Why Early Access?

“Lordum Bizi Kurtar! is being developed by a solo developer. Rather than releasing the game directly as a finished product, I want to use Early Access to improve and refine it with feedback from a broader group of players.

Player feedback will help me identify issues that may be difficult to discover during development alone, particularly in areas such as balance, combat, siege preparation, AI behaviour, progression, and the interaction between the game's different systems.

My goal during Early Access is to regularly improve the game while preserving its core concept: preparing a castle for an approaching siege and experiencing the consequences of those preparations when the battle begins.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“My current estimate is approximately 3 to 6 months. However, this may change depending on player feedback, technical issues, balancing needs, and the amount of additional refinement required before I consider the game ready for a full release.

I would rather keep the game in Early Access for longer if necessary than leave important systems unfinished or insufficiently polished.”

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

“The full version is planned to expand upon the systems and content already available during Early Access rather than fundamentally changing the core gameplay loop.

I plan to add and expand story events, quests, character interactions and consequences, diplomacy and political interactions, siege strategies and doctrines, defensive options, research and building development choices, and the variety of situations that can occur during the preparation period and the siege itself.

I also plan to expand the ways the game's unique heroes can influence the story and the defense of the castle, while adding more opportunities for player decisions to create different strategic and narrative outcomes.

Alongside new and expanded content, Early Access development will focus heavily on balancing resources and progression, improving combat feel, refining army and enemy AI behaviour, optimizing performance during large siege battles, improving the user interface, and increasing overall stability and polish.

The exact scope of these additions may change depending on development progress and player feedback, but the goal for the full release is a broader, better-balanced, more polished, and more replayable version of the Early Access experience.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current build already contains the core gameplay loop of preparing Derinchai Castle for an approaching siege and then taking part in the battle that follows.

Current gameplay systems include castle and resource management, soldier training and upgrades, building development, a research tree, defensive preparation and fortification, strategic army management, unit positioning and attack commands, diplomacy, siege strategy doctrines, character abilities, and third-person combat that allows the player to directly control the Lord during battles.

Players can also design and produce their own catapults, with the properties of their components affecting the resulting siege weapon, prepare and place defensive equipment, create their own banner, and make strategic decisions that can influence the defense of the castle and the approaching enemy forces.

The game currently features 16 unique heroes. Each has their own story, personality, events, and gameplay effects, and the player's decisions regarding these characters can influence the preparation for and outcome of the siege.

The current build also includes story-driven quests and events, internal unrest and loyalty-related situations, mysteries and events that can be investigated or resolved, animated narrative sequences, and decision-based consequences that connect the management and story portions of the game with the siege itself.

These systems are already part of the playable game, although balance, AI behaviour, combat feel, performance during large battles, interface presentation, content variety, and overall stability are still being improved and refined.”

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

“I currently do not plan to change the base price of the game between Early Access and the full release.

However, development plans can change. If I decide to change the base price in the future, I will communicate that decision clearly to the community in advance.”

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

“I plan to regularly review player feedback submitted through the game as well as suggestions, opinions, and bug reports sent through the project's dedicated contact channels.

Recurring issues, balance problems, technical problems, and feedback concerning systems that negatively affect the player experience will be prioritized when planning updates. I also want to pay particular attention to how players approach castle preparation, which strategies they use during sieges, which systems feel useful or underdeveloped, and where the game becomes confusing or unnecessarily frustrating.

Early Access is not intended only as a period for fixing bugs. I want player experiences to help guide balancing, usability improvements, refinement of existing mechanics, and decisions about which parts of the game would benefit most from additional development.”