We've had a lot of development progress and are right on the verge of Town Square release. There will be a new Insider very soon as well as a dev blog to catch you up in a few days. Check out the Dev Blog section on the forum here for a recap on those. On the video front, there are these. The task tracker, found on the Town Square module page on this website, also shows progress for Town Square release. There's not much need in monitoring it anymore since there's only one task in its final stage, though. When that completes you'll see Identity's Town Square module on Steam.

This is clearly a bug with the system as transactions are handled in the backend in a different way now. There are several bugs with the new website, all of which will be ironed out right away.

You will be able to acquire all of these things in the game; however, they are cosmetically unique. Textures/skins and such will differentiate the paid object from the standard. Most of these assets can also be claimed on each server.

The way it works, and where the confusion is here, is that the prices are indeed the same although when you purchase the other package now, it's not really an "upgrade". The website functions as a shop now, and not a crowd-funder platform like Kickstarter. What this means is you're not just going from package A to C in a linear line, but you can choose additional things and get what you really want. The reason it seems more expensive is actually because you're GETTING MORE. If you were to buy that package, you'd be getting everything you don't have from that package already and also keeping what you have from the other package. The discount is there if you already have some of the items in that package, as you're not paying for those again. It is, for sure. The value is in that the apartment is available to be claimed on all servers.

Which key are you referring to? If you've made a purchase and it's not showing in your account it is surely there, but there may be display bugs with the new site.

Servers will exist on all continents!

The current target is 300 players per server, although with our technology we can go over 1,000. It'll come down to playtesting to what we find compliments gameplay best.

The finishing touches Greetings, and again thank you, to all of Identity's backers receiving this dev blog. Everyone's been hard at work putting together a game that can change the industry, and you're soon going to be getting your first taste. With the Town Square (Identity's first social gameplay module) nearing release, we're hard at work testing and putting the finishing touches on two of the major features. Everything's been progressing very well and I'm quite proud of the team. These last systems are the art/canvas mechanics and the player housing. Both of these have been functional for a long time, although a couple tweaks need made before we push Town Square out the door. A few minutes of decorating an Ash Hill penthouse We've added a new button in the elevators to allow you to visit a public version of any apartment. You can run around and see them in their default state before committing to buying them for yourself. This will be a very useful way to explore the available options, given that some of the floorplans will be very rare to come across with other players. Above is the penthouse after a few minutes of quick decoration. I'm not exactly a decorator, myself, but you can get a good idea of the way it looks now! It's a huge space with three large bedrooms (which means you and two friends can use it as your home) and tons of storage. We've had to refactor the backend of the housing system a good bit, but the end result you see is everything you saw in the prior Identity Insider apartment video. All features shown then will be ready for you soon in the Town Square! We have lots of other cool features coming for your house parties that you haven't seen yet, too. In case you hadn't seen that video, or you want to see it again, I've linked it below. Identity Insider: Housing - CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO Town Square gameplay live stream With my last developer blog post I included a link to gameplay video from our live stream showing character creation and the exterior environment in the Town Square module. Recently, I joined in on another development live stream to show about 20 minutes of more Town Square gameplay. This time I showed off interior environments as well as a few of the gameplay mechanics you're going to come across in the Town Square. YouTube Town Square preview live stream 2 - CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO The team and I are so very excited to show you guys what we've made in the Town Square and beyond. The Town Square isn't enormous on its own, but it's a very good way to give you an idea of how the world looks and feels. The task master The Task Tracker is a new tool on our website which displays up-to-date data pertaining to how much work is remaining for the Town Square release. If you've been following our progress through the tracker, you'll have seen that just a couple of days ago it progressed to its current point, with only two tasks remaining at the in-testing state (the ones I described above in this blog post). Keep your eye on the tracker to get the best idea of when we're ready to go. You will of course also get notified by email when the Town Square is published on Steam! The future of the Dev Blog This may be one of the last couple developer blogs being sent out in this format as we're planning on soon transitioning to more frequent developer video blogs! In the past, it's always been myself who wrote these blog posts. They've been a great way to reach out and letting everyone who doesn't follow us on social media know what we've been up to. That said, I think I speak for most people when I say video is more interesting and entertaining! Look forward to meeting the team face-to-face in short but frequent videos. Some will be general updates about our work on Identity and some will be focused on certain aspects within the game. Also, on that note, you're going to be getting a very interesting Identity Insider very shortly, covering criminal activity and gameplay. It's a major part of the game and we've surprisingly not been asked many questions about these systems in the past. You'll be getting all kinds of juicy new information and ideas of what you're going to encounter! The Twitch Clips If you've been following Identity's development closely, you probably already know that developers stream their work live on the Identity Twitch channel every Tuesday and Thursday. We also use that time to answer almost every question that gets asked about Identity's development and gameplay. Now that we've been doing this a while, we've answered a lot of questions. Our awesome community manager, BeachBall, has taken the time to compile a massive list of questions linked to clips where they're answered by a developer. Get comfy and head over to the Twitch Clips Directory forum thread. If you haven't found this already, be prepared to spend a good bit of time listening to all sorts of awesome information. This is the best place to get to know the fine details Identity! -- John VanderZwet

The missing arms and legs was a product of using our development client and isn't a bug to fix. The cafe isn't planned to open at release, nor is the tattoo shop. They'll be shortly after. We've shown the apartments in depth, so that wasn't a focus. You can find that video on YouTube. As for the combat video we showed, keep in mind that we're developing Identity in full. Some core features aren't in the Town Square, and it's not usually the same people working on those areas. You'll notice that area had less polish than the soon-to-be-released Town Square because it had less focus at this time

He seems to have a sense of humor.

We were all just taking breaks and watching TV, but after reading this post you've set us straight! Thank you for getting the team back on track.

A visual feast! As we approach the release of the Town Square, it's time to start showing off! Identity's gameplay is unique; there's no game in the world which accomplishes what we've set out to create and as a result, this will be one of the most immersive gaming experiences available. In some senses, graphics weigh heavily on environmental immersion and we've really started to show Identity's beauty in this last week. Last week, we did a short live stream on Twitch to show off the Town Square in motion. If you weren't there for the stream, check out the details below. Ash Hill Cinema ticket booth In addition to Identity's artistic beauty, we also want to show you what the base gameplay will be like in the Town Square. We do plan on doing another stream shortly where we'll move on into the interiors and interact with some of the features you'll find when you log into the Town Square. We'll have to mute the karaoke and streaming radio elements for Twitch and YouTube, though. I really do wish we had more time in our last stream but we were an hour late getting the stream started and what was meant to be a 10 minute display ended up being half an hour long. Half of that time was spent in character creation, so if that's of any interest to you be sure to check out the stream. I'll leave the video below. Ash Hill's Town Square in early morning Ash Hill's Town Square at night With our next gameplay stream, I'd really like to show off the Town Square at night. Check out the screenshot above to see why I feel that night in Identity has an incredible atmosphere. Night will be useful in Identity too; for example, some animals will be more active when the sun goes down. Just imagine running from (or with) the cops in the dark of night! A beautiful and well-designed environment makes great gameplay even better. Ash Hill's fruit and vegetable market As you can tell by now, I went a bit overboard taking screenshots of the Town Square environment. I'm so proud with what our art team has accomplished, so you're getting a handfull with this developer blog! The market seen here is in the Town Square, although it won't be the only food market in Ash Hill. Markets play a fairly important role, and not only for your own access to food. Gathering and growing food will be a safe and reliable way to make some money in Identity. It doesn't require any sort of investment, so it's one of your options for making a living the moment you step foot in the world. It will get much easier with a vehicle, though. RIDE bicycle shop The screenshot above is from the interior of the bicycle store you'll find in the Town Square. You won't be able to buy them right away, but once we start implementing our final vehicles we'll likely unlock the bikes in the Town Square, too. Bicycles will be an important tool in Identity. If you can't afford a vehicle (they're not cheap) then they're your best option for getting around town without dishing out cash for a cab. Ash Hill Tattoo interior My final screenshot today was the interior of the tattoo shop you'll find in the center of Ash Hill, and thus the Town Square. Hidden in the back of the parking lot behind the DMV, this parlor will be opening shortly after the Town Square release. Tattoos in Identity are either paid for or earned; some tattoos are only unlocked with achivements, most of which being for less than legal actions. Tattoos aren't available during character creation and must be gotten through a shop such as this. Town Square gameplay live stream YouTube Town Square preview stream If you missed our live stream of Town Square gameplay last week, click on that big image above to check it out now. If your email client is afraid and you don't see the images, you can always click here. I spent the first while creating a character and then took a quick look around the exterior of the Town Square environment. I can't wait to show more! The tasks at hand Our new task tracker has been one of the most well received additions we've ever released, and it's very easy to see why. As the Asylum developers continue to knock out tasks daily, we're getting very, very close to allowing you all into the Town Square. As of my writing this, only 3 primary tasks remain and are already in progress. The tracker is showing only Town Square tasks, although many of those in our team (who don't have anything left for the Town Square release) are already hard at work producing SWAT module content. It won't be long before you start seeing a lot of our SWAT efforts appearing, and I'm extremely excited to give you more information on how it'll play. Keep your eyes on the tracker, as it will continue (even after Town Square release) to be the best indicator of when you can get your taste. A quick thank you to our supporters We've been working hard to create the game that can, quite seriously, affect the entire MMORPG industry. Nothing like Identity has been done before, mostly because a game of this scale is a risky project for any established studio. It is because of you receiving this update, our pledgers and supporters, that our dreams and ambitions are becoming a reality. The ultimate RPG is on the horizon, and I'm so very grateful to the wonderful community around me. Again, I just want to say thank you as I sincerely appreciate your support. You're helping to create a game which thousands, who don't even know we're here yet, will come to enjoy. You're here on the ground floor. The Twitch Clips If you've been following Identity's development closely, you probably already know that developers stream their work live on the Identity Twitch channel every Tuesday and Thursday. We also use that time to answer almost every question that gets asked about Identity's development and gameplay. Now that we've been doing this a while, we've answered a lot of questions. Our awesome community manager, BeachBall, has taken the time to compile a massive list of questions linked to clips where they're answered by a developer. Get comfy and head over to the Twitch Clips Directory forum thread. If you haven't found this already, be prepared to spend a good bit of time listening to all sorts of awesome information. This is the best place to get to know the fine details Identity! -- John VanderZwet

You'll see both today. Neither are automatic, I have to do both manually and I've been swamped. I did intend to update the tracker last night but I lost track of time in a meeting at the end of the day yesterday. Sorry about that. The tracker data is automatic but the website update process is manual, for now. It'll be automated and updated most likely by the hour on the new website.

It's amusing to me how much people wanted me to jump. You can jump, but I just never even thought to do it given that I was running on a flat surface the entire time. Once I turned off the PC and walked out into the main work room I heard about the jump spam requests!

I'm happy to see you guys enjoyed the stream. It was a lot of fun for us to finally show it off. To answer a couple of the concerns above, all of the buildings are enterable with full interiors. This had to be a short stream because we started an hour late and it was only supposed to be 10 minutes long to start. We'll show more! I do agree that the player animation needs more work. They're improved, but we're still working to replace the animations for the mid-speed jog. The slower walk and sprint are pretty good, I think. I'd also like to implement more interaction animations. We do actually have some done already that just need "plugged in." As for visibly carrying items, you're thinking of weapons. Weapons will be visible on your character and some items can also be held in your hands. There's no feasible way to show all items on your character, though.

I was reminded by walking past Beach's PC which was sitting in wait.

One task was deemed non-essential. The tracker displays only the tasks required for the next milestone which in this case is the Town Square.

Step inside my office! We're in the home stretch, now. The Town Square module is almost ready to go, and now you can follow the Asylum developers as we approach the release. Exactly two weeks ago we launched the new Identity Task Tracker; check out that link, or click the big green button on the Identity website. The task tracker shows you our progress from the point of release a couple of weeks ago until now, and we update every weekday. This tracker displays the data right out of our own project management software that we use to drive and organize the developers inside the studio. All tasks on the tracker are those that remained as of two weeks ago up to the point we consider the Town Square module to be ready for release. These are not all of the tasks we've done (there've been thousands), but just the ones remaining. I'm pretty proud of the progress our guys are making each day. It's only been a couple of weeks but you'll see the majority of those tasks are marked completed! It's really amazing what a team of this size can do when it has such talent. Keep your eye on the tracker; when our important tasks there are done it's time for a Steam release! We're all extremely excited over here. Town Square barber shop interior, work in progress The World Wide Wait An all new Identity website is very, very close to release. In fact, it's so close that we're only waiting on a technology partner to finalize their end of things. Our new website enhances the style of our existing site but is focused far more on improved functionality. A very robust new account system is in place to help you get in the game, and our new shop has some other big requested features! Finally, you'll be able to pay with dozens of methods (PayPal, credit cards, PaySafe and more) and even gift purchases to your friends. With the release of the new website also comes the return of the Identity Insider. The Insider will be a monthly detailed addition to the website, containing all sorts of information you may not have heard before and diving deep into a specific Identity gameplay topic. Our current pledge packages will remain on the website for only one week after the new website launches. After that, many of those rewards will never be sold again and those which are will be a bit more expensive as we prepare for retail pricing. Now's the time to join in the support of Identity's development if you have been on the fence! A look inside the Asylum Everyone at Asylum has been working like crazy. The poor guys are in overdrive and won't be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, just this last week we hired four new programmers to join the team, more than doubling the programmer team size, to ensure that we can get content to you faster. I've myself continued to put a lot of development hours in when I'm not busy with business stuff. I've added some interesting things in the last weeks including substance use and effects. You won't need to spend your time in the Town Square digitally sober! Mark, our graphic designer, has been taking his excellent art into the game engine with the creation of wallpapers for homes as well as a bunch of clothing options. I hoped to have a couple dozen cool wall options available to start with the Town Square release. When I looked over his shoulder today it was somewhere around 300. Wow, I can't even imagine the options when crafting decorations is introduced on top of that. We're pretty much ready to go on the art side of things. Those who follow us on Twitch will have seen Jade/Lee has finished will all of the housing floorplans and the final touches are being done to integrate them into the game today. A lot of our floorplans are based on pop-culture; see if you can identify them. You'll have the chance to walk through them in the Town Square to help with your home-buying decisions. Keep an eye on our Twitch streams! We're going to be showing some cool stuff quite soon. It's been a long wait for the Town Square release, but the wait is almost over. The Twitch Clips If you've been following Identity's development closely, you probably already know that developers stream their work live on the Identity Twitch channel every Tuesday and Thursday. We also use that time to answer almost every question that gets asked about Identity's development and gameplay. Now that we've been doing this a while, we've answered a lot of questions. Our awesome community manager, BeachBall, has taken the time to compile a massive list of questions linked to clips where they're answered by a developer. Get comfy and head over to the Twitch Clips Directory forum thread. If you haven't found this already, be prepared to spend a good bit of time listening to all sorts of awesome information. This is the best place to get to know the fine details Identity! -- John VanderZwet

The tasks on the tracker, as it states in top, are only those remaining for the town square release as of last Thursday night. We're talking two full business days. I think the progress has been quite decent, considering. If we were displaying all tasks completed it would be in the thousands.

Most systems are done. Few are not. Having a task for a system doesn't mean it's not complete, it means we need to enhance it or correct some things. You see a few tasks listed, you don't see the thousands that are already completed before the tracker went live.

We didn't give a date because it all depends on how smoothly things go. I don't expect it to be very long though. This is why the tracker is the ideal solution; you can see the progress as it's happening and as we knock out more tasks you'll get a good understanding of a release date. Essentially, you have most of the data we do (minus task time estimations) for establishing release dates now.

The tasks included in that tracker are those from the time the tracker was developed, just over a day ago.

You will have speech bubbles in Identity. Perhaps not at the initial Town Square release, but shortly after. This is a system we've used a lot in the past; I coded this mechanic in Mortal Online and it's existed in many games prior, including the very first mass-market MMORPG, Ultima Online. Infact, even World of Warcraft has this feature but I'm not sure if it's on by default. We agree that it's far more immersive this way than having to look down at your chat box when speaking with someone in front of you.

I want to preface this by mentioning I didn't read your entire post, but just these scenarios. Given our current design, the first scenario would not play out that way. Because the robber had his weapon out, his stress level would be maxed out as soon as he equipped the weapon. Therefore, he's immediately vulnerable. You on the other hand don't have your weapon out, and thus you have a decision. With the weapon aimed at you, your stress is going to rise very quickly. You have only seconds to respond. If you were to surrender (put your hands up), your life is no longer at risk but you can be robbed. If you decide to fight back you become immediately stressed by unholstering your weapon. Chances are that you'd be shot before you had time to fire back, if he was already aiming at you. If you took cover and then pulled it out you might have more luck. A melee weapon, as is mentioned in your second scenario, works similarly (but might not raise stress quite as quickly). That is, when he pulls out a melee weapon in front of the other guy, that guy has only seconds to make the same decision. He can run (which causes stress to go up faster) in hopes of getting away but also making himself vulnerable, surrender to save himself or fight back. The goal of the system is two fold: first, to reduce random player-killing, and second to give you the option of fight, flight or surrender.

The delay is unfortunate, for sure. We at Asylum feel it more than most and we hated to do this, but it's necessary. First impressions are the only ones that matter. We have to be sure that when we release the Town Square, server issues and the like are minimal. The only thing we'd ever said regarding the previous date was that we were "on schedule", which was true. It would have been very tight, though. Moving forward, this new date is only one month longer but that gives our developers time to make sure things are done right and not rushed.