Happy Quarterstaff Day!
This time last year, I was frantically populating our social media accounts, taking screenshots, recording footage, and editing a trailer. Since then, we’ve released a second (more developed trailer), and have since posted dozens of reels, images, and updates showing the progress of our game. This time around, on 12/27/2023, I’m preparing to announce our final patch update for 2023. It’s going to be a good one!
I can’t believe it’s already been a year since Quarterstaff became available on Early Access on Steam. The memory of hitting that release button is still so vivid, but that may be due to the third cup of coffee at 11:00pm. Or the three hours of sleep from the night before.
Quarterstaff has come a long way since then. Last year, we only had eight developers cranking away at the game. Now, at the end of 2023, our team is made up of fourteen devoted, creative, and driven game developers. Most are working on Quarterstaff part-time, and their dedication is what keeps this dream strong and thriving. Some days I feel like it’s a miracle that any game gets made, but when you see the drive of the amazing people in this industry, you’ll quickly realize that anything is possible with the right team.
I can’t express how grateful I am to each member of Generic Lake Monster for giving us their downtime, their energy, and never settling for less at every turn. That’s why Quarterstaff has come as far as it has, and I’m excited for what we’ll continue to accomplish together in the future!
If you’ve been tracking our journey, you may have also noticed that Quarterstaff is basically unrecognizable since December 27, 2022. Scrolling down through our posts on Instagram takes you back in time to a…less developed era. Things have really turned around, and most of our player-facing art is complete, with exception to the Tower, of course. Seventeen unique levels don’t get painted overnight, you know. Those will likely be completed at the turn of the New Year, and I can’t wait for you all to experience a Tower climb in its final form!
Here’s a list of what’s different now:
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Maps – Very, very, very few GGG levels still appear in the game. We recruited the talents of Mari Takeyama at the top of last year, and she has been working diligently illustrate maps and obstacles, making sure each detail is accounted for. Keep an eye out as you play through these maps – you may see some fun easter eggs.
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Animations – With exception to some clean-up and bug fixing, all animations are complete! With today’s update we’ll be adding the Demon Imps, who appear in the Tower. They also will appear in the to-be-unlocked Demonic Wastelands, so consider this a sneak peek! They are stupidly adorable, which makes up for the fact that they can be pretty annoying.
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Speech Avatars – A longtime nemesis, these scions of temporary programmer art are slowly being eradicated. Now, instead of a temp goon yelling at you, it’ll be some shining, beautiful soldier that you’ll beat up with a stick. We’re just a few characters away from being totally finished with these!
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Design & balance – you may have notice that the stats have been capped to 9 points. Matt has been diligently testing, revising, and adjusting the gameplay of Quarterstaff to be better balanced and more satisfying.
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VFX – Spells are magical! Spells are sparkly! Spells are a #mood! Where before there was no reaction to you electrocuting a group of soldiers, now they’ll get blasted with magical lightning strikes! Be sure to gather the saplings and unluck the Lightning Staff form – I can’t and won’t explain how satisfying it is to zap the dozens of soldiers surrounding you in one move.
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Audio – New sound effects are continually being added into the game, courtesy of our resident composer and sound designer, Edwin. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you play the game on mute, because these sounds add an extra layer of satisfaction that you’d be denying yourself. Check out the hover sound for the Tavern – it may make you a little thirsty.
Now, you know I’m going to say it, so say it with me: All these amazing updates are best experienced in-game! To make it easier for you, we’ve dropped the price of Quarterstaff by 40% until January 4, 2024. Make sure to snap up this deal as soon as you can! I won’t be held responsible if the price goes back up for some unknown reason.
Happy Quarterstaff Day! Thank you all for sticking with us on this journey! We’re so, so close, and can’t wait to show you what else we have in store. *cough* cinematics *cough cough*
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Millie