We’ve got a bunch of ground to cover, so I’m going to go ahead and dive right in. First, after a lot of deliberation, we’ve decided to move the release date of the game to the summer. City of the Shroud is on track to be basically finished by February/March, but there are some potential challenges for the team if we push to release by that date. We want to make sure to deliver a rock solid game, so we’ve decided to play it safe and put it out a little later. There are a few reasons, but the biggest issue is that my S.O. and I will have to move internationally sometime between February and April - I had hoped to be able to avoid this timing, but we were not so lucky! With the destination and timing likely to remain a mystery until February at the earliest, it’s best for City of the Shroud if we are stably set up and I can focus everything on the game and its living story - moving the release is the best way to ensure that. Production is on track (for game development, at least!), but pushing for February or March would leave us with less time to polish and fix bugs than we’re comfortable with. Polishing the game is a major goal for us, and it’s key to back that up with enough time to follow through. It will also give the art team a bit more breathing room to perfect their work! We cherish the autonomy and flexibility that comes with self-publishing, but that means the difficult decisions are ours to make. We hope you you understand why we’ve decided to move the launch back and support us in doing so. We love hearing from you, so please let us know if you have any questions! All that said, we are really excited about the new things we’re getting into the game! Here’s are some of what we’ve got in the works right now:

• Every character class is implemented: All 6 classes in the game are fully playable with all of their abilities. The next step is creating their visual and sound effects, and once those are finished (they’re being worked on right now), we’ll be rolling them out to our Noble and higher backers.
• New environments: We’ve completed the assets for a new section of the city, and are nearly finished with the assets for the next. Here’s a sneak-peak at one of them:
  
• Major graphical and performance improvements: We’ve upgraded our shaders to show more detail and in higher quality. Seeing the old and new next to each other is really something. We’re also updating the version of Unity we’re working in, which has given us a nice bump in performance. The game already ran at ~35 fps on a several-year old MacBook Pro, so we’re hoping this upgrade ensures the game runs well for everyone.
• Character asset mod support: We’ve set up Steam Workshop functionality and are testing the ability to upload and download modified character model files. All signs are pointing to this feature being online very soon!

Finally, I want to share a couple of screenshots with you - one of each of the new classes. I’ll leave their fighting style and tactics to your imagination, but I hope they get you excited to check them out in-game!

Thank you for following our game, and we can’t wait to get it into your hands!

[ 2016-12-07 13:44:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Take part in a live, player-driven story as it unfolds over four chapters. Your choices, and the choices of every player, will drive a living tale of shifting alliances as you race to uncover the truth of the magical shroud that holds Iskendrun captive.

Choose Your Allies Wisely

Somewhere along the way, you made a huge mistake.

You got to the city. You bribed the customs agent to get in. You helped a poor, old haberdasher who was being robbed - the only decent thing to do, really - and then this monster from another dimension came out of nowhere.

It was already almost dead when you punched it and it fell over. You keep telling everyone that.

Except, now they’re calling you the Hero of Portals, the five most powerful people in the city are each clamoring for your allegiance, and just when you’re starting to think of leaving the city for good...

...a magical shroud descends around the city and traps everyone inside. Next thing you know, the place is devolving into civil war, there are monsters everywhere, and apparently, you’re the answer to everyone’s prayers.

Yeah, you definitely messed up somewhere.

Good luck.

Features

• The story is a living episodic campaign: in each chapter, every player's actions impact how the world, changing how the story unfolds for the entire community in the next chapter
  
• 4 chapters: each chapter is crafted based on the cumulative influence of every player's choices and actions from the previous episodes
  
• Real-time, combo-based battle system: think on your feet and chain your attacks together to defeat your opponents
  
• Play your way: an optional “Wait Mode” pauses the action while you enter combos, and you can choose to slow down or speed up the gameplay to suit your playstyle
  
• Multiple difficulty options let you choose between focusing on narrative and testing your tactical prowess
  
• Online PVP multiplayer
  
• Deep combo and stat system lets you customize your team to suit your playstyle
  
• A distinctive world, beautifully realized in 2D and 3D