Why Early Access?

“I am a solo developer with a day job. I am making this game as a labor of love, and I want to involve other people who love the original inspiration for this game as much as I do.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“3-6 months.”

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

“I hope that the game will be fully internationalized and incorporate features like Steam Achievements, with high scores maintained in the cloud, but I do not plan to do a multiplayer version or deviate much from the gameplay already supported.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The game is in good alpha shape. A complete game can be played, from start to finish and with player evaluation at the end. High scores are not currently being recorded. 4 enemies are implemented. 18 powerups are implemented, with another 16 on the roadmap. 6 asteroid types are implemented. A lot of effort has gone into eliminating stutters and pauses, and the game is very fluid. The game still crashes very infrequently. Options setting is working but buggy, and I will need to refactor the way this is done. Icons for the powerups and asteroid types need to be reworked since I am a bad artist; I have hired a professional artist to do this. Sound effects are pretty basic, and there is very little music. I have hired a professional musician to provide better, and more, music and sound effects. The in-game UI is a work in progress, but it is adequate for the moment. Again, this is something my professional artist will help me with. There is no tutorial in-game; this is something I want to create before release. My focus has been on stability, fluidity, and gameplay, and in this respect the game is in very good shape currently.”

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

“Early Access price will be significantly lower than final price to reflect the current state of the game and the expectation that Early Access players will be participating in the development of the game.”

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

“The community will have an active hand in guiding the development of the game. I had a very specific vision of this game but I want to be able to ultimately shape the game to better please the fan base I think is out there for this genre. I intend to ask a lot of questions about gameplay and the overall state of the game to the community, e.g. should there be other enemies? What sorts of powerups would you like to see? Is the game too difficult, or not difficult enough? Should there be more or less story in the game? I believe that there is a specific constituency for this game, and I want to use the community to gather this constituency and serve it in a cooperative spirit.”