I thought I'd inform you of the future of Alcarys Complex. I wouldn't just needlessly celebrate the second anniversary of something unless I had something to share, right?

Let's start with the negatives. Expanding on previous posts, Alcarys Complex will not:

• be getting a direct sequel: within the context of this world, the occurrences catalogued in AC are the only important thing. This world exists to make a point. You may see the concepts presented in AC in future games, but they won't have the name Alcarys Complex attached to them.
• be getting a port to any other platform: consoles won't be getting it because of the sheer amount of work involved. Mobile won't be be getting it because the game isn't suited for mobile. Ports will be limited to what is required to keep the game working. For instance, an AC that works on OS 10.10 Yosemite and Windows 10 is probably a good idea. (That being said, if I do a port and it doesn't work on an older OS, let me know as soon as I can and I'll see what I can do.)

What AC will be getting is something better than a sequel. (If only because you don't have to pay for it twice.)

Alcarys Complex 1.1

Yesterday (November 2, 2014) was Alcarys Complex's second anniversary. So I thought I'd pick a fitting date to announce a major update to the game. It's an active attempt to update and expand upon AC's content while preserving previous versions of it.

So what does this mean?

Alcarys Complex will be getting its first major feature update, version 1.1, no later than the end of the first half of 2015.

The defining feature of AC 1.1 will be a rewritten main story script to be implemented alongside the original. This is different from doing incremental rewrites and updates because this is designed to preserve previous versions of the game. This will be done scene-for-scene, in a way that will provide alternate contexts and additional characterization for the main characters cumulatively, over several playthroughs.

At the beginning of the game, players will be able to select between "Random" mode and "Onion Skin" mode. Random mode selects a scene from the scene pool in the script, so if there are four different versions of a scene in the script, the game will select one of those. Onion Skin mode preserves each script as it was, and every time you start a New Game +, the game will show you the next script in line. Onion Skin mode will present each script in chronological order, starting with the original version of the script.

I may also do other weird things that change the context of the characters in the game and your interactions with them.

This stuff will add to, but not replace, the original version of the story.

What's the point of this?

One point of this is to allow these characters to continue to grow and change and become ever more human and multi-dimensional in the absence of a sequel, since I'm convinced that a sequel to this game is inappropriate for a number of reasons. It will also allow me a relatively easy way to come back to this world whenever I want if I have new ideas about this particular group of characters.

I also happen to think that the concept of a game cataloguing the improvement of its makers' skill and craft and their changing perspectives is pretty cool. I hope that you agree.

Things up for grabs are: the wording of individual scenes, interactions between characters, and interpretations of character traits and the expression of those traits in the game script.

If this goes well, even non-story elements are up for grabs in the future. So I'm hoping this goes well.

When can we expect this update?

I don't have a firm date pinned down yet, so I'll just say I'm dropping it in the first half of 2015.

Anyway, if you have any questions that I haven't covered, you know what to do. I can't believe it's been two years already.

Wish me luck!~