Hearth & Fortune — a life that can grow into a realm

This thread will collect the development milestones and questions behind our medieval life/RPG/strategy sandbox. The public game page is https://iconicxpgames.itch.io/hearth-and-fortune . It is a closed Windows alpha, with free individual access requests at Jim@iconicxp.games.

The opening is personal: food, tools, shelter and the first coins. The larger direction connects livelihoods, trade and homes to families, settlements and optional territorial power. Remaining a merchant should be a valid life too. NPCs are being developed around individual needs, skills and ambitions, so they can shape the world around you. Deeper generations, armies and realm control are still in development or planned.

October 23 checkpoint: N10b is packaged, with work on visible-water swimming, shore vegetation, waterfalls, hold-E actions, zoom and the HUD/equipment view. Automated start/save/reload checks passed in a bounded rerun; water visuals and actual input acceptance are still incomplete. This is a progress report, not a confirmed release announcement.

N11 is the next work: economy and settlement growth, clearer NPC job decisions, creator/clothing work, hills and combat/water/forest-floor improvements. Candidate fixes are not yet proof of a naturally growing world in the game. We are checking what happens through ordinary play as well as code tests.

The image below is actual earlier PB15J gameplay for world context, not N10/N11 feature evidence. Development uses AI assistance, with human design, direction and QA.

For players: what would persuade you that the people have lives of their own—seeing work and trade, changing relationships, new buildings, or something else? What should happen in the first hour to make you care about returning?

I will keep future meaningful milestones in this thread. Questions from people who have not played are welcome too.