Changes Coming to InstructBot
I've been creating InstructBot for nearly four years now. It started out as a window which I could type JSON into, a project I created because I though it would be funny to watch the streamer I made it for struggle, and it was.
Version 2 of InstructBot was the first version I made available for people to purchase. It allowed people to define their own commands but otherwise had limited functionality and only a small number of users.
It was something I did in my spare time where the purchase price covered the cost of the servers I needed to run for everything to function correctly.
Version 3 was the first version which did more than just run commands. It's added polls, predictions, discounts and rewards. As well as support for more third-party integrations, TipeeeStream for example, and quality of life enhancements like sharing commands and backups.
As the number of users have grown, it has taken up more of my time in supporting both the users which us it and maintaining compatibility with each integration. With more functionality the development of the bot has slowed, as the complexity has increased and integration into Twitch and other third parties has deepened.
With the planned release of version 4 soon™ the amount of time I'll need to spend maintaining the bot will further increase. To keep the level of support and pace of development I'll need to use time I’m currently devoting to other projects I develop, and I can’t do that with the level of income the bot is currently generating.
So unlike the upgrade from version 2 to 3, there will be no free upgrade from version 3 to 4.
What will happen with Version 3?
You will be able to continue using version 3 but it has switched from being developed to being maintained.
This means that version 3 will no longer have new features added to it and instead the only updates released will be bug fixes or those necessary to remain compatible with the InstructBot API. I plan to continue releasing bug fixes until 31st December 2028. Past that I will run the server's so that the bot can continue to work until 31st December 2033 or when there are no longer any users regularly connecting, which ever comes first.
Up until 31st December 2028 I will also make any simplistic change required to support any changes Twitch, StreamElements etc... makes to there API's, past that I will not and instead just ensure the bot continues to function, without the feature if necessary.
An example of a simplistic change is the recent update I made to keep rewards working. It required a change to maintain compatibility with the Twitch API related to how users in chat are selected.
Version 4 and Beyond
In the coming week I will be updating the website so that you can no longer purchase InstructBot, instead you'll need to subscribe. The subscription will cost £30 for a year, allowing me generate a reoccurring income. This should enable me to slowly reduce the other projects I work on until I can focus my whole attention on just developing InstructBot.
What will happen for existing purchasers?
For anyone that has purchased and wishes to upgrade to version 4 when it's released there will be two options. The first is to have a free 1 year period and then start paying the yearly subscription cost. The second will be to start the yearly subscription immediately, skipping the free 1 year period. Either options will require you to first sign up for a PayPal subscription.
The options will not change post release of version 4, so there will be no pressure to switch quickly. It is my hope that people whom have been using the bot for more than a year will use the second option to help support me and the development of the bot.
Why should I upgrade to Version 4?
Below is a high level list of some of the new features and improvements coming in version 4.0.
- Ability to use a different Twitch account as the bot account.
- Additional triggers types including Ad, Emote Combination, Emote Pyramid, Hotkey, Message Count, Regex, Timeout, Total Cheer, Total Donation, Twitch Channel Point, Stream Offline, Stream Online, Untimeout.
- Improvements to all existing triggers and specific improvements made to the Donation and Word triggers.
- Integration with DonorDrive, GoFundMe, JustGiving and Tiltify.
- Update to allow multiple timeout commands, bring them inline with all other commands.
There is then a number of minor release planned for version 4 which will include, the ability to have more fine control over how commands execute, additional reward types, a dynamic text builder to help with text commands and building arguments for external command and more. There will also be a continuing background task of integrating YouTube which is planned to complete within version 4.
I hope the above helps explain what's planed for the future and why. If you have any questions about the above, feel free to join our discord and ask.