Hi everyone, it’s been quite some time since the last “State of The Game” post. Well, we were doing some underground developing work for Pile Up! and wanted to wait until something worth talking about comes out. But before, [b]if you still haven't checked the last update in which we reworked the camera controls, added chill mode and fixed lots of building behaviors, please go check it out! You can reach the update log [/b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2094910/view/7188374538196277503]here[/url]. So, in this SoTG post we will; talk about our communication with you, what happened since the release, why our updates take so long and -our main topic which is- how the game is doing and what our plans for future updates are. [b]Time for us to state now. [/b] [i](The existence of the last sentence was Zyve’s idea, he suggested adding a beginning sentence which is like what Mangakas use. I wrote the sentence though, so now we are both part of the sin.)[/i] [b][h2]Communication[/h2][/b] We have begun to think that we can improve our communication with you. So from now on [b]there will be a pinned report in our discussions forum which we will keep updated all the time[/b]. It won’t be anything long, just a short and quick text about the things we are aware of -bugs, problems, other stuff etc.- and what we are currently working on. We believe that you can get informed way faster this way. So don't forget to check our discussion forum! Also you may realize the old pinned posts for bugs and your questions are gone. We just want to add that [b]those are archived, so none of your messages are gone, we can still see all of them[/b]. The reason why we archived them is that we don’t get notified whenever a new reply gets created in those posts. So you can just create a new post in the forum. This will be easier for both you and us. [b][h2]What has happened since the Early Access release?[/h2][/b] We've won the People's Choice and Most Anticipated Game Awards in Game Connection 2023 Paris, we’ve been nominated for lots of awards including Independent Games Festival's Best Student Game Award, reached over 500 reviews on Steam and 600 people on our Discord Server all thanks to you! We’re so happy for all your support and trying each day to make the game better for you all. [u][b]Thank you![/b][/u] [b][h2]Why do our updates take so long?[/h2][/b] Okay, so what is taking so long and why didn't we post an update for a long time? Well, after the Above The Clouds update [b]we've realized that we had to develop our systems for the game which are the scripts that work in the background while playing the game.[/b] So we were developing stuff which you wouldn't interact with directly but are crucial for the game. And when we consider the fact that we are still in high school / college and we can’t work full-time on the game because of this, it becomes obvious. Also, don’t be confused. Us still being students won’t cause any problems. [b]We will keep working on the game until we are really and I mean really satisfied with the state of the game.[/b] Show must go on. [b][h2]What have we done in a couple of months?[/h2][/b] Other than developing the back-end systems of the game, we updated the camera system and controls, fixed lots of bugs and building behavior problems, reworked sound effects and made some quality of life changes in the last winter update. Now, other than getting prepared for the next [u][b]MAJOR[/b][/u] update, we are focusing on the feedback which you gave us from our Discord server, Steam discussions, reviews and our in-game feedback system to diagnose the problems of the game. [b]We’ve updated our feedback list and planned what we need to do next.[/b] [b][h2]How’s the game doing and what are we planning on next?[/h2][/b] To begin with, [b]we’ve updated the roadmap[/b]. In case you didn’t see, here it is: [img]https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/2094910/extras/roadmap01-24steam__1_.png?t=1705912168[/img] You might realize that now the roadmap is sectioned based on major updates rather than seasons, literal seasons. We made this change to show you what each update will cover. [h3]Let’s talk about what we are planning to do next now.[/h3] For our next [u][b]MAJOR [/b][/u]update we will work on gameplay. From buildings to new systems, [b]we want to make the gameplay more meaningful[/b]. We know that the game is in a position that if you get a special building, you just win the game or if you don’t know anything about the game all it takes is a building to destroy your well earned progress currently.[b] So our first plan is to fix Pile Up!’s difficulty curve and to balance everything.[/b] After that [b]we want to rework useless or overpowered buildings[/b] so everything can work great with each other. Because currently some buildings are really situational with really limited usages while some others are not viable choices at all. The last thing that we will work on before the update will be [b]adding brand new gameplay systems for you to have more freedom and strategy while playing[/b]. We want to keep them a secret until we get really sure about them, but we can say [i]the book will have more usage[/i]. [b]We will also update our tutorial[/b], so that newer players have a smoother experience on their first few runs. The next [u][b]MAJOR [/b][/u]update might be the last [u][b]MAJOR [/b][/u]update before our full release so it will be the biggest [b]MAJOR [/b] update that we will be releasing since our early access release, which means with all this new stuff coming[b] we may stay undercover for a couple months[/b]. But you can still easily contact us via our Discord server or Steam Discussions forums. [b][h2]Next Update?[/h2][/b] Lastly, we want to tell you what will be included with our next update which won’t be a major update. [b]The next update will fix ALL of the achievement bugs[/b], a couple problematic buildings which we talked about in the last update and rework some sound effects. QoL changes and more bug fixes will be in the update too. [u][b]It will be released in a couple weeks.[/b][/u] Thank you for reading, see you in our next [u][b]MAJOR [/b][/u]update in a couple of months! Oh and don’t forget to follow our social media accounts to be informed about everything as early as possible. You can find all the links in our [url=https://discord.gg/zXYEywX7qj]Discord Server[/url]. -Fausta