemption and damnation plotlines. These will arrive into the game as they’re finished, alongside fixes for all the more obscure bugs that have been shaken out since release.

Beyond that, we want to bring Chapter One to its conclusion. That means adding in some deep conversations with our various hordes and lair factions, plus more screentime for our minor characters - Balthorne, Chia, Enid, and others. We’re also going to be implementing some of the prompts voted upon by our Dreamweavers, which happen to include plenty of delicious Malice material.

That sounds like a lot, and it is. But fortunately, we’ve been met with a big surge in sales and subscribers - which I can reinvest in the team, and our production. Most prominently: Mattrex, who you likely know from his work on Heloise and Malice, will be coming aboard as a full-time writer. Our sound engineer Spam has also been furnished with a budget for new sound effects and music. And we will see many more works from our splash artist Undoodle, our new editor DoItToJulia, and our countless voice actresses in the months to come.

The game and its team will continue to grow as our following does. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a fresh new face, you have yourself to credit for our success. So thank you, all - and here’s to a glorious year to come.