HeroMode just turned two years old! We also have a new release, v6.15, that rolled out a new yearly subscription that saves you money. In addition, now it's also easier to jump back in if you take a break - no stress about missed repeat quests!
We released HeroMode v6.15 a couple weeks ago. As I was writing the release log, I realized v6.15 came two full years after our original HeroMode v1.0 launch!
A lot has happened in the last two years. Two years ago, my dog Jack was still a puppy. He had endless energy at the time, and we used to spent hours walking and playing each day.
Now that Jack is older, he is quite content to just chill and rest next to me hours at a time as I work.
Above: Everybody's definition of comfort is different.
Two years ago, HeroMode looked very plain and simple.
Above: HeroMode 2 years ago.
Now, as of 2024, HeroMode looks a lot more polished. Beyond just the looks, we have added a lot of motivational mechanisms like milestones, Piggy Reward System, and leveling up.
Above: HeroMode as of 2024.
Yearly Full Hero
So v6.15 turned out to be a very timely release because in v6.15, we added the Yearly Full Hero option!
Above: Yearly Full Hero option in HeroMode now available in v6.15.
Compared to the original monthly subscription, the Yearly Full Hero is equivalent to 2 months off every year. This is hopefully very motivating!
Come Back to Your Routines Easier
We also made another user experience improvement in v6.15. In HeroMode, you can set up Repeat Quests - they are like recurring tasks for your habits and routines.
Repeat quests are created automatically at the designated time and days. And I rely on them heavily to, for example, motivate me to brush Jack's teeth every day. Other users have used Repeat Quests to lose weight and stay healthy.
But because Repeat Quests are created automatically, if you take a break from HeroMode and come back after awhile, you are going to have a lot of quests piled up. We used to let users decide what to do for each of these repeat quests. That might sound nice on paper, but is a huge pain to manage in reality. Users need to review every repeat quest and make a choice what to do.
I have always wanted to make HeroMode more "forgiving". So what if you missed a day or two of your repeat quests? It's not about making the user feel bad about the past which cannot be changed. It's about motivating users to take positive actions in the present and future.
So in HeroMode v6.15, we automatically skip over repeat quests that have been missed. The most recent ones are still created automatically, and users can still complete them and get points. But for the much older repeat quests, you can pretend they never happened. It's all about a new start! It should be okay to take a break from routines and chores. You should have some breathing room. And when you are ready to get back, it's easy (and guilt free!) to start HeroMode again.
Already a Monthly Full Hero?
Are you already a Monthly Full Hero, and would like to take advantage of the discount in Yearly Full Hero? To thank you for being a hero, email us at heromode.product@ovisly.com (instead of doing the upgrade on your own). As long as you are already on the Monthly Full Hero plan before Aug. 17, 2024, we will give you a special Lifetime Full Hero access for free!
What's Next?
A brilliant user has suggested that we make it easier to create quests and adventures. So we will be doing that next! Hopefully we will have an announcement soon on this topic soon.
I have also wanted to simplify a lot of our data processing mechanisms. Currently we use Firestore for data storage, and because HeroMode is cross-platform, we actually have two separate modules to handle the web vs iOS data processing logic.
The complexity has made HeroMode slower at times for users who have accumulated a lot of data (like myself!). Since the release of aggregation capabilities in Firestore, I have been very excited at the possibility of leveraging these features. Hopefully we will have something to report in the coming months.