Update 000.61 Big One
So, the first news on the agenda is that we have found a new Unity programmer. So far, he is only getting acquainted with the current work, but we have more hopes for him!
Next, we have a bunch of different news, most of which is related to updating the alpha and preparing material for the English version. We even prepared a few screenshots for you this time.
Actually, our lion's share of the work was previously done in Russian, and it will take a lot of time to transfer its core in to English. The first and second screenshots show an update to the trav map. It has everything that was there before, however, the interface itself has been updated, new areas and various little things have been added. For example, we decided to remove visible characters from this map for now, reduce the image with the location, and also add a new underline in the list of locations. It is unlikely that this is the final version, but it may well be.
The third screenshot is less interesting, but still extremely significant. Considering that the people who work for us disappear all the time (just like they do in Akunagi), the main artist now has to not only work on backgrounds, and game dev as a jhole but also polish those arts that… Not pleasing to God. If you know what I mean. The screenshot shows a rethinking of one scene. Roughly speaking, we throw away old arts and draw them in a new way, or just finish them. By the way, all the old stuff will most likely end up in the art book. Why not. So that any player, if they want, could see the evolution of our work. BTW we ARE looking for new Artists ofc.
The fourth screenshot shows a new portion of current work on the script. This is a very large and long topic, but in short - we are checking the script once again. We are talking here about chronology, grammatical errors and… most importantly - creating a map for the programmer. In simple terms, each game day goes through a kind of inquisition. For example, if the script says "I walked into the field and saw Matthew there," then we add a note to each such phrase. This note tells the programmer what the background is in this scene, what the music is, what the character is, whether he is animated and voiced, and so on. And that notes has direct name of the assets it self. A lot of work for a couple of people, but… JUST DO IT.
The last, no less important, screenshot is something like a heavy sigh. This is just the top of the folders with unique arts. Each of these arts was renamed for the new system, distributed for easy orientation, and so on.
So the backgrounds, unique arts, character sprites and absolutely all the necessary assets get a new name. This is a rather complex process, and perhaps it's even good that we finally got to the point where we can build it all in a smooth chain.
In addition, we recently demonstrated a "promo". This is a piece of a song from the opening, which was written exclusively for our novel. You can check it out on the "teasers" page on our wed site.
Our studio is doing a lot of other things at the moment, but I don't want to overload you with information either. Once again, I remind you that we are currently working with full enthusiasm (no money included) and we are actively looking for all interested individuals. Even if we can only offer you experience, nevertheless, if you are interested in developing novels - write to us! We are not a great studio that will require a lot of experience or skills from you. We are the same readers and lovers of Japan as you are. Any pair of hands, or a dollar can make a colossal contribution to the development. And if you do not want to help, then please at least share this post somewhere.
That's all for today. I'm not sure when the next update will be. For now, I personally pray that at least one programmer will finish the job and not run away like a scared little girl.