Games by JimD Newsletter – Game Updates, Free Update

Welcome to my 104th newsletter!

It's already June, and I will say things are taking me longer than expected.  But maybe "taking longer” is to be expected.  I'm still hoping to finish both Safe Haven and Stronghold before the end of the year and submit them to Hosted Games.

With Safe Haven, the age customization takes considerable time because I have to update most files in the game. With Stronghold, I've been adding as much as I can to the story to make it different from the Storyloom version. I added the mutation system, added two more main characters, and added lots of new paths to take.  I'm not making excuses but pointing out how much time this all takes. Just this month, I have written over 30,000 words of content across these games. There is just so much to add.

In this newsletter, I will review my development plans, as I do every month. Let's get started.

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven, Part 4

The free update is now at 48,000 words, and I have extended it by 15,000 words so far this month. I have finished updating all of Part 1 with the age customization feature. My goal now is to work on the Teenager Storyline. The first part occurred in chapter 9 when you spoke to Dorsey, an old friend of your father's. In the next section, you will find out more about the location of your mother and Father, what they have been doing since the start of the outbreak, and their plans for the future. This will be a very significant update to the storyline, which will continue throughout the rest of the story.

After that, I’m going to work on continuing chapter 17, in which you prepare for the Silverthornes' visit to the junkyard. This will greatly extend chapter 17 and involve physical preparations for the junkyard, such as improving defenses, as well as planning how you will deal with the Silverthornes when they arrive. You will also be given the opportunity to talk to other groups in the area, especially those with whom you have formed an alliance. As you can imagine, this chapter will have to factor in a number of variables, since you have had 17 chapters that account for such things as the number of people in your group, characteristics of the junkyard, allies and enemies, group inventory, and your own character's abilities. It's possible you are allies with the Silverthornes, or you’re outright enemies. I expect this chapter will take two to three months to write.

My goal is still to add an extra chapter to Part 2, which will be the main confrontation with the Silverthornes as they visit the junkyard. I still intend to add additional missions and continue other storylines before the free update is published.

Earlier this month, I ran a poll so you could vote on additional DLC for the game. 400 people voted, and an overwhelming number chose to add the Survival Bundle, which includes the following:

• Extra items at the start of Chapter 1, including a tactical vest, combat helmet, weapons, money, and crafting materials

• Unlock a 3rd hobby slot and 4th challenge slot for more attribute and skill point options at character creation

• Additional hair colors, tattoo designs, distinguishing features, and starting clothing options

I will be programming this to be added when I release the free update. That way, you can try out these new bonuses with all the new content.

Zombie Exodus: Stronghold

Stronghold is up to 336,000 words, 19,000 more than last month. I'm currently finishing chapter 11, in which you and Siena are trying to find the rest of the group in an apartment building overrun by zombies. Even though the original game shipped with 25 Chapters, I only have about 30% of the game left to rewrite. I think the game will reach 500,000 words before publication. It will not be as long as even a single part of Safe Haven, but it will be a complete story with lots of replayability.

After I finish Stronghold, I will turn my attention back to Deadbury Academy.