Firebreak Dev Update #7

As we ramp up into the new year, development is accelerating into high gear.

Love interest introductions for Akshaya, Ren, Amie, and Tara, are complete, marking the halfway point for that section of the chapter.

Once these are complete, all that is left is a [redacted] scene and the teaser segue to the main game.

So far, we're enjoying the pace of world-building and story reveal, but as always, the devil is in the details.

So much of what's going on in the background seems trivial, and not worth talking about at length.

Little things like font selections, avatar styles, overlays, and all of the back-end bells and whistles that add production value to a Ren'Py game.

Fortunately, we know a lot of things now that we didn't when we started CS, so there will be only one version of the binary, rather than a Steam and Patreon version.

One reason why we've been tight-lipped on the plot for Firebreak is because the first chapter's pacing would would lose a lot of its impact if the player went in knowing what to expect. This is a bit of a calculated gamble on our part, because we also recognize that it's difficult to generate a ton of enthusiasm for a story concept played too close to the vest.

That said, by the end of the first chapter, the player WILL understand exactly what the story is about and we won't keep yanking the football away at the last second for the rest of the game. That doesn't mean there aren't additional twists planned, just that we aren't going full "The Sixth Sense."

For the next dev update I'll put some thought into sharing what can safely be revealed without diluting reader investment in the initial chapter itself. After all, who doesn't feel the urge shake the presents under the tree when nobody's looking?

Stoya