Development update: we're almost done (Patreon)

Hello everybody,

I'm currently play-testing and reviewing chapters 8 and 9, the last bit left before tackling the final technical reworks and implementations. My goal is to be done with everything major at the end of the week, and release the Alpha as soon as we've made sure everything works as intended.  

The current 9 chapters amount to 658k words written (to put into perspective, "A Storm of Swords", the longest book in G.R.R Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire", is estimated to be between 404k and 424k words long), so going over everything would take a crazy amount of time... That's why I didn't. I had in mind what scenes or threads needed to be reworked, and I'm also finding many things that could've been done better as I playtest the chapters. As I said, due to the developing cycle almost everything I put out is a first draft, and I find a lot of clumsy dialog or poorly implemented ideas or mechanics. But this revision has taken way too long and it's time to call it done.

Right now I'm overhauling the stat system: before, every 3 XP you'd earn a new level, now the progressions scales the higher your skill level is, so you'll be needing more XP to gain a new one.  I'm also redefining how some menus are presented, to make the choice mechanics feel more integrated, and how many XP are awarded, and when. 

I've also added a few new tracks to the game's soundtrack. Some of them have been composed especially for the game, while I licensed others that I've been finding and really enjoying. There are quite a few tracks that I wasn't able to get (some labels asked for up to $10.000 for just one track, others outright refused to license them). Negotiating these kind of things suck, but I believe a good soundtrack really adds to the experience. It's one of those things that was very crude and limited in GGGB, but now I'm happy to invest money so you will want to play the game without wanting to mute it. However, I haven't reached the point where I can spend $500 on a single track (much less $10.000)

Anyway, I'll keep working to finish all the remaining tasks and give you the new, polished version of ORS early this April. Hopefully I can do it with the invaluable help of Lara, BloodyMares and TheDarkFable, the team who's been helping me keeping ORS from falling apart. 

The finish line is in sight! Talk to you soon!