Why Early Access?

“PlayFortress is a new type of castle building game designed around the way medieval castles were constructed. The player controls a number of characters such as the Master Mason, who was responsible for designing the castle, hiring the workers; managing the resources and overseeing the construction of the castle. The Engineer is used to terraform the landscape (earthworks, moats and castle mottes), whilst the Lord manages the overall objectives (the castle economy).

To make this new type of castle builder requires trying out different things (such as the castle creation and customisation tools within the Mason Mode). Therefore it’s vital we receive feedback from the community on the features we have and those we plan to add (to be announced on the forums).”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We estimate around 12 months, however the final time will depend upon the feedback we get from the Community.”

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

“We plan to release regular updates that will add new features, content, optimisations and bug fixes.

There are several features that we already have in development including:

• Engineer Mode that will introduce terraforming of landscape (e.g. for moats).
  
• Buildings system that supports changing a building’s size (width and number of floors) and the building’s appearance
  
• Lord Mode that shows the buildings as they are being built.

We plan to keep adding new features to the Creative (freebuild) mode such as stairs, buttresses and defensive spurs, whilst adding further content (more types of crenellations, roofs, arrow loops and so on).

The overall scope of the game play is to have three modes:

• Freebuild (creative).
  
• Semi-Freebuild with basic resource management.
  
• Strategy (single mission and campaign mode).
  
  • Manage resources such as stone, wood and workers (resources are either mined or purchased).
    
  • Place castle structures and watch them build. Assign workers to control the building rate. Demolish buildings (this occurs a penalty).
    
  • Carry out earthworks: flatten areas, create moats etc.
    
  • Place buildings to influence the AI controlled non-player characters i.e. villagers and workers (it is necessary to attract workers to build the economy).
    
  • Manage the construction over a number of game years, ensure the castle is protected during winter months (when it’s not possible to build).
    
    Missions are complete when a castle is built that fulfills a number of objectives, typically these are: the castle’s defensive capability; the size of the economy built; and the castle’s grandeur (these vary for each mission).

Additionally sharing user created content will be important for the replayability of the game (via Steam Workshop). Other features we would like to include are castle interiors and a mode to allow users to walk around the castle.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The first release of PlayFortress includes a creative (freebuild) mode. The player can place down and manipulate castle keeps, freestanding towers and gatehouses. Additional towers and forebuildings can be connected (grouped) to the castle pieces. Walls can be snapped to other castle objects, the walls will follow the shape of the landscape and can be bent to form curved walls.

The crenellation style, roof styles and gatehouse entrance type (and type of stone) can be changed. Windows, doors, arrow loops and other objects (such as shields) can be attached to the castles.

There are also a range of objects that can be placed within the level such as buildings, statues and market stalls. There are currently 10 landscape areas to chose from,”

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

“The price will not change when we leave Early Access.”

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

“We plan to use the the forums within our Steam store page to gather user feedback. We will also use our website, social media channels and the forums to announce updates and proposed new features.”