Why Early Access?

“Cepheus Protocol is our first studio release and is quite an ambitious game. We felt it was important to get feedback from our community the moment we felt there was something worth playing. We began early access with a game that is very different then the one that people are playing today, and this is mostly due to the feedback that players gave us over the past couple of years. Furthermore, as a small indie studio, early access allowed us to start generating income on Cepheus Protocol, which helps fund the development of the game. It is the early support of our fans that have gotten us this far, as early access is a brilliant way to have open and honest communications with the gaming community.

How often do we update the community?
We update our community on a constant basis. We have a developer Discord channel where leads post updates and news weekly. We also frequently host podcasts where we go over every major update and change that has been made to Cepheus Protocol. We also get community feedback and input on what new features they would like added and have an open discussion with them through posts or through podcasts. We never like to leave our community in the dark for more than a day or two without some bit of news about what is happening with the development of Cepheus Protocol.

How often do we update?
We release minor bug fixes and general updates on a regular basis, at least once a week, if not more. Often times we’ll release hotfixes as they are needed or when our community points out issues that are affecting their ability to play Cepheus Protocol. And since we are in Early Access, we release significant updates every month or two. Additionally, we release these updates in our experimental build of the game available on Steam, where the community can test out changes and new mechanics and systems without impacting the main game. When these changes are deemed workable for the general public, we then release these larger updates to the core game, where we continue to take in feedback and suggestions – constantly reiterating the process until everything is working to the level we are aiming for.

Major updates can take much longer to release. For example, we focus our core development on builds such as 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4, with 1.4 us seeing as the end of Pandemic Mode. Within each of these builds of the game, different aspects of gameplay, systems, and mechanics are required. And since we are a very small team, implementing new features such as civilian management, factions, the San Francisco city zone, new animations, weapons, vehicles, character models, and more can take some time to be finished. More often than not, there is only one person working on these features in the game. Nevertheless, we always make sure to provide previews of what we are doing, and even our developers will go on Discord and live stream what they are working on.

As a particular build comes closer to being finished, we like to bring our community in as we show off what we’ve been working on and put the update to our test build on Steam. After a few days or weeks, we collect all the information that our community has given us and see what changes or fixes need to be made. Furthermore, we are constantly testing the game ourselves as we try to get ahead of significant issues before the public ever sees them.

Minor updates such as bug fixing we try to get out as quickly as possible, although, with limited staff, it can take some time, depending on how serious the bug is, for it to be fixed and patched. But, if we are taking too much time to get it fixed, we make sure to let our community know and thank them for their support and patience.

It should also be understood that there are always unforeseen events that impact our development. These can be simple things like engine changes or updates to the engine that mess up our development, other new software that has to be learned and implemented, developer illness or people leaving the team, and any hundred other factors that are part of daily life and game development. Nevertheless, we always strive to keep Cepheus Protocol on track and our community informed about what is happening.

Our next major update is 1.2, which will include one of the biggest changes to the game with the inclusion of civilian management. This addition has taken months to get right, and we feel it will significantly change the dynamic nature of the open world and how the player tackles the game. Once 1.2 is fully released, we will be moving on to update 1.3, which will take another couple of months to finish and will bring back a revamped faction system for the game. Finally, 1.4, we see as the end of Pandemic Mode, which we want to have done by 2024. This will include the main San Francisco city area, and all previous features of the game included, allowing us time to polish and refine the overall look and feel of Cepheus Protocol.

What is After 1.4 Update?
With Pandemic Mode finished and all systems and mechanics finalized, the game is polished, and significant issues such as pathfinding, AI, and other issues taken care of, we will begin working on the main game, which includes the story campaign. This element will take place within the areas that are included in Pandemic Mode but will feature missions that are closed, indoor, outdoor, and special operator modes with the story at its core. It is expected to take a year of development for the campaign to be finished, with its first major release update in 2025.

We will also work on other game features such as co-op, multiplayer, horde mode, and special operator modes at this time as well. These modes require the main game to be finalized with all systems and features included and working as they are meant to be. In addition, we’ll always be working to fix bugs, glitches, and other major areas that impact the performance and enjoyment of Cepheus Protocol.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Generally, we want to keep Cepheus Protocol in Early Access as long as it needs to be. The whole point of going into Early Access was to work with our community to build a better game. We’ve come a long way since day one, but still have a long way to go before the game is to the point it can be taken out of Early Access. Nevertheless, our target date to leave Early Access is somewhere around 2024. However, remember that we are a small team with a lot of work left to do. And while we hope to grow our team in the next couple of years, we must plan for what we have to work with right now. If things change for the better and we can speed development up, we’ll leave early access sooner. However, we don’t want to leave until we are certain Cepheus Protocol is ready.”

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

“The full version of Cepheus Protocol will feature the following: Pandemic Mode, which is the current iteration of the game that is playable now. Story/Campaign, co-op, multiplayer, Horde Mode, and Special Operations.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“We are currently in the process of finishing update 1.2, which features civilian management.”

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

“The price of the game will change when it leaves Early Access. What the new cost will be is going to be determined at a later date. We will, of course, inform our community of the price change when it happens. Those that have bought the game during Early Access will not have to pay any additional cost as their copy will be updated to the release build. It should also be understood that we will continue to support the game’s development with additional content that will be charged separately from the main game; these include DLCs, skins, special items, and other related content to the game. These updates will be considered separate from the main game and will be charged differently while not being offered free to those that bought Cepheus Protocol during Early Access.”

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

“From the moment Cepheus Protocol entered Early Access, we have involved our community in the development of the game. Currently, we interact with the community through Steam and our official Discord Channel. On Steam, we answer posts that anyone has left and speak to those that have left reviews of the game – namely negative reviews. We aren’t interested in asking them to change their review as we mostly want to know why they felt a negative review was warranted and how we can improve the game. On Discord, we post announcements regularly, answer questions, live stream developer work, post artwork, models, animations, and other updates, and host podcasts where the community can hear directly from the developers and have their questions answered in a live format. We are also open to other means of communication, such as private DMs or emails through the company email.”