Why Early Access?

“An ambitious project like Tales of Autumn can easily go wildly off track! I'm keen for as much community involvement as possible to help make my passion project a success!

I'm a solo developer and Tales of Autumn is my first real project. As such, it contains a whole host of ideas that I've had rattling around for about a decade, so couple that with my tendency to over complicate things, and I find myself very reliant on player feedback.

I've been grinding away everyday before the day job since December 2020, and have been really grateful for the playtesters I've had so far! Each session with early access players has resulted in quality of life changes that I've implemented back into the core game.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“A lot depends on how the alpha builds are received, but assuming I don't have to completely rewrite the whole thing, I anticipate I'll be ready for the full release within three months”

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

“My primary vision for animals and the main gameplay loop are all complete, and I'm now just finessing them as I get feedback. The main features I'm adding during the alpha are fishing, mining and a Tabletop RPG night.

Aside from that, I plan on just adding more of everything - more music, more events into the calendar, more townsfolk and dialogue, more music, and new areas with new animals in them.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The core gameplay is done, and you can actually 'win' the game already. As above, I just have a lot more planned! Locally Mac and Windows builds each run smoothly, and I plan to run the Alpha on both.

The primary farming features of animals (over 70 species!), crops, interacting with townsfolk, crafting are all done, along with four primary festivals, the world map, stores, and just shy of 100 cutscenes.”

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

“When I feel the game is polished enough, and I've added all my intended content, I will hit the release button and probably raise the price slight.

My intention with the project was to complete it as a way of fulfilling a life goal, and breaking into the industry.

Giving Tales of Autumn a modest price tag is my way of potentially going full time in the future, as well as baring a badge of quality. If people like it, I've got tonnes of ideas planned that I would love to keep adding in without charging extra - major and minor updates will always be free!”

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

“Community feedback is extremely important to me, and I've already made a lot of gameplay changes based on pre-alpha testers. I welcome all feedback on the general mechanics, changes to the content, and ideas for future updates! I'll endeavour to get every change that makes sense in before the full release.

I've created a Discord server for us to chat on and share ideas, or you can get me directly over email if that's your preference!”