I’ve been following this game since it’s first iteration was developed and released on the PICO-8 website. It’s a wonderfully casual and short playtime for a game with a 4X strategy feel.
Did the developer always have the evolution of the game in mind from the beginning?
Having played another game from the developer in the past I guess you could say I was becoming a fan. The development of Slipways was also fun to follow as a PICO-8 enthusiast. Seeing someone bring their own experiment into full production is quite inspiring.
I’m curious, at what point does one decide to continue with or abandon a project? How do you make the call?
Nearly every project starts off with a vision of what it is going to be. The vision may be vague. The moment you set out to make it, the implementation imposes itself on the vision. One of the nicest thing about working on a team is that you get to share in the creation of a vision. It gets refined through conversations and collaboration, and comes to life in a way you never imagined by yourself. But if you are the only team member, your players become your team mates in a way. The player is the only voice you hear - unless you take some advice from fellow game devs I guess. In any case, this game is in itself an achievement.