Backstage columns

In February 2003 Disney started issuing newsletters to advise players of planned expansions/enhancements of the game. Many felt at the time that this move was an attempt to placate many players who were complaining that the game was too limited and needed to be developed.

Below are the original articles as they appeared in the Backstage Columns newsletters which were precursors to the Toontown Times newsletters currently distributed. These are presented as a historical record - the concept of Cog HQ's for example has moved on considerably from these early concepts.

Issue 1, February 20, 2003 Welcome to the first Toontown Backstage column. This column has been created to keep you informed about everything that is going on with the Toontown development team.

First, we would like to extend our thanks for playing Toontown.
We have enjoyed bringing this world to you and appreciate all the feedback that you have offered. The support from you, the fans, is what kept this project alive long enough to get to where we are today.

When Will There Be New Content?
Over the past six months, the entire original development team has been completely dedicated to finalizing Toontown’s operational plans. Since the start of the Sneak Preview, we have been focusing on fixing bugs, increasing server stability, hiring our live team, formalizing customer service tools, conducting market research, and all the other unsung work of turning a game into a commercial product. The good news is most of the heavy lifting is behind us now and we have started to get back to what we truly love – creating new game content!

In This Issue
This first issue of Backstage briefly discusses where we are with Cog Headquarters thus far. We have many other new and exciting game features planned that we will be sharing with you in this forum in the weeks ahead. We have also created the Coming Soon section to give all players a sneak peak at new features that are nearly finished and will be released soon after testing and adjusting on the test server. We hope you will enjoy seeing our work from development to finished product.

Thank You, The Toontown Development Team

Cog Headquarters is shaping up to be a much larger design than originally anticipated. The team is incredibly excited to finally be working on Cog HQ. We think we will have some really new and engaging experiences to offer when everything is complete

Current Design
The story concept centers on the Cogs taking Toon prisoners. The Cogs have created permanent embankments on the outskirts of Toontown and are capturing and holding storekeeper Toons hostage. Groups of Toons will need to battle their way through numerous complex and unique areas to reach the final confrontation and rescue the captured Toons.

Current Status
High-level game design is just about finished and we are starting to work on concept art and blocking models for some of the larger elements that will make up Cog HQ. We will start mocking up some of the more experimental game play systems soon, and release them to the test server when we have something solid enough. We will be updating this section periodically in the upcoming months with more details and screenshots of Cog HQ as they are available.

Cog Headquarters will not actually be one building, but rather an entire neighborhood in itself. Outside the main HQ building will stand factories that create the Cogs. Pictured above is a screenshot of a blocking model of the “Arm Factory”. Toons will be able to group up and enter the factories to battle Cogs inside.

Current Status Continued: Factories will not be simple 1-5 story buildings like the Cogs build on the streets, they will be complex arenas filled with traps, conveyor belts, doors, switches, and other surprises. One of the goals of Cog HQ is to bring some new environments and gameplay challenges to the advanced player. Pictured above are some concept sketches for the building interiors around Cog HQ. We’d like to provide some areas outside battle that involve a little more action and strategy. There will be more dynamic and interesting rooms inside Cog HQ that the Toons must navigate and battle through.

Hope you have enjoyed this first behind the scenes look at the Toontown development team. We’re working hard to bring these new and exciting features to you – we think it will be worth the wait! We’ll post more details about Cog HQ and other features we are cranking away on soon!

- The Toontown Development Team