Lead writer's post #5

After three years of development, I’m pleased to announce that the script for The Book of Outcasts is officially complete.

While the bulk of the writing has been done for some time, the final round of revisions and corrections has now been submitted, reviewed, and accepted. This essentially marks the end of my core writing responsibilities on the project. There will still be a final polish pass (checking for typos, grammar issues, and minor text clarifications), but that phase doesn’t necessarily require a dedicated writer, and can be handled collaboratively by the team.

Reaching this milestone has been incredibly satisfying. It’s been a long road with a lot of work, and I’d like to share a bit of the journey with you.

The project began in 2022, originally helmed by writer and script editor Trude, who developed the core premise and authored the early scenes. Due to other commitments, Trude stepped back from the main writing role, and I was brought in to continue the script, with Trude remaining as editor and taking on the writing of the adult scenes.

Early drafts featured a structure where players would travel through multiple Mirror Realms. However, I felt that this approach didn’t allow enough depth or development in each setting. I made the decision to narrow the scope and expand the Bhardadi realm significantly. This change allowed for richer storytelling, deeper character interactions, and more meaningful questlines, all within a single, fully fleshed-out setting. It also sets a strong foundation for future games to focus on one realm at a time, allowing each to shine.

The final script clocks in at a substantial 292,442 words. For comparison, that’s roughly the same length as the first Game of Thrones novel. The script is currently being translated into Russian and Simplified Chinese, which is a major undertaking for the team.

On the production side, the game is largely coded, and the majority of art and music assets are in place. At this point, we remain on track for our planned release. While integrating all components is a complex process, there are no current indicators of significant delays.

One notable challenge we’ve encountered relates to recent issues with Visa and Mastercard payment processing. While this caused some disruption, we believe we’ve now resolved it. Unfortunately, this does mean that the retail versions will be censored, and we’re in the process of organizing an offsite 18+ patch to restore adult content for those editions. While it’s a bit of a logistical hassle, it should be straightforward to implement.

For our Patreon supporters, this won’t be an issue, as the Patreon version will come pre-patched, including all content in its full, unfiltered form.

So, what’s next?

After the game is released, I’ll be taking a short break to recharge. That said, I’ve never been good at staying idle, and I’m sure I’ll be writing again soon.

In the meantime, to coincide with the release of The Book of Outcasts, Trude and Kamti are preparing a little extra surprise exclusively for our Patreon community. Keep an eye out, more details coming soon!

Now, I think I’ll have a drink to celebrate.

Slainte mhath to you all from me, and За здоровье to the rest of the Kamti team!

-Kabarettsta