The latest Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen newsletter is out with a frank discussion about dates. Players and fans have been asking for alpha dates, beta dates and launch dates. While developers have their own internal goals set, these are not always forward facing of necessity since things can change. The default answer then becomes "TBA", something that neither fans nor developers are wild about.
Reasons dates shift are varied and numerous. Sometimes new technology or a better way to do things comes into play. Other times something breaks that requires a great deal of attention. Other times we simply underestimate the time something will take. Sometimes more funding comes in, which accelerates development time. Sometimes bringing on new hires can slow things down temporarily as they are brought up to speed, with the goal of overall long-term acceleration. We’re also watching feedback and trying things as they are built, so sometimes an idea works well on paper but needs further refinement after we try a prototype. This can also sometimes change the scope of future sprints (short development periods to reach specific goals) leading up to a milestone. These kinds of things happen in all projects across all industries, but it is particularly noticeable in smaller independent projects that don’t start with a large budget, as these teams have to be a bit more agile and adaptable.
The newsletter also contains some new information about:
- FX - lightning effects, Wizard spells, which classes will have "distinct effects"
- Animation - Warrior animations, interpreting abilities to create animations, animating "Taunt", motion capture, climbing animations, different animations for climbing
- Project Manager interview
- Community spotlight
Read the full newsletter on the Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen site.
