Welcome to all new players!
Hello everyone, I hope you are having a lovely day!
Due to the recent Steam Stealth Fest, this past week has been the most successful one in the game's history.
I want to welcome all new players to the game, and say that I am very thankful that you have taken a chance on an indie game like mine!
I aim to release many more updates, making the game experience even better with time. Since the game's release, I have published over 30 updates and see no reason to stop any time soon. If you want, you can even check the beta tab in the Steam UI, and try out the first ever version published on Steam - the differences are... quite large :)
I also want to talk about potential for a new story in the game.
The current story is one that I am not particularly happy with. A few months before release, I had to force something into the game due to tester feedback, but I had no time to truly write what I wanted to write. The story I wanted to tell simply has not manifested properly in the game. While it does have some compelling moments, it is overall weaker than I want it to be.
Since then, I have analyzed every aspect of the story to find its deficiencies. I now believe that I have managed to properly connect every component, character arc, and reveal in a compelling and logical way. At least in theory, as this remastered story still only exists on paper, almost like a screenplay. It's hard to know how it will look in a game format, but it is there, and I will now start working on making it real.
Implementing a new story does have some challenges though, beyond just writing it: How do I handle old save files which are already halfway through the game? Will I keep the original story for a while, and only show the improved story in new save files? Perhaps I can write some form of a save compatibility transfer. Or maybe the story will be included in a fully remastered version of the game, with a way for existing players to upgrade without charge. I simply do not know at this time.
I hope that you can forgive any shortcomings in the story, and know that I am right there with you :)
With all of that said, I hope that you enjoy the game, if not for the story, for all the gameplay and exploration it provides!
If you have any questions or feedback, you are welcome to contact me or post on the forums. You can also join the A-Star Theft discord server
Due to the recent Steam Stealth Fest, this past week has been the most successful one in the game's history.
I want to welcome all new players to the game, and say that I am very thankful that you have taken a chance on an indie game like mine!
I aim to release many more updates, making the game experience even better with time. Since the game's release, I have published over 30 updates and see no reason to stop any time soon. If you want, you can even check the beta tab in the Steam UI, and try out the first ever version published on Steam - the differences are... quite large :)
I also want to talk about potential for a new story in the game.
The current story is one that I am not particularly happy with. A few months before release, I had to force something into the game due to tester feedback, but I had no time to truly write what I wanted to write. The story I wanted to tell simply has not manifested properly in the game. While it does have some compelling moments, it is overall weaker than I want it to be.
Since then, I have analyzed every aspect of the story to find its deficiencies. I now believe that I have managed to properly connect every component, character arc, and reveal in a compelling and logical way. At least in theory, as this remastered story still only exists on paper, almost like a screenplay. It's hard to know how it will look in a game format, but it is there, and I will now start working on making it real.
Implementing a new story does have some challenges though, beyond just writing it: How do I handle old save files which are already halfway through the game? Will I keep the original story for a while, and only show the improved story in new save files? Perhaps I can write some form of a save compatibility transfer. Or maybe the story will be included in a fully remastered version of the game, with a way for existing players to upgrade without charge. I simply do not know at this time.
I hope that you can forgive any shortcomings in the story, and know that I am right there with you :)
With all of that said, I hope that you enjoy the game, if not for the story, for all the gameplay and exploration it provides!
If you have any questions or feedback, you are welcome to contact me or post on the forums. You can also join the A-Star Theft discord server