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Game Status Update #62
🕑 Added 2024-08-16 14:47:43 +0000 UTCHey there, folks! Today's cover image features four of the guys who are eligible for the third Grind'm scenario—dormmates Blaze, Quinn, Wes, and Xavier. They and 12 others are included in the Round 1 poll, and while only Graduates can vote, I'm letting everyone see the full post with bio pics and character details. Check it out here!
As for the dev build, I'm still working on it. I was hit with a bunch of exhaustion and haven't been as productive each day as I'd have liked, but I have been working every single day to get something done, so it's inching closer.
I've already said it before, but doing this part of the game made me realize I went way overboard with the way past events are referenced. I've already invested so much time, so I'm gonna see it through, but I've been thinking more about how to rein in my ambitiousness as I continue making the game.
One thing I've done the past few weeks is take a close look at what I originally planned in my outlines, seeking out spots that'll overcomplicate things for no real benefit. One of the first cuts I made was removing a group hangout from the first week.
Back when I was planning things out, I was worried about not featuring as many guys in each update as possible—I didn't want to disappoint anyone who is only interested in one or two storylines. This next section is gonna have a group hang at the dorm, and so with that worry in mind, my past self thought I should also include a separate hang with other characters. The idea was that the two group events could run in parallel, same as I had the Matt's apartment/frat party/club sequences run alongside each other.
Looking at those outlines again, I realized I didn't actually have anything planned for the second hang except a few characters who could be included. Knowing how messy it got doing the apartment/party/club hangout sequences—which contributed to the difficulty of pulling together a ton of different storylines right now—I decided that since it was only there for the sake of being there, it should be removed.
While I still don't want to short change any characters, it's obvious trying to include everyone in a single story update takes forever. We'll all be better served if I minimize the big group sections in favor of the one-on-one experiences with each character. There will still be group sequences, just not as many, and probably laid out sequentially rather than in parallel.
So that's looking ahead, but focusing back on wrapping up this dev build, I also shuffled a few things around so as to get everything done quicker. One was moving removing some sections I had planned to include in the dev build. They'll still be in the final release, just lobbed off the end of this one to cut down on workload a little.
For the full release I also opted to move a section from the end of the update to the following story update. It's an optional sequence that I thought would be fun to end on, but the number of CGs it requires would just bog things down even more.
Speaking of CGs, I was taking account of what all I head left for the full Morning After Update beyond this dev build. I thought I had 50+ CGs left to make, but between moving that optional scene, the removal of CGs that ended up not being relevant after I wrote the scenes, and realizing I had listed a number of CGs on my to-do list more than once, turns out I only have 20 to do.
That means once this hurdle is done, it's not gonna be anywhere near as overwhelming as it could have been. What awaits is relatively linear writing and coding, plus those CGs, and plus some polishing up I've yet to do. I'm also thinking that some CGs that need revised to account for new character models can wait until after the first early access release—there are just a few and they're replacing content you've already played, so I figured no one would mind too much.
Anyway, I think that's what I've got right now—working daily as much as I can, not just on making the game playable but also to adjust future plans to account for all I've learned. Next status update, which should be after the dev build is done, I'm going to include a specific checklist of what's left on the docket so you can follow along.
Time for me to get back to work!
Comments
Daniel Aguilera
Still no new update? It’s basically September 😭
Danny Nym
Thank you! To keep the character connections strong, something I'm really focusing on is making sure the story flows as seamlessly and logically as possible. With so many variant choices that can potentially affect each line of dialogue, it's been super tricky. I just implemented a section that has 20+ variants of two back-to-back dialogue screens, for instance, and they all need to feel like they make sense to be shown following the prior screens. It's the amount of variants in this one part of the game that's contributed to making it take so long, but it seems to have come together pretty well. Even still, I expect there'll be sequences that feel off as people play. I'll definitely do some rewrites if those parts are pointed out to me!
E-jay35
While this update has been a bit of a challenge and has been taking longer than expected, I know the end results will be well worth the wait. Your dedication to this game is truly valued. I've never felt so connected to this many characters in a visual novel as I have with Freshmen. Your commitment to crafting a great story hasn’t gone unnoticed. I’m excited to see what you have in store for us. You’ve got this!
Orannis
Thanks for the update! I’m excited that we’re getting close to the next dev build 😁 I’m also glad to hear that you’re finding ways to decrease the workload to make sure it feels less overwhelming for you.
