“True King” 2021 Release FAQ

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This is a FAQ (“Frequently Asked Questions”… even though no one has actually asked these questions yet) for the release of “True King (prototype) – Heir To The Resurrection” on May 3, 2021. It explains the state of the game, where it is releasing, and decisions about the release strategy.

The game can be downloaded from itch.io at the following link: https://dust-scratch-games.itch.io/

New Title and Logo

  • What is “True King?”
    • “True King (prototype) – Heir To The Resurrection” is “a hand painted 3D turn-based strategy game.” It uses a new proprietary animation system, an evolution of the “3D Cel Animation” technique developed internally at Dust Scratch Games. The game takes place in a fantasy kingdom called Renatus, years after the King and Queen were murdered, their newborn child lost, and the land since ruled by one known by nearby villagers as “the False King.” You control the True King, the long-lost heir, who appears suddenly after many years of silence. Traveling to each village to liberate them, you lead your followers to the castle to take back the crown. If you perish, you are reborn again years later, to play again with an evolved population, until you succeed.
  • I Thought “True King” Had A Different Title?
    • “True King” was announced to have the full title of “True King – Heir To the Insurrection” in 2019 (but still commonly referenced simply as “True King” before and after). In April 2021, it was announced to have a revised title of “True King (prototype) – Heir To The Resurrection,” in part to reflect the unfinished state of the game.
  • Where Will It Release?
    • “True King” can be downloaded for free from Itch.io on May 3, 2021. It will be playable on Windows PC.
  • What Platforms Will “True King” Release On (Why Only Windows PC?)?
    • In the past, Mac and Linux versions of the game were possible thanks to available test machines. Today, those machines aren’t available (Mac’s new processor updates make it’s platform especially difficult to adapt to at the moment). Due to the incomplete state of “True King,” we determined it wasn’t worth the effort to port and test the game to other platforms. That being said, a Mac (x86) and Linux version of the compiled project will be uploaded for the player to try, but we will not verify those platforms. And no, of course the game isn’t releasing on the Nintendo Switch.
  • Why Isn’t The Game On Steam?
    • “True King” is the 3rd available release from Dust Scratch Games. The developer’s previous titles were released primarily on Steam. However, “True King” is particularly unfinished (even compared to the previous games), and it felt inappropriate to release it on a commercial platform. Instead, it will be released on Itch.io, a platform that has become popular over the last 5 years among indie developers for both commercial releases and experimental game prototypes for game jams and school projects. Itch.io’s platform has become a more appropriate platform for the games Dust Scratch makes in terms of scale and style, so to further support it, the previous games “Drew and the Floating Labyrinth” (originally 2014) and “Unfinished – An Artist’s Lament” (originally 2015) will also release on Itch.io on the same day as “True King.”
  • Why Is The Game Free?
    • While previous games from Dust Scratch Games were commercial (cost money to play), “True King” will be available for free (not even supporting the “pay what you want” model Itch.io offers). This decision was based on the game’s unfinished state, and the likelihood that it will remain unfinished. Instead of releasing a paid game that isn’t ready for release, or opening it up as a paid “early access” game that might be finished later, it felt best to admit the project was a dud, and to release what there was of the publicly-developed project to the public. It was a difficult decision, but we believed it to be the only choice, and viable because of the low development costs for this specific project ($0).
  • What Is The Status Of The Game’s Completion?
    • “True King” was originally announced in February 2021 to release on May 3, 2021, regardless of the state the game was in. On May 3, the game still isn’t finished. It would be best to imagine this as a “pre-alpha prototype” of the game. Most of the important elements are finished, allowing the player to play through several hours of the game.
  • The Game STILL Isn’t Finished? Why Release It Now?
    • Development on “True King” started in earnest in 2016, with work on the new animation system and conceptual work reaching as far back as 2014 and 2015. It was originally intended to release in 2017, based on the development time of previous projects. However, work continued to stall over the last 5 years due to work-life balance, decreased motivation, and increased project scope. At this rate, it’s unlikely that it would ever be finished in terms of necessary features, not including quality concerns. After multiple missed internal deadlines and eager to work on other projects, we decided it was best to wash our hands of the project and release “True King,” doing our best to finish what we could under a public deadline.
  • How Big Is The Development Team? Why Not Hire More People To Finish It?
    • “True King” was developed by Dust Scratch Games, with a development team of 1 person (Andrew Hlynka). Previous games had additional people to work on music and voice acting, but this was the first project by the “studio” made entirely by one person. A frequent question to address the game’s state and quality has been to hire people for programming, art and music. For this project, this was avoided for multiple reasons, including: 1) Money, 2) Legal complications regarding the developer’s current residency and location, and 3) The original intent to challenge the developer in a freeing manner. After learning from the development disaster of “True King,” Dust Scratch Games is eager to initiate and/or collaborate on new projects with others, starting in 2022.
  • Will The Game Receive Updates To Be More Complete?
    • “True King” will receive an “initial” release on May 3, 2021, as promised. The developers initially intended to stop development entirely by this date (for better or for worse), but will probably continue development until June 30 (or possibly July 31), at the developer’s discretion based on their sentiment. They will also take these final months of development to rest from the game, and will stop at a specific date to move on to start fresh on brand new projects (to the literal point of throwing away the development computer where the “True King” project files are stored). With all of this in mind, players might expect 1 update in late June/July, and none more after that, but there are no promises that an update will occur or what content it will provide (it will likely still be in a “pre-alpha” state after such an update).
  • What Major Parts Of The Game Are Finished?
    • The player can start a new game, save the game, and resume a previous saved game. Text for initial story-cutscenes are done. The player can customize their character, and can explore the open-world kingdom and initiate the tactics-style strategy maps to liberate each of the 8 villages, collecting surviving units to use in subsequent maps. The player can initiate the “final boss” strategy map (the castle), made up of 4 maps with no breaks. Upon losing, the game will generate a new generation of units from surviving villagers, affecting the next (unlimited number of) generation the player resurrects into. The player can also collect 8 “sacred shards,” randomly placed on the open-world map, to better influence village sentiment into supporting the player as the “True” King.
  • What Major Parts Of The Game Are Yet To Be Finished?
    • Music needs much improvement and should be replaced. Major cutscenes in later parts of the game are not complete. Spawned NPC’s to talk to in the open-world environment is not complete. Certain environment elements (buildings) are not complete. The “end-game” play scene is still incomplete (see “Story” question). The original concept of different elements that can “influence” people of the kingdom to join you is not implemented (example: the 8 “sacred shards” don’t do anything); each town supports you automatically if you win their map. For the most part, you should be able to continue a save of the game in the current version into future updates of the game.
  • How Long Is The Game?
    • The game is meant to be completed within 2 – 35 hours of gameplay. Most of this time-period is playable in the May 3 build. The drastic potential difference in length of gameplay depends on player choices, play-style, and skill (see “Story” section below to learn more).
  • What Is The Story Of “True King”? Is The Full Story Playable Today?
  • I Still Want To Support The Game/Developer, Even Though It’s Free. What Can I Do?
    • “True King” does not have the soul of a true game, and is not worthy of support. However, you can support the developer by purchasing their previous games (“Drew and the Floating Labyrinth” and “Unfinished – An Artist’s Lament”) or future games on Steam or Itch.io.

 

For more information on the game’s development, be sure to read the past and upcoming blog posts here, on fromdustscratch.com .