Well, happy February Update, everyone!This will probably be the last update before the public beta/d

Well, happy February Update, everyone!

This will probably be the last update before the public beta/demo is released. Barring any weird happenings, we should have that ready next month. The time draws near! …It’s kind of terrifying, actually! As a reminder, the beta will be a mostly complete vertical slice demonstrating the first season of the game (around 8-12 hrs of gameplay, give or take). I do expect it to have some bugs, but we have made an effort to get it as bug-free as possible. It should be less buggy than a Bethesda game, at least. :)

So, with that so close, let’s meet some of the townspeople! These are just a few of the characters you’ll meet during Spring of Year 1.

Mr. Whitfield arrives in town on the same wagon you do… and gets robbed by the same bandit gang that robs you. As he tells hit, he’s a photographer who has come out here to Wishbone to take photos of the prairie.

Nikki’s family owns Vanderdash Farm, the other farm in town. She’s a hard-working farm girl about the player’s age, and her (and her dogs) are some of the first friendly faces the player will meet in town. She’ll sell you animals and farm equipment if you need it. Though she’s a little awkward around most people, she really comes alive when talking about animals–especially dogs.

The nervous, bookish town schoolteacher, Ms. Wilson, is a bit of an outlaw apologist. It’s just… some of those outlaw guys are just so handsome, you know? Handsome and misunderstood… she’d just love to meet one someday. When she’s not teaching class or hanging out with Nikki, she can often be found standing in front of the town Bounty Board, swooning over the wanted posters.

A few days after you arrive in town, you’ll find yourself invited to Mayor North’s office for… for what, exactly? You’ll just have to see. He’s a proud man, known to be rather temperamental and difficult to get along with. Will you win his favor, or make yourself a powerful enemy?

According to townspeople, the dubiously competent Sheriff Pilgrim spends more of his time napping at his desk and admiring his shiny badge in the mirror than he spends fighting crime. He takes a liking to the player when they first arrive in town, though it’s quite possible his view of you will change with time…

Tobias works as the sullen, sarcastic cashier of the Jia Family General Store. He’s not the friendliest fellow around, but he’s a hard worker and seems to care a lot about his family… even if he sometimes feels frustrated that his sisters don’t help out more. He seems to crave something more than the current life he’s living…

Stop by Bordelon Saloon and you’ll probably see Barbara waiting the tables. She owns the place along with her husband, Rufus. Friendly, bubbly, and about as dense as the rocks she collects, Barbara is always happy to chat–unless she’s working. But if she’s not working, she’ll happily talk your ear off, and maybe even challenge you to a drinking contest.

An orphan girl with a sharp wit and sharper tongue, it’s easy to get the feeling that Em knows a lot more about goings on than she’s willing to admit. What her hidden agenda is–if it exists at all–remains to be seen, but perhaps you’ll get a chance to speak with her before the demo is up…

Mike is the leader of Mike’s Gang, the bandit group that robs you and Mr. Whitfield when you first arrive in town. He hightails it back to his secret gang headquarters after robbing you, so you probably won’t see him again for a while. Even Ms. Wilson doesn’t seem to like him very much, so he must be a pretty unpleasant dude.