A Net Cast Wide

Hello all,

Since our previous update, most of our development work has targeted small, incremental improvements.

Some have made their way into the game: like better cursor targeting and tidying up the counsel "shop" interface (we mentioned this was a pain point for players last year).

Others, like being able to attack or cast while moving, are still being finalised. They'll be fun additions when they're ready!

Decorating the Lobby

In December, we added a small showcase of micro-modding to the game. This is our term for players being able to make small additions to the game which can significantly alter gameplay, usually done from the lobby settings.

This feature needs a lot of work, but initial reactions were promising. We definitely got some discussion going!

We value this addition because it helps our iteration process too. When we're examining a topic like "how does laning feel?", it's great to be able to explore variations without deploying a new patch.

Thinking Fundamentals

The rules of "Causeway" haven't changed much over the last year. Yes, we've added content and features — these were safe changes to a base game which was already working and fun.

This approach served us well. It allowed us to focus on fixing bugs and achieving stability, while also being comfortable to introduce people to the game at any time. We knew they'd arrive to a good build.

Also, we know that in the mountain range of fun, we are not already atop the highest peak. The new mechanics we've introduced could be interacting more, the systems made more elegant... and we do love emergent surprises.

We don't want to let cool opportunities escape the net!

Changing Seasons

Since we now have infrastructure for micro-modding and tweaking game modes, we can support rich alternative modes that co-exist with the base game.

Taking advantage of this, we're adding a new game mode to the alpha called 'Weekly'.

Our plan is to spend 12 weeks testing assumptions about the game — trying risky, even wacky changes that would have previously been destabilising. Our purpose is exploration; we expect most ideas won't be for keeps. That's okay, because we're comfortable failing forward!

As well as our own collection of ideas, we're inviting suggestions from our alpha testers. At the end of the 12 weeks, we've hopefully had some fun, created a few stories, and learned a thing or two more about the game.

Until next time,
Softmints