It was a hectic week of several 12-hour days, but we finally got Build 12 playable enough for the Small Council to test.

What’s a Small Council?

Back in 2018 when I thought I was going to die, I selected a few fans who demonstrated a deep interest in, and really grokked the vision, of this game. I made them into a steering committee that could help ensure the game would be finished and finished well without me.

Well, and perhaps unfortunately, I’m still here and the Small Council doesn’t have much to do. But the idea is still sound: to have a small external body of super fans to test the game and give direct feedback on it.

Is it Good Enough?

We are utilizing the Small Council to do a first pass on Build 12 and tell us what they think. The core question is “Is it good enough?” Is it worth putting it out to everyone, or does it still need some more time to bake. Michel, Daniel, and I are too close to it to be able to make this judgement call. We see everything we’ve done and everything we haven’t done. But what will a fan notice? We don’t know.

Next Steps?

It all depends on what the Small Council says on Monday. If, in general, they like it, then we probably have a week or so of bug fixes and polish to do before releasing it to everyone who has pre-ordered. Or maybe they say “Wow, can’t believe it took so long to make this pile of dog crap.” In which case we have more and deeper work to do. Hopefully they can articulate what parts are the most in need of work.

For now, the team and I are proud of what we’ve been able to make, look forward to making it better, and hope to get it into your hands as soon as we can.

Thanks!