A message from the Game Director

Hello Champions!

We are close to a significant milestone in the epic journey of Alaloth. It has been almost a year since we embarked on the Early Access phase, and what a tumultuous year it has been! This is a different update, way more personal than the others and it’s just from me, Alberto/Edacar79, Game Director and creator of the game world. I’ve started dreaming about all of this back in the days: I would say that all started with D&D and an Amiga 500, in 1989, when the summer was all about this. No internet, no social media, a completely different world. I'm turning 44 today and it seems like years passed in a blink of an eye, with a young me writing down notes from pen & paper modules and videogames i was playing, being used 30+ years later in a RPG available worldwide and hitting the console market soon. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the challenges we've faced and the incredible resilience of our team: 18 amazing people at its peek, a small group of 7 worth an army today. As the one behind our social channels, Steam page, Discord, every review response, and many other activities beyond game dev [which is still the fun part of the job], I can say with pride that we have channeled our emotions into fuel for innovation, our setbacks into stepping stones towards success. Alaloth has become more than just a game to us: it has become a symbol of perseverance and a testament to the power of our passion.

Back in 2016, we've rented our first office in Rome: 6 squared meters, 2 laptops and a board...

...no air conditioning and bills paid selling some jewelry and using personal savings. Worth it!

Directly from 1994, my first English notes ever to play Rolemaster and a Karameikos map

In 2022, the road to Alaloth's release was filled with obstacles and complexities that tested our mettle. We encountered issues that threatened to derail our progress. It was a time of uncertainty and frustration, but amidst the chaos, we remained steadfast in our dedication to delivering the game you deserved. And we deserved as well. During this arduous period, we experienced a significant turning point when Gamera Interactive, the studio behind the game, had the chance to take back the publishing rights for it. I cannot delve into the details surrounding this, we never did, but what you obviously already know is that it marked a new chapter in our development journey. We embraced the change and carried on, determined to forge our own path.

However, the challenges did not end there. We found ourselves entangled in a battle against a venture capital entity that had pledged its support but ultimately endangered our financial stability in the moment of need, when we were ready to push the game by ourselves self publishing it. This struggle pitted a small indie developer like Gamera against an opponent always ready to say around how much it's cool helping devs, despite the fact that their track record says way different things [just check the internet and do some math]. But through sheer determination and the unwavering support of our families, we managed to weather the storm. We've lost people on the way, not being able to offer them new contracts, we've risked bankrupt twice in a few months, we've been forced to launch during the worst period of the year, during sales, rushing things. We had to face health issues, we had to backup with our personal money to avoid waisting years of work and preserve the people that poured their hearth into the project. We have spent endless nights trying to find a way to survive, after a pandemic and many other problems completely out of our control. For all of this, i can say that we are now fighting tooth and nail to reclaim what is rightfully ours, to ensure that justice prevails. The legal dispute is in progress since months and despite this, we've delivered almost 60 patches and 4 Major Updates since June 2022, with Lorebound on its way and more or less four times the content originally scheduled for the Early Access, released in nearly 6 months. We are reinvesting all the money coming from sales, to make Alaloth bigger and better.

Despite the fact that we have been forced to launch during the Summer Sale 2022, the game did well being in Top Grossing on Steam 2 weeks after launch. I had to squeeze marketing and PR in an always-running digital press tour before June 30 but at the end the game launched with 130.000 wishlist and it helped a lot

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Dragonhold is the fourth and latest Major Update available since EA launched. We've added more than 30 hours of gameplay through updates and released more than 60 patches with improvements and fixes, following users' feed

Now more than ever, we are asking for your support to spread the word about this small team of survivors, trying to deliver the always-dreamed RPG experience. Tell about the game to your friends, share it on social media, follow us, talk about this in communities. We are still pretty sure that a proper full release could be massive, considering how many people joined us on the way, with just me jumping here and there on streams and forums trying to let the world know about this crazy hybrid between an old school and a modern action RPG [which is something we had to discuss so many times during the last 12 months]. The game is huge now, one of the biggest indie production around considering contents in, with more and more players with 100+ hours under their belt [and some crazy guy from Spain topping 600! Kudos Zao!]

GamesCom 2022 has been a moment to slow down a bit, with the release of the first Major Update, Strongholds, and nearly 20 patches already released. Our booth in Germany with our friend Josh, Rick and Giulia, former Producer of the game and love of my life: In the face of immense challenges, she stood tall as the bastion of strength for all of us.

So, my fellow adventurers, as we are preparing to celebrate this anniversary together, let us remember the trials we have overcome and the strength that resides within each of us. We owe a debt of gratitude to you, our incredible community, for standing by us, for your unwavering support and belief in our vision. Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms would not exist without you. As we move forward, know that we remain committed to delivering a unique craft of love. We will continue to listen to your feedback, refine the game, and provide updates that elevate your experience.

I was looking for a professional pic of myself but at the very end, after 22 years in gaming, i still have to take a proper one. So, Starbucks in Guildford, for the win!

Thank you for being a part of this: together, we will conquer the challenges that lie ahead and shape the destiny of Plamen! The future is bright, and we are eager to share it with you. More to come by the end of the month: time to talk about plans for the full release and what's comin' up next!

Share the love and have a great week!

With deepest gratitude,
Alberto

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