Gather round, nomads, for we have big news today ✨ [strike]Very soon, we’ll launch a first pre-page on Kickstarter for our upcoming crowdfunding campaign 😱 [/strike] [u][b]Our Kickstarter pre-campaign page is live NOW. Please show your support by signing up to be notified when the Kickstarter campaign officially launches![/b][/u] ➡️[b][url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aesirinteractive/windstorm]Support Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori on Kickstarter![/url][/b]⬅️ We’ll be able to explain in more depth why Kickstarter is our best option once the campaign goes live. But to put it simply for now: we want this game to be the best it can possibly be, and for that we want your help, your input and your support. This also means that we are delaying our Early Access launch further than previously communicated: Our initial intention was to launch the project as soon as possible in 2024 or very early 2025. A variety of factors and developments in the meantime have led us to reconsider what we really need in an Early Access version. Our initial release schedule might have let us release an early version of the game to a small audience of enthusiasts and grow and improve the game in relative obscurity. Following the media attention this fall however, we now have a vastly increased number of eyes on our work and increased pressure to hit the ground running. We’re determined to make the most out of this and take the time we need to make our beloved project live up to these expectations. Our need to make a very solid first impression with our first playable and buyable version of the game has drastically increased as a result. This is an additional challenge, sure, but we wouldn’t trade it back for the world. We love that our game has this very real chance to break new ground in terms of what a “horse game” can be. We’re currently refraining from setting a concrete new release date yet, because we’d rather announce it once, when we’re confident about it. Stay tuned! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45011235/bf8585a72a6747647dccc5779414c0b8fee77d0f.jpg[/img] [hr][/hr] [h2]Controls and Playtesting[/h2] To give some additional insight into our development progress in the past months: Game development is never a straightforward process, and even for an experienced studio such as Aesir Interactive, it’s not always predictable how long certain features will actually take to get right. With Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori, we’ve found that key aspects of the game that we had a clear vision for from the start ended up taking more iteration and reevaluation, meaning additional development time. One such example is as fundamental as the horse riding controls: We want to give players enough control over the speed and gait they’re going at to satisfy equestrian enthusiasts, while also keeping the game accessible for more casual, mainstream audiences. We initially wanted to playtest these controls with our alpha testers as early as July, but ended up reworking them entirely, leading to several months of additional work and internal testing. The very first test will be conducted very soon, with a small group of players to ensure basic functionality, but we’ll soon want more input and reach out to additional testers. Make sure you’ve filled out our [url=https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1N0ff5czLDp8o5Le_lN57oAN9Bl50JiYxXMs5h8wT_E0/viewform?edit_requested=true]playtester sign-up[/url] if you are interested in participating! We have clear inspirations and references for Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori, but by combining the very niche horse game audience with more a mainstream open world game setup, we are making something that hasn’t really been made before. Finding that balance of innovation without constantly reinventing the wheel takes a lot of time and iteration. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45011235/af63c905db935845cd4c973c285620be664a4150.jpg[/img] [i]🚧Work in Progress🚧[/i] [hr][/hr] [h2]The Road Ahead[/h2] All of this has led to some reevaluation and some slight shifts to our vision for the game and what it can become. (Though all previously announced features are here to stay!) Which means that now, the path ahead is clear. But: it’ll need more time and more funds than initially anticipated, and that is where Kickstarter comes in. We’re incredibly grateful to have a publishing partner in Mindscape that’s on board with taking some more time to give this game a chance to really live up to its massive potential, rather than rushing into an early release to capitalize on current attention. Don't forget to stretch your body if you sit at your desk for long periods of time. Even our horses do this from time to time! [previewyoutube=WqB1etvb_bI;full][/previewyoutube] [i]🚧Work in Progress🚧[/i] [hr][/hr] Thank you all for your trust, your enthusiasm and your unwavering support over the past few months! We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t wholeheartedly believe in the potential of our project, and we’re excited for you to join in helping us make that a reality. Stay tuned for more info very soon! [hr][/hr] [h3]Previous Developer Diaries can be found here:[/h3] [list] [*] [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2697000/view/4264427597922654729]#01 | To the Steppes[/url][/b] [*] [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2697000/view/4354502127490801982]#02 | An Open World[/url][/b] [*] [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2697000/view/4578559379972363132]#03 | PC Early Access[/url][/b] [*] [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2697000/view/4688899473257530058]#04 | Horse Training and Horse Care[/url][/b] [*] [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2697000/view/4463723296443072609]#05 | All Eyes on Khiimori[/url][/b] [/list] [hr][/hr] [h2]Join the Community[/h2] [url=https://www.facebook.com/PlayWindstorm style=button]Facebook[/url] [url=https://www.instagram.com/PlayWindstorm style=button]Instagram[/url] [url=https://www.tiktok.com/@PlayWindstorm style=button]TikTok[/url] [url=https://twitter.com/PlayWindstorm style=button]Twitter[/url] [url=https://discord.gg/aesirinteractive style=button]Discord[/url] [url=https://twitch.tv/AesirInteractive style=button]Twitch[/url] [url=https://aesir-interactive.com style=button]Website[/url]