I can't help but feel that people still haven't learned by now how game development and Kickstarted projects work. I also can't help but feel that a huge portion of backers didn't read the terms properly and thought it would be a huge game on day one and were disappointed. Unfortunately a lot of people want instant gratification without waiting. I've spent the last 6-12 months not even bothering to check to forums, not because I don't care for the game but because I know full well that John vanderzwet and the team have everything running ship shape and to the best of their ability. People really need to learn to chill and have patience. It's for this reason I worry that some of the people playing identity might not even be mentally mature enough to actually take role playing seriously.

Expanding the Square While the primary development focus continues to be on SWAT, a smaller division of the Identity development team expands the features and controls of the Town Square. This brings new features to enjoy in the social module, and also prepares several features for the combat-oriented and faced-paced SWAT module. Recent Changes to the Square Since our last development blog update, we've made several notable changes to the Town Square. Drop in and check it out to see some of these changes first hand! - Marijuana is now grown by players! Plant seeds on a hydroponics table and dry grown plants on drying racks before harvesting. There are varying degrees of quality. This is the first step toward adding work and economy into the Town Square. - You can now watch YouTube videos with your friends using TVs in your apartments. - We've made significant changes to player movement and animation blending. You'll find your character movement feels much more natural. - VoIP (voice communication) has been rebuilt on a new technology to greatly increase sound quality. - Player's eyes and other facial features change depending on substance use. If you know the effects of a drug, you can tell if somebody is using by looking closely. This will be useful with police powers (see roadmap below). - You can now access the shooting range in preparation for the release of firearms. - Significant changes to the lighting have been made to give a more realistic appearance, especially during the day. - A large remake of the image processing means overall sharper graphics with more detail and eliminated "ghosting". - We've added support for chat commands. Write /emote for a list of emotes. The Town Square Roadmap - Guns, guns, guns! The shooting range in the basement of the police station is now open and soon will give you access to a few guns to try out. This will give you a taste of how guns will work and feel. We'll show you how awesome the gun systems are with a video when we come closer to this release. - Paintball guns will be available for use and play outside of the shooting range. - We'll soon be adding the ability to drop items on the ground in public spaces. These can then be picked up by other players. - A trading mechanic will allow you to securely pass items to others around you. - Security and ownership systems for apartments, allowing you to assign roommates and more. - Police powers are on the horizon for select players (moderators). This will include jailing, restraining and searching. - Even more clothing and character customization options. We have a lot already created and ready to be added. In addition to the features above coming to the Town Square, we're also expanding on jobs and tasks, both legal and illegal, to kickstart a small economy. Step into the Town Square! The Town Square module is now released and available on Steam. If you haven't had the chance to try the Town Square and experience a small piece of the Identity world, grab your Steam key and check it out. With the Town Square now running smoothly, we've shifted much of our focus to feature development for the SWAT module. We'll continue to fix bugs and add other features to the Town Square, too. Get your Identity Steam key! To get your key, login on the main site at www.IdentityRPG.com. You can then go to the Account tab of your profile where you'll see an option to link your Steam account. You must have BETA ACCESS on your account to claim a key! ATTENTION! You can only attach one steam account to one game account, and it's permanent. Be sure you're logged into your game account which has the items you've purchased before attaching a Steam account! Once you've obtained your key from the Identity website you can enter it into your Steam client, but be sure that you're logged into the Steam account where you'd like to own Identity. Click the Games menu in Steam, and then Activate a Product on Steam. -- John VanderZwet