Kickstarter Detour
Meco’s Kickstarter is a success! Now how that conspired is quite a story – It started with a sanity check for good measure, as I was convinced that Patreon was the way to go to raise funds for development. However, the poll said otherwise:
So I scrambled. If I were to launch Meco in April, its Kickstarter must be done and dusted before March. That gave me only a month to set up the campaign.
All in all, I am glad the Kickstarter was done. It gave me insights into the kinds of people that found Meco valuable and, in the process, refined the product’s direction.
Thus, onward to Early Access! This time with a solid foundation of 149 paying customers (Kickstarter Backers) giving wind to its sails.
Development Update
With Kickstarter out of the way, I can now focus on getting Meco to its Early Access launch on Steam. While I am trying to get it out before the end of April, it will likely slip into May.
Core Simulation
Data from backers, community, and marketing indicates that Meco is best positioned as a gamified engineering tool (and that anime characters are distracting).
Given that the game is built on top of the engineering tool, it makes sense to focus on the core rocket engine design and simulation features before working on the game.
Modding
Interest in “modding” Meco is also compelling. Previously only UI widgets could be modded. However, I am now evaluating the possibility of allowing 3D rendering to be modded too.
Timeline
Hence, it is logical to establish a strong foundation for Core Simulation and Modding. I hope that that will not delay the launch by much. There is a chance that I can release something in late April, but it will likely move into May.
Live long and prosper,
Dannie
