Tactical Breach Wizards News

For anyone who didn't see our recent tweet yet, here's how you opt in to our new beta:

https://twitter.com/BreachWizards/status/1538198269524049921

This next batch of testers we let in will be the last, and it might be a long time before our next beta.

We've also recently released a new trailer, and updated our Steam page to better reflect what you do in between missions.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Cheers!

Tom

Wizards are cool, there's no denying it. But we have so much wizard content to choose from, what sets Tactical Breach Wizards apart? Wizard with a gun, alright, I've put down my newspaper, you have my atten—Wizards with guns that shoot non lethal bullets, rebelling against an oppressive society in a Shadowrun-style mashup of fantasy and tacticool? Alright, now we're cooking with gas...
Read more.

We have a new beta ready for testing, and this time it should be extra-easy to sign up and get playing. We're using Steam's new Playtest feature, where you just click a button on our store page to tell us you're up for it, and when we're ready we click a button to let a random selection of you in.

The beta's ready now and we plan to let a small batch in first, to make sure our analytics stuff is working OK, then we'll open it up to about 1,000 testers.

If you fancy it, head to our store page now and click 'Request Access'. When we start letting people in, Steam will choose folks randomly and notify them. You won't need a Steam key, it'll just pop up in your games library if you get in.

If you're on the fence, here's a new trailer! If you've already decided you want in, you might want to skip it - we don't spoil any story, but we play through some puzzles you'll face.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

As mentioned, we're looking for a composer - here are the details if you're interested.

[h3]When does the beta end?[/h3]
In about 3 weeks' time!

[h3]I haven't heard anything, did I not get in?[/h3]
We'll be letting people in in several waves, so if the beta hasn't ended yet, you still might!

[h3]Will it work on Mac or Linux?[/h3]
Windows only I'm afraid.

[h3]Can I stream/video/screenshot/talk about the beta once I'm in?[/h3]
Yep! You also have our permission to monetize the video content you make.

[h3]I was on a previous beta, do I need to sign up again?[/h3]
Yes, if you want in! This is separate.

[h3]Is Jen not a cop anymore?[/h3]
That's right, she's a private investigator now. Jen's the one we previously referred to as 'Witch Cop', though she was an ex-cop from the moment the game began. There's never been a version of the game where your team are working for any kind of enforcement organisation, but the name and look of that character were making it hard to get that across.

The cop version of her story had other problems: if her issues with her department had no bearing on real world ones, it felt evasive and uncritical. If they did relate to real world issues, it became an unpleasantly real reminder of traumatic stuff that felt out of place with the lighter elements of the game.



So in the latest draft of the story, she's a PI who's never worked for the police, and she has a new backstory about how she got into that line of work. The job change affects a few things about where she is emotionally at the start of the game, but aside from that she's the same character: the one you don't know or love because we never actually showed any story stuff before now.

Obviously there's been a million other changes, but since this one relates to something visible, we thought it was worth giving the full context for it.

[h3]When's the game out?[/h3]
Dunno! Make sure you've got it wishlisted, then you can be as chill as we are about the towering cloud of uncertainty looming over our working lives.

Update: the keys are all gone now - if you missed all three batches, follow us on Twitter and get on our mailing list, we'll announce any future tests in both places. Or if you just want to be told when the game's out, wishlist it!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/Tactical_Breach_Wizards/

Original post:
We've just opened sign-ups for our second batch of keys to our ongoing beta. To opt-in, you need to be on our mailing list. If you're already on it, you'll have a link to 'Update your preferences' in any recent mail from us - we sent one on Monday, or you'll also have it in your sign-up confirmation. Click that and you'll see a new option to opt-in.

If you're just signing up now, you'll see the option to opt-in on the sign-up page.



The beta is Windows-only. We'll remove this option once all the keys are taken, so if you don't see it, that's why.

If you missed this batch, we'll be giving out one last batch soon, and this time we'll put the notice out on Twitter, so follow us there for your best shot: @BreachWizards

If you did manage to opt-in, and it was before we ran out of keys, you should receive it in about a day. The beta will last around two weeks.

More info on what's in the beta in our original announcement.

Update: the keys are all gone now - if you missed all three batches, follow us on Twitter and get on our mailing list, we'll announce any future tests in both places. Or if you just want to be told when the game's out, wishlist it!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/Tactical_Breach_Wizards/

Original post:
We're about to start our first ever test of Tactical Breach Wizards outside of the dev team, and we're going to give out Steam keys for it in three batches, so that followers in different places all get a chance.

• The first batch will go to folks on our mailing list; you need to be on this anyway to get a key
  
• For the second, we'll be telling those who Follow the game on Steam first - you'll get an e-mail with instructions if you are
  
• And for the last, we'll be tweeting when they're available from @BreachWizards on Twitter
  

In each case, it'll be first-come first-served, and if you're on all three you've got three chances to grab one before they're gone. A few more details about how it'll work at the bottom of this post.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

This test is a short, spoiler-free prototype with 3 missions of combat that let you play with various combinations of 3 different wizards. The early encounters are small and puzzle-y - we present you with a tricky situation, and you figure out how to use your character's unique talents to solve it. Later encounters become messier and a little more dynamic, with new enemies arriving each turn. One of the main goals of this test is to learn what kinds of encounters players like and want to see more of. The only dialogue is silly placeholder stuff, just to show where the real dialogue will go.

This prototype also comes with a level editor and Steam Workshop support, because why not. The level editor is the same one we use, and it's very quick and simple to build a room and test it. Workshop support is something we'll want eventually anyway, so we did it early to let us also see what kinds of player-created stuff people make and like most.

So, when we have a batch of keys ready, we'll announce it on the relevant channel, and you'll be told how to opt in. All keys will ultimately be sent via our mailing list, so you need to be on that to participate. We won't give one person more than one key. Beta keys don't get you the final game. It's Windows only for now. We'll probably close down the beta at some point, not sure when, we'll see how it goes.

While you wait, perhaps you should wishlist the game!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/Tactical_Breach_Wizards/