INTRODUCTION

Hello again.

Happy Winter Solstice! Can you believe it's been 3 months already?!

Well, I can't. Cause i'm writing this in November. Ha ha ha ha ha ha...

PROGRESS UPDATE

Up until recently, I've been sort of "Duel-Wielding" development of both Chapters 1 & 2. However, I have still been working on pieces of later chapters, such as bullet patterns and dialogue.

For Chapter 1, I'm finally creating the middle overworld area. You could think of it like the "Hotland" from Undertale or "Scarlet Forest" from Deltarune, but for this chapter. With this complete, the chapter will finally be playable all the way through...!

(Fun Fact: I composed the melody for this area in 2021 on my Yamaha YPT-270...)

This Chapter is made of many different pieces... so it's been hard to understand exactly how everything was turning out. Now that things are clearer, I just need to roll over the entire game with a steamroller and crush out all the bumps.

There are still things to add, things to fix, and things to remove… But many pieces have been quite polished already, so it won't be too bad.

You’ve probably noticed, but a lot of what’s been shown recently is concept art or music. That’s because I’ve been spending most of my development resources in doing something very important for the project.

I’m working on a thing, and I’ve gotten quite a few things done for it. But It’s a very important thing that needs a lot more things before I can properly show it.

As for Chapter 2, I've been plotting out the progression for it’s story, including things that you won’t see unless you’ve done specific things in Chapter 1. This is, in part, related to that “thing.”

It's all still very early, and there's not much playable just yet, but I figured it was worth a mention.

STATUS ESTIMATE

As with last time, we're going to be looking at everything in numbered estimates because I like statistics.

CHAPTER 1

Phase 1: Design

Main Design 100% (dialogue, etc.)

Initial Setup: 100% (stuff involved setting up the base to make the game, adding debug tools, documentation, etc.)

Phase 2: Implementation

Art: 60%

Cutscenes: 33% (100% are started, needs second-pass)

Bullet Patterns: 90% (enemies are all but completed, bosses are about 75% done, needs second-pass)

Non-Bullet Battle Elements: 99.9% (All ACTs are done and all SKILLs are done except for one. Literally one, because I can't figure out how to implement it without breaking the entire game.)

Audio: 100%

Maps: 70% (All are started, most need second-pass. NPC interactions are completed in all spots where written.)

Other: 40%

Phase 3: Finishing

Balancing: 25%

Bugfixing: 10%

Secrets & Extras: 33%

Polishing: 25%

Release Readiness 5%

CHAPTER 2

Phase 1: Design

Main Design 75%?

Initial Setup: 100% (stuff involved setting up the base to make the game, adding debug tools, documentation, etc.)

Phase 2: Implementation

Art: 10%

Cutscenes: 0% (A handful are started, needs second-pass)

Bullet Patterns: 0%

Non-Bullet Battle Elements: 5% (Some SKILLs that were initially going to be available in Chapter 1 have instead been pushed to Chapter 2, which is the only reason there's any progress here.)

Audio: 33%

Maps: 10% (Needs second-pass.)

Other: 0%

Phase 3: Finishing

Balancing: 0%

Bugfixing: 0%

Secrets & Extras: 0%

Polishing: 0%

CHAPTERS 3+

Phase 1: Design

Story and General Game Progression (First-pass) 100%

Cutscene Dialogue (First-pass, lacking cutscene instructions) 90%

Map Design (textual) 75% (varies per chapter, earlier chapters totally completed)

Map Design (drawn) 0%

Enemy Design (conceptual) 66% (all bosses are known)

Enemy Design (bullets/visual) 50% (varies per chapter, earlier chapters totally completed)

Music (Concept) 95%

Music (Completed) 45%

Visual Design:

BG concepts (First-pass) 80%

Important Characters, Bosses (First-pass) 100%

Phase 2

Sprite Art 25%?

Other Content Creation 0%

Phase 3

Release Readiness 0%

MINI-PREVIEW

Finally, some pictures! This time, I'm going to be showing exclusively Chapter 2 stuff, because it's the Chapter I've shown off least. For some reason.

♪ Darkness-On-Demand
* (It's like a lifetime passes you by.)
A television turning on.
(I'm really dreading animating this cutscene... This song only plays once, so I know I have to make it count.)
♪ TECHNOCOLOR
* Light the lights!
Chapter 2's field area.
Welcome to the Homeworld Dunes!
♪ Nick L. Odeion
* IS THAT REALLY YOUUUUU?!
* You’re finally hereeeee! I heard so many things about youuuu!
Nick L. Odeion
Nick L. Odeion knows everything there is to old-fashioned cinema and theatre. His unique gift related to the displaying and controlling (to some degree) of memories, combined with puppeteering has granted him a permanent spot as one of The Homeworld’s primary TV Hosts. And as a result, he’s well loved by the audience.
A shop.
He carries the fondest memories of the Dreemurr Residence... And of you, too.
♪ Femme Fatale
* I heard you like bad girls, huh~
* Well, too bad! 'Cuz I'm the best there ever is!
Bonika flips her hair
Bonika is a cocky motorcyclist who serves as an antagonist throughout Chapter 2's first area, the Dunes.
Bonika flips her hair
Yes, that is a Jerry leitmotif. You'll learn why it's there later.

Closing Remarks

The Monarchy.
That's all. We'll see you again in the Spring!