As we approach the midway mark of this month, it's time to update you all on our progress. Over the last two major cycles (Jan/Feb, March/Apr), there was always a moment when we realized we would be missing targets. I'm happy to say that as we enter the second half of this month, we are currently ahead of those targets. This is a first for Gunsmoke Games.
What Changes Helped Us Get Ahead?
During both Themyscira updates, we have been tracking content additions and time to completion. We went into this update with much more oversight of content and its relationship to internal targets. Not only that, but we also took into account several factors that revolve around creativity. We now have a greater understanding of the creative process within our environment and can adapt content loads to meet deadlines more easily. Additionally, planning and design have been created to help facilitate this.
Bend or Break 2 Design Started!
We are very excited to announce that we have entered the Bend or Break 2 (BoB 2) design phase, with four hours of work completed so far. These meetings are to hash out everything from theme, narrative (beginning, middle, end), game loop, main mechanics, enablers, blockers, and a host of other ideas. Each of these ideas is then further detailed, tested via prototyping, and subjected to a hard scope check. We anticipate another 3-4 meetings (8 hours) before we begin prototyping, but we should be finished by the end of this month. During the prototyping phase, we will analyze time requirements to ensure we fit within our scope and release targets. We will touch more on our estimations next month.
Our Backlog Is Growing!
As we transition to more stand-alone releases and the addition of Bend or Break 2, we are starting to grow a backlog of items that need to be addressed. We think it's only prudent to let you all know that our intentions are to visit this backlog quickly.
- Themyscira Phase 1 additions: These are a higher priority and will be planned out in July. The Temple of Aphrodite will be in phase 1. The number of releases in phase 1 is yet to be determined.
- Halloween Event re-visit: This is a pressing matter for us and will have time allotted to it in July/August. We're not looking to spend a tremendous amount of time cleaning it up, but narrative and some fun new scenes are 100% coming.
Thank you for your continued support and stay tuned for more updates!
TL;DR
We're ahead of our targets for the first time at Gunsmoke Games, thanks to better tracking and understanding of the creative process. The Bend or Break 2 (BoB 2) design phase has started, with completion expected by the end of the month. We're also addressing a growing backlog, with priority on Themyscira Phase 1 additions and a revisit of the Halloween Event in July and August. Stay tuned for more updates!
