Dev Diary #21

 

Dev Diary #03

 Here's to another week of updates.

Hello, how have you all been? The project is coming along nicely. I've been mostly concentrating on finishing the CGs hence why the lack of update last week. The art is at a good point and is slowly being coded into the script as I go. Fortunately, everything is working as they should be, even the gallery! 

What I would like to hype about, is my last-minute decision to try applying ATL on said CGs to add movements to the kinetic novel. It will mostly be a low-key sort of animation, nothing extravagant since I have little experience in that area. But what little code I managed to found and apply for works divinamente! I shared a behind-the-scenes preview of it a few days ago on fleet. 

I cropped the area I wanted the animation to focused on using the local photo editor, copied the height and width on the image's detail info then used Ren'Py's developer tool to locate the position where I wanted the movement to start, changing manually as I go. All in all, I didn't have to rely on photoshop for this. 😀

With the progress I'm making so far, I'm confident I'll be able to submit White Book before the end of the month. After which, I plan to release the timelapse process of some of the CGs over at my ko-fi account. So keep an eye on it should any of you be interested! 

That's all the news for this week. Thank you for stopping by and stay safe. 👋

Dev Diary #02

Positive updates this week!

After a lot of trial and error, I found a gallery code which I can understand to a degree at last. Thanks to tofurocks, and her very handy GUI template, I managed to set up the gallery screen after so many months of headache. Obviously, there have been slight design changes which had to be done but I'm very satisfied with it.

Here's a quick work in progress preview! 

With all the UI coding out of the way, I can now fully concentrate on finishing the CG art. Ideally, the style should be as low-effort, but equally appealing, as possible in time for the game jam deadline. Already, I started sketching a couple few of them. Overall the game should contain 12 unlockable images.

( Sketch of  Her reading a book )

( Sketch of  Her smiling )

In terms of art style, I'm considering going for a watercolour vibe akin to Studio Ghibli's "Kaguya-hime no Monogatari" (2013) and a short film I stumbled upon at Gobelin's youtube channel titled "Un Diable San La Poche" (2019).

Should personal circumstances and my mood be alright over the course of the week, then hopefully, this experimental KN can be submitted even before the deadline. 🤞 That's all for this week's entry. Thank you very much for reading. 

As always stay safe and take care. 😊

No Thanks, Eros! - Update 3

First of all I made some slight changes again on this blog. Second, here's another progress update for "No Thanks, Eros!". From here on out I will be categorizing all of my future projects this way.

Active Projects Status

In a way or another I manage to work on my active projects. Specially Before the Tale's last set of CGs. For Conspiracy on the other hand I still can't come up with the right UI for the game, though I'll start working on it one of these days.

Anyway here's goes my current projects' status:

CONSPIRACY

❝ Statistic:

The game contains 2,719 dialogue blocks, containing 19,756 words and 103,514 characters, for an average of 7.3 words and 38 characters per block. ❞

I'm still missing the Gold Ending and Special Ending 2, after that I will have to start re-organizing the variables - hoping with the help of someone good with codes - and at the same time design the UI.

BEFORE THE TALE

Working at last on the last set of CGs. If I finish coloring and editing it, I might - *crosses fingers* - release it before the end of the month! At long last! Although I know it won't be much enjoyable considering the horrible backgrounds and senseless story I made lol.

Not Quite Working

After my SAI problems I had to remake all my brush settings. Using it again, but it appears the problem may actually be wacom's latest update which is causing all log problems.
It's awful! I can't work decently, and the slow paced movement is truly getting on my nerves.
Thankfully there are moments the brush moves according to my hands, but then I must restart the system again due to log issues.
All I can do now is to patiently wait for the next intous system update and see if things change for the better.
In the meantime, I managed to work on Before the Tale's last CG lineart and finish writing one of the two endings on Conspiracy's special arc. Right after finishing the script I'll start looking for someone who can work on the game's code. The rest of the UI change and art are still untouched, and I can't tell when I can work on it or if I can work on it soon.

Before the Tale CG WiP

    Only backgrounds and CGs left until I can fully publish Before the Tale. I'm entirely sure the BGs won't be very "eye pleasing" since they're all a bunch of quick sketches with imperfections - this is hard on my side - but my goal is to at least see how I manage light and shadowing on objects other than accessories or humans.
     Getting back on topic, I want to spoil a bit so here's a preview of CG sketches and work in progress for my first kinetic novel with original BGs... To be released... one of these weeks? /(@ﾟﾍﾟ@)

PS. I want to finish it soon!

Draft Version

  This is Conspiracy characters' sprite draft preview. I'm not going to show you the secret character though. 'Cause if I do what kind of secret character will he be?

As you may have noticed my style changed.

  Unlike Black Lotus, which features bishounen and mature style males, I'm going with the shoujo version for Conspiracy and co. Noticeably, Jin became cuter and Yuu's hair went back to his original concept. - It really does suit him more ne? - 

  Excuse me if the right side is crowded by the way... (^^;)

Progressing Work

Presenting you a premier preview of Conspiracy's new logo along side recent changes I've done on the game.

Do not copy or redistribute without owner's consent!

I opted for a more simple and elegant style for Conspiracy's new logo. The text and name box will remain the same with some exceptions as seen below.

   As mentioned on a recent post, episode introduction will have recurring scene rather than putting  chibi versions of the characters visible on earlier works. Decided it was better to remove it since it would take a lot of precious time.  The idea was fun so I'm thinking of using it on another game if I have the chance. 

   Earlier background setting versions will be replaced with something which I already have in mind and is currently a work in progress. I'll post it as soon as I can. Still have to search for new background musics and try customizing choice menus.

   Finished Keith's lineart last night as well. All that's left to do is work on details and color it, then I can start with the protagonist's uncle. I'm scheduling the times I'm suppose to work on Black Lotus and on my game at the moment and so far everything's going well. Better keep this up!  

Conspiracy: Back on Track?

   Good evening! Last Saturday, while my tablet was being capricious I thought I'd check out the files where all my "suppose to be" visual novel projects where located and tidy up a bit. Reviewing all my suspended works, I read Conspiracy's script which remained in Episode 4 on side B of the game and for a moment, just one moment, I was prompted to continue the next scene writing until almost 2 a.m. However I realized the whole scene didn't matched up with the original concept so eventually I stopped myself and decided to take two steps back and retrace what I actually had in mind.
   Looking through piles of notes I thought having 2 different versions of Riko and Jin in cosplay would only make sprite work extend further, so now I am left to decide between the Western and Eastern clothing ( for this I will use the poll ). While for the characters' expression I might truly make a limited set for all characters - which will be aaaawfully hard on my side since I exaggerate - for episode passages I will have to stick with a simple recurring image with text.
   UI will undergo changes here and there as well as character profiles and "perhaps" game logo on LSF forum. This time I am 100% determined to ask additional help in coding. - *waves a white flag* -
    All this side by side with my work as a sprite artist for the work in progress BL game. If all ends well and successfully, the next otome game you'll see from me ( hoping it comes true ) will be made by a real team of different people. Or I might simply hand over a complete script to one of my most trusted and admirable teams among LSF. Still, no one knows what the futures holds for us. Goodnight as always!

New Graphic Tablet ❣

Last week I got my hands on Intous Manga, a different Wacom brand. I was starting to doubt wither it was worth it or not. It was! The tablet is smaller than my first one, which saves space since I usually work with pen and papers scattered on my table. Although small it works magnificently! The pen is even lighter.

My imaginary manga cover lol

I had to admit I had initial problems when I was about to download the program but I'm glad Wacom's technical service helped me and in less than a week to boot! - Not like in Italy :P - 

With Clip Art Studio I'm hoping to make some comic panels once again other than artworks and...why not? A real one shot manga. Haha... We'll see for now.  

The substitute nibbles were actually on the back of the tablet

Here's a preview of the work in progress for a request on DA.