Closed Alpha launch week

Exciting News! 🚀

After months of hard work and dedication, I'm thrilled to announce that The Consulting Detectives website is now updated at tcd.game! 🕵️‍♂️✨

But that's not all—we're launching our Closed Alpha this week! 🎉 If you've ever wanted to step into the shoes of a detective and solve intriguing mysteries, now's your chance.

Here's what we've been up to:

• Website Launch: Our new site is more than just a facelift. It's an immersive experience that introduces you to the world of The Consulting Detectives. Explore the site to learn more about our mission and how you can get involved.

• Closed Alpha Release: We're gearing up to release the Closed Alpha version of our interactive narrative game. This exclusive access will allow a select group of players to dive deep into our first episode.

• Development Progress:

  • UX Enhancements:

    • Added back button support in the Notebook for smoother navigation.

    • Implemented a detailed view for locations within the Notebook.

    • Redesigned item details to allow description caching, so checking item descriptions no longer counts as a move.

    • Introduced an "Out of Moves" screen to inform players when they've reached their action limit.

    • Restored the ability to quit an episode gracefully, connecting it to the new "Out of Moves" screen.

  • Prompt Engineering:

    • All game prompts are now using our new template system, improving consistency and ease of updates.

    • Added support for embeddings in the template system, enhancing functionality.

    • Enabled prompt logging to track results and errors for better debugging.

  • Art and Visuals:

    • Conducted an art test for the Chapel Bell Tower—it's looking amazing! 🏰

    • Added parallax support to create a more immersive visual experience.

  • Mobile Optimization:

    • Updated all screens to be mobile-responsive, tested down to iPhone X resolutions.

    • Players can now enjoy the game seamlessly on their mobile devices.

  • Main Menu Overhaul:

    • Almost finished building the new main menu with a sleek boot sequence.

    • Players can now exit episodes, return to the main menu, and start new episodes without issues.

  • Audio Enhancements:

    • Collaborated with a talented composer friend, Christian, to incorporate new audio tracks that elevate the game's atmosphere.

What's Next:

• Final Touches:

  • Implementing the new main menu screen.

  • Prepping for Discord publishing.

  • Squashing the last few bugs.

• Closed Beta Release:

  • We're on track to release a single-episode Alpha on our public Discord server soon. Stay tuned!

A Huge Thank You:

None of this would be possible without the incredible efforts of our team and the support of our community. We're excited to get The Consulting Detectives into the hands of real players and can't wait to hear your feedback.

If you're interested in joining the Closed Alpha or want to learn more, feel free to reach out or visit tcd.game.

Let's solve some mysteries together! 🔍