Now that we grabbed your attention, on to the good news! ːbombingː

• The game is selling well, and we only have three positions left to fill on the team: a tester, a character artist, and a Storm Engine programmer.
  
• Patch 1.2 is available. This is the biggest one so far — bigger than 1.1 and 1.1.1 combined.
  
• We've launched a 33% discount in honor of the Steam Summer Sale, so seize the moment — we probably won't offer a bigger discount this year.
  
• The first DLC “Vile Little God” has been released.

• “Long Shadows of Old Sins” - Charlie Knippel's companion quest featuring a new unique ship.
  
• “The Last Knight” - Claude Duran's companion quest.
  
• “Three's a Crowd” - a special hidden event with its own Steam achievement.
  
• “Vile Little God” DLC - rebalanced and refined compared to the Early Access version.

We continue towards our goal of completely uplifting the entire fleet in the game. In 1.2, we added a new one and redid five original ships; about forty more to go. The new models will fit well in Unreal Engine too, significantly easing the future pre-production stage.

• Barque.
  
• Tartane.
  
• Sloop.
  
• Brigantine.
  
• Privateer Ketch - also known as the Mirage.
  
• War Ketch - The Chimera, a new quest ship.
  
• Multiple paintjobs for each.

We consider new animations one of the most important assets. They are a great way to enhance immersion and add variety to cutscenes, battles, and city life. We will continue experimenting with them until 1.3 — by then, we will determine which to focus on: combat, immersion, or story.

• Romantic scenes with girlfriends and brothel employees.
  
• Musicians in taverns.
  
• Blacksmiths in cities.
  
• Behavior of brothel employees.
  
• Civilians on benches in colonies.
  
• New idle animations for Charles - with and without a musket.
  
• New gunshot death animation.

We've actually done much more than what was included in the patch. For example, new character movement animations for modern gamepad control are ready, but testing and integration will take time. It took about a month, but we are now one step closer to dealing with 'tank controls.' Additionally, as you surely have noted already, the romantic aspect of the game is strongly emphasized in this patch. The main question is: should we take it even further? ːrofl_pirateː Personally, I very much hope so.

Unfortunately, we didn't manage to create a new boarding scene, but they will be our priority in the next patches. Nonetheless, we achieved a lot. We improved all the jungles in the game by adding details, better textures, vegetation, good shadows, and atmospheric haze. This is a major visual leap, so we can pause on global graphical improvements for now.

• Over 20 jungle locations have been significantly improved.
  
• Added a new location, Le Francois - huge thanks to the mega-talented Nikk.
  
• Enhanced even more textures.
  
• Improved lighting and weather.

• 11 new achievements.
  
• Reinforced Brigandine - new armor and an ultimate reward for the “Dead Man” quest.
  
• Tutorial video hints - the first test of a global tutorial system, designed to explain complex mechanics to the new audience.
  
• Crafting recipes are more accessible from the start, and the “Alchemy” perk is no longer required to actually be able to craft things — it only substitutes for special tools, like the alchemist's chest.
  
• Athlete background has been buffed. It deals more damage with slashing and heavy attacks.
  
• Added cutscenes to the “Rumba” and “Dead Man” quests.
  
• First iteration of trading rebalance - the choice of available equipment is more streamlined and tuned for better character progression.
  
• Treasure hunting rebalanced - tier-3 weapons no longer drop until a certain character level.
  
• The critical shot system has been refined - quality and precise weapons can crit now. Crit chance can be enhanced by amulets and PIRATES points.
  
• Added more quest markers on the global map and characters.
  
• Soldiers in hostile cities now stop the player much less frequently.
  
• Unloading the “Topaz” in the “Resin Dog” quest no longer causes a player to quit the game in rage.
  
• Heavy attacks now require three times more energy.
  
• Rebalanced the early stages of the “Slave Trader” quest to make it more accessible for early free play.
  
• Having a trade license unlocks the fast travel function in hostile cities.
  
• Upgrades for 4th and 5th class ships are cheaper to encourage the early use of this feature.
  
• Sandbox achievements now work without any restrictions.
  
• Proofread the English version - this time we focused on the quest log and Discord user reports.
  
• Fixed dozens of bugs found over the past two months.
  
• I really enjoyed working on this patch and am super proud of the team, and yet patch 1.2.1 is on its way. We're fixing bugs, finishing what we couldn't complete, and then jumping to 1.3 according to our grand strategy — improving the game in all areas: from graphics to content.

• Modern controls and camera behavior.
  
• The new and most non-linear story quest in the game.
  
• More animations.
  
• More ships.
  
• Boarding scenes.

That's it for today, pirates.

As for us...
...getting back to work.

ːjollyrː

A quick update to let you know that production of Patch 1.2 is on schedule and will be released on June 27th. The final scope of changes and new content is yet to be determined, but this patch will definitely be as big as 1.1 and 1.1.1 combined.

Here is a little sneak peek of the upcoming changes.

Ships' hulls are real in-game quality. The sea, sails and rigging are rendered separately.

You can find more in the recent Dev Diary.

In addition, the first DLC will be released on the same date, featuring a new freeplay quest with the most powerful loot in the game so far.

Make sure to wishlist it so you don't miss the big day!

Good hunting and see y'all soon.
ːrespect_soldierː

Complete changelist[docs.google.com]

Task list for 1.2 is looking solid - lots of exciting stuff to do, and with the arrival of 1.1.1, I am finally ready to do a complete playthrough to chart story, content and balance additions for future patches. Super excited for this, having been waiting for a proper playthrough since 2020.

See y'all at the sea.
ːjollyrː

This is the biggest patch we have ever done so far.
Learn more here[docs.google.com].

ːjollyrː

It's been a month since the release - time to count the loot and make some tough calls. What's it gonna be - 5, 10, 15, or 25?

Let's rewind the clock back a month. The game's release was marked by three rather unpleasant factors.

• Three new side quests were never delivered, namely "Unforgiven", "Pirates Don’t Need Heavens", and "Old Sea Dog’s Tales". I only discovered this a couple of days ago. Now, that's some quality project management. ːrofl_pirateː Those responsible for this monumental screw-up will leave our ranks very soon unless they rectify it promptly.
  
• The Exploration, aka No-Timers mode, was underdeveloped. The issue lies in underestimating the complexity of the task - all quest timers need to be manually deactivated in each quest to avoid conflicts. Delving into old code is a rather unrewarding task, but this is the way, and the mode will be set right in patch 1.1.
  
• Balancing amounted to only 60% of the estimated target - new weapons were poorly integrated, new features like stealth remained largely untested, and numerous adjustments of the difficulty curve and side quests remained on paper.
  
• English localization is still a mess - despite the entire game's text being proofread, thanks to the heroic efforts of Goddart and Co., only a portion of it was integrated by the time of release. Same as with the quest timers - lots of manual labor and no technical way to merge new texts fast. Furthermore, due to the lack of my time to proofread the interface, nearly half of the players are still unaware that the Iron Will perk can save characters from mortal wounds once in several minutes. And that's just one example of the issue.

These questionable results are primarily attributed to the small team size and its part-time involvement, the outdated engine, and the colossal workload: Sandbox, Demo, and a 200-hour game with tons of legacy code.

In other words: not in the office and not on the payroll. Of course, that's our problem, not yours. You've paid real money for the product, expecting a certain quality bar. However, I believe that without such details, our today's summary would be incomplete.

That's almost 5% subtracted from the final rating. Nevertheless, even this cost is justifiable - without pre-release testing and the financial support from our community, the game might never have seen the light of day. To be honest, that was projected beforehand, and these 5% of user score should not have played a significant role if not for the following point.

Crafted almost like a coordinated attack, a mass of negative reviews was deployed and then pushed up in the list for everyone to see. Undoubtedly, the game is not perfect and it totally deserves being criticized, but the concerted effort against the game costed us another 4% of the user rating. It nearly dealt a fatal blow to the full version and most likely killed Sandbox for good. In a perfect world, the game would boast a score of ~75%. In reality, everything Caribbean Legend aimed for has taken a hit.

We deliberately took a month to gather all the metrics before making difficult decisions. Plans may be futile, but planning is always essential. Last summer, I outlined four scenarios for our trajectory.

Scenarios:

• Pessimistic:
  5,000 copies sold in the first month, averaging 10 copies/day without discounts. In this scenario, we release patch 1.1, fulfill everything we originally promised, and close shop. Game Over. You Died.
  
• Realistic:
  10,000 copies in the first month, averaging 20 copies/day without discounts. We can continue working for another six months or so, bring the game to version 1.3-1.5, release one medium-sized DLC, and bid farewell. You know what I mean.
  
• Realistically Optimistic:
  15,000 copies, averaging 30 copies/day without discounts. At this level, we can establish a sustainable enterprise for the long term. We develop version 2.0, release several exciting DLCs, and carefully commence pre-production of the sequel on Unreal Engine.
  
• Optimistic:
  25,000 copies, averaging 60 copies/day without discounts. With such resources, we can establish a large studio, not only completing the aforementioned plans rapidly but also focusing on significant expansions featuring the other two heroes - Diego and Patterson.

5, 10, 15, or 25? I've spent the past few months pondering which option we'd land on. The release of any indie game is inherently unpredictable. Guessing is futile; one can only consume craft brews in quantities sufficient to fuel a ballistic missile.

And so I did. And, perhaps for the first time in my career, everything went according to plan. ːcharles_happyː

• Caribbean Legend surpassed TEHO's first-month sales in just one day.
  
• Within a week, it matched TEHO's entire first-year sales.
  
• In a month, Caribbean Legend earned more revenue than TEHO did in 12 years.

We've landed in the optimistic-realistic territory. ːrespect_soldierː And for the first time in memory, mixed reviews haven't significantly impacted sales dynamics. The game continues to sell, even now, at a solid $20-30 on the cusp of Steam Spring Sale.

We've won. You've won. ːauthorityː

For the first time in BlackMark Studio's history, we're turning a profit and truly becoming a studio, a company. The core team now receives stable royalties, and we've brought on board several more exceptionally talented people for full-time and part-time roles. Payments are scheduled, and we're operating in a professional manner.

Why is this significant? We've often been criticized for appearing greedy, supposedly trying to milk fans for a second time. Money grab - that's another word that comes up often in reviews. Welp, personally I earned around 3000 - 5000 USD over 12 years from TEHO. Furthermore, for the rest of us, who will now receive a share of Caribbean Legend's sales monthly, this marks our first earnings from the project ever.

There's nothing wrong with that; no one was coerced into working so hard, for free and for so many years. It just feels right when talented individuals can finally do what they love without distraction.

Conceptually, these three patches aim to bring the release version of the game up to speed and serve as a testing ground for our new production processes. Patch 1.3 will deliver a version of Caribbean Legend that, in a perfect world, should have debuted in February.

Fulfillment of Promises

Firstly, numerous long-promised features have yet to be implemented in the game:

• Quests, including the Epilogue, extra romance scenes with Mary, and the aforementioned three side quests.
  
• Full-fledged Exploration mode, where deadlines should be properly disabled with appropriate notifications.
  
• Enhanced system of quest markers with improved context and organization.
  
• Improvements of all new quests, addressing gameplay, balance and proofreading.
  
• Balance adjustments to address existing critical issues. The complete overhaul will come later.
  
• A plethora of edits, improvements, and features born from community feedback. And everything that was already described in our original GDDs but wasn't delivered yet.

R&D

Secondly, we've onboarded several new team members in just over a month, filling gaps in texturing, modeling, and animation - areas where we previously had nothing but a gaping black hole.

This presents exciting opportunities for creating new assets. For instance:

• New locations, from uplifted island models to cities and jungles.
  
• Ships - we will start improving existing models and see if we can make completely new ones.
  
• Higher-quality character models with increased detail.
  
• 3D models of equipment, accesories, and armor. Hats and helmets.
  
• Global texture refinement. We have inproved over 200 textures so far, over a thousand still remains.
  
• New combat and civil animations to enhance immersion. Critical hits, diffrent moves for different weapon types, street musicians, gambers, beggars etc.

We're still gauging our capabilities, costs, and production pipelines for each asset category. Without this, planning remains uncertain, so we aim to explore a variety of avenues before setting goals for the upcoming year.

Patches 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 should introduce 1-5 new assets from each category, significantly refreshing the game and refining our internal processes.

Following the release of patch 1.3, we'll reevaluate the game metrics and make a final decision regarding the roadmap towards version 2.0.

30% of New Assets delivered

By this stage, we anticipate having a clearer understanding of which assets we can produce efficiently. These patches may include a third of the planned new assets such as: ships, locations, new animations or significant updates to main character and story characters models.

Companions Quests

Tichingitu, Longway, and Charlie Knippel will each receive their own storylines. At this point Charles de Maure's main storyline can be considered concluded.

100% of New Assets delivered

We'll execute whatever goals we set for ourselves. Whether it's introducing 20 new locations, enhancing city life, diversifying combat, expanding the ship fleet, or offering more customization options, we'll adapt based on feedback and observations from patch 1.3. Regardless, significant changes are on the horizon and the game will get a massive visual update.

New Balance

With content finalized, including items, ships, and game mechanics, it's an ideal time to adjust the balance to reflect these new realities. Initial changes will undergo extensive beta testing to ensure a balanced gameplay experience.

Tutorial System

We'll revamp the tutorial system to better educate players on game mechanics, from combat tactics to ship navigation. This will involve substantial interface adjustments to lower the entry barrier for new players. Besides new players, this system should also stand as a massive and useful QoL update even for the series veterans.

Redesigning Story Quests

Currently, players tend to choose only the most optimal and profitable paths in quests. There is no real choices in the story and there is always a golden path. Several story quests will be reworked to emphasize player choices and increase their impact on the game world. We aim to restore the value of "To Each His Own" narrative principle.

Our DLC plans include:

• Cosmetic additions with new items and assets, offering players the chance to support developers while receiving extra content like items and ships.
  
• Medium-sized quest DLC.
  
• Large quest DLC.
  
• An open release of updated and finalized Vile Little God quest, tailored to the 2.0 balance.

We face a dilemma regarding quest DLC. While we've received numerous requests for more quests, we worry about overwhelming the game with such content. We're eager to hear your thoughts on this matter in the comments section. Do we add more quests to the game or should we focus on other types of extra content?

Still scheduled for this month, but we may postpone it to ensure we incorporate as many planned features as possible, including new assets. We want each numbered patch to be an event, not just a mundane list of changes.

That wraps it up for today. Remember to share your thoughts in the comments; your feedback is crucial to us, escpecially when we are only about to start executing this roadmap.

See y'all on the high seas!
ːjollyrː

We're putting an end to the news spam and leaving this page behind. The Sea Dogs series is taking a big leap forward, and we are ready to explore the new world. We don't know what awaits us there, but the hope of making a proper Sea Dogs re-launch on a modern engine such as Unreal Engine surely drives us forward. This is one final push with the Storm engine, and then we're there.

Learn more![docs.google.com]

Let fly! ːjollyrː

What started as a little side project now turning into a full scale release on Steam with over 15k demo installs, 300k+ Steam page visits, thousands views on Twitch and an insane feedback from our community.

Today's items:

• Version 0.9.9. release!
  
• Updated 1.0 changelog.
  
• New global map and textures.
  
• Last chance to grab pre-release access.

Find out more on Patreon![www.patreon.com]

Let fly, pirates!
ːjollyrː

ːjollyrːThis is one of the biggest visual leaps Sea Dogs series ever had. We've revamped over 200 textures along with the Global Map - most of the work involved manual reimagining of textures that hadn't been updated since the 2000s. The effort has started not so long ago, so we are definetely planning to bring more in the post release era.

Take a look for yourself and don't forget to watch in fullscreen and 2K.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9InsWxBoTg

ːjollyrːOwners of the Exclusive Edition[www.patreon.com] will get the pre-release access and the opportunity to experience everything for themselves tomorrow. If you haven't secured your copy yet, fear not! Feb 8th marks the beginning of the final round of sales for the Exclusive Edition and it will last until Feb 17th.

Good hunting, pirates
ːauthorityː

This is a huge release changelog that we have updated today. Being the result of three years development, it won't fit here, so please follow the external link below. I broke Steam, when I attempted to upload it as it is.

We marked new/delayed/cancelled features accordingly to give you a full transparency of the release version.

Ten pages of blood, tears and doubloons.[docs.google.com]
[discord.gg]Good hunting.
ːjollyrː