Welcome back! Glad you're looking forward to the game.
Beta testing is still proceeding. There is some bug fixing and development of some final code parts, but most of the time is spent on play testing. There's a lot of content in TSS. A few testers have completed the game now, though I don't think anyone has mastered it quite yet.
I asked testers who have played through to provide feedback on the TSS experience, so we can see if we hit what we have been shooting for. Here's some (non-spoilery) feedback from a couple beta testers.
First, a concise summary from one individual:
Clearly my feedback is that DROD TSS is the greatest DROD game of all!
And some more in-depth coverage by another:
Anyway... the TSS experience? That's a wide topic 
TSS is much easier to get into than any previous DROD game. The early levels are nice and bite-sized so if you get frustrated with any one element, you don't have to deal with it for long. Also, one problem in all the previous DRODs was that one of the trickier elements was introduced too early on (mimics, wubbas, arrow rotators, soldiers). This is avoided. And the beginning levels have well-designed puzzles that give a great sense of what DROD is like.
Overall, TSS is substantially harder than previous games, even before starting on the optional content. But it's also much kinder than the other games: the most difficult levels are always followed by a cooling-off period This is much needed, because TSS has a deeper and more intricate story, and it would be exasperating if the puzzles continued to be difficult when the story gets particularly intense.
The puzzles are very well-designed throughout; I don't remember ever getting a sense that I knew what to do but it was tedious to actually do it (except in one or two rooms where, as you know, I missed an obvious much easier solution 
). There are whole levels where nearly every room is of the linchpin type.
The story is fantastic; Halph, the Pit Thing and A1 are wonderful characters, and go through some excellent development. TSS also has a number of funny and interesting new characters. The dialogue is brilliantly written, and the entrance texts add some lovely flavor.
The new gameplay features are great, particularly the room elements and everything you can do with the new weapons -- they all add something new to the game and have a lot more potential than has been explored even in a hold as large as TSS. (I've started working on a beginners' hold, and I'm seriously considering using no monsters except roaches and queens, and just varying the room elements in each level, and I think there would still be enough variety there for a whole game!)
As for the monsters, I love gentryii to bits My only problem was that I find it very difficult to go from learning the movement rules of a new monster to knowing how to manipulate it, which is why I struggled with (...) so much. There's nothing really you can do about that -- except wait for custom holds to come out so players have more opportunity to practise
The music is wonderful, and I'm particularly impressed by the way there are always more surprises when you think there couldn't be anything new by now...
The new room styles are gorgeous, and so are the updated graphics for old styles -- the pits, across all styles, are particularly impressive.
In short, I love TSS and I'm really pleased I was able to be part of it
We still don't have a release date, but please be patient. We'll be done soon!
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Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.
[Last edited by mrimer at 04-22-2014 05:13 PM]
It's been a while since I last played DROD, and this seems like a good way to get back into it! I'm thinking of having my dad pre-order it, since I know I'm going to buy it anyway. 
