Why Early Access?

“DISCLAIMER: This game is written by a single dev.

The combat system in the game is very new and difficult for players who are just starting the game. The game does very little to teach combat mechanics and lacks a tutorial. There is no lock on mode, seen in these types of games. Thus far this has been challenging for new players.

These systems are currently in a WIP state, however, I expect the need to calibrate these systems based on player and community feedback.

GAMPLAY TIPS:

- Roll, man, roll. Then roll. (spacebar)
- Hit fast, then roll.
- You have 5 weapons (keys 1-5). There is no animation to switch weapons. It happens instantly. You will need to learn to switch mid swing so that you can chain up combos using different swords.
- First weapon: hits the hardest
- Second weapon: all of your animation speeds are faster. So switch to this and run. Switch to start a swing, then switch to another weapon for it's effect.
- Third weapon: this weapon snares/roots the enemy when it lands. Very important for controlling enemies.
- Fourth weapon: this weapon heals you. There aren't many powerups/heals in this game, so use this to keep your health up.
- Fifth weapon: this weapon gives you mana. Once you have enough mana, you can cast spells with E. Each weapon casts a different spell.
- There's no autolock. So don't focus on a single enemy. Dance around them, roll, snare them, and wear them down. Lots of other games already do autolock. I'm experimenting with a new type of combat, but it does take a bit of practice to get used to it.

Sound design for the game is very rudimentary in the Early Access version, but will be improve.

Story and Lore will exist in a basic form for the Early Access version. It will be sufficient to provide the Player with some basic plot. The Story and Lore of Slaveblade will be flushed out fully in the upcoming months and completed for the full version.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Roughly 7 months.”

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

“The full version will have better calibrated game play. The primary reason for Early Access is to get player and community feedback on game play details. Slaveblade should increase in difficulty, and should grow in step with the player's skill level.

The full version will have richer sound design elements. Early access has functional sound design but isn't especially thoughtful or deep. The full version will do a better job of creating ambience and immersion.

The full version will have a completed Story, and Lore for the world of Slaveblade. Early access won't have much of this. It will contain some rudimentary scaffolding but won't be too deep.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“It is a complete, playable game designed to challenge the player's combat skills with multiple difficulty settings. For further details, please refer to "Why Early Access?" and "How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?" for more details on project goals.”

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

“No.”

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

“I'd love to iteratively add features based on community feedback. Part of my intention of doing early access is to loop the community in so that I can get immediate feedback on what they like and don't like.”