Mage's Initiation - Post-Funding Update #30, Status Update

Himalaya Studios bring us an update for Mage's Initiation, chatting about the delay of the release, beta, resin figurines and more.

We’re moving along with getting the backend in place, crucial features like the merchant system are coming together. Iginor now has a functioning economy!

We’re still tweaking various aspects of the merchant system, including items that D’arc can buy and sell, so that it stays interesting and adds to the replay value. (Because doesn’t it feel like a letdown to have realized you just accumulated a massive pile of wealth in-game, but have nothing cool to spend it on?)

We’re also further refining the combat system (based on the feedback we received of our last demo build, which backers can download from the private backer forum) and have scripted in 90% of the monsters and they can now be fought. Although we have yet to code all of their AI and attack/avoid/defend patterns, the bestiary is filling out nicely!

We’ve also been designing and implementing the likenesses of our wonderful backers. The two Supreme Archmage combat sparring opponents are being animated and programmed as we speak and we’ve got a pretty diverse cast of extras! Iginor is starting to bustle and the Mage’s Tower is filling up, too. Some of you are even clogging up the local tavern. We did notice that a few folks who pledged at the $150 Augurer Tier and the $400 Evoker tier haven’t sent us their photos and preferences for their sprite’s occupation yet (or in the case of the former, a good reference photo for their severed head that will be on display.) We’ll be going through the list of backers to contact and hit you up if we still don’t have your likeness on file.

And on the delay of the beta:

Firstly, we feel it’s dire to mention that beta testing definitely won’t be taking place as originally expected in the campaign: since the entire game definitely won’t get released in February; it’s official. Since you, our awesome backers, really came through for us when we ran the campaign, we put some content back into Mage’s Initiation that had been taken out once we saw we’d definitely have the means to do so. Then, additional areas and quests that were made possible with the surplus funding but not originally slated to be in the game came next. Ergo, a later release than we originally thought we’d make if we just scraped past the minimum as we didn't want to take blasting past our goal as a given.

We want to deliver the most epic experience possible, an epic experience that is also free from bugs and game-breaking glitches. Hence, we’re now unsure as to when the game will be released but it definitely won’t be February 2014. We’ll do our best to keep you in the know of the game’s progress, and keep things going at a steady pace!