Why Early Access?

“Lords of the Darkreign is currently in a playable position, where the player can enter a campaign, progress through it, and achieve either victory or defeat. Battles currently use the auto-resolve system, where each side may choose a tactic, which effects the performance of their soldiers in the final resulting computation. However, there are several planned features that are not yet included, such as:

Manual Battles: Where the player lord takes to the battlefield themselves, with more traditional gameplay

More Character Customization: Such as customizing Lord appearance, and their stats relevant to Manual Battles.

Multiplayer: This is a feature we would like to include in some format, such as drop-in or dedicated campaign multiplayer, but the scope and methods of doing so are still being considered.

Though we intend to complete each of these goals before a full release, the reality of development may force us to change or omit some so these features. This is why we have decided to release the game in Early Access, to gain player feedback on the current state of the game, as well as each individual feature as they are developed.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We expect the game to release fully several months to a year after the early access release, when we expect the additional features described to be implemented. Please be aware that these are estimations, however, and things may change as we flesh out the game. Though we fully intend to add these features and finish the game, the realities of development may prevent some or all of these goals from being accomplished.”

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

“For the full version of the game, we plan to add several more features, such as:

-Aesthetic lord customization
-Manual battles
-Multiplayer in some format
-More art/replacing placeholder art.

As I am a single developer, this will take some time, and some features may change or be dropped as we continue development. Please consider the current state of the game before making a purchase, as this is the only thing we can truly promise at this time.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The early access version of Lords of the Darkreign already contains the core features of the game. The army lists and lord characters are already featured, as well as custom-battle and campaign modes. The quick-battle feature in particular utilizes many statistics for each individual soldier when producing a result, allowing for much more nuanced computations than many other auto-resolve mechanics in similar games.”

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

“Yes, Lords of the Darkreign will likely double or triple in price as more features are added, leading up to release. The current price represents an easy jump-in point for players who are interested in the game's development, and are content with the current feature set. If you would like to play a more completely featured game, albeit with a higher price, then the later iterations of the game will likely be more to your liking.”

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

“As a single developer, it is crucial to gain access to a sizeable player base, to iron out issues that I simply cannot foresee with my own testing. To that end, the community will be instrumental in identifying issues to be resolved, as well as testing how the game reacts to different hardware and software combinations. Additionally, feedback on the balance of the factions, soldiers, and lords involved with the game will also be crucial to delivering the best possible release version, when all the intended features are finished.”