Greetings, Wyndfinders!
This post is well overdue, and for that I apologize and offer my thanks to anyone still checking in! The closed playtest got us through the first hurdles - new players on new machines trying to install the game, always finds some weird ones, and I am so grateful to the folks over the Cat Lord discord who have not only gone through that process, but who continued to play and give feedback. So many great ideas, improvements, and bug fixes came from that process, and I’m really excited to announce that I’m working to open that playtest up!
As part of the inclusion of The Wyndfinder into the Party Based RPG Fest this week, I’ll be turning on the Playtest signups to the public. My goal will be to have that live by mid-October.
Signups and Wishlists here!
Here’s the current plan, based on how things are going:
Mid-September. Party RPG Fest, Open Playtest Signups
Mid-October. Open Playtest launches
January 2027: Open Playtest leads the game from Alpha to Beta, and the build goes up as Demo
June 2027: Steam Next Fest
August 2027: Early Access Launches with Act I
The primary shift here is to an Early Access launch in 2027. I had been hoping and planning to be done, but the definition of Done has shifted a bit, and I’m hoping that I can accomplish some things with the EA launch that will make the eventual 1.0 release the best version possible.
Localization. With the volume of text, this is going to be an expensive process, especially as I’m going to insist that the No-AI ethos of Cat Lord Games is followed by whomever is doing the localization work. I want to launch with as much support for as many players around the world as possible.
Voice Over Barks. While I do not intend for full VO recordings, I do want simple barks. These are the small vocalizations that characters make when dialogue starts, or when you select them, that sort of thing. You can see what I’m aiming for in Baldur’s Gate 1, that level of “here is what they sound like, your brain can fill in the rest” to round out the narrative experience.
Here’s what I need to get done before opening the Playtest:
Reimagining character death. I’ve redesigned the system for death/revival, and I’m really excited about it. It feels fresh, and is taking some work to get right. Looking forward to sharing more in the next update.
Dialogue system improvements. During character creation, you select your Wyndfinder’s personality. This currently shows up in Banter, but it isn’t really done until the dialogue system gracefully incorporates this into the experience. Your dialogue choices will reflect your chosen personality, without forcing you into a linear experience. Really happy with how this feels so far but I want to make sure the Playtest delivers the intent so I can get good feedback.
Richer branching in the Quest System. This is coming along nicely. Between this and the Dialogue changes, the Role Playing experience is really starting to come together. I want the game to deliver that feeling of being able to discover quests and progress in ways that feel natural to what your Wyndfinder is supposed to be about. Pick the lock and sneak into the room where a later quest will guide you, that should allow you to experience that content in a different way.
All of these features have been designed, and are in various stages of implementation, at least enough to prototype them and feel confident that I’m on the right track. Now, the work of digging in one feature at a time can start.
In addition to the feature development, the artwork is continuing to come in, and the cast of NPCs is beginning to come together nicely!
Thank you again, so much, for your patience over the last six weeks. Taking stock of progress, and making sure my plans and dreams match reality is a key part of managing and maintaining a large project over the course of years. Having the game be the absolute best I can make it will always be the goal.
Scott