Anyway, after the code merge, things get really interesting - especially for all you Emergence players out there. In addition to Episode 2, we're going to focus on three things: SDK, Arena Mode, and Multiplayer - all three of which will be free to Emergence players. We're as anxious to get these things in your hands as you all are to have them. So, everyone can rest assured that we're not going to be abandoning our fans as we press forward on Episode 2 - We've got a lot of good things planned for you guys.

Speaking of fans, we've been getting a tremendous amount of feedback. I'm sure you all have noticed several of us Ritual folks hitting various forums and talking to the community. We're committed to the community and want to use Episodic content to make sure we're giving fans what they want. You guys have already had a significant effect on the design of Episode 2.

One of the things we're doing is adjusting the storyline a little. We're moving to the idea of a "Season" -- just like in TV, in one "Season" players will have a full complete story. Take for example, the series 24. At the end of any season, there's a few questions left unanswered, but the primary conflict has been resolved. That's exactly the model we're going for. So, we've shifted all our focus on Season 1, which will span 3 episodes. This is perfect for us, because 3 episodes maps so nicely with traditional story structure: Beginning, Middle, and End. As many of you know, our storyline and background is much larger than just 3 episodes, but as of now, everything we've got is centered on this single 3 episode arc.

Another thing we've gotten a lot of feedback on is Blade. The storyline for Episode 1 explains why he's not very chatty; plus a silent hero helps with immersion. That being said, we've heard you guys. You want Blade; plain and simple. So, in Episode 2, there's going to be more Blade. We're still figuring out a few implementation things, and I don't want to give away all the details, but I just wanted to let all of you know you do make a difference. You've spoken and we've listened.

Lastly, I want to clarify how we're tackling this idea of Episodic Content. While the overall story line for Season 1 spans 3 episodes, it's not one game split into three parts. We're designing each and every episode to be a standalone game, giving users between 4-8 hours (depending on playstyle) of unique gameplay + replay value + additional content (such as the SDK, Arena Mode, and MP listed above.) Each episode is designed to build on the one before, but offer its own story arcs, features, and specialized content.