EDGE: Transition from Alpha-toward-Beta Begins June 17th

First of all, yes, EDGE is behind schedule. There, it’s “official.” Get over it.

Secondly, the Alpha phase is drawing to a close. Kinda. Sorta.

The Alpha has been a great success. My testers have helped me isolate bugs and quirks, though the bugs are not all squashed as yet. Mostly they have provided feedback and encouragement that proves I’m on the right path. I think EDGE is indeed going to be a lot of fun, and will hopefully be well-received.

There is still a LOT to do. In fact, I’ve been quite overwhelmed and a bit discouraged by the amount left to do, and the fact that things have taken longer than I’d anticipated or budgeted for. I’m going to have to reassess somewhat, and a few features might get cut. We’ll see. Mostly, I have simply not been having as much fun lately as I should be. So it’s time for an attitude-adjustment and a change-of-pace as I head into the final stretch.

Here’s the NEW PLAN, in brief:

I am going to debug. All of the things that still need debugging, including little changes here and there to make things a bit better, but mostly to make them correct. I am also going to be adding little bits of functionality — some additional scripting, for example — and things like the ability to run the game off of VFS, a few memory improvements, etc…. everything, down to the tiny little cosmetic flaws that still remain. (I will continue to release an occasional fix to my alpha testers, who will stick around for this process, just to help me be sure the fixes are really in there and work correctly.)

BUT: I am simultaneously, in between each debug or technical fix, going to return to the art and adventure side of things. (Which brings me much greater happiness.) In other words: preparation for the BETA. I’ve been away from that side for too long. This will hopefully give me a breath of fresh air and a change of pace which will be good for my sanity. This may even include website redesign and little marketing bits as I go.

(Note that the alpha testers will not see a lot of this, since the bulk of it I’d like to be “a pleasant surprise” in the adventure itself.)

So the progress is going to seem slower for a bit, but the path to Beta will be proceeding simultaneously along with the remaining Alpha fixes. Hopefully I will have most of the remaining flaws worked out before I have the adventure done. (I’m sure a few new ones may creep in for the beta test anyway.)

But I’m going to break it up, for my own sanity, overlapping the end of the Alpha with preparation for the Beta. ….Art. Fix. Story. Debug. Monsters. Fix. Website. Debug. Art. VFS. More Monsters. Debug. Art… I think this will be a healthy shot in the arm for me and the game itself.

Those of you who are over-anxious for the Beta to begin, let me add this: I am behind schedule. Please don’t ask me when the Beta will begin. I’m not at all sure how long this process will take, especially doing it in this back-and-forth manner, and I really don’t want to sacrifice features and content because I’m feeling pressured to get it out. I will let you know how it is going, and I’ll try to project a rough date as soon as I have a clue what that might be. In the meantime I will continue to keep people updated with my progress via the forums. (And hopefully those will be happier reports as well!)

So. The bad news is we are a bit behind. The good news is….it’s getting closer every day, and finally moving back into the fun stuff…for the final stretch…