ROADMAP POLL: The Future of Ashe, SDA, and Aela

Poll Update (030926):

Hey fam!

Thank you all for voting. Even just hours after this post, looks like there's overwhelming support (90%+) for giving Ashe the dedicated time she needs for a satisfying, un-rushed conclusion, which also means we get SDA's sunset content sooner rather than later!

Here is how the roadmap shakes out with this decision (Note: the roadmap on my site hasn't been updated yet, as I made this decision just now!):

The SDA Sunset Plan:
We are splitting SDA’s final content into three main parts:

• v4.4 & v4.5: These will contain the bulk of the big sunset features (Daedric Quest Awareness, Feeding, Civil War, LOTD).

• v4.6: This will be a lighter update (bug fixes, some radiant dialogue) while I shift my primary focus to developing Aela. The main new Serana content would be Aela crossover content here.

• v4.7: After Aela releases, I’ll return to SDA to deliver the final capstone features: the long-awaited Vigilant commentary and extended adoption awareness (including custom child NPCs for Serana!).

The Ashe Plan:

• v1.4: Coming soon! She’s still getting Main Quest awareness, the new quest foreshadowing we discussed, Serana banter, horse riding, and more.

• v1.5: This will be the massive "Price of Sentience" epilogue quest among other things, scope-permitting (quest awareness, banter, etc...)

• v1.6: Like SDA 4.6 this will effectively be a "pause" update. The main new content would be crossover content with Aela and Serana.

• v1.7: TBD! I don't have anything concrete planned yet, but I'll make sure it's a treat for y'all.

Thanks again for all the feedback, it really helps steer the ship!

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Hey everyone! I need a quick sanity check on a major roadmap decision. Please let me know your thoughts by voting with the reactions at the bottom of this post!

Here's the situation. I originally planned to include a new romance quest for Ashe in v1.4. However, as I got into the writing, I realized Ashe needs to fully resolve her emotional baggage before diving into a deep relationship. To fix this, I drafted a massive, epic epilogue quest ("The Price of Sentience") to give her the true finale she deserves.

The catch? The draft is huge - roughly the size of two main chapter quests combined.

Now here's the dilemma. Trying to fit this massive finale into the upcoming v1.4 (targeting May/June alongside SDA 4.4) would require a very aggressive production schedule. While it's possible, it means a much heavier workload and a higher likelihood of delays to the immediate release schedule.

Here's my Proposal: I’m considering pushing this massive Ashe finale to v1.5.

• Here's what you get in v1.4 instead. If the finale is delayed, v1.4 will still include essential quest foreshadowing for "The Price of Sentience," along with new radiant romance and Campfire Talks convos to hold you over!

• But here's the tradeoff. The highly anticipated Aela Dialogue Add-On would be delayed until late 2026 or early 2027, as my time would be spent on a full "Asherana" (Ashe + Serana) 1.5/4.5 update cycle first.

• And the silver lining: Because of this shift, you would get SDA 4.5's massive "sunset" content much sooner (Civil War, Legacy of the Dragonborn, new follower banter, etc.), and Ashe's finale gets the dedicated dev time it needs to be perfect without rushing.

🗳️ THE POLL: How should we proceed?

(Note: Please vote honestly for what you want as the audience! Don't worry about "making" me overwork - I am ultimately in charge of my own schedule and will always manage my health appropriately. I just genuinely want to know what content you are most eager to see next!)

Route A: Shift to v1.5 (Smoother dev cycle, SDA 4.5 content arrives sooner, Aela delayed to late 2026/2027).

Route B: Push for v1.4 (Ashe gets her finale now, Aela starts and releases this year, but higher chance of Ashe v1.4 and SDA 4.4 delays due to the heavy workload).

Let me know what you think! I want to do what’s best for the story, for the community, and for the long-term health of the project.

(A couple of quick P.S. notes:)

• Sandbox Testing: If you've tested the new Ashe/Serana sandbox features from the previous post, please take a second to answer that feedback poll! It’s a quick yes/no and is absolutely crucial before I commit to the new AI behavior.

• Ashe Custom Names: Your custom name requests for v1.4 are almost done being compiled and are already added to the master sheet! I'm currently drafting up the custom conversations for them, and I’ll be sharing a preview link as a paid Patreon BTS benefit as soon as it’s ready.