And now, for something completely different!

A friend of mine by the name of Brad Waechter came up with a really cool idea that I think everybody should try. He adapted a reading list-meant to encourage diversifying what one reads within a reading group- and reappropriated it to one for gaming. It's cohesive, it can do what it suggests, and best of all, it's attainable and fun.

It reminds me personally of a simpler, gameified version of The Dave Perry Challenge, a game design course presented online some years back by the legendary developer. That immediately caught my eye, but this reaches more to the wider appreciation of the art, which not only do I dig, but we could all use a little more of.

Save it, print it out, give it a shot.

If you're curious about development, things are going fine, thanks for asking! The last changes for The Bounty 2.0 update are done and out for QA, (learn about the changes here!) animation for Intrinsic DX is almost done, and music/level design for Near Lucid have been the top priorities. 

I'm about to release a big update to The Bounty, and have some really killer ideas to go along with the release. Big, fun stuff, but I need help. Lots of help.

 We're running a competition. A kickass one. I'll spare the details for now, but we can make this crazy awesome. So we'll need sponsors, so we can hook up the winners with some really cool stuff. We need people to promote and hype it, so sites, bloggers, streamers, youtubers, all that jazz. We'll need a platform, graphics and signage, the whole nine yards. 

To do all of this, I'll need somebody or preferably somebodies to handle this side of it. If you're interested in taking the helm for this promo contest, like to think big and get things done, then please drop me a line! My email address is ludicrousda3ve@ymail.com. 

If you're reading this and want to get in and promote your business, or want to do media on it, speak up too! 

Firstly, let's be upfront. It is a free update, and whenever you buy a new copy in the future, it will be v. 2.0.

You may ask, "Dave. Man, why bother putting out an update when the remake is coming anyway?" Let me tells ya. The Uber Edition remake is still a long ways out. The graphical style is pretty out there, and has no direct precedent. Which is a pretty way of saying "I'm making the whole process up as I go along." It's taking much longer than expected- even Intrinsic DX, which is assets-wise much smaller and meant to develop and normalize the process, has taken over a month for graphics alone. The Bounty: Uber Edition is still a long ways off, and features a LOT more new content- levels, features, modes, gear- than 2.0. One does not diminish the other. A crowdfunding campaign will be coming in the next month or so for The Bounty: Uber Edition, so more on that then.

So, here's the thing. I'm still using the modified RMVXAce engine to prototype the new levels and systems going forward. The original version of The Bounty is still for sale, of course. Why not take that extra couple of steps and give players some of these new features and some new content? I believe the practice mode alone makes it a much more complete game, and makes it much more attractive to new players, or previous players wanting to get back into it.

The Bounty version 2.0 will be released shortly- all that remains is testing and publishing, so stay tuned for news in the next week, and I hope you're looking forward to it. I know I am.

PLEASE NOTE! The parent company of Desura, one of the storefronts which sells The Bounty, has filed for bankruptcy. I will update the game in that store for those who have already bought, but DO NOT purchase there. I retain no customer records from Desura, which means your support relies on a company possibly in flux. Not to mention the payment will probably never reach The Ludicrous Ones, due to their bankruptcy situation. 

All other customers will receive an email and a download key from itch.io. 

To summarize the update-
The changelist for version 2.0 includes:
Practice Mode- Freely save your progress in this scoreless non-competitive mode. Includes autosave feature.
Saleable Gems-Which can be fused together to increase value, adding a new layer to your scoring strategy.
Updated Death Messages
New Scoreboard link/faster weblauncher
New Secrets
New Gear

Till next time, dear players.