Hello! I'm back from a much needed rest. I've been very hard at work this week and have a lot to share:

• The Mac build saga timeline has been pushed out, I don't expect to have a Mac build out until the next major update. Let me preface this by saying I desperately want to release a non-quarantined Mac build! While working on getting a build ready this week, I hit a roadblock. Let me break down what happened and my plan moving forward:
  • In order to release a Mac build, I need to be using GMS 2.3, which is compatible with building through Xcode to distribute to you, the player. I have been using GMS 2.2 up until now, which is missing information that Xcode needs to build a working file that can be signed. Signing is a way for applications to tell your Mac that it is running a Verified Game that will not quarantine. TLDR? I need to be in GMS 2.3. 
  • In order to use GMS 2.3, I need to convert my 2.2 build. I've been testing the waters here, and it is doable,  but a LOT of functions I use have been made obsolete.
  • Functions from 2.2 that have been made obsolete do not work the same in 2.3. The syntax is not compatible with it, and I need to comb through to revise these old functions to work. 
  • I am working on a new build of LIFELIKE that combines all episodes. Spending time to revise an old build for Mac release will take time away from the Track 2 timeline, which I can't justify doing. However, I CAN justify migrating to 2.3 for this next large build that combines episodes so Mac users can run it. 
• (TLDR) WHEN ARE MAC BUILDS COMING?  Next large update! I will be updating weekly as usual about my progress. My best estimation is sometime this summer. 
  • My apologies with all this. I'm the only one working in engine right now. It's tough to make these decisions and I hope you can understand where I'm coming from. In the end, Mac builds will happen. I need to push them out a bit to make sure I get everyone new content sooner rather than later. 
• I mentioned a build with all episodes in the giant mac build point. Let's talk about that too. The updated game will have a tracklist menu where players can select through all released episodes of the game! This has been progressing super well. I thought it would be a bit dull to implement but I've been having a lot of fun with it. Cutscenes have been optimized, and the whole game will run on the fancy new text system I've almost wrapped up implementing. This update lets me do two major things:

  
  

  • EASIER STEAM RELEASE - Releasing to Steam on one single game page as opposed to one for each episode is my goal. This accomplishes that. I hope to release to Steam by Track 2. 
  • EASIER ITCH UPDATES - New episodes will not have to be downloaded separately! Once this new build is out, you will be able to download updates from the itch client. 

I should get back to work now! Thanks for reading, and let me know if you have any questions! Updates will resume their weekly schedule, as usual. 

PS - I heard there's an event happening next weekend...

You should watch it!

Mantis