Status Update #12 - Looking Back and Looking Forward
about 4 years ago
– Sun, Jan 26, 2020 at 12:09:53 AM
Hello everyone, I think I'm a bit overdue for an update! In this update I'll be discussing what I've been up to since launching the Kickstarter Exclusive Demo, my plans for 2020 and beyond, and my thoughts on how 2019 as a whole went for development.
Mobile Release
Some of you may have missed it, but I finally released mobile versions of Baldi's Basics Classic! You can download it now for free! They play identically to the PC version, and the Android version also includes controller support. I hope you enjoy / are enjoying playing the game on the go!
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.BasicallyGames.BaldisBasicsClassic
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/baldis-basics-classic/id1473998368?ls=1
MAGFest
In December I made a last minute decision to go to MAGFest 2020. Somehow I had never really heard about the event, but when I found out how close it was to me, how much stuff there was that I was interested in, and that I could even show Baldi's Basics with one of their Quickplay tables, I was sold!
On Saturday I managed to claim a time slot for a Quickplay table. Once the time came, and after solving a technical issue, I was set up and ready to go! Things went really well, and I got to show the game to some people who had never seen it before, meet some fans, and chat with other indie developers. It was a lot of fun, and a good way to get a feel for bringing the game to a show, something I'd like to start doing to help promote it.
Kickstarter Exclusive Demo updated with bug fixes!
A few days ago I finally pushed an update for the Kickstarter Exclusive Demo! This fixes a bunch of bugs, including:
- Fixed a few level generator crashes.
- Fixed event text becoming permanent when hiding in a locker.
- Fixed Baldi having incorrect outfits in camping and farm field trips.
- NPCs who enter the mystery room can now exit, and will not be trapped inside.
- Fixed Baldi continuing to be pushed by Cloudy Copter's wind even after exiting it.
- Improved the way in which tiles manage being blocked. Previously, if a tile was blocked by two objects (Eg. a locked swinging door and a roto hall) and one unlocked, NPCs would be able to pass through the tile even if it was still blocked by something else. This should no longer occur.
- Some other minor tweaks and fixes.
- DO NOT SPRAY BALDI WITH A BSODA WHILE HE'S EATING AN APPLE. I... don't believe I've fixed that yet.
Of course, I am still planning on releasing a content update for the Kickstarter Exclusive Demo at some point as well. As always I'll post an update about it shortly before I release it. Thanks for you patience!
Besides all that, not much has been going on. I took a break over the holidays, and then after MAGFest I ended up getting the flu for about a week, so my break ended up lasting a bit longer than I would have liked, but I'm getting back into the swing of things now!
Looking back at 2019
I've said before that I always want to make sure I'm be honest with you all, so I'm going to be totally honest when I say that, looking back at 2019 and the progress I made...
"I'm not happy Bob. Not. Happy"
And by that I mean I'm not happy with the amount of work I got done in 2019. Without having any real deadlines I've found that I struggle to concentrate and get work done (Whereas during the 2018 Meta Game Jam I worked like crazy to get the game finished in time). Many gamedevs seem to have trouble with working too hard and burning out, and while I thankfully haven't run into that problem, I unfortunately have the opposite problem where I don't work hard enough. This is something I want to apologize for. I owe you all much more effort than I've been putting into the project for supporting me so much. I look at where things are now, and where things would be had I worked closer to a proper full-time schedule, and wish so badly that's where I was.
Thankfully, the only thing that's been lost due to this is time. The Kickstarter budget is still on track, and now with merch selling I am able to support myself without pulling money from it. This means the rest of it will be spent solely on things to improve the game itself, and of course pay for physical rewards and shipping when the time comes to get those produced and sent out!
Looking Forward at 2020 and beyond
So, with all that said, going into 2020 things are going to change. I'm determined to get into a proper work schedule and make the most of my time. I'll be sure not to overwork of course, I'm not going to try to make up for lost time or anything (I don't want to go from one extreme to another and then just burn out!). I'm already taking steps to get better at this and I'm already seeing some good changes in my life. My biggest obstacle currently seems to be curbing my addiction to browsing the internet and social media... If anyone's got any tips on how to lessen the urge to check social media, that you feel has helped, I'd love to hear it! Of course, prayer is appreciated as well!
Enough about me though. I'm sure you all want to know what's in store for Baldi's Basics' future! Well, I'm not ready to announce any specifics yet, but I've set dates for myself, for things like the game's release date and other development milestones, that I very much intend to keep. As those dates approach, if I'm confident I can keep them, I'll announce them!
I can say though that the game will release before the summer, as an early access title. I should have brought this up sooner, but there's no way I can finish the game so soon, so I feel the best thing to do is an early access release. There's a lot that I want to do with the game before I would consider it finished. With an early access release, everyone can enjoy the game, even if it's not finished, and also partake in the development process by offering feedback. This has been my plan for quite a while now, so I'm honestly not sure why I haven't brought it up sooner. Once I launch the game's store pages, I'll provide more info about how the early access will work.
With this info you may be wondering about physical rewards. On the one hand I want to make sure the game is finished before sending everything out, so everything can be as good and accurate to the final product as possible, but on the other hand I don't want you guys to have to wait who knows how long to get your rewards. I'm considering a few different ways to handle them. When the time comes I'll make a post discussing this further and ask for everyone's thoughts on the matter.
I also have plans for another public demo before the full game early access launches, which will show off a new, currently unannounced feature of the game! And as I mentioned before I still intend to update the Kickstarter Exclusive Demo with some new content some time in the near future.
That pretty much sums up my current plans for 2020! I think it's safe to say that after the early access starts, development will continue well past the end of 2020. How long after I'm not really sure, but until the game is finished you can expect regular updates to the early access.
I think that's it for this update. Thank you all for your support, and here's to a fantastic 2020!