Hvorfor tidlig tilgang?

«I started Lightphobe as a small experimental project in 2018 as a way to learn more about game development, and over the years, I found myself wanting to add more to the project; and to this day there's still so much more that I want to add.

But the fact of the matter is that I'm a solo developer who's creating an experimental multiplayer game.

And so there are three main reasons for Early Access:
1) To gather feedback and improve the game
2) To gauge player's reactions and see how much interest there is in continuing development of the game
3) To get a better sense of what the scope of the game should be

In the game's current state, I believe that there's enough content for players to enjoy and to get a taste of what the final game would be like. But after developing Lightphobe on my own for several years, I want to use Early Access to get a better sense of how I should continue with the development.

To account for the uncertainty in the game's future, I am pricing the game based on its current state instead of what the final game would be like. Efforts have also been taken to ensure that the game can be self-hosted by players (through peer-to-peer and community-run servers) and so players won't have to worry about the multiplayer not working in the future due to servers being shutdown.»

Hvor lenge antas det at dette spillet vil være i tidlig tilgang?

«Lightphobe will remain in Early Access until it's been decided that no more new content will be added into the game. The current plan is one year, however this is just a rough estimate and isn't 100% confirmed.

A big reason why Lightphobe is entering into Early Access is to determine the scope of the game. And depending on the scope, the timeframe could vary.»

Hvordan er det planlagt at fullversjonen skal være forskjellig fra versjonen i tidlig tilgang?

«I'm currently in the process of reworking the AI for the Lightphobes. Right now the bots are very simple which seems to work fine in multiplayer, but I believe that I can also make it so that they're fun to play against in singleplayer as well.

Game features that I'm currently planning on adding include:

• 2 new abilities for the Soldiers
  
• 2 new abilities for the Lightphobes
  
• 2 more multiplayer maps

»

Hva er nåværende tilstand for versjonen i tidlig tilgang?

«Lightphobe currently has the following features:

• 5 different gun loadouts (2 assault rifles, 2 shotguns, 1 sniper)
  
• 2 multiplayer maps (which can also be played in singleplayer; although they're designed for multiplayer)
  
• An arena map where you can practice and test out your skills as a Lightphobe (singleplayer only)
  
• 2 abilities (Soldiers and Lightphobes each have one)
  
• Multiplayer support for up to 16 players
  
• Dedicated server support
  
• Peer-to-peer multiplayer support
  
• Team voice chat
  
• In-game text chat
  
• Replay system for saving and spectating past matches (rudimentary)
  
• AI Lightphobes (rudimentary)

»

Vil spillet være priset annerledes under og etter tidlig tilgang?

«As explained above, Lightphobe is being priced based on the current state of the game. This means that as more content is added over time, the price will also be increased to reflect the added content.»

Hvordan planlegger dere å involvere samfunnet i utviklingsprosessen?

«Gathering feedback is an extremely important part of game development (especially for a multiplayer game) and it is also one of the main reasons that Lightphobe is entering into Early Access.

To gather feedback from players, all players are invited to complete a short survey after playing the game (which can be edited and resubmitted anytime in the future). The game also has an open Discord where anyone is free to join and discuss things related to the game. Through our Discord, you can also get in touch with me (the developer) where I'd be more than happy to answer anyone's questions or even to play together if you're just looking to start a multiplayer match.»