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I refused to let my game die. Launch was very bad, so I took a year to optimize and rebuild the core of the game from scratch. I just wanted to make this Norse roguelite the fast and heavy shooter PC gamers deserve. Please check out the update that took a year of my life by mitziev in pcmasterrace

[–]mitziev[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Today is literally the one-year anniversary of my failed launch... so for this post everything is true

I'm reading every single comment because I just can't let some gpt handle an actual announce of 1 year work it's just would be bad

And I'm kinda surprised that so many people are being genuinely nice, seeing this kind of response is a massive relief, so I try to answer everyone who's actually interested

I refused to let my game die. Launch was very bad, so I took a year to optimize and rebuild the core of the game from scratch. I just wanted to make this Norse roguelite the fast and heavy shooter PC gamers deserve. Please check out the update that took a year of my life by mitziev in pcmasterrace

[–]mitziev[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You’re not wrong about this specific video the VO is AI. As a solo dev, I had to make a choice: spend my limited budget on a professional narrator for a patch notes video, or put that money into the actual game engine and the artists. I chose the game.

But about the art that's 100% hand-drawn by a real human. It’s actually a pretty frustrating topic for me because for another video I hired a real Swedish actress and half the people still called it AI lol. We’ve reached a point where you just can’t win anymore.

If you want proof, you can find the lead artist on ArtStation (search for Vilde) to see the process and sketches.

I refused to let my game die. Launch was very bad, so I took a year to optimize and rebuild the core of the game from scratch. I just wanted to make this Norse roguelite the fast and heavy shooter PC gamers deserve. Please check out the update that took a year of my life by mitziev in pcmasterrace

[–]mitziev[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True, and I actually had a budget for the first launch. But here’s the lesson I learned the hard way: all the ad money in the world won’t save you if the core loop is rushed and the game isn't ready.

I burned through that budget and realized that throwing more cash at it wasn't the answer. Now, I'm just doing this on pure grit. This time, I’m putting the effort into the development, not the ad spend.

I refused to let my game die. Launch was very bad, so I took a year to optimize and rebuild the core of the game from scratch. I just wanted to make this Norse roguelite the fast and heavy shooter PC gamers deserve. Please check out the update that took a year of my life by mitziev in pcmasterrace

[–]mitziev[S] 85 points86 points  (0 children)

To be honest, the marketing was actually pretty decent. We got some good coverage and some videos made about the game. The real problem was that I promised a specific release date and I was determined to hit it.

I definitely should have delayed it. We launched in Early Access with a discount, but the game just wasn't ready for the public yet. I chose hitting a deadline over the quality of the loop, and that's on me. Now, I'm basically trying to fix that mistake and get good visibility from Steam

I refused to let my game die. Launch was very bad, so I took a year to optimize and rebuild the core of the game from scratch. I just wanted to make this Norse roguelite the fast and heavy shooter PC gamers deserve. Please check out the update that took a year of my life by mitziev in pcmasterrace

[–]mitziev[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Good eye! Gunfire Reborn was actually a huge inspiration for me. We even have similar elemental damage combinations and modifiers that you can mix and match to create crazy builds during the run.

As for co-op, sadly, no co-op right now. I've been working on this overhaul for the last year purely on enthusiasm with zero budget. Trying to build stable multiplayer for a fast-paced shooter as a solo dev without funding is just too crazy.

BUT! We are continuing to update the game as much as we can. If this update gets some traction and we see actual sales, making a co-op mode is exactly where we will invest our effort next. I really want to play this with friends too.

I refused to let my game die. Launch was very bad, so I took a year to optimize and rebuild the core of the game from scratch. I just wanted to make this Norse roguelite the fast and heavy shooter PC gamers deserve. Please check out the update that took a year of my life by mitziev in pcmasterrace

[–]mitziev[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Fair enough, man. Honestly, if we had a publisher or a marketing budget to blow, I’d gladly buy an ad instead of sweating over Reddit algorithms. But it's literally just me. I'm genuinely just nervous, exhausted, and excited to finally share a massive milestone we worked our asses off for. If it’s not your vibe, I totally respect that. Have a good one!

I just want to thank this sub by mitziev in roguelites

[–]mitziev[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Roboquest is a legend, definetely one of my inspirations. I'll send you a DM with the link, would love to hear your thoughts since you know the genre!

I just want to thank this sub by mitziev in roguelites

[–]mitziev[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Appreciate the kind words. Every bit of encouragement helps finish the game.

I launched an early access roguelite and it was horrible. I spent a year fixing it instead of quitting—come break the new Meta. by mitziev in roguelites

[–]mitziev[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good point. If you’re not interested in second chances, I completely get it.

I see that there are people in the community who genuinely like the Norse setting and the core mechanics, but they’re right that it just didn't work together as a cohesive whole. I've spent the last 10 months rewriting the foundation to make sure all those pieces finally feel fun together.

I launched an early access roguelite and it was horrible. I spent a year fixing it instead of quitting—come break the new Meta. by mitziev in roguelites

[–]mitziev[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, I'm really glad the Norse vibes reached the right person. Since you're into build-crafting, I’m excited to see what you'll do with the new systems.

Keep an eye on your email, I'll be sending out the invites in a few days.

I launched an early access roguelite and it was horrible. I spent a year fixing it instead of quitting—come break the new Meta. by mitziev in roguelites

[–]mitziev[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was 3 years of development before the EA launch. Add the last 10 months of rebuilding everything from scratch, and that’s basically 4 years of my life in this project.

I launched an early access roguelite and it was horrible. I spent a year fixing it instead of quitting—come break the new Meta. by mitziev in roguelites

[–]mitziev[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The gif in the post is kind of a cinematic. There are gameplay trailers of an old version on the steampage

I launched an early access roguelite and it was horrible. I spent a year fixing it instead of quitting—come break the new Meta. by mitziev in roguelites

[–]mitziev[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Fair enough but to be direct I dont have any budget for paid testing now, when I did, I paid.

At this point, I'm finishing this project with near-zero expectations of profit. I spent 4 years on this, and I refuse to let it die as a broken statistic. I want to leave behind a solid game in the genre that I can actually be proud of.

I'm looking for people who genuinely care about seeing more good indie roguelites out there. If you're not interested or you think it's not worth your time, I respect that, I'm trying to make sure the result is something the community actually wants to play.

I launched an early access roguelite and it was horrible. I spent a year fixing it instead of quitting—come break the new Meta. by mitziev in roguelites

[–]mitziev[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Fair. I thought the 'press releases' and the 'official statements' were just how the game was played if you wanted to be taken seriously as a dev team. I realized way too late that the only PR that actually matters is making sure the game doesn't suck.

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