I've got some good news today about the upcoming demo release for Hardcourt Balls. Read on to find out more about when, how and what it will be, plus some additional info about an upcoming FAQ and Live Stream event.
First though, as always - if you haven't already, please wishlist Hardcourt Balls. Wishlists increase the chances that Steam will show the game to other likeminded players. It's hard enough to find good tennis partners in real life, let's ensure that the player base for Hardcore Balls for the future multiplayer league is enormous :)
So, the important stuff first. The demo for Hardcourt Balls will be released later in July as a standalone free to play game called Hardcourt Balls - Qualifiers. You can already find the demo page here:
I intend to keep the demo up indefinitely due to the novel game concept which, quite frankly, is best experienced rather than explained I think, and so a separate demo page made sense.
The demo will of course have some restrictions, the largest of it being:
• Tournaments have been disabled entirely in the demo, which means you will only be able to play Exhibition matches. This is really the one biggest limitation in the demo, and it has several consequences.
For one, you won't experience the thrill of beating strong players in a knockout round to fight your way through to the final to play against the best. Surviving several rounds through a tight tie break to get into the final is a rush, trust me on that!
On a more tangible note, the lack of tournaments means that one of the largest funding sources for your player is gone. Exhibitions simply pay too little, even if you win against a strong player. This in turn directly limits your ability to hire coaches and develop your skills and abilities in the demo. Which means that it's a great way to learn the basics, but once you start playing in earnest, you really should switch to the full version.
Another reason is that any player progress in the demo will not transfer over to the full game. You will have to start fresh.
I should also mention that the demo will be for Windows only on release. I do plan to add support for Mac and Linux eventually, but didn't want to delay the demo while working on those.
Working on the demo gave me the opportunity to focus on a few things the full game lacked so far during beta, namely tutorials, a few introductory help screens when you launch for the very first time, and in the backend a few bug fixes and a little bit of anti-cheat hardening.
10 video tutorials are available in the game and cover all important aspects of the game mechanics. They're 1 minute or less each and I strongly recommend new players to watch all of them first.
I've added a few simple help overlays for first time players to guide you a little bit on what to do when you launch the demo. Nothing complicated but hopefully enough to get over the initial "what do I do next" phase. I'm definitely open for feedback on what else to add (or remove).
And for those pesky bugs, I've made it easy to report them by hitting F1 and filling out a short form right within the game. Feel free to use that for general feedback, too, of course.
I haven't talked much about this so far, even though it's a really cool game mode. One of the reasons why I was somewhat silent about it is because I've been chasing several pesky bugs and wasn't really sure if Replay Mode would make the cut, at least for the initial release. Wrapping up the demo I decided to give it another go, which delayed the demo release a bit, but seems to have been worth it. Latest playtesting looks promising!
Replay Mode allows you to watch your most recent match in "real-time". It's fun to watch!
Currently, Replays are not saved beyond the current game, but it's definitely a feature I can see implementing if there is enough interest. Imagine keeping a reels gallery of your best career games! Already has been requested by testers, in fact.
The demo is currently in what I would consider late stage testing. Main focus is on the replay mode and we'll need a few days to confirm if it's holding up. So I foresee to be able to submit the demo for Steam to review and approve for release in the next week or two.
Why no firm release date?
Since this is my first time going through this process, I don't want to promise a specific day only to have to move it because of a delay or changes that I need to make. So let's just aim for later this month and keep an eye out for an announcement that it's live or about to go live in this space!
Together with the demo, I'm planning to release a couple more things.
I've been gathering the most frequently asked questions from play testers and early reviewers and compiled them into a FAQ that you will be able to find in the Steam Discussion Board once the demo is live. (Of course, feel free to post your own questions there, too!) The FAQ will cover a lot of things, from basic gameplay questions to deeper tactics considerations. I will also explain the thinking behind some of the more unusual design decisions, such as "why does a Return skill affect my serve?" or "why is there no speed skill?".
Last but not least, I'll host the obligatory live stream when the demo is out; to showcase the game, explain the base mechanics, maybe even talk some tactics and answer any questions from you guys.
Oh, and please don't forget to wishlist Hardcourt Balls if you haven't already! Much appreciated!