September is over and the scheduled month of dev work for Concealed Intent 1.1 complete. The amount achieved was about as much as expected, although not as much as hoped. Since the last update Steam turn notifications are working, but it was a little harder than anticipated. Then came a new skirmish objective (Gather) and a bunch of bug fixes (mainly for Linux). Unfortunately that means there was not time for extra work on campaign missions or online. Still, the update is a large body of work and I’m glad to get it done, the game will be better for it. Now I just need to test it extensively before release! The plan is to give myself a fortnight of testing, so look for the update in mid-October (barring major issues).
Looking at my Concealed Intent todo list I am amazed by how short it is – the shortest it has been since starting! It contains probably about a fortnight of online server improvements (not visible to players) and another fortnight of campaign/skirmish/cosmetic improvements. There are also a half-dozen “nice-to-haves”. Given this list, I am inclined to do a month’s work for a 1.2 update. However, it will not be until next year – hopefully earlier rather than later. After Concealed Intent 1.1 is released I will start work on a much smaller space-themed game codenamed “Blockade Runner” (because I haven’t thought of anything better yet).
Here are the final notes on the original (and intentionally overly ambitious) update plan:
Small backend improvements – the main things here are an automated build system and better feedback management. Both are complete.
Cosmetic and control improvements – most of these were done as part of 1.0.1. A few more have been done – most notably an onscreen shielding effect and a plan breakdown on the player focus buttons.
Linux support – There is now a Linux build for internal testing, so far it has performed just like the PC/Mac version.
Bugfixes – many bugfixes completed and the issue list is empty again.
Steam turn notifications – Working, but needs more testing.
Balance & extra campaign missions – a little balance work has been done, but there are no new campaign missions.
Extra skirmish mode making better use of tentative contacts and neutral unknowns – done, the new Gather objective has the player rushing to collect supply pods against regenerating enemies.
Online improvements – nothing significant for players done here.
What is happening?
It has been a little while since my last update, so I thought I should let people know what is happening with Concealed Intent. Previously I wrote about creating some prototypes and having time off. Both those achievements have been unlocked! If you would like to see my thoughts on prototypes, look here. After that I said there would be a month's work on a 1.1 release, trying to get as far down this list as possible:
Small backend improvements to the client and server code
Cosmetic and control improvements, as suggested through player feedback
Linux support
Steam turn notifications
Balance & extra campaign missions
Extra skirmish mode making better use of tentative contacts and neutral unknowns
Online improvements
Work began on this list at the start of September. Thus I will stop developing and start testing at the end of this month. Assuming no big issues are found, I'm still on track for an October release.
So how am I progressing with the list? Firstly, there were a couple of things not considered. On the positive side, there was a 1.0.1 release that contained many of the Cosmetic and control improvements, so much of that task was done before I began. On the downside, my hard drive crashed the day I planned to start work, costing me a couple of days productivity (keep your backups up to date!). Also, I forgot to add bugfixes into that todo list. Thanks to more testing and the good work of a couple of players (obliviondoll and FridayBiology were particularly helpful) a few extra bugs were discovered and have (or will be) fixed as a priority.
So how is that list actually looking as of today?
Small backend improvements - the main things here are an automated build system and better feedback management. Both are complete, and while players will notice little difference, both should save me loads of time to work on other tasks. There are lots of other backend tasks that need to be done, but I will probably leave them until later.
Cosmetic and control improvements - most of these were done as part of 1.0.1. A few more have been done (most notably an onscreen shielding effect). There is one item outstanding, but I haven't scoped it yet - I'll try to work out if it is possible in the coming week.
Linux support - There is now a Linux build for internal testing, so far it has performed just like the PC/Mac version with the exception of a few cosmetic issues. This task is looking good. Strangely, my Linux version has issues with anti-aliasing which has meant the height-markers for all versions have needed to change.
Bugfixes - there are now four minor bugs outstanding I'll be starting work on over the next week. A few other minor bug fixes will be in the next release, plus a major online game fix that has already been released. Please let me know if you see anything "weird" or "wrong".
Steam turn notifications - Just started work on this and the documentation is making a great deal more sense than the last time I looked. Confident I can get it done.
Balance & extra campaign missions - a little balance work has been done (coolers will be nerfed in 1.1) and I have ideas for more things here, but am currently uncertain if I should do an extra couple of missions or a new skirmish type first - I might only have time for one (but will of course try for both).
Extra skirmish mode making better use of tentative contacts and neutral unknowns - see above, if you have any ideas let me know.
Online improvements - probably will not make it far enough to do anything here, but if I do it will be something small
There it is. I would say progress so far is better than expected (especially considering the hard drive crash), but who knows how things will go for the remainder of the month. In any case, be assured I am working hard trying to improve the game!
Version 1.0.1 Released
Here is the first Concealed Intent update since the release. I think the Steam release went relatively well. No major bugs were discovered, so I'm quite happy. Of course the influx of new players meant a number of smaller issues came up and I've worked through as many as I can here.
The main change visible to players is that the mouse/camera sensitivity is a little faster now. Also the scroll wheel should work better in menus and on Macs. If this is still too slow, or too fast, the sensitivity can be changed in the Options under the Gamplay tab (the new Camera Acceleration setting). To get back to the old speed use a setting around 1.0.
The biggest change should be invisible to players. The profile system should be more stable. One player reported managing to corrupt their profile and I've to made this much harder to occur and more recoverable if it does. Please let me know if you see any issues here.
Other changes are: all the component graphs have been standardised for easier comparison (and more readable numbers); better wording in various places; a button on the loadout screen to return your loadout to its initial state; and making more countermeasures available in some campaign missions. See the full details below.
If there are no problems with this update, I will be taking a week or so off from Concealed Intent to recharge. Then back to start work on the 1.1 release. Of course if there are problems, I'll be back to fix them ASAP.
Charles.
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Current Version: 1.0.1 (13th August 2016)
Known Issues:
* Steam Overlay can sometimes cause some Macs to hang on startup - need to disable Overlay
Immediate Roadmap:
* Release Plan
* 1.1 Plan
1.0.0 (30th July 2016) -> 1.0.1 (13th August 2016)
* Add more countermeasures at the start of Halt & Extraction
* Add title to feedback to remind players it is anonymous
* Make mouse scrollwheel work on OSX
* Ensure minimum loadout at start of Layers
* Change loadout message in Pickup & specify loadout is current loadout
* Make arrow keys work on flow tables
* Accelerate camera actions in game & add a multiplier in Gameplay options
* Have mission & control lists use scrollwheel
* Faster scroll on focus, loadout & stats components
* If scrolling in focus do not zoom in/out (like rotate)
* Make achievement stripes in online games easier to achieve
* Show "Return" key as "Return/Enter" as some people do not have "Return" written on that key
* Keep a backup profile in case of corruption - thanks to UberSomething
* If profile corrupt on startup, discard and create a new profile
* Don't exit if profile being written (wait a little instead)
* Remove ProfileUpdater
* Standardise laser, engine & sensor graphs by category (components in each category should use same x & y axes) - thanks to Aleccia Heartnet
* Allow loadout to be reset to initial
* Force the grid back on if it was left off at the end of the View tutorial
* Refer to pods as "escape pods" in Rescue missions
* Better tooltip for Base skirmishes
The Plan and No Bundling For a Year Pledge
Since releasing on Tuesday there has been an influx of new players (thank you all!). Many have been asking questions about where the game is going. So time to give my thoughts on the future of Concealed Intent.
Concealed Intent will not be bundled for at least a year from release.
So that is August 2017 at the earliest. If you want to wait for bundling, you will be waiting for some time! I have already had two offers for the game to be bundled and have declined both with the pledge above.
There will be a 1.1 update.
I'm aiming for Oct/Nov time for an large(ish) update. The plan is to do a month's dev work followed but testing until I'm happy for a release. How much the update includes depends on how much I get done in that time frame. Nothing is promised, other than my time. I will just work down my todo list and get as far as I can. The current ordered list is:
Small backend improvements to the client and server code
Cosmetic and control improvements, as suggested through player feedback
Linux support
Steam turn notifications
Balance & extra campaign missions
Extra skirmish mode making better use of tentative contacts and neutral unknowns
Online improvements
Anything not completed as part of the 1.1 update will be left for the 1.2 update. When (if ever) the 1.2 update is scheduled depends on what is left to do and the game's popularity.
There are no plans for DLC or micro-transactions.
At this stage, if I'm going to add something to the game, everyone will automatically get it as part of the planned updates.
I read all your feedback.
If you post in the Steam Community Hub, or send a message through the in-game feedback I will read it and take note of it. Same with Twitter or Facebook or email, or comments on the Jarrah Technology webpage. Although, just be aware that the in-game feedback is completely anonymous - I will not know who you are, so can not reply! I have already received some useful feedback and suggestions, which has resulted in the second item on the 1.1 update list above, and its general ordering too. Thankfully there have been no reports of crashes or other major bugs.
So that is it. Comments and suggestions welcome as always!
Launched!
It is done. The launch button has been pressed and Concealed Intent is out on Steam, with a 34% launch discount for the next week (same as the recent Summer Sale). No longer does the game have the stigma of Early Access.
The success of a modern games tends to be determined in their first month of release. Visibility, reviews and sales now will result in more visibility, reviews and sales later. So I'm not too proud to beg… If you enjoy the game please consider telling people about it and/or writing a review on Steam. It will all help. Also, if you do see something wrong in the game, please let me know, the quicker I can find and fix any issues the better.
Having said all that, I would also like to give a huge thank you to everyone who played Concealed Intent, purchased it, wishlisted/followed it, or even just checked it out. This game could not have been finished to this level (or even at all) without your support and feedback. Thank you!
For those that are interested, I have written a little about the development experience of the game on the Jarrah Technology blog
Charles.
Concealed Intent is now 1.0!!!
Achievement Unlocked.
As the title states, I just updated Concealed Intent to version 1.0. This is more a statement of release readiness than anything else. Not much has changed from the previous versions. In fact this release has just two changes - the version number at the top of the menu screen now says 1.0.0, and I fixed a spelling mistake. Not a bad result for many hours testing.
Of course the fear of bugs never leaves an indiedev. The thought of it still leaves me in a cold sweat. If you see anything broken or just not right (or misspelt :) please let me know through in-game feedback, Steam forums, or social media. I get round to them all.
Next is the full Steam release in a few days. Then being ready to deal with any issues that arise (fingers crossed there are none). Once that is done and after a short break, I'll start work planning a 1.1 release.
Here is the turning point in the Loyalty mission from a recent testing session - seizing control of the mercenary courier:
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Current Version: 1.0.0 (30th July 2016)
Known Issues:
* Steam Overlay can sometimes cause some Macs to hang on startup - need to disable Overlay
Immediate Roadmap:
* Release Plan
* 1.1 Plan
0.9.34 (25th July 2016) -> 1.0.0 (30th July 2016)
* Update version number
* Fix spelling error
Release Candidate 4 or Version 0.9.34 Released
I think this is it. Again my bug/issue list is empty, but the handful of fixes this time are quite obscure. They are not issues a player is likely to encounter in a normal play-through, or even notice if they did occur. Unless I have let through a bad bug, this will become the 1.0 version a few days before the release.
I also played through the entire campaign again (about the 10th time for me) for testing - it is all looking good. Here is the moment in the penultimate mission where revenge is delivered by heavy beam.
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Current Version: 0.9.34 (25th July 2016)
Known Issues:
* Steam Overlay can sometimes cause some Macs to hang on startup - need to disable Overlay
Immediate Roadmap:
* Release Plan
0.9.33 (11th July 2016) -> 0.9.34 (25th July 2016)
* Ensure artillery beams displayed in Illumination mission
* Fix bug where heightmarkers were shown even if grid off and ship not being previewed
* Ensure the sfx/animations for sensors and cms continues in play/replay mode even if the ship is deselected during that phase
* Default "Show Objectives" to true for new players (thanks to https://www.youtube.com/user/jaguarusf)
* Add a link on the menu screen for the CI YouTube playlist and add the intro and tactics videos to the list of tutorials
* Fix bug where categorised components on non-id'ed ships were incorrect (they should only show the components that have been activated)
Developer Videos
I have just recorded & uploaded a couple of developer videos to YouTube to show off the game.
Here is a video where I play three of the early campaign missions while talking about the tactics employed. There is also a short discussion at the end on the various uses of the less common ship components:
https://youtu.be/OsUHcVrRsw4
And here is a video tutorial on how to play the game. It aims to be complementary to the in-game tutorial:
https://youtu.be/czbgsBdT-Bg
Release Candidate 3 or Version 0.9.33 Released
Another small release, again emptying my list of issues//bugs. Since review keys will be sent out in the next couple of days, this release is to make sure the game looks as pretty as possible. No new features of course, as I'm only fixing existing features at the moment.
I have scheduled another release for the last week of July. Hopefully the only item in the change log for that will be updating to a 1.0.0 revision number!
Now back to marketing and testing.
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Current Version: 0.9.33 (11th July 2016)
Known Issues:
* Steam Overlay can sometimes cause some Macs to hang on startup - need to disable Overlay
Immediate Roadmap:
* Bugfixes/Balance
* Release Plan
0.9.32 (21st June 2016) -> 0.9.33 (11th July 2016)
* Stop shuttles in Savior skirmishes getting stuck behind asteroids
* Remove request for review at end of final campaign mission as it is apparently against Steam rules
* Force laser fire to appear in online games even if the firer is hidden
* Fix issue with uncontrolled drones sometimes being usurped but not acting as player drones (when they really are)
* Prevent "target hit" graphics from drifting off target during high rotation turns
* Force focus button to be inactive when they first appear so undetected ships don't take up grid space
* Stop "time remaining" from being displayed on the skirmish loadout screen if there is an online challenge outstanding
* Make the engine stats component work like other components on click -> left-click = set waypoint, right-click = delete waypoint
* Fix rare object pool crash when unity can't find a gameobject (why!?)
Release Date & Bundle Pledge & Plan
Concealed Intent will be released on Tuesday 2 August 3pm GMT (8am Pacific Time & 11pm where I am in Malaysia). The originally plan was to release a week later, but it appears a little game called No Man's Sky is released that day. It seemed best to go a week early. I'll need to get going on marketing quickly.
Also, if you like the game, writing a positive Steam review is hugely useful. I would be greatly appreciative, please consider it.
I pledge Concealed Intent will NOT be bundled for at least 12 months after release. So that is 2nd August 2017 at the earliest. I have been asked a few times about bundling, so I thought I should say publicly what I have previously said in private.
So to the plan. I have spotted 3 cosmetic issues in Concealed Intent. I will fix those and anything else that comes up with the 1.0 release in a couple of weeks. After that I hope to pause development while working on letting people know this game exists. However, if there any any breaking bugs I will drop everything to get them fixed asap. Assuming it all goes well, a fortnight after release I will start working on a 1.1 release. This will be at a lower intensity than my EA work as I will also be prototyping a couple of new ideas at the same time. I'll provide an ETA later on when it will be out, but expect the 1.1 release a couple to a few months after the initial release.
Possible (no promises) 1.1 features (+ fixes & balancing):
* Linux version
* Steam turn notification
* Extra campaign missions
* Extra skirmish objectives + tentative contacts
