AA Game Studio Partnership

Hello, one and all!

Let me keep it short and sweet to get us started: I'm teaming up with an AA Game Studio to build the RPG Map Maker (working title). Not a single full-time dev, but a team, including a full-time junior dev, two senior devs to help with the more complex issues, and a UI/UX designer to help ensure we get this tool where it needs to go.

Our roadmap, which will probably take a couple of different shapes as the project progresses, is set over six milestones. It is split up so that we will be able to release a new version each month (starting in June), so you can test out the latest features we've added and give feedback, as was always planned.

Crucial: Part of our agreement is to keep using Patreon to release these and ensure that anyone who has supported the TEAM ($20) tier at any point this year will get access to the complete tool (even if you've just pledged once).

BACKGROUND

For those of you who have been following along, this project has been my baby for many years. I've wanted to build it ever since I started making maps. Two years ago, I met the incredibly talented Mark, who is a senior game developer and with whom I started mapping out this project during his free time. When we saw the potential of it being doable to create between us, we built a first proof of concept, which I showcased on my YouTube channel, and mapped out a deadline for the first phase, the first demo. I tried to be careful not to get on the hypetrain too quickly, knowing that it could go sideways if Mark wouldn't be able to spend time on it anymore. Him being the only dev on board.

When I finally decided to reveal our phase 1 and start launching into somewhat higher gear, this fear came to fruition. Mark had to drop out, and I had to either give up again or figure out another way forward. Luckily, Mark was very kind in helping me look for a replacement, but that did mean figuring out a way to pay someone full-time if I wanted to take it seriously. (Mainly because I didn't want to be stuck in that part-time zone anymore, of slowly making progress and hurdles getting in my way as soon as anything else got in the way).

I did multiple interviews and got in touch with some wonderful people in the community here. I saw lots of options forward (With some trepidation, it's always tricky to know who would be the best match for the project, pumping a serious amount of funds into it.) As I was exploring all my options, I also decided to contact some Game Studios through a friend to look into some alternate paths forward. That's when I met up with Tim, CEO of an AA Game Studio, who was very interested in the project after a couple of talks and proposed to go into a partnership and develop this tool together.

Ever since then, we've been hashing out contracts, setting up a team and getting started towards working on rebuilding the tool from the ground up and focusing on setting up a realistic roadmap for the entirety of the project. It's been a really rough road, going up and down this path can make a traveller weary. I'm thankful to anyone who has stuck around to see me make it all the way through. Things have never looked this good. With a full team to help with all the details, including someone to help optimize the UI/UX to make it the best experience for any users.

I believe that if we can manage to get this right, it'll be worth its weight in gold to me.

From now on goal is to keep you in the loop with every Milestone update. Should be once a month, with possible minor updates anywhere in between.

-Bert