(01/07/2022) JdotGames: Dawn of 2022

JdotGames, as a company, has been around since 2015, marking 2022 as a seven year milestone. What started out as a hobby has slowly bled into my professional life, and I couldn't be happier. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for playing my games and here's to more fun in 2022!

This blog post will feature news and updates regarding JdotGames titles such as Fahrlend, as well as new and exciting things to look forward to in the future. But first, let's take a look back on the 2021 we had here at JdotGames:

## 2021: A Year in Review

2021 saw the highest engagement in JdotGames ever. This year was truly explosive for me, and I'm anxious to start the new year right where I left off. Let's look back at some of the titles released and updated throughout the year.

### War of Champions

A total of six updates (v2.3 - v2.8) were released during the 2021 year, which is more than half of the updates released the year prior during the games initial launch. I am very happy that the update cycle has slowed down for the game, but my love for it has stayed just as strong.

During 2021, I feel like I finally mastered the basics of *WoC*, finally narrowing down the amount of players, the map size, etc. Throughout the year we went from a 4v4, to a 2v2, to finally a 3v3 game. I am happy to report that the 3v3 playstyle feels most comfortable, and I will not be adjusting that in the future. Additionally, I made a number of changes to the map, most notably, cutting it in half! We said goodbye to our friend Ravager, but said hello to a much more streamlined map that feels perfect to play on in a 3v3 environment.

In total, I released 7 new characters to *War of Champions*: Dendriae, Meirosa, Jordan, Re'skyla, Scindor, Venido, and Kavalisse. These characters shattered expectations and pushed the game through different metas. This year, I really focused on creating new characters that felt completely unique, and I'm proud to say that this bunch makes up, by far, the most unique characters in the game.

Towards the end of the year, I shifted my focus away from creating new characters and instead reworking old ones that I felt could use some love. As the game develops over time, certain characters are bound to feel more clunky than they previously did. In total, I released 5 full-scale reworks for current characters: Iglaard, Master Vohru, Skethei, Xerce, and Lyfos. Additionally, several mini-reworks were accomplished during this year. I am super proud with how these reworks turned out, especially Skethei's, and am preparing to continue these reworks in 2022.

Finally, I released tons of fun skins into the game for cosmetic purposes. Not only that, but I am happy to report that finally, after almost two years of *War of Champions*, every single character in the game has at least one skin. This was a goal of mine for the year, and I'm happy I finally got around to it! A ton of new and old skin lines appeared this past year: Lunar Spirits, Necromancy, Divine, Neon Hyperdrive, and Curses from the Wickerthorn. I will continue to release skins in 2022 at a similar pace as last years, meaning not every patch will include skins, but most will.

### Last Stand

In May, I released the rebranded, polished, and refined *Scourge Brawl* game titled *Last Stand*. I am so proud that I was able to update the game to be more suitable for all audiences, with a proper theme and story attached.

Additionally, a balance update was pushed for *Last Stand* in order to manage the game better. *Last Stand: Lost in the Obsidian Mines*, the first expansion to the game, was revealed during 2021, but unfortunately had to be pushed back to releasing in 2022. Please refer to our 2022 update below for more information on this!

### Adventures in Fahrlend

*Adventures in Fahrlend* was a joy to make. I have never been more proud of myself seeing the reactions of those online enjoying the game! *Adventures in Fahrlend* was downloaded by more people in a shorter time period than any other previous release of mine. Thank you for that!

### AMULET

Another card game introduced to the portfolio of JdotGames this year was *AMULET*, a dungeon crawler-style battler. This game features the first print-and-play style release of a JdotGames produced game, and I can safely say that it was massively successful.

## Dawn of 2022: The Fahrlend Universe

2022 is here and its time to answer the most important question: what will be coming this year from JdotGames? Take a look below at all the updates and new games I have in store for you during 2022!

### War of Champions

My schedule for *War of Champions* is quite limited, as there are some more important and upcoming games that need more attention right now, but do not fret! *War of Champions* will not be ignored! While I can't give you a full year rundown of what to expect, I can give you a rundown of some stuff you can expect during the first half of the year:

#### Characters & Reworks

While I have a ton of character concepts written down, I can only safely provide information on one of them. Nightfall will approach Champion's Battlegrounds when this dark ghoul swiftly executes you in our next update. That's right, a new assassin will be releasing alongside version 2.9.

There's a few characters that I still believe deserve a rework. This year, you can expect reworks to Xol and Yvi, and possibly some others! Currently, Xol's rework is finished, but development for his new kit will take a very long period of time. I am adding a completely new type of code to the game for him, meaning that his update will likely be released sometimes after version 2.9, possibly even after version 3.0. Yvi is still in her redesign phase, so please be patient with me on that topic!

#### Skins & Ranked Rewards

As of right now, skins have been put on the backburner. It is very likely you will see skins in version 2.9, however, I do not have much information to share regarding them at this time.

In version 2.7, I introduced ranked rewards to *War of Champions*, allowing players to show off their skills with a shiny Royal tiered skin. Royal Neon Hyperdrive Irilla received good feedback, so I will be continuing to produce new Royal tiered skins throughout the year, every three patches. On that topic, don't forget that Royal Neon Hyperdrive Irilla is only free to players with 10 or more wins until version 3.0, where the skin will then be available to all players for 96 emeralds. In version 3.0, a new Royal tiered skin will be released.

I am currently in the process of exploring ideas regarding different types of ranked rewards beyond skins, so keep an eye out for those this year!

#### 2 Year Anniversary

On May 28, 2022, *War of Champions* will have its two year anniversary! Keep an eye out for a VERY special celebration updated planned for that day!

### Last Stand

So... let's discuss *Lost in the Obsidian Mines*... The first expansion to *Last Stand* was slated to release mid-December of 2021. Unfortunately, I have to push this date back. This expansion will instead be releasing sometime VERY soon! Keep an eye out for updates on a specific date, but you can certaintly expect it this month.

Long story short, the expansion had to be pushed back because a MAJOR update is coming to *Last Stand* even sooner! Version 1.2 of *Last Stand* features an easy-access print-and-play style of download for the game, with redesigned cards and game materials! Version 1.2 will be releasing on Friday, January 14, 2022.

### Adventures in Fahrlend II

I want to capitalize on the success of the first game and make a sequel to the first *Adventures in Fahrlend* game. This game is incredibly a work in progress, not even that. You can expect to see more information about this game during late winter 2022.

### AMULET

Just like Last Stand, you can expect the first expansion of *AMULET* to release sometime during 2022. Keep an eye out for more information on this update during late spring - early summer 2022.

### Colony

In case you missed it from my last news & updates post, here's what I had to say about *Colony*:

"*Colony* is the name of an upcoming game telling the story of Duskfall, the moon of Fahrlend, and the invaders that attempted to overthrow their world. I will do my best to not spoil anything about the game, so all I will say is expect a "Metroidvania" style of gameplay."

I was very ambitious to give a release date of late spring 2022, and for that, I am sorry. Colony has been put on the backburner for an indefinite amount of time. Don't worry, I will return to it, but for now, we will all have to wait a little longer before I do so. I'm not trying to rush this game: I need to get it right. Expect more information on Colony late summer - early winter 2022.

## Dawn of 2022: The Settlement Universe

That's right: a whole new world to explore from the minds of JdotGames. Prepare yourself for *Settlement*, a brand new universe completely separate from the world of *Fahrlend*.

What is *Settlement* though? This universe has a cottage core horror aesthetic with many mysteries to uncover. I don't want to spoil too much about this universe, because I want players to uncover its mysteries as they enjoy the upcoming games it will produce. Speaking of games, let's talk about those!

### Settlement

My main game in development for this new universe is a survival minecraft map with natural aesthetics and horror gameplay elements. The game focuses on a unique twist on survival gameplay: trading for goods, rather than collecting them. You won't start the game in survival, but as you progress, you'll be able to access survival mode on certain islands. In the background of this gameplay is a rich, mysterious story. Dark undertones and physically dark gameplay provide a horror element to an otherwise charming survival world.

*Settlement* (name tentative) will be releasing sometime early - late summer 2022, and you can expect more information about the game this coming spring.

### Home Invasion: A Settlement Board Game

*Home Invasion* is a new print-and-play horror board game set in the new *Settlement* universe! Explore houses, barns, and mansions as you clear each room of any monsters. I am currently finishing up the design aspects of the game, which will then lead to graphic design and then completion! For this reason, you can expect *Home Invasion* to release mid-spring 2022.

## The Wrap-Up

JdotGames in 2022 has a lot in store, as you can see. Please remember that at the end of the day, there is a single person working on all of this at once. Please expect delays.

Thank you for enjoying everything JdotGames and I'm so excited to welcome you all into a year of fun and excitement!