Hi folks,

Now that Earthcaller and Oneiromancer have been released, I'm able to speak some more about the future of the Mirror Classes project and what you all can expect in the future.

With this release, it was my aim to provide as comprehensive a package on day 1 of availability as possible. Alongside the immense volume of code and skill writing, this includes learning messages, a detailed HELP <class> RP document, sufficiently informative help files, fully written ab files, academy tasks, artifacts and their associated items, proper defence and affliction integration, and dozens of other backend changes that go unseen from the user PoV but are nonetheless essential to a stable release product.

Barring a few errant outliers and particularly fussy mechanics, I think we've hit that standard of completion and that is the level you can expect to see in the future.

However, getting this right means that the development cycle is a lot longer than what first may seem as simple as copying code and writing a few hundred lines of text. Buffering either side of the actual class development is the concept work, the design involved in devising appropriate equivalent abilities (something that for Earthcaller we were still iterating upon even on the morning of release), the supporting lore, and the release event.

With that in mind, our plan going forward is to aim for two pairs of mirrors to be released per year for a total of four classes in a twelve month period. This allows us to spend the appropriate time and effort on getting it right without compromising development time spent on other major projects or story events.

We haven't yet decided what the next pair is going to be, but there are eight classes remaining (Archivist, Ascendril, Praenomen, Sciomancer, Sentinel, Shaman, Teradrim, and Zealot), and you are welcome to comment in the forum thread for this post with your opinions and thoughts.

Penned by my hand on Gosday, the 18th of Midsummer, in the year 498 MA.
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https://forums.aetolia.com/discussion/4150/announce-post-3244-the-future-of-mirrors