I've been following this game since about 2.0 time (yes i know i just made my forum account I'm just a huge lurker) and I've come to understand that the games updates are few and far between but it does feel a bit excessive of a gap. I follow other content creators who update more frequently, weather or not they have even done anything. In a way updating more from what I can tell by looking at other creators is that it also tends to build a bigger fan base even if you don't say much all but just give small hints and previews every now and then, even if its just a bunch of code or really crappy models. I do feel like it would be nice to know if the dev hasn't died or anything, just breaths fresh air into the project every now and then in my opinion.

indeed ...

here is an exemple of a very good communication :
https://www.factorio.com/blog/

1 Post per week, sometimes the post is very technical, sometimes it shows "only" screenshots.
But the community have some news every week, the hype is kept.

If you feel you don't have much to say every week, maybe twice a month should be good but you have to do it.

I didn't say anything here for more than a year because there's nothing to say as a end-user, I felt like I just had to wait patiently.
But like many others, I think, you must communicate, post updates regulary or you'll go the wall

Tout a fait d accord.
I agree totally

Ditto, for this whole post. I imagine 2D top-down games are a little easier to produce than 3D games (though I've never personally produced either, so I don't know the specifics).

Whatever the case, it has to be tough with just one person on such an ambitious project. Try calling in some help, xpadmin. If something's happened or happening that's stopping you from being productive, let the community know (you don't need to give specifics), I have no doubt that they/we can help in some way. I'm personally willing to set aside some time for free to do whatever I can for this great project, and I'm sure the same goes for everyone else here. I'm not great with coding - I'm sure others are - but perhaps you need graphics for the UI? Perhaps some textures need colour-correcting or you want to brand the whole thing. Maybe you need help with the website? I can help with that.

As I've said before - you don't owe us this game (you don't owe anyone anything), but everyone here has met you halfway by checking in regularly, spreading the word, getting involved on the forums and paying money for the games you've produced, as well as giving very insightful feedback on bugs and improvements - they've given you their money and their time and all this community wants is some brief updates and a rough, ballpark timeframe on when you think you'll be nearly ready to complete 4.0. This is not much to ask (in my opinion).

I do have some faith left, but really hope this project isn't dead, it would be a shame to see it die.

The project is not dead however building your own engine takes time and alot of it but the payoffs in the end is you can add in whatever features you need and not be restricted to pre built engines

The hardest part of doing anything is figuring it out and this is what they are having to do
I know from my own modding experience that it takes 2 - 99 x times longer to figure out how to do something
then you have to make it and usually find a better way after and have to remake it again

They are like me and don't like to show off work until it is finished or at least know that it will work
I hate sharing ideas and getting people excited until i know for certain that i can do it or it will work

So just give them time to do their thing and when there is something solid to show im sure they will
Like last time they came out with their new lighting screenshots and they looked awesome

We hear you Eskarn but those principles arent incompatible with keeping your community in the loop or at least aware of what you re working on.

90 % of the people are fully aware this might take quite a while and we re not being spoiled child... We re just interested in knowing what s going on because the previous versions of the game made us all very happy.

Nothing more.

I appreciate this project is ambitious, time consuming, frustrating, a huge learning curve. However, knowing that doesn't give us anything. If anything, with all due respect, your post has only helped to solidify the doubt in my mind that anything's happening.

It really would not be difficult at all for xpadmin to get online and say something like:

Day 365: Boy, coding is a struggle. I'm only half way through writing the code for character 3. Character 1 and character 2 took 6 weeks each! This might not be ready until at least February or March of 2018.

Day 372: OK, I appear to have found a snag. This is where my knowledge is limited. Check the Github page or the Coding Help Wanted board for more info on how to get involved.

Day 379: Phew! Finally got over the snag, found some cool new techniques to show off the new shaders, check out these screenshots...

Day 386: Some more screens, this time showing off some of the models we'll be using, and our new Character Creation UI.

And so on.

Building a new game and a new engine must be tough, but keeping people interested and updated is not. Give xpadmin a nudge if you can and ask him to get someone to write updates for him if he's too busy to keep a basic diary. I'm sure he can multitask, so perhaps he can talk and code at the same time while someone takes notes.

IIT0NE you talk about last step there, first they most make the engines before they can start at creating characters and so.

In any games development, It's always the art pass that takes the longest.

They bought their characters and assets.

I understand, this was just an example of the style of communication that xpadmin could employ. If you check the first page of this thread, you'll see screenshots of the engine they said they were using, which is already built. Xpadmin wrote "We are currently developing a character creator...". Are they? If so, where is it? As far as I've been led to believe recently, they're now still working on the engine, but they've given shots of a completed engine with assets already rendered. WTF IS HAPPENING?

Xpadmin also wrote "I will however update on the state of the development more frequently."



So where are they?