Work on Fingeance started in July 2014. Twice, we’ve scrapped everything and started fresh. We’ve built and built, gone through planning, prototyping, implementation, and sweet, sweet content production. Even with all that behind us, surprises still lie ahead. Today, as we look out on Summer 2015, we see something scary and exhilarating and new. We see what I’ve come to call the Slog.

Slog is, admittedly, an ugly term¹. It holds value as a concept, though, because every game project I’ve ever worked on has experienced it in some form. Here’s the thing: acceleration is fun. What do we do for excitement? We gun it. We put pedal to the metal. Once we reach that maximum velocity, though, the thrill fades. Going from 0 to 90? Dynamite. Cruising at 90? Barely even notice.

¹ – I’m sure Charles will have a word with me about the SEO value of this very word.

The Fear of The Slog

Programmers, and game designers to a large extent, thrill at the prospect of exponential gains. To make work faster, we jump at the opportunity to make tools. Sometimes, we even make tools that will let us make other tools. At some point, though, you have your hammer, your nails, your bandsaw, your sandpaper, and your wood chisel all ready to go.

It’s time to stop dicking around and build it.

In two weeks, we’ll shift from exponential to linear. In two weeks, we’ll be (more or less) done making tools. In two weeks, we will, in earnest, put everything we’ve made to use. Week after week will be much the same: build two bosses. Build five new parts. Make another level. It goes on. The Slog.

I’ve written previously about some of the work that goes into this last burst of preparation. In the next two weeks, these things will be on our minds:

• Can we pull together a list of bosses to work from over the next three months?
• How will we spare time to communicate coming additions?
  • How much should we reveal?
  • Can we showcase our game in-motion?
• Will we finish the dang story!?
• Will Escape Industries survive The Slog???
  • Tune in next time…
    • …and again several times throughout the summer…
      • To find out.