Two weeks into the Beta!
about 4 years ago
– Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 02:52:40 AM
Hello everyone!
First of all, I'm now feeling great! There was a dodgy couple of weeks last month, which now feels like a foggy memory. The encouragement from the community has been of incredible help and has enabled me to focus on the recovery time needed. Thank you all! This means I'm back working on TaleSpire full time, which is where I want to be. My focus so far since the beta launch was taking care of some business-related tasks as well as support. So if you haven't heard back from me on email inquiries, expect to hear back within the next few days. I am ecstatic to be back working!
It's been approximately two weeks since the Beta dropped, and we'd also like to thank everyone for being so amazing, helping us out by reporting bugs and feedback, as well as understanding the time it takes to solve some of these issues. Baggers have been working incredibly hard to get the server issues sorted out, and being able to correspond with players having these bugs has been invaluable.
Support and Beta Keys
Another big task since beta launch outside of fixes has been support-tickets. We were initially using Google Groups for this, which turned out to be a bit too cumbersome. So we've since moved to a better-suited email support system, which makes it a lot easier for us to keep track of tickets. Emails should have transitioned over, but if you have support issues that have not been addressed, please reach out again at [email protected] and allow a little bit of time for us to get back to you.
If you backed the Kickstarter or BackerKit before the beta launch, beta keys are waiting for you if you haven't already claimed them. As planned we will not be providing another round of beta keys. So unless you backed the Kickstarter or the BackerKit before Beta launched, you can't bring any more players into the beta-testing phase.
Please treat your beta keys as Early-Access/Final Game keys. Different tier levels from the Kickstarter will be sent out as add-on keys sometime after the Early-Access release, once the Kickstarter Exclusive content has been completed.
The Beta going forward.
As mentioned above, the Beta progress so far has been focused around bugs, and support tickets. Thanks to Dwarf, email support tickets are slowing down a lot. But in the case of bugs, there are still some elusive stability and connection issues (although a lot has been sorted as I've been writing this). Naturally, a team has a mix of skills and not everyone can handle all tickets. This means that even as we are working through issues, you will see new content appearing. This is especially true for the art team. A bit about that later.
This does mean that for at least another couple of weeks, we'll primarily be pushing smaller patches with fixes from the list of issues.
We will be talking about and planning other aspects of the beta though. Underneath are some subjects that will start coming up as we continue our road to Early Access.
New (Sort of) Engine challenges
Being able to Clip tiles into other tiles was a feature that came about from an exploit in the Early-Alpha. One that has turned out to be a fantastic tool. The things you folks are creating blow our minds daily. It does create a bit of a challenge for us, though. Previously we had a pretty good idea of how many tiles/objects would be present in a given region as there was only so much space to be filled. Now, however, we have added a dimension to this problem, which is asset density. It's a fun, but challenging thing that has implications on everything from data storage to rendering. One part of the storage-issue, we will tackle with the upcoming foam/terrain system which is being designed with a more sparse data structure in mind. We also need to contend with the sheer number of GameObjects loaded in at the same time. We've been talking about ways of handling that problem in the past, GPU Culling is one, another option is trying to move to the Unity Entity System (aka DOTS) for tiles. Both give interesting optimization options, and both require us to rethink how we handle physics objects. (I'm going to stop here, as we'll be doing posts on this in the future)
These were challenges we've known about, but with the awesomeness, people are creating with clipping, it is something we'll have to figure out a bit sooner than maybe we originally expected.
Usability
User Experience and general usability of TaleSpire is something that requires a lot of work during the beta phase. We've been receiving a good amount of feedback on this, a lot of it is known, and is things we've planned to address, other things have been great food for thought and will likely make it in as changes. Moving around in the vertical axis needs a lot of work, general key-layout needs to be solidified, especially when building. And handling building assets, such as finding assets, needs an overhaul. Those are some of the things that go into this section. The final thing which is a big one, is actually teaching Players and Game Masters alike how to use TaleSpire, in-game.
Missing Features
- Rulers
- Accessibility options
- Multi-language support
- Settings/Keybinding menus
- Fog of war
- Pathfinding tools
- Creature scaling
- Setting up creatures outside of a campaign
- Compass
- Creature tinting & base coloring (Which required we finalize our Art Pipeline)
- Emotes and spells
- Sessions history filters
- Sound effects
- Bookmarks
- Prop system (for finer placement of smaller props)
- Asset & feature suggestion sites
- Modding
- Creature Blueprints
- Board & campaign sharing
- Foam/Terrain System (for helping with creating terrain)
These are the features we're planning to have in place before the Early Access goes out. There is no meaning to the order here. . Many are significant features work-wise any many warrants their own dedicated update. We're going to start poking at some of these features as we continue doing bug fixes. So expect some updates over at the DevBlog once the designs start to form and challenges become apparent.
I should also add that these are not all the features that will be added but that list started getting rather long for this update.
About Art Assets
Our goal for the Art during the Beta is a little bit different from the Early Access. We are working on the plans and pipeline for the Early-Access, and how to ramp up production for that. That doesn't mean there will be no new Assets in the Beta. While the Early-Access will focus on providing new sets, the focus in the Beta will be filling in existing sets. For instance, the Tavern set has a pretty decent amount of content associated with it, but the other tilesets are missing roof tiles as well as props to populate those spaces. We will also have more music, and ambiance added, more DayCycles, Post Effects, and Creature emotes.
Art updates that are not tweaks and bug fixes will be added in small bulk, in dedicated patches. Watch out for one of those in the next couple of weeks.
The Early Access
We're not setting a date for the Early Access yet. It is incredibly tempting to set dates when we have people excited to play TaleSpire. However, keeping this flexibility allows us to better handle whatever bugs, life, and this community present us with, so we must resist that urge! Furthermore, even though Early Access is also meant for continued development, we feel like the foundation needs to be solid so that the Early Access can be about growing the game, both in features and in content. This is all going to take quite a while. Once we have a beta build that runs well, have the features we want, and feels right, we can start talking about The Early Access release date.
And,
Finally, I'd like to point out the fact that we're extremely fortunate to have such an amazing group of players, testing the beta, giving us feedback and helping us solidify the foundation. Thank you for your time and support!
Well, that was fun!
about 4 years ago
– Mon, Apr 13, 2020 at 07:08:02 PM
Hi folks, just stopping by to say hello after the first 48 hours of beta.
It's been bumpy (as expected), but you have all been such a huge support through it all. So a HUGE thanks to you first and foremost.
We have our first patch out today, and, as planned, the first couple of weeks are expected to predominantly fire-fighting.
Ree and Jason have been 100% on support tickets and, nearly two hundred later, it seems we are caught up. Asset work also continues in earnest.
All in all, it's a super exciting time.
We'll be back with more news, patches, and dev logs real soon.
In the meantime check out this awesome creation from community member Istallri:
Hope this finds you well,
Ciao!
p.s. Here are the few dev logs that have come out so far:
Having Trouble Getting All of your Beta Keys? Follow These Easy Steps!
about 4 years ago
– Sat, Apr 11, 2020 at 01:59:40 AM
Greetings all!
We've been getting reports of some folks having trouble getting access to all of the keys they've purchased - particularly those who have backed the Kickstarter and then went on to pre-order additional copies.
Backerkit has split up the Kickstarter purchases and Pre-orders into two separate surveys. When you click the link in your email to claim the beta keys, you'll likely see one of the two screens below. If you click on the link "Switch to another survey", you'll be brought to the other survey that contains your additional keys. The links can be tricky to spot, so here are some examples:
For instance, you might see this...
Or this...
We hope this helps clear up any confusion about getting your additional keys.
Thank you all once again for your amazing support!
And with that the BackerKit store is closed!
about 4 years ago
– Wed, Apr 08, 2020 at 12:17:27 AM
We are now out of our stash of beta keys (besides a small number we hold onto for business reasons).
Our next stop is the release on Friday.
Remember to keep your hands and arms inside the Beta at all times, the bugs bite!
3rd time lucky?
about 4 years ago
– Tue, Apr 07, 2020 at 12:07:37 AM
Heya folks, let's try this beta thing again. The new date is Friday the 10th of April (or early 11th depending on time zone).
There are only two significant changes to the original plan:
The first is that we will charge cards 48 hours before release to give time to handle any issues that arise.
The second is that we may have close the Backerkit store before Friday. The reason for this is that we are nearly out of Steam Beta keys, and we will not be able to get more at short notice. Once again, we have rather underestimated how many people would be interested in TaleSpire at this stage.
Other than the dates and times, most of the rest of this post is the same as the one from the 23rd of March. However, feel free to skim if you fancy a refresher :)
A quick team update
How's Ree doing?
Things seem to be going in the right direction. The pain is still present but has been getting less these last couple of days. It seems that if he can keep taking it at a more leisurely pace, things should be fine.
We are following your advice about taking things easy. In that vein, we have given ourselves up to Friday to get ready. Most pieces are already in place, but this means we aren't rushing the remainder.
How are the rest of the team?
Doing well! Much happier now that it seems Ree's health is trending in a less scary direction. All of us (Ree included) are just eager to finally get this beta out the door and begin the next chapter of this little game.
I missed the previous updates, what’s been happening?
No worries, it’s all been a bit weird recently. You can catch up here:
Info about the release
What time is it being released?
We are releasing the Beta at 9pm CEST on the 10th-11th of April. See below for your timezone.
- 9am HST
- Midday PDT (US West coast)
- 2pm ART
- 3pm EDT (US East coast)
- 7pm GMT/UTC
- 8pm BST
- 9pm CEST
- 10pm MSK
- 12am IST (11th of April)
- 3am CST & AWST (11th of April)
- 4am JST (11th of April)
- 6am AEDT (11th of April)
How will I be given access?
We will start sending out emails at the time of the release. Keep an eye on your inbox (and check your spam folders).
The email will be from BackerKit and will inform you that your Steam Beta keys are available. You will be able to click a link to go to BackerKit and collect your Beta keys.
You are then free to redeem your key in Steam and hand out any additional Beta keys you purchased to the rest of your party.
When will we stop being able to back the project?
We will close the Backerkit pre-order page either 48 hours before the release or when we run out of Steam Beta keys, whichever comes sooner.
When will cards be charged?
48 hours before release we will charge the credit cards of anyone who has not already been charged.
What if the payment fails?
Please reach out to us or BackerKit's support team if there are any problems. We will be closely monitoring [email protected]
The majority of issues we have seen are banks being overly cautious about payments to other countries (especially banks in the US). In most cases, people were able to resolve the issue by calling their bank and telling them that the payment was legitimate.
Regardless, we are here if you need us.
I backed on the original Kickstarter instead of BackerKit. What do I have to do?
As long as you have filled out the BackerKit survey, Nothing! Just sit tight, and we'll get that email right to you.
If you haven't received the survey, you can request it here http://talespire.backerkit.com/
Info about the TaleSpire Beta
Lots of people have different ideas of what Beta means. What is the TaleSpire Beta about?
The Beta is our first significant post-Kickstarter milestone. It's a very work-in-progress, development version of the game (and boy, does it feel like it).
This is not a polished product. It's an attempt at the minimal set of features required for the game to be playable.
How does it relate to the Early Access?
The Early Access will be coming out later this year and is intended to be a polished core of the game. At that point, the game will be in a more player-friendly state, and the core feature set will be present and refined. This is when you will see the game’s feature set grow and also the start of the free asset pack releases.
During the Early Access, we will start talking more about the stretch goals and when you can expect them!
Is the Beta right for my party?
It really depends on how much they mind dealing with bugs. As much as we'd love people to dive in and start trying things out, stories are precious things, so please don't force yourselves into TaleSpire if it's not a good fit yet. We have lots of time before the release to make this something great.
Can we help?
Yes! Just by trying out TaleSpire and letting us know how it went, you are helping.
When we ran the Alpha, the community showed us how they wanted to play TaleSpire. Using that, we re-wrote all the underlying code to allow us to meet those needs by the time we reach Early Access. This is our foundation, and now we are going to build on it.
However, the roadmap is not set in stone. We really need your help to test out features and show us what works for you and what doesn't. The fact this is a 3D space has meant that the verticality of boards has played a much bigger part in how people play. Building tooling for this has been an exciting challenge. If you know of mechanics that are simple and work well, please do reach out to us. It's always great to have more sources of inspiration to draw from.
We are in this for the long haul and want to be chatting to you folks about it the whole way. Let's make this!
What should we do when we find bugs?
We will have a Github repository where you can report issues that you find. When you create a new ticket, it will tell you the kinds of things to include to help us out the most. There is a link inside the game that will take you straight to this issue tracker, and we will also announce it when it is public.
As usual we will be active on the Discord channel, so come hang out with us there!
What happens immediately after the release? What is the plan regarding updates?
We are expecting that the first two weeks will just be fixing the most critical bugs that you folks find.
As soon as the initial issues subside, we will shift focus onto features. You will receive those as soon as they are finished, and so, if you want to, you can be part of the process of iterating and polishing the game on the road to the Early Access.
During the Alpha, we saw that updates only consisting of code changes were small. We envisage a similar situation during the Beta, so don't worry about having to re-download the whole game with every patch.
Can I stream the Beta?
Absolutely, we do prefer that you let your viewers know that it’s a beta version, and so bugs and changes are expected, but other than that, have fun!
What is in the Beta?
- All the original tilesets from the Alpha, with the addition of some new tiles and minis
- The new building system
- Multiplayer building and play
- An early version of the new atmosphere system
- An early version of the emote system
- An early version of the GM overlay
- Line-of-sight: this shows and hides non-player creatures based on whether your selected creature can see them
- Explicit GM hiding of creatures
- Hide volumes: you can hide anything inside the region from your players
- HP and four generic stats per creature
- Per creature torches
- GM flashlight
- Session history
- Setting up creatures that exist across all boards of the campaign (we call these 'unique creatures')
What kinds of things are missing?
Many of the features the game really needs are not in at the start of Beta. This is as planned, and they all will show up by the time the Early Access starts. Here are some notable absences:
- Rulers (these will be coming in an update soon)
- Accessibility options
- Multi-language support
- Settings/Keybinding menus
- Fog of war
- Pathfinding tools
- Creature scaling
- Setting up creatures outside of a campaign
What are the system requirements?
Here are the currently recommended specs as listed on Steam:
OS: Windows 10
Processor: 64bit
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Graphics card with DX11 (shader model 5.0) capabilities.
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 1 GB available space
These figures are not based on enough real-world use for us to be comfortable this them, so we'd love to hear about how things run on your system.
Requirements will change during the Beta as we optimize, so please be aware that the performance of the Beta on your machine is not necessarily indicative of where it will be by the Early Access.
What about the other Kickstarter rewards?
The other rewards were not planned for this date. This is only the start of us delivering on our Kickstarter goals, and we will tell you more about the custom dice, Kickstarter exclusive creatures, soundtrack and more as they are created and prepped for release :)
And that’s the lot
As always, thank you for all of your support. While this isn’t the way we would have planned our first beta release, we are very excited that it’s nearly (finally) here.
See you all again in a few days!
Regards,
The whole Bouncyrock Team
