Newsletter 1

Hello everyone! Hope everyones been good during this new month. But, welcome to the first Checkmate newsletter! I will be going over stuff going on behind the scenes and hopefully will give you some insight on what to expect with future content from our team; The Pawn!

'What is the state of Checkmate: DLC?

What has been going on since V2?'

First off, I would like to mention up the deluxe edition of DLC while I am thinking about it. DLC for Checkmate was including additional songs that could not make it to the essential version of Version 2. But during development, a lot of roadblocks have been happening throughout the time between V2 and today. A lot of it has been mental health with individuals and a lot of burn out throughout last and this year. That, and losing motivation to work on the project for a few weeks here and there. But, hopefully through this we can still get this out in due time! I am taking my time with this part of the project so please be patient with us as we develop through.

Also, in reality, Checkmate: DLC will be the offical hotfix to Version 2, because a lot of the assets are remade, and I fixed some things throughout the build that I could've done WAY better than what I was doing on a crunch window.

'Plans for the future of Checkmate?'

With what I've said along side my old co-director, and generally on the website, I do plan on making a version 3 after DLC, and that being it. Originally, there was going to be a V4 of the mod, but I decided against it becuase of cramming everything together. And, I want Version 3 to be the final send off to the mod with everything I ever wanted to be ambitionalized with this project put in. The idea for Boyfriend, Girlfriend, and Pico being original characters also stemmed with this final send off. I wanted to give the characters and places around them more of a story that can possibly try and piece together as you go through the mod. I have been fixing the roster of Checkmate V3 throughout last year and this year with removing and adding songs that I will see fit. The roster is not finalized, but for what it is worth, I feel like teasers are needed for the long departure I have taken away from teasers.

Also, before I forget. A lot of content from Checkmate is inspired off of a lot of works from Manticore. I see it as an appreciation of their work even if we get highs and lows somedays. I enjoy each piece that they produce and I want to dedicate this mod to them. Even if the main selling point is Mythos, there is more under a surface than what I entail.

'TEASERS'

And finally, we're at the teasers I wanted to show off. Of course, a lot of these aren't finalized and some are test footage for sprites, but other than that, these are upcoming contents for Checkmate DLC, and also, Checkmate V3 because I feel like you deserve two pieces of a pie since I am working simultaneously on the both of them.

(Song - Lisa from OFF Mod)

Other Info

Other info on the website, about the contents around spin offs are true to a degree. To other half of that is I am uncertain on making so many to a point where it consist of a V4 of the mod, with other spin offs. Speaking of, more characters besides the replacements for Boyfriend and Girlfriend will be getting spotlight in Version 3 of Checkmate. It is in the early stages right now, but writing wise it is going swimmingly with what I am producing.

For whenever the future comes, I have been planning a QNA thing eventually with this proejct, since I feel like behind closed doors, some people deverse some questions they want to ask me about this project. I've got a lot I want to explain, esspecially with the story. But, I know what happens if I run my mouth too much so lets continue.

Checkmates art style has been sort of the same throughout updates. Mainly because I have been the one making sprites and coming up with concept designs. I would like for Checkmate to have a few songs and such with different artist in them, Im open to the idea. Trying to get there is gonna be tricky but Im sure it will all work out. Speaking of art and what not, here are some concepts for designs I had lying around in my notebook! A lot of these are doodles I had way back when but generally its close to the finalized design in v2

Conclusion

And with that, we reach the end of the thread. I hope I somewhat informed those who are interested in the projects that I am making and hopefully Ill be able to do more of these here and there. I hope you enjoy the website if you haven't seen the rest of it, and hope you enjoy King Kugel for what its worth and DLC whenever it comes out! Cya guys latwer!!!!