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Author Topic: Memoirs Of A Game Dev  (Read 175 times)

FelixGamingX1

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Memoirs Of A Game Dev
« on: April 13, 2021, 03:21:53 PM »
Wow, it's been 4 years since I shared my first game on here. I had no clue it would've fared so well considering it was a completely solo project. Back then, I was just setting foot on a completely unexplored territory. One I wasn't a part of since I was at least 12 years old, if I remember it well.

It's no secret today that I grew up playing OD&D, OSR games. As the whole scene appeared to be dying off in the early 2000s, I would lurk here and there once in a blue moon only to see nothing of interest. Several communities simply vanished. Today I'm mostly active on Therpgsite, and Morrus. Probably the two biggest surviving communities out there IMO.

I fun memory from back in 2016, when I was just rolling out a prototype, every name I though of was either already taken or simply didn't fit the type of game I was trying to create. Until I finally came up with the name Knights & Legends, little I knew it would takeoff to unprecedented new heights in the Indie TRPG scene. But oh boy, little I knew it would meet so much opposition. It wasn't until the Q3 2019, I learned that the problem wasn't me, the whole time I thought people just didn't like my person just because. As it turns out, it was the OSR inspired stats that outraged some. Heck, couldn't someone have explained it better?

I found myself being a victim of cancellation even though I had no clue of what was going on. All I could do was tell my loyal and faithful followers to have faith. I spoke of triumph even as the situation became dire. I thought about quitting K&L, it caused me depression, and the vast toxicity alone was simply overwhelming for this solo project, which hadn't even had the opportunity to see daylight yet.

But I didn't let it stop me! I had a real good feeling about K&L. This game was going to grow and be heard of all around the world. Today I look back and I can say it was well worth the fight. Among so much injustice, I found followers, people who weren't directly willing to fight for me but were willing to contribute behind the scenes. K&L books became best sellers one after another. To me this was confirmation that I was on the right track. Today I would've never known what I could've missed if I were to give up due to the unfounded attacks on the internet, attacks I couldn't even understand why they originated in the first place. I sincerely hope aspiring game designers can find inspiration in this rather rare success story.

Fast forwarding to Q1 2020, and the present. COVID-19 hit us, and it hit us hard. Out of concerns for my fanbase, I instructed them to save their money. Opposed to what any game publisher would do, I told them not to buy my games. I knew that due to the financial uncertainty of the moment we find ourselves in I'd feel better if they spent their money with real household needs. I understand some of us simply can't stop gaming, and in solidarity I lowered the prices to all previously released Knights & Legends games, including the New Horizon series. The latter, set in the same realm with multi-layered game mechanics and a brand new story/campaign, also part of 2020's charity event to stop the Australian Brush fires.

Right around when COVID hit, I was also making preparations to bring K&L's world into full 3D. At first, I thought I had bitten a little more than I could chew. Learning to code was scary! I was having a hard time memorizing, and translating what each line meant. Since the 'C' library has little to do with webdesign (something I used to do a lot in the past) it was a completely foreign programming language to me. The big concern was just how fast would I be able to interpret C, and how long till I was able to release Knights & Legends: Dawn of a New Age. BTW! You can download the demo from DTRPG or ITCH, while the main game is still in the works.

I learned all I could to start giving life to this audacious new project. Learned the rest as I went. Lots of back and forth to touch up the previous rough programming, etc. Once I was finally happy with the game's mechanics I went ahead with the rest of development. I had plans for an early release since November 2020. But due to several factors like COVID, budget, and me looking for a respectable Indie publisher it derailed the plans for an early release quite a bit. Right now, Knights & Legends: Dawn of a New Age will be released in its original release date of July, 2021. The DTRPG version of the game, labelled the 'Ultimate Edition' will include all K&L TRPGs, New Horizon TRPGs, Collector's Booklet, Original Animation, and OST. That's a special thank you to all who have supported me in the last few years. You can learn more at the game's official website at https://knightstabletoprpg.com/

Thank you!
American writer and programmer, since 2016.
https://knightstabletoprpg.com