BellHop StudiosReception devlog · Part 4 of 6
Going live
On 30 September Reception went live, and within hours real players were in it.
One game, not two
Up to then the browser ran its own copy of the game logic alongside the server's, and the two had drifted apart. On 30 September we deleted the browser's copy. Now there is one simulation, and the screen only draws what it says.
The same day every change to a save became a command that the server applies. Each account is kept on the server, players sign in with a token, and moving to a new device takes a passphrase, which signs the old device out. A printed recovery code no longer opens a save on its own.
The research behind this set a firm rule: no save files in players' hands. Nothing earned may sit on the player's computer, so import and export became developer-only.
Live
playreception.com went live at about 12:57 on 30 September. The first thing testers taught us was how much the screens needed to explain, so the week filled up with what players asked for:
- A loss log. What killed each party and its Gear Score, without ever showing its gear.
- The Expedition desk. One row per party out, with HP, the latest encounter and a full encounter log.
- You choose the leader. The player picks who leads, with seats shown 4 to 1 facing the enemy. Drawn creatures and chests by rarity arrived too.
- One hero, one place. No hero twice in a party, or out on two runs at once.
- Monster Gear Score. Abilities now count toward a monster's GS, and ghouls were made weak to magic. From the third dungeon on, every creature will be armoured on one side and open on the other.
- Phone pass. Every menu checked at phone size, with dialogue moved to an overlay.
- The Bat Dungeon, gated. Locked until the Rat Dungeon is cleared. The studio name, email and social accounts went up the same day, and seeded runs could now be replayed move for move.
The cuts testers caused
Most of our cuts came in the week after testers arrived. Starter gear went, and every account was wiped on 1 October, after bare Common heroes turned out to clear the first dungeon 90% of the time anyway. "Runs left" counters and warnings that blocked nothing were removed because players understood fatigue without them. We go through all of them in 70 things we cut.