Hey! So, guess what happened THREE YEARS AGO TODAY...
If you guess "Paul Beatty becomes the 1st American to win the Man Booker Prize for his novel "The Sellout", you'd be correct. But that's not what I'm getting at.
It has officially been three years since Between the Ashes: Slaves of Chaos was released. When I realized this, I did more math. I started working on this mod in 2011. For the better part of a decade, I've had this story sloshing around in my head.. Parts released, and parts not. Chapter 1, took a lot of effort. I had to learn just about everything from scratch (I had a lot of help, too!). When I finally released it, I was unofficially done. I was beat, stressed, and exhausted. However, the praise and kind words that you all have provided over the last few years brought me back. For so many people to have found so much enjoyment from my work and the work from the rest of the team is something I find inspiring. Thank you all.
I was really hoping to have something ready before today, but it needs a few more weeks. I am in full development of Chapter 2. I'm a little nervous because the "BtA Team" is really just a one-man show, now... but that hasn't stopped me before! The broad strokes of the storyline has been focused into a specific mission outline. Three missions are, roughly, in the can. The modpack has been updated and added to. I'm hopeful to hit a release date sometime late next year, but I'm going to follow a similar structure to Slaves of Chaos where it was preceded by a short prequel, Mefistofele. With that in mind...
Between the Ashes: Antwerp will release TBD November-
Roughly five years have passed since the events in Antares. As a pilot with the 508th Loaded Dice stationed on the Intrepid, you will perform a strategic role in the destruction of a major Hammer of Light target.Between the Ashes: The Growing Silence will release TBD late 2020/early 2021-
The Hammer continues to be a rogue terrorist organization, but even their attacks have become few and far between. It's not a time of peace, but it's not exactly a time of war. The PVN has consolidated it's government with Parliament in Aldebaran and has become a symbol of growth and power. They remain committed to the cease-fire signed at the start of the Great War, but rumors of dissent in Parliament are growing. The Antares Federation has ceded from the Alliance and closed their borders. Following this, several human expeditions have scattered to the outer reaches of known space to start new civilizations free from the failing oversight of the GTA. The Loaded Dice have been sent to protect them from Hammer attacks as a gesture of cooperation... or perhaps as a way to spy...