Whats next?

Kigre · May 30, 2015

Started with the arena, completed both and now ive just completed the campaign.
And now im wondering if anyone knows whats next in terms of update releases? What will the next update contain? And when will we get to play the outside area i saw mentioned somewhere?

Love the game so far btw.

neeed... mooooore.....

burgzaza · May 30, 2015

We all want to see what's next, patience it will come ^^
The devs mentioned an outdoor arena, But I'm not sure we will see the sunlight in the campaign.

For that we'll might have to wait until Sui Generis.

Vold · May 30, 2015

Kigre said:
Started with the arena, completed both and now ive just completed the campaign.
And now im wondering if anyone knows whats next in terms of update releases? What will the next update contain? And when will we get to play the outside area i saw mentioned somewhere?

Love the game so far btw.

neeed... mooooore.....

Here are some of the planned features, with many already being close to completion:

Per session and global character skill progression

Large non-linear main game following early content

Build and permanently save characters by completing early content

New encounters, items and environments

Ranged combat and new close quarter manoeuvres

Numerous moddable thaumaturgic powers

More complete arena game modes featuring outdoor arenas

Complex NPC interactions and dialogue

Cooperative and competitive LAN multiplayer

Not necessarily in that order, but for the next update: Per session and global character skill progression - most likely.

piotras · Jun 8, 2015

So is this place dead or is all the discussion happening in the private forums?

Don't want devs to waste time on unnecessary PR, but a bit is necessary to keep the interest going.

Regular posts, some screens, work-in-progress, teasers of stuff coming up - nothing all that fancy.

Don't want to sound rude. Quite the opposite, I wish the game all the best but out of all the early access and indie games I follow there's hardly anything happening here (of what we know, of course).

Sir NotABot · Jun 8, 2015

Yeah, I'm with you. I'd really like to hear a) what they are currently working on, b) how is it coming along, and c) when is the next patch release.

NachoDawg · Jun 8, 2015

piotras said:
So is this place dead or is all the discussion happening in the private forums?
(....)
Don't want to sound rude. Quite the opposite, I wish the game all the best but out of all the early access and indie games I follow there's hardly anything happening here (of what we know, of course).

don't worry, I think most people would be agreeing with you

Anthony Obilor · Jun 8, 2015

Dont worry guys, Im sure Madoc is hard at work packing this update full or making sure no major bugs are present, most of us can attest to the polish of what is currently there. We are just eager for the itch that the game serves. I am keeping my hands off it till the next update because I want it to stay fresh. It is my favourite game and I keep wanting to play it but holding myself back. I need fresh content pls!!!!!!!!!*bursts out crying....

Don Kanaille · Jun 8, 2015

I was slightly surprised that after I was gone for a week, no major update was released or even announced. The devs are usually quite chatty and informative in these forums and concentrated on their work. I just guess they have something big up their sleeve.

Guy · Jun 8, 2015

I haven't seen any posts for a while from a developer. I'm taking that as a sign of hard work.

Downstairs Eddie · Jun 9, 2015

It's been less than 3 weeks since the last update.

Conkids · Jun 9, 2015

Am I the only one who wants thaumaturgy?

RobG · Jun 9, 2015

Am I the only one who wants thaumaturgy?

you are not...hi

Conkids · Jun 9, 2015

Ok good so will thaumaturgy be one "spell" and with different movements of the mouse it acts different?

TwoPumpWarrior · Jun 9, 2015

Conkids said:
Ok good so will thaumaturgy be one "spell" and with different movements of the mouse it acts different?

There will be several forms of thaumatury. At the moment I think they will be cast using keyboard shortcuts (such as Q or E) so that you'll have several available at once.

RobG · Jun 9, 2015

Ok good so will thaumaturgy be one "spell" and with different movements of the mouse it acts different?

No, there are two moves that I am aware of, but I think there will be quite a few more than that in the end. If you look on the menu for skills, in the game at the moment it looks like the last three sections are relating to thaumaturgy (this is just a guess)

If you havn't checked it already I recommend you look at the about section on this site they talk a lot about thaumaturgy planned for Sui Generis, and maybe gives a insight as to some of the things that might make it into Exanima too (big maybe).

I've always loved playing magic users in RPG's and everything on that about page makes me salivate, I think it will be awesome.

Madoc · Jun 9, 2015

It's hard to reply without it getting complicated and lengthy but I did want to let you know that we are indeed hard at work!

Steam recommends doing larger updates rather than frequent small ones and we're seeing the wisdom of this, it gives you more significant and enticing updates and allows us to better manage our resources. Particulaly as a small team where many of us have to multitask (especially me) it's a lot easier to work on multiple fronts than serialise and compartmentalise everything. This will benefit longer term productivity and especially quality.

Fairly recently we've decided to put more effort into some of the upcoming content. The underworld is central to the lore and the deeper you go the more it diverges from the overworld. We felt this wasn't receiving the attention it derserved and decided to put more effort into it. My role is also that of lead designer and I'm the closest thing we have to an art director so recently I've been putting a lot of time into working with the rest of the team to define and flesh out some of the new content.

We've also been taking on a lot of feedback about the combat and other things, working to correct and notably improve various aspects of them. We've got a lot of the more basic skill techniques working well but we're also experimenting with and prototyping some of the more advanced ones. The combat has evolved a lot since our initial design of the skill system, it has developed strong identity and we've had a lot of input from people who know much more about historical martial arts than we do. A skill system that respects everything the combat has become and works with its unique combination of skill and physics is something very tricky that deserves proper attention.

So, as of now we're working on multiple fronts and towards not just the next but also future updates. We honestly don't have a specific plan for the very next update but there are various things coming together nicely and when we feel they've reached an update worthy state we'll do one.

OddSpierce · Jun 9, 2015

Well, that's all I needed to hear! I'm just grateful that Bare Mettle seems to make a lot more meaningful updates than some other ambitious indie games I've seen.

acrimoneyius · Jun 10, 2015

Thanks for the update! Its nice to hear whats going on once every few weeks, and you've been good about doing that historically. It's especially exciting to know that most of the hard work has already been done, and now you're refining and adding content. It's been a long alpha/beta and I have faith it will be worth the wait. I also hope your engine doesn't go to waste after Examina/Sui Generis.

Tottel · Jun 10, 2015

Madoc said:
[..] My role is also that of lead designer and I'm the closest thing we have to an art director [..]

When looking at the game, this is quite obviously working out well. I suppose you're not satisfied with programmer art?

piotras · Jun 10, 2015

Madoc said:
It's hard to reply without it getting complicated and lengthy but I did want to let you know that we are indeed hard at work!

I doubt anybody here questions BM's hard work, but I do appreciate that you took the time to post.

I see your logic about the larger and less frequent updates, especially with a small team. Exanima is coming along great and SG sounds like a dream come true to many, but people kickstarted you and get involved in the early access because they believe in Bare Mettle. The relationship between you and your supporters is a product worth as much if not more than Exanima at its current stage or the concepts of SG. You've already established that larger updates is a more cost-effective way to go, which is absolutely understandable, but I would advise increasing communication in the form of bite-sized news (a line or two, diary-style) that would maintain the interaction with supporters (and your most devoted advocates)?

I would suggest aiming for a bit more traction on twitter (2 or 3 a week?) and look into embedding a twitter feed both on your home page (move 'about us' section to the left instead if centre which will give you enough space on the right, like here: http://unknownworlds.com/) and maybe even the forums, instead of the SG logo in the right lower corner underneath 'forum statistics').

For many, it's nicer to read about you spilling your coffee on a design dock than having no communication at all and it doesn't require a dedicated PR-time to do.

Anyway, enough of my rumblings, wish you guys all the best!