Q1 2023 Next Steps

2021 saw the launch of the new, fully-localized Game Website, Wiki, Installer, Launcher and in-game Automatic Chat Translation System, along with many other upgrades and changes to the underlying game.

It also saw the development of a new Subscription System, the Name Reservation System, and also the Legacy Server in Q4 2022 -- a chance to explore the classic version of PotBS known and loved from years ago.

The first tasks planned to be tackled by Vision in Q1 of 2023 will be to complete the repairs on Antigua, which were briefly set aside in order to finish and launch the Legacy Server.

Once Antigua is back in action, our attention will then turn to getting the game ready for Steam. 

There is a great deal of work to do in getting ready for Steam, much of it behind the scenes. The work will range from Engineering to Financial, setting up new payment systems, routing and gating Steam Players' BSN purchases through Steam, perhaps even setting up a Steam Server (which Players of the Live Servers should also be able to access). We will know more about those bridges as we draw closer to them.

Q1 2023 will also see another technology refresh. Another new server (or two) will be added to the cluster, and the most heavily-loaded parts of PotBS will be migrated onto them.

Similarly, following the launch of the Legacy Server and moving into 2023, a major focus will be on Marketing, initially on Social Media but eventually also on Steam, aiming to continually increase the game’s population. As more Players come and explore the Burning Sea, Vision will be able to add more Staff to the project team. The first new staff to be added are expected to primarily consist of additional Customer Support team members and Programmers, but as growth continues, the Programming team will be supplemented by Artists, who will work to resurrect the Art Pipeline and begin to overhaul and develop new battle maps, environments, ships, items and additional content for the game.