February 2020 - First Update of the Year

And do we have news to share!

First, and most importantly, is a bad news, good news situation. Bad news is that Phoenix, our programmer, had to step down from the team. Good news is I reached out to someone who helped us in the days of Pokemorph. He's finishing the engine he was working on and estimates a month or two before it's completely finished. That means that we can potentially enter development by the start of summer. Don't hold your breath with that. You all have seen how such news can go. But, optimistically, this is looking like it's going to be a good year for Tier-Wäch.

Second, I started working on a wiki for the game to show off a lot of the lore we've already packed into the game.  The main page is still a big work in progress, like the rest of the wiki. Some inserts are done though. The pictures posted were made specifically for it.

Wiki: https://tierwach.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page

Three, the above is the stepping stone we're using to also start a kickstarter campaign. We were hoping having a patreon would be enough to attract some much needed team members but it hasn't helped. I've tried learning programming and sprite work myself over the last 5 months to give support where we're falling short but it's been a struggle. In order to get the assistance we need to lift this project off the ground, even with the coming engine, we're going to a greater financial backing. Don't worry, our patreons will still get the perks and benefits equal to the kickstarter rewards. Though the rewards are still to be determined.

-To start, we need a dedicated programmer. A much needed role that has been difficult to fill even since our Pokemorph days. To date we've gone through roughly 6 programmers , maybe a few more. We'll need funds to break that cycle.

-A narrative designer is needed to help further expand the lore of the world. Not to mention write out the story in game and develop different quests and side stories for players to explore.

-Next is a Music and SFX specialist. We'll need our own sound track and effects for the game. Otherwise we're not going to have any noise coming from it.

-We'll need an animator for combat too. No one on our team can do combat animations or are  in a position to learn. This will also be important since we'll want to transition to 3D.

-Which brings us to the next role; a 3D artist or two will be needed for that transition. As hopeful as we are to get to that point, this is a pipe dream right now. One we will be working to achieve.

-An additional artist and Public Relations specialist would also be nice but they aren't needed as much at the moment.

Fourth, we've stopped doing Tier reveals for the time being. We're running out. Instead, we've made a WIP channel and Tier Gallery for the community to see the concepts we have finished and the ones we're working on. They won't be the final product in game but people will be able to see what they look like.

Finally. The discord has been booming this last week. We're hoping to keep this trend going. I've personally enjoyed have the community, patrons and supporters alike, get involved with the feedback process and assisting the develop of some of the lore, Tiers and other aspects of the game. So when patreon is quiet, it's best to peak into the discord to see what's going on. It's open for everyone.

Discord: https://discord.gg/g9dSPg3

And that's it for the time being. As always, we appreciate your support! We're looking forward to good things for Tier-Wäch  in 2020!