As all brand-new game developers tend to do, we overestimated the size/scope of what we could comfortably put in the pre-release version of the game. Thankfully, we've finally got our shit together and we've managed to finalize our software plan on what's going to be included and what stuff we've decided to nix for the sake of time and resources for now.

Most of our time has been spent on getting the game idea perfected into a practical and financially feasible business model while still maintaining as much, and more, of the fun we started out promising you guys. We're three dudes who've been working our asses off on this, and developing our skill in everything from game art to business thus far, so it has taken a while, but now we're getting to a point of being ready to deliver on our promises.


With that said, here is a list of the final game features we've decided to keep (though the list is not exhaustive, if it isn't on here, it likely won't be included until a bit later):

• Free Online Multiplayer (and Local) Practice Modes
  
• Game Credit System (Play/Purchase Special Modes)
  
• TEAM Mode (This special mode includes both simultaneous play for up to 8 players and tag-team for up to 10 players)
  
• Friend List (Select a buddy's name and auto-join the game he's connected to if a place is available for you)
  
• Interactive Environments (Level-specific interactables that change or manipulate the way the level works in some way while you're fighting)
  
• Environmental Influence (Temporarily or permanently alter some levels and their layouts via a wide variety of special interactions)
  
• Finishers (Lure opponents to the right place at the right time and execute them with a bash attack into your deadly trap)
  
• Character Creator (Create nearly infinite varieties of custom characters that can be used online as your avatar against other players!)
  
• Totally Custom Characters (Draw/Animate SpriteGFX, Choose+Modify Game Abilities, Custom Physics and even SoundFX)
  
• Strategic Ability Selection (Select from a list of over 250+ balanced character abilities that can be customized further via 'modifier' abilities)
  
• Modify Attack Size/SpawnLocation (Place spawn location of attacks anywhere on your sprite, enlarging them at the cost of extra abilities)
  
• Transformations! (Transform into an alternate or more powerful version of your character -- at will or for a limited time respectively)
  
• 6 Creative Levels! (Each level is designed for both gameplay and thematic creativity, so we're including 6 to start you off with some variety)
  
• Base Character GFX (We provide some base character poses and other graphics to start you off. It also keeps character style consistent!)
  
• MUGEN ZERO (Ever wonder what the 'MUGEN ZERO' is all about? It is a special game mode only playable by the best players in the world.)
  
• Player Collaboration on Levels/Characters/Gameplay! (We'd love to hear/see what you'd like in the game! Show us and we might include it!)
  

This is what the game's initial build and the early project scope is looking like, so sound off and let us know what you guys think!

This sounds pretty nice for a pre-release version of the game!
Do we have any word on an estimated release date? 

Also- Happy Birthday!

Hah, thanks dude.

Anyways, to answer the core of your question as best as possible, I'm the main programmer and artist and am almost solely taking on development responsibilities atm.

I'm currently training a pixel-artist and web-programmer to help me out, but I'm working a job whose days/hours are sporadic at best, and our pixel-artist-in-training is out until nearly the end of summer (and, unless we can find a back-up, it's all on me), so it's hard to say how long it will take to develop and polish what's needed for the pre-release due to that and not knowing when or how long my job will take me away from development (I'm usually gone for about 2 weeks a month, though that varies, each 12-14 hrs a day, with no computer access). I have a 2yr old son to take care of too, so that takes a lot of my time and energy as well, and, on top of that, I have to be careful not to burn myself out when I go on my programming/art/animation rampages too. It's a lot to do, but I'm determined to see it through, so no worries there.

Thankfully, due to some creative planning and workflows, it's all going a helluva lot faster than I had originally anticipated. We've almost got all 6 levels fleshed out graphic-wise and design-wise, but they still need more polishing and detail. Maybe in the next couple of weeks we'll start releasing some screenshots since we should be working on the online system by that point. We're working on the official site too (which will be a placeholder for now) during that timespan, and we'll move on to the character implementation too, so any character concepts you might have, feel free to share them with us -- we could include them in the main game if you like!

With that said, it could easily be late December before we're able to release a functional (and hopefully polished) first public build (since there's only one of me) -- but don't quote me on that since we're tackling it in pieces and it may come faster/slower than I anticipate here. It mostly depends on how quickly we can get each piece sorted before we can release the entire system as a whole. Since MZ is a series of interdependent systems, a slight change in one system design is likely to drastically affect another system. The end system, the actual in-game mechanics, need to be perfected before we can release the character creator for it (which is about to undergo yet another slight design tweak to include more and better functionality in the form of more user-friendly settings for physics and the inclusion of transformations.)

Btw, want to see an early level design?



This is a simple but early level so it will likely change a little when we actually implement it, but I thought I might throw you a little teaser of things to come for being pretty much the only one, besides myself atm, who posts in these forums.

I want to see this thing done even faster, so I'm currently looking into trying to find another pixel artist willing to help us out in the meantime with backgrounds/tiles/props. Even if he has only moderate pixel skill, I'm willing to train him up as long as he has great ideas and/or vision for the game, and most importantly, has the drive to help this thing succeed wherever he can. So if you, or anyone else, knows someone who'd be willing to join in on the art side, we'd love to have them aboard. We're a great team and all want to see this thing succeed no matter what. We're working for free on this atm, but we all plan to develop more games together in the future after we properly see MZ through to completion. Getting together the right team is a vital aspect of game development, but it's very difficult to do without initially offering pay (which is why I trust the guys I've got working with me right now are good people and are truly passionate about the project -- they, like me, are willing to work on this for free, and plan to see it through despite how well it works out financially for any of us.)

Anyhow, I hope that answers your question as much as possible. I tried not to skirt around the answer, but I did want to give you some context for our speed-situation so that there werent any unrealistic expectations. We have the drive, just gotta get the time and resources to back that up. Hopefully that wont be too much longer -- because I'm working on fixing that too! ;D