Post by Dingo in Production Update 9/21/24 comments

Viewing post in Production Update 9/21/24 comments

Not to get too critical here, but the slower pacing in the beginning matched the mood of being locked up; I think it was artfully (and intentionally) done, was it not????

It may be hard to see this as the artist, but your older sprite work looked fine. Yes it was simplistic in a sense, but it was well executed to match (once again) the mood and voice of your writing, the some-times stale backgrounds, and the ambient yet melodic resonating songs were all woven together perfectly to set a really great mood which was matching the setting, circumstances, and scenes.

I don't know what you have planned plot-wise, but I am lacking confidence since the recent "polishing" has wiped away parts that use to fit neatly together, eg the few amazing artworks and pleasant surprises are like rewards, and the only way to make a reward feel more rewarding is to make the audience earn it/not expect it; so if we are cutting the pacing by a lot in the early parts it will impact those "wow!" moments in the future for the worse. Your fans love this VN because of those hard punches and overall harmony of pulling off the story as you have done was artfully executed. Ripping it apart to appease a perfectionist's ego won't go down well with the people who already love, respect, and support what youve made. At least wait until the end of your story to polish it up so you know your next steps and know what cracks to fill in without slipping or regretting the effort youve put in so far.

hiddenadventure44 days ago(+2)

I'm honestly not sure. The slower pace and the constant dead do make me feel like i experienced it myself.. some parts get really monotone like the.. 100th checkup with the doc and him repeatadely asking if i'm fine. It's a weirdly enjoyable vn. Maybe cut off the repeating parts but that's it

I do agree i'd rather they continue with the updates instead of entering the rework hell hiatus that usually results in..

Dingo44 days ago(+1)

I'm fine with polishing things up. If I am not mistaken, he writes the script then implements it which is pretty astounding and fast! You go fast, you make mistakes... But you also have a consistent train of thought which is more important IMO as it allows you to be a better storyteller. I stopped painting on canvas because I could never mix in the right colors the next day. It is the same for my writing. Draft after draft after draft +6 times just trying to polish a chapter or string of chapters to settle a plot point neatly and tie up any loose ends or set up the right emotions for the reader... I do regret wasting so much time and effort, and in the end I still feel ashamed to show what I spent 100s of hours on. I only pass on hard advice I personally learned. Some people get polishing just right, but I see CryptidDog falling for the same perfectionist trap I struggle with, and having nothing to really show for it except taking a risk to fix something that isn't even broken.

The new Marrowyn sprite has different facial and slightly different torso proportions that it looks like another artist trying to copy his style might have drawn it. When it comes to having a variety in love interest choices, there are 4 main personality types: Melancholic, Phlegmatic, Sanguine, and Choleric. They also have recurring (archetypical-fitting) body types. Whether intentional or subconsciously influenced, Marrow fits the sanguine type, at least until the new sprite rework which introduced a touch of choleric, which totally doesnt fit his personality unless he is genuinely suffering from dysthymia and just acts all concerned. TBH emo doctor is a quirky fit, especially for a "saint" bernard.

In a little more detail, old Marrow had eyebrows at eyebrow level, but now they are much further up like some kind of receding hairline, and he lost that fluffiness at the top of his head, the larger baby-proportioned ears, and eyeglasses that seem way too small on him now, rather than everything being cutely proportionate, almost baby-like that we take sanguine types to be. Even the neck fluff has turned into a constricting boa of fat that you might associate with a villain that overindulges. I personally couldn't take it and pasted and replaced all the old sprites into the new marrowyn sprite folder. It doesnt replace every single one, but I really went that far over it.

itch.io

Viewing post in Production Update 9/21/24 comments