We are working hard to build out bespoke solutions to some unique problems we've encountered and get a polished app in everyone's hands. What we discovered along the way was that some of the 3rd party components we were using were not going to scale to the level that we know our users would demand.
So what we had to do was rip out and replace these components, which unfortunately ran very deep within the application. However, the custom solution we have now put together is very robust, and we feel confident that we've made the right choice.
Building custom software, especially something new, has its challenges due to unforeseen issues that arise along the way. We are meeting these challenges and turning them into opportunities for improvement.
The following are remaining items we are wrapping up before we put a bow on the open beta:
- New Simplified User Interface - the cards at the bottom of the screen are gone. With this new interface, you will have more functionality to browse, filter, and search for assets and additional screen real estate to build and play in.
- All New 3d Environments: The first new 3d environment you'll have access to is the Hall of Heroes! It's gorgeous, and you'll be able to move around in the environment and check out beautiful portraits of our top Kickstarter backers! But that's not all... the play space table in the Hall of Heroes is bigger than the table currently used in our tavern setting. Additional 3d environments are being worked on and will be announced as they become available.
- New Backend Infrastructure - this doesn't sound like an exciting feature, but the benefits are numerous. Most of all, it unlocks previous restraints we had using a 3rd party backend.
- Beta User Migration - we want to ensure our wonderful beta users can keep their usernames and the killer maps they've worked hard to build. To do this, we need to create a migration process from the old backend to the new.
- New User Onboarding Tutorial - while we try to make Mirrorscape as user-friendly as possible, it is always helpful to get an initial tour around the app so that you can understand the realm of possibilities.
- Stress Testing - moving to open beta, we want to ensure that the increased load from all the new friends doesn't bog down the system. To do this we'll be putting a simulated load on the system to make sure the system scales up as it should.
- Performance Improvements - we want to test our minimum specifications to ensure a good experience and fine-tune where we need to for longer battery life, quicker loading, and storage needs.
- Bug Squashing - as we add more features to Mirrorscape, we have to ensure we don't have any goblins show up. We'll draw our trusty sword to put down those filthy buggers.
Open beta is coming soon! And right after that, we're on to tackling Stretch Goals, including the much-demanded PC Version! We're bringing the table back to virtual tabletops and we can't wait to see what you create on the platform!
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