So. Here we are. Nearing the end of 2012, and no Beta 4.o for Legionwood 2 yet. I guess that means it’s time I gave everyone a quick update on the game’s progress since the last release. It’s kind of a double edged sword, and I’ve got both some good and some bad news (the bad being that there won’t be a Beta 4.0 this year), so prepare yourself. While I’ve been working ever so slowly towards Beta 4.0 over the last two months (and there’s only a little more left to do until the release is ready, save for beta testing all of the new content), I’m announcing that I’ve made the decision to put Legionwood 2 on temporary hiatus for now.

The reason I’m choosing to suspend work on the game for now is because the release of my first novel is looming just over the horizon. My book Sun Bleached Winter comes out on December 2nd, and I’m going to need to spend whatever free time I have focusing on this (doing things such as last round editing, proof reading, sending copies to reviewers, promoting the novel from my end etc) and, as much as I’d like to work on Legionwood 2, I just plain won’t have any chances to.

Though at least I don’t have to update the title screen anymore.

As such, Beta 4.0 is on hold for now, though I intend to resume work in the New Year and spend my holidays doing as much with the game as I can. Beta 4.0 finishes off what’s left of Chapter 2 (the Entoban section of the story) and takes you into Chapter 3. After that, there isn’t too much left to do, with Chapter 4 being the final chapter, so the good news is that the completed version of the game should be ready not long after I resume development.

I’ve also made the decision to not release Legionwood 2 commercially after all (based on the fact that many loyal players have supported it as a free game, and I don’t want to undermine that support) and so Beta 4.0 will be followed by a release of the completed game for all to enjoy. I’m still quite interested in commercial game development (spurred on by my recent experiences with the One Night games on Desura, where they’re been received fairly well) and at this point I still want to try my hand in the professional arena, but I figured that it’s probably best to start with a brand new IP, instead of a sequel that many of my fans have been expecting to get for free.

In the meantime, Beta 3.0 will remain online for everybody to play (and for me to continue gathering bug reports). If you haven’t yet tried Legionwood 2 and you’ve been holding off for its completion, don’t wait – Beta 3.0 is packed with nearly 8 hours of gameplay, two different morality paths, and a good 40% of the game’s story, so if you’re in the mood for some old school role playing game action, check it out.

More news to come in 2013!