Pet expansion. Turn-based PvE & PvP. Faction wars. Interactive gameplay.
These are all features that have been teased throughout Bconomy's lifespan but have never seen the light of day. And they almost have, with prototypes being coded for each. But I've never felt comfortable with releasing these features and developing them in full because of limitations that we haven't been able to overcome… Until now.
Bconomy as a game has long outgrown the simple economy simulation it began as. Crafting, hundreds of in-game items, a multitude of mechanics, player-based organizations, and incredible community efforts have found their way to this ecosystem, and over the years it has crept closer and closer to territory held by MMORPGs and multi-user dungeons. Yet I feel that it has never been able to evolve to that stage, limited by its static embeds and simple buttons. With this upcoming launch, we are able to break past the limitations of the Discord UI and offer more dynamic experiences.
To finally break the radio silence, I've been building a new client for Bconomy from scratch over the last 6 months and learning frontend development, and I can confidently report that most of the core gameplay has been fully ported and plays very smoothly. The client is fully compatible with mobile devices, and is fully themed with animations and custom color schemes. Previously removed features like text-based bcommands will see their full return (and new keyboard shortcuts), along with immersive SFX, unintrusive CAPTCHA and interactive market and inventory management that make you wonder how you even played the game without them! I am hoping to release the Web client before the end of 2022, and open up a preview version for @Preview Tester members before the end of November.
What about the Discord client?
The new Web client is 100% compatible with the current Discord bot (which will retain its name as "Bcoins") and all progress is shared between them. The Web client also comes with direct integration with Discord text channels and profiles, meaning you will be able to receive and send messages fluidly between Discord channels and the Web client (for both public channels, and private channels users can create for their communities and factions).
We will be continually supporting the Discord client fully – if you have no interest in playing with the Web client then you have nothing to worry about, since our bot isn't going anywhere! You will see benefits, however, as it enables faster, active development for both platforms since the two will share a backend that is easier to maintain than our current system. But there may eventually be new experiences on the Web client that are not directly accessible from Discord.
⚖️ Addressing Balancing Issues
This is something I do not admit lightly, but it is my personal belief that the current gameplay of Bconomy is fundamentally broken in some aspects. Prior to the Web client launch there will be some very sweeping balance adjustments, including changes to reel in the core gameplay loop and reduce the power of some mechanics. To minimize the impact of such changes, they will be announced transparently at least a month in advance so users can prepare accordingly. I expect these changes to be controversial and for negative feedback from users, but I believe these changes are necessary for the longevity of the game. As so many more users than I originally anticipated have joined us on this journey, the game has evolved to a much more defined vision and its ecosystem has progressed – as such many aspects will need to be entirely changed to match where we are now.
As always, if you're still reading, thank you so much for playing. There is so much to look forward to!
-Wewert