Why Early Access?

“Lots of reasons.
1: Community: I want to talk to players about my game, make it better, and incorporate your feedback.
2: Motivation: I've been coding this game as a solo dev for 8+ months, and I'm very eager to share it with everyone. Getting feedback from players to confirm or correct my development path will be very helpful in getting this game completed.
3: Polish and Quality of life features: The game is playable where it is at, but the game is not ready to be called "Complete". Early Access allows me to share my game while also letting potential players know to expect a flaw or three, provide feedback, and anticipate updates.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I think getting this game to "1.0" status is going to take another year, no definitive date has been set. There is a lot I want to add to the game, as well as a lot of features the game currently lacks. Key examples are better settings menus, frame rate performance, and better end-game content. As a solo developer, while I plan to release updates regularly, those features are going to take time.”

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

“1. End game: The game currently has 6 bosses and you win when you defeat all 6. I would like there to be a more story-driven ending to the game, like building a colony ship, or terreform the planet.
2. More New Game+. Currently, there are some NG+ features to add more replayability, but they are simple compared to what I want for this game.
3. Performance. The game can currently handle 10 to 20 thousand belts and 50 to 60 thousand items and remain at least playable. But with additional performance improvements, I hope to double or more the size of factories people can build.
4. Quality and polish. The game is missing some standard menu features like key binding and a better tutorial. Items that need feedback from players and iteration from me.
5. And more. I'm very open to feedback, and I'm sure there will be more ideas from the community that will turn into must-haves.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current game is playable and enjoyable if you like factory games. It has a rudimentary tutorial system and all the core game mechanics are in place.

Currently in the game:
* 80+ Buildings and items.
* Factory game mechanics.
* Tower Defense game mechanics.
* 6 bosses, each unlocking their own technology tier.
* 7 turrets and multiple ammo options for each
* 12 Mob types and 6 different mob abilities
* Support for bases spanning thousand+ blocks
* Procedurally generated maps
* New Game + point system, 4 NG+ options to make the game easier, and 4 to add more challenges.

Beating the game will likely take most players 20+ hours, and there is a New Game+ option for players who want to keep going.”

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

“My plan is for the game to remain the same price during and after Early Access.”

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

“Please join my discord server and give us your feedback! You can find links to our discord on the Steam store page, as well as within the game itself. This is the primary way to communicate with me or others about the game. I'm specifically looking for help identifying bugs, suggesting features that make the game more fun like buildings or mechanics that should be in the game, or better new game + options for long-term players.”