March Devlog: From Workshop to Settlement

Howdy Governors,

The next Alpha update we promised is officially entering its “final sprint” stage and the whole team can feel the buzz. Now that we finally have a moment to breathe, we wanted to settle in for a comfy chat about what My Time at Evershine is really growing into… and why we’re more energized than ever to bring this world to life.

From Portia to Sandrock, we’ve spent a lot of time asking ourselves one big question: Where does the My Time series go next? What kinds of breakthroughs actually feel worth chasing? And after a lot of dreaming, debating, and sketching out wild ideas on whiteboards, we decided it was time for a bold leap forward - shifting from “running a workshop” to building an entire town.

This isn’t about changing what you love. It’s about taking that signature My Time charm - the cozy days, the quirky neighbors, the sense of building something that matters - and giving it a much bigger, more ambitious stage to shine on. We’re not just expanding the world; we’re leveling up what a My Time game can be.

What We’re Up To: The Big Leap from "Personal Workshop" to "Frontier Town"

In Evershine, your settlement sits at a pivotal crossroads. Behind you lie the peaceful heartlands of the Alliance; ahead stretch the untamed frontiers - the very edge of the line holding back the Duvos Empire. Your town isn’t just a dot on the map; it’s the heartbeat of a crucial supply route, the place where hope, grit, and determination gather before pushing into the unknown.

And that setup gives us huge storytelling potential. Every NPC you welcome into your community, every building you raise from the ground up, every resource you craft or ship out - each one sends ripples through the world’s balance of power. Your choices don’t just shape a town; they help shape the fate of the frontier.

The Alliance has poured massive resources into this frontier plan, and they have a very specific requirement for the role of Governor: you must be "a master of both the pen and the sword". You are the strategist behind the desk and the warrior on the front lines. One moment you’re sketching out the next expansion of your town, and the next you’re rallying your companions to drive off a bandit raid threatening your supply lines.

This shift in identity opens up a much bigger canvas for building. In our current design, the buildable area spans nearly half of the entire Area 1 map and includes more than 20 functional buildings - restaurants, hot springs, and plenty more. These aren’t decorative fluff; they’re meaningful tools in your daily rhythm. Grabbing a hot meal at the restaurant gives you a combat boost (think Monster Hunter’s “Cat Meals”), while a long soak in the hot spring restores stamina and melts away fatigue. We want Evershine to feel less like a project you’re managing and more like a home you’re truly living in.

As your role evolves from “Builder” to “Governor,” a new gameplay loop naturally takes shape:

Production → Trade → Money → Town Upgrades → More Production.

It’s a cycle that grows with you - one that turns your little frontier outpost into a thriving, strategic heartbeat of the entire region.

Ultimately, this shift is about giving you the breathing room to truly live the frontier life. In the past, you were a hands-on Builder, buried under a mountain of commissions and sawdust. Now, you’re the Governor. You no longer have to manage everything yourself - an entire community is ready to step in, share the load and keep things running smoothly.

That signature “My Time” sense of accomplishment hasn’t gone anywhere - it’s simply grown. It used to be, "I crafted this item to help a friend.” Now, it’s more like, "I helped an entire town come alive”.

As Governor, every bit of funding or care you pour in becomes a gift to your neighbors’ shared future. You’re not sitting above it all - you’re right there among them, sleeves rolled up, working with people who want this home to flourish just as much as you do.

When you approve an upgrade at the Governor’s Desk, you get to watch the town blossom right in front of you - simple little tents transform into cozy wooden houses, and those houses slowly growing into proud, stone-built landmarks that feel like they’ve always belonged.

With the Governor’s Desk taking care of the busywork, you finally get to spend your days on moments that make this place feel like home - sharing a warm meal with an old friend at the restaurant, or taking a relaxing soak in the hot springs with someone special. This town is meant to be built side-by-side with your companions, watching it grow a little more each day, and together weaving a pioneer sotry that belongs to all of you.

Problems in Alpha & Negative Feedback: The Clash Between Ideal and Reality

During the Alpha testing period, we heard quite a few voices of disappointment. And to be honest, a lot of that feedback put the whole team on edge - not because it was harsh, but because it was true. You pointed out the most genuine issues with the current version, the things we knew weren’t living up to the vision yet.

The biggest pain points you flagged fall into two major areas: Building Experience and NPC Interaction. A few examples stood out loud and clear:

• Instant Construction: Many players felt that buildings “just popping into existence” after submitting materials breaks immersion. There’s no sense of progress, no feeling of watching your town slowly take shape.

• NPCs as Tools: Once NPCs arrive, they dive straight into work with almost no interaction. Instead of feeling like real people with personalities and stories, they come across as task‑bots - and that’s the opposite of what we want.

• Floaty Placement: The current building placement system feels imprecise, making it frustrating to line things up or create a clean, organized layout. Planning your dream town shouldn’t feel like wrestling with invisible magnets.

These problems are absolutely real, and we’ve carefully documented every single one of them. But we also hope you’ll trust us when we say this: what you’re seeing right now is not the final form of Evershine. As development moves forward,we’ll be smoothing things out piece by piece, steadily shaping the game into the experience it’s meant to be.

A Tough Call: Moving Beyond "Brick-by-Brick" Construction

One of the longest-running debates on our team has been about how buildings should actually be built. You might remember the “brick‑by‑brick” construction style we showed during the Kickstarter.

We loved that system just as much as you did - at first. But after countless tests, we had to face a tough truth: with the scale of the town now, placing every single block for every single building would quickly turn from “fun and immersive” into “oh no, this is my second job.” It’s great for a few structures… but dozens? Hundreds? That’s not the experience we want for you.

So we made a hard call. Instead of tying you down with repetitive hammering, we shifted our focus to the overall growth of the town. We want to give you back that time - time you can spend planning your layout, hunting for rare resources, pushing the story forward, or even sneaking in a date with your favorite NPC.

But let’s be clear: we’re not keeping the “instant pop‑up” buildings you see in the current Alpha. In the final version, construction will feel like a real process. You’ll approve building requests, prep the materials, and then watch the project unfold in stages instead of just clicking a button and watching a house magically appear.

As your town grows, your buildings will visually evolve through three major material tiers - starting with simple tents, moving into sturdy wooden structures, and eventually rising into solid stone architecture. Each building will have 2 to 6 upgrade levels, letting you literally watch your frontier settlement transform with your own eyes.

We’ve also spent a lot of time fine‑tuning construction speed. Waiting weeks for a building to finish is a drag, but instant builds feel cheap and hollow. So we’ve carved out a middle ground: most buildings will take 1 to 2 in‑game days to complete. Early infrastructure goes up quickly to keep your momentum strong, while late‑game projects take a bit longer to reflect their complexity. It’s all about maintaining a rhythm that feels believable without ever slowing down the fun.

The Final Vision: A Town with Warmth and Depth

Based on everything we heard during Alpha, we’re making targeted adjustments to ensure Evershine feels right. Some of these improvements will land in the next Alpha update, while others are still cooking in the workshop:

• Placement Choice: To make shaping a growing town feel more natural, the camera now slips into a comfortable Top-Down view the moment you enter build mode, giving you a clear, calm bird’s-eye look at your whole layout. It’s like spreading a map across a cozy table and seeing exactly how everything fits together. We’re also bringing back the Grid System. You’ll be able to swap between Free Mode for creative, go‑with‑the‑flow building and Grid Mode for players who want every fence, flowerbed, and storefront perfectly aligned. We’re even exploring Recommended Layouts to help you snap together a beautiful, functional town without the frustration.

• NPCs with Heart: No more “robotic” neighbors. When town specialists move in, they’ll arrive with a proper introduction and a Welcome Gift - maybe a choice of weapons from the blacksmith, or an inventory‑expanding bag from the tailor. And here’s the part we’re especially excited about: if you give them a gift, they might actually display it in their home. You’ll see those little reminders of your friendship every time you stop by, making the town feel more alive, more personal, and more yours.

• The Governor’s Mansion: Your home is getting the full VIP treatment. It’ll be far larger than a standard house and fully customizable, giving you the space to live like the leader of a frontier town. We’re also building a system to auto‑save your furniture layout during upgrades, so you won’t have to spend hours re‑placing every chair, lamp, and rug each time your mansion levels up. No more interior‑decorating déjà vu - just smooth, satisfying progression.

• AddedThe Ultimate GoalIn the endgame, you’ll finally step onto the world stage. You’ll represent your town in Alliance Meetings, going head‑to‑head with other settlements through a new Ranking System. Climbing those ranks and taking on high‑level missions will earn you rare, high‑value rewards - like Energy Cores, the essential component for crafting the most powerful gear in the entire world.

Staying true to the heart and charm of the 'My Time' universe.

Looking back at Portia and Sandrock, the thing we’re most proud of isn’t any single mechanic or system. It’s the sense of belonging players found in those worlds - the feeling of “This is my home, and these people are my friends and family.” That connection is the real magic, the thing that kept those towns alive long after the credits rolled.

What we’re doing with Evershine is taking that same emotional heart and expanding it from a single workshop to an entire community. There’s something special about watching your city grow from a handful of lonely tents into a bustling frontier stronghold - getting to know your residents, building real bonds with them, and seeing your decisions ripple outward to shape the world around you.

That’s the “My Time” magic we want you to feel here: a place that becomes yours, a community that grows with you, and a world that remembers the choices you make.

The Alpha is a journey, not the finish line. There are still plenty of rough edges, and even our next update won’t reveal the full vision just yet. But we want you to start seeing the progress - the way buildings now grow through real stages, the smoother placement system, and NPCs who feel more like neighbors and less like robots.

What we’re building toward is a frontier town with real depth and warmth - one that feels alive, one that grows with you, and one that truly belongs to you.

Frontier life is a long, tough road, but it’s a journey that matters because we’re walking it with you.

We’re deeply grateful for every step you’ve taken alongside us.

My Time at Evershine