The progress of the alpha and what’s coming next
Hey everyone! Today, we want to give you an update about the current state of the alpha and its release timeline.
Our programmers, designers and artists have been working tirelessly and have made great progress. As of now, they have implemented:
Building system
Resources, degradation & storage system
Workbenches
Game time systems
Day & night cycle
Alpha map design with biome
New 3D models of resource piles and workbenches
New 3D models for the NPCs that can be randomly generated
Automatic 2D portraits of NPCs
New UI designs, graphics and overlays
Mood system and base moral system
Worker task routines (adjust schedule of crew and assign priority of tasks)
First set of leisure activities
You can see an overview of the current build in this video:
We are proud of what our team has achieved and can’t wait for you to try these features out.
Now what is next?
Our team is still hard at work and a few more features are needed so we can give you an alpha that properly represents the main gameplay pillars of GROUND OF ACES. That’s why we have to adjust the timeline and plan the alpha release for Q1 2024.
And there is one new thing we want to do before the alpha release: In early Q1, we want to do a mini-PLAYTEST with a limited number of participants. Participants must be an alpha backer from Kickstarter (or have pre-ordered the alpha via Backerkit) and be active on our Discord.
You are interested in taking part in the mini-playtest? You find the link in the latest newsletter mail, or go to our Discord, you will find the registration link there in the news channel.
On the Discord we share more behind-the-scenes material and you can discuss all things WWII, warbirds, base builders and Ground of Aces with the community!
What is the difference between the mini-playtest and the alpha release?
The playtest version will only be available for a limited time for a small group of people, and its primary goal is to test basic technical aspects. This helps us to prepare for a smooth alpha release.
The alpha version will have no time limitation, you can freely play it as long as you want, and everyone who paid for the alpha version will get the alpha build. As an alpha player, you will have the chance to share your feedback and input with us and help form the game in this early stage of development.
Again, thank you for your support and for your patience! We are looking forward to sharing the alpha with you, seeing you play it and hearing your feedback.
PS: We started a new video series: BASE BUILDER MONDAY!
These weekly videos will be in-game footage of Ben playing the game and building things based on your ideas and wishes. Ben will be using the latest builds straight from our production team and you will be able to see exactly what the game looks like AS IT IS BEING DEVELOPED on a weekly basis.
This means you will have regular insights into the latest mechanics, functions and assets of the game. On our Discord and in the comment section of the videos you can give ideas, feedback and suggestions as to the content and what you would like to see the following week!