Why Early Access?

“We have been working on Mesozoica as a project for the past three years. What we found is that with additional features we add to our build, our code becomes more complicated and bugs arise from that new code. We feel that since we are still adding additional side features, we can't classify the game as a "finished product." It's with this in mind that we feel Early Access is the ideal title for us moving forward. This gives us the flexibility of being able to add more to our game while also being very clear and consistent with our community about the state of the game. It's essential to us that we remain transparent with anyone interested in the game.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“The goal would be to remain in Early Access until all additional features have been implemented and well tested. Due to the nature of Early access and the flexibility it gives us we would be hesitant to move to "Full Release" until we are satisfied and have verified that all features have been added successfully and function at a high level. If an estimate is needed for an official timeline, an expectation of 2-3 months adding additional code and content would be around the expected period to remain in Early Access. A note to keep in consideration is that we were funded via Kickstarter in 2015 and have been working on this game since late 2014. We have been through a closed alpha testing stage and are fully aware of the risks of development and the delays that come with it. This being said if we don't meet our milestones we will not advance the project to full release. We feel that we can only successfully push the game to a finished state once and we want to do it correctly.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“We have two additional system loops we want to add to the three we currently have operating to create a system of progression. One of the circuits is an employee management loop which includes a quest system that inspires player customization before the game has even started. The goal with this is to introduce narrative and tell a story while also providing a fun way to customize your park. The second loop is an additional sequence to a current progression system under our "dinosaur management" branch. Breeding and self-sustaining populations are a massive goal and something we absolutely will seek complete for the final game. These two features alone add complexity to the day to day actions of the player in the game and add another layer of complexity/management.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“We are currently undergoing closed beta testing with our Kickstarter backers. This state is primarily a reviewal period that has been going on for the past month. The game is at a reasonably bug-free and complete state with significant content already in the game. With 40 creatures planned each yielding their GOAP designed AI structure combined with over 500 skins for those animals, we feel the current state can be classified as Early Access. Our amount of content is unique for the indie scene, and the amount of work put in by the team merely to review content, speaks to our dedication to not releasing something we want to take back. Our several year development timeline also has significantly given us an advantage of experiencing the trials of development to ensure that we successfully move out of Early Access when ready.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“We feel that as we add more content to the game via our modular building system, that the value of the game goes up incrementally over time. This being said: we have no plans on increasing the cost of the game. Content is a massive part of the game, and we have established workflows to continue to provide content regardless of the price increase as well via free updates designed at engaging our community. Expect more animals and more creatures and new staff at a bare minimum.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“We have a modular building system which allows players to upload and download pre designed blueprints using our system and directly import them into their game while being in-game. It's imperative for us to continue to engage a very active modding community with ways they can get involved and produce community content that will be a free source of material for the players of the game. We also have a dinosaur skin designer feature that will allow players to edit textures of animals in game planned down the pipeline to further commit to engaging players and the community.

A note for this section includes our multi-platform dedication to communication with fans and our community. We have community admins on Discord (running our server), on our official Facebook group (running discussions) and our official Facebook page running official announcements and answering questions. We have set up a very structurally stable platform to engage our community, and we have their attention.”