Developer’s Journal

I finished another small update last night. I mainly changed a few enemy abilities to improve gameplay balance.  The game should now be easier for a much larger number of players. Previously, demons, werewolves, and minotaurs were too unforgiving if you made mistakes, especially at higher tiers. The changes also helped make bosses more reasonable.

In addition, I was able to randomize when the “special” secondary abilities are first used during combat. I think the battles feel more dynamic now, since you will have to adjust your tactics for each fight. I did keep bosses the same as before to give players a chance to deal with the guardians first.  Otherwise, you could get hit with both guardian and boss abilities at the start, which would be tough.

Next, I will be working on a new multiplayer board as well as the forum update to allow attachments. I want to continue adding information about the game in the help section. At some point, I will get the movie and creatures page completed. I’m trying to make time for an update to my RTS game too.

Birth of Shadows is now ready for reviews. I will be contacting reviewers again in a few days.

I updated the full version of Birth of Shadows to address a few issues. The campaign game should flow more smoothly due to better progression of enemies. I added more gem rewards too. In addition, I tweaked some mob placements so players shouldn’t aggro respawns during the various events. I also tweaked a few other things with the game.

To obtain this new version, simply use the same download link. Please note that the new board data will only load for new areas. For example, if you load the game with progress to the second area, then all remaining areas will load new data. Therefore, you may wish to start from the first board (no changes) in order to get the full benefit of the improvements.

I just got done playing through the entire game again.  I wanted to check for any issues that need to be corrected.  I found a few minor typos and I would like to improve the creature distribution.  A few mobs lag behind too much, which can make some battles harder than designed.  I am planning to have this update done in a few days.

I’m still deciding whether or not I will bother with a press release.  I used a service for my first game and I got a pretty good amount of exposure.  I first want to make sure that everything is working as intended.  I’ll write more about the update when it is finished.

Also, I would like to thank everyone that has purchased my game already.  I really appreciate it!  If you have any questions, please let me know.  I am happy to help

You can now purchase the full version of Birth of Shadows.  If you have any problems with the order or game, please let me know.  I also uploaded the matching demo version.  In the near future, I am going to do some more work on the site.  I want to add a “creatures” page and I still need to create the HTML version of the manual.  In addition, I will upgrade the forums to allow attachments and I will eventually capture a movie of the net game in action.

But, for now I am going to get some rest.  I didn’t get any sleep yet and I’m pushing 30+ hours now.  I’ll follow-up with more details when I can think clearly

I am taking one extra day to test the final tweaks to Birth of Shadows.  I don’t expect any problems, but I prefer to play it safe.  I take great pride in releasing games that are bug-free and stable.  It also gives me another day to work on the skirmish boards.

I plan to have the full version uploaded around 7pm EST on January 4th (Friday).  The latest demo version will be uploaded too.  Thanks for your patience

I can now provide the release date for Birth of Shadows.  I will have the game ready for sale on January 4th, which is this Friday.  I was hoping to release BoS before the end of the year, but there isn’t enough time.  I’ve had something to do almost every day this past week, so it has been tough finding time to work on the game.

The good news is that I think the campaign game has turned out great.  I’ve been working with a friend (Ian Brown) on the content and gameplay tweaking.  I think the effort has really helped improve BoS.  I look forward to sharing it soon

The campaign content for Birth of Shadows is done.  I am just doing some minor tweaking at this point.  I will finish the skirmish game tomorrow.  As soon as I get a few more skirmish boards completed, I will upload the full version and people will be able to purchase the game.

The full version of Birth of Shadows is just about done. I need to do a little more work and tweak it. I was hoping to have it done on Friday, but it will take a little longer. I don’t want to rush it. So, the full version will be ready for sale in a few days.  I will announce it with a new blog post. Sorry for the short delay.

The initial version of the demo for Birth of Shadows is now ready.  The full version will follow in about 1 week.  Please let me know on the forums if you encounter any problems with the demo.

I also want to give a brief description of the game genre.  I would classify Birth of Shadows as an action RPG with MMORPG-style combat.  Players select targets and use abilities on creatures with some tactical decisions.  As players get further into the game, they will encounter increasing variation of creature types that will require different tactics.  There’s also various interaction between players and objects as well as NPCs.  Quests and dialog help provide the foundation for the story, which is very deep.  Check out the information page for more details on the features.

I tried to create a game with some unique qualities.  I’ve spent more than a year working on it.  That’s on top of another 3 years that I have spent developing the engine and my RTS game.  I have put all of my effort into making Birth of Shadows and I am very proud of it.

I hope that people have some fun with my game.  I absolutely love playing it.  Hopefully, others will too

Birth of Shadows is getting close to completion.  I have decided to release the demo before the full version.  I will roll any needed fixes into the full version release.  The purchase page will be in place, but disabled until the full version is uploaded.  I don’t want anyone to accidentally buy the game before it is ready.

Here is the current release schedule:

December 14th - Demo
December 19th - Full version (gold)
December 21st - Full version (release)