So. Here we are. April. Its been two months since I started working on BYCYE. So…where do we stand?
Well as I’m sure you can guess, the game is not done. I thought two months to finish this project would be “ambitious”. It turns out it was more like “crazy talk”. I thought maybe, realistically, it would be about a 3 month project. But in the real reality of the world we live in, it is more like a six month project.
Here is a summary of where the project is at as of today:
The game is about 90% designed (I had to do a great deal of redesigning as I went. but I feel confident that not too much is going to change from here on out.)
The game is about 25% scripted. It keeps getting faster to do the scripting as I go.
We have three side quests in production, being designed by three of our high-level backers with a little help from yours truly. If you were a collaboration level backer, its still not to late to get involved! (Message me for the information if you can’t find it).
I have started working with a fabulous PR/Marketing guy, Robert Pratten. He has started by setting up an awesome new community site for us which can be found at http://www.bycye.com He also has presented me with an exciting plan for spreading the word of the project far and wide.
I have enlisted the aid of an awesome writer and game designer, Jake Forbes. He's already half-way through his first scene!
Very soon I’ll be soliciting artwork for the game, then we will have more pretty pictures to look at.
I have made available a mini-demo of the game for all to try! http://bycyeyes.ning.com/page/demo-game
I want to thank you all very much for these last two months. This has been an amazing experience. I know that, without the backing I received through Kickstarter, this game would not exist at all today, not even in its partially done state. I have also learned a ton about myself, my creative process, and my ideal work processes.
And this is not the end! Even though the Kickstarter funds have run out and I am starting to pick up contract jobs again, I am committed to completing this project. It is likely to go much more slowly than it has been, given that I have to spread myself thinner in order to pay the rent. But I am going to continue to work on the project every day, at least in small ways. There is always downtime between contracting projects and I am going to make the most of that time to bring BYCYE to life. The momentum created by these last two months will not be stopped, even if it is maybe slowed a little.
One change that I am not excited about, but that is necessary, is that I am going to post updates on the official blog once a week from now on instead of every day. Its a bummer, I know. But I think I have to do this so that I can use my time more efficiently. So starting next week, expect to see updates from me every Friday.
Thank you again, and let me know if you have any questions, comments, or even just encouragement. (Love that encouragement!) The dream will continue, even if its at a more standard Indie-Game-Developer-with-a-day-job-and-small-child pace.
Do come by our new community site at http://www.bycye.com to see the project blog, mini-demo, ask questions and meet others interested in the project!
