Why Early Access?

“Doom Dino Games is currently a one-man show. I am a professional software engineer that never forgot why I became a software engineer in the first place - I wanted to make games that I myself wanted to play.

Everpixel Tactics (and the many failures that preceded it) is a labor of love; a spare-time gig. It is my first attempt at recreating the magic, originality, and creativity of what games used to be like before corporate businessmen sniffed out lucrative profits.

I am a gamer myself. Early Access offers a vehicle to get the game into the hands of other gamers who can help me shape it into the best game that it can be. Through Early Access, I can shape the game alongside the community with their feedback.

Finally, Everpixel Tactics is a bucketlist item; a lifelong goal. It is currently a spare-time endeavor of weekends toiled away. Every zany idea I have; every detail I want added, will make it into this game over the course of Early Access.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Everpixel Tactics is an ambitious effort - especially for a one-man shop making it in his spare-time. Early access initially launched in 2021...but I quickly found it difficult to patch bugs. Worse, "fixing" bugs created new bugs. So what was I to do? Rewrite the entire codebase, obviously. I have done that, but I now expect the full game to launch much later than initially planned (originally I said 2024!)

I do not know how long it will be in Early Access for sure, but I'm going to--perhaps conservatively--estimate that the game will fully release in 2027. While in Early Access, the game will receive regular content updates, bug fixes, and--most importantly--new features.

Ultimately, however, Everpixel Tactics is a bucketlist endeavor. It is a lifelong goal that I have been mulling over for almost as long as I can remember. It will remain in Early Access until I'm satisfied that it is the absolute best game I can make.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The heart of Everpixel Tactics is leading a mercenary party in a dynamic world full of brutal, tactical, squad-based, RPG combat. That core is already in place. What remains to be done is to add content - lots of it.

Here are current features that will receive more content throughout development:

• Perk Trees: Dozens of perk trees
  
• Monsters: (Many) More monsters will be added to the game - giant man-eating penguins, psychic jellyfish, obese unicorns, and more.
  
• Dynamic World: Over Early Acces, world-shaping events will be added with their own quests, missions, and adversaries: eldritch comets, undead invasions, and more.
  
• Biomes: More biomes to do battle across: eldritch wastelands, blazing deserts, and frozen tundras.
  
• More Affixes: More magical affixes to be generated for equipment as more perk trees are implemented.
  
• Lycanthropes: You've heard of werewolves, but what about wereslugs? Or werespiders? Those (and more) will be added throughout early access.

”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Everpixel Tactics is currently in "Very Early" Access. The heart of Everpixel Tactics is tactical, squad-based RPG combat in a world brimming with over-the-top fantasy tropes. That core loop is already in place. While most core features are implemented, there is much content yet to be added.

If you're the kind of gamer who - like me - loves tactical RPG's and experimenting with builds...and you don't mind the growing pains of Early Access, I'd love for you to be a part of the journey.

Here are the features launching at Early Access:

• Combat: Brutal, tactical, squad-based RPG combat
  
• Injuries: Savage injuries that can turn the tide of battle: Burned legs, bleeding arms, etc.
  
• Customization: Customize your mercenaries equipment. Paint your gear, choose a different hilt, or add a grip - the choice is yorus.
  
• Fatalities: Eliminate your enemies in style - or watch enemies do the same to your own mercenaries.
  
• Perk Trees: Sword, Axe, Soldier, Knight, and more
  
• Magic: Biomancy, Pyromancy, Arcanomancy
  
• 9 Races: Onis, elves, humans, dwarves, and more. Each race comes with its own benefits: trolls regenerate, lizardmen have innate damage resistance, and orcs are eerily-talented at causing injuries.
  
• Weapons: Axes, swords, maces, hammers, flails, daggers
  
• Armor and Shields: Protect your mercenaries by equipping them with shields and armor. But beware - armor that protects also weighs your mercenaries down.
  
• Campaigns: Manage your mercenaries between contracts. Hire new ones, fire old ones, and manage their equipment.
  
• Contracts: Accept contracts from factions and do mercenary stuff: Raze peasant villages, hunt brigands, ambush noble knights, or help your local wood elves eliminate a necromancer with a penchant for undead furniture.
  
• A dynamic world: The world is dynamically-generated each playthrough, and it changes according to events. Lush rainforests, arid deserts, and formidable mountains change through each gameplay, as does the vegetation.

”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Yes. There will be small, reasonable, incremental upgrades in price until the game reaches a final "Full Release" price.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“I welcome all community feedback - but especially for gameplay refinements. I want the game to be tightly balanced. There's no resource better to refine the game's balance than the community.

I encourage customers to communicate via the "Everpixel Tactics" website forum and/or the Steam forums.”