Progress Report

3K words today!!

I wanted to reach the 4k, but I can't stare at the screen any longer. So, I must admit defeat, but even so, I'm very happy with what I wrote 😊 Both today and in the week in general.

Right now, I'm on page 95 of the notebook. It's been a lot of fun to write this part. I was giggling when I wrote it in the first draft, but now, with all the variations, it's such a ride xD

I'm not as far along, page-wise, as I wanted, but I really underestimated how long some of the dialogue trees would get once I filled out all the different variations. For example, I spent half a session writing a choice with 7 options.

Of those 7 options, both Lance and Romanus would talk differently depending on whether you have a good or neutral relationship or if the bard actively dislikes you. Alessa is also there; of course, she responds differently, whether you're her friend, lover, or enemy.

Those 7 choices turned out to be 2k words.

When I finished those, I sighed in relief, only to slam my face into another set of choices with Hadrian, varying depending on his relationship status.

This is all to say that, although I didn't fulfill the goal I set for myself, I still made significant progress this past week! Around 18k words have been added to the update, and, as always, I cannot wait to share them with you.

Today, I wrote a scene mainly concerning Rafael. It's early on in your relationship with him, but once again, I found myself splitting some of the dialogue into two versions — low and high relationship — and within those versions, there were even more variables.

I love writing not only how a character might answer or react to a situation, but also how differently they do it when dealing with someone they have a positive or negative history with. Not only because I love seeing how Rafael, for instance, speaks, but Romanus themselves! Your thoughts and motivations for doing something can change widely depending on your ruthless/merciful stats or how you feel about another character.

I'm rambling, but I wanted to explain why this is taking a bit longer, and at the same time, I wanted to give context for why I am so profoundly grateful for Patreon and all your support.

If I didn't have this page, I could not justify this level of customization and variation in (almost) all the dialogues and, later on, actual branching narratives. The effort, but most significantly, the time poured into doing this, wouldn't be covered by game sales alone.

But this way, I can. I can make the world and the characters react constantly to the kind of Romanus you're crafting and the choices you're making. I can be much more faithful to their motivations while deepening Romanus' own.

Ahh sorry! I'm just very excited about this book and all I have planned, and I realized that I can do it because of you all 💛I really am eternally grateful.

Alright! Mushiness aside, I want to get to page 130 by Friday! Tomorrow and Sunday, I'll write some of the Bonus Content for the month, but from Monday onwards, I want to focus 100% on the update.

That's it! I've been in and out of the vet throughout this past week. Nero is an old dog now, but he's fighting hard, so I will, too. Happy Easter to all who celebrate, and Happy Friday to all who don't! I hope you have an amazing weekend. 🌹