Philosophy #32 - The Final Boss

Philosophy #32 - The Final Boss

As I've mentioned many times before, I have a lot of plans. The plans I have fall into two categories.

First there are the small plans. The small plans are things that crop up from episode to episode. While I have the rough outlines already laid out for every episode, even ones well into the future, I don't get down into the nitty gritty until I'm finally working on that specific episode. The small plans are basically the finer details that make up every episode. Things like outfits, the color of the walls in a location, the music that's playing, and even the lines of dialogue that play out are the things I don't get to until it's right there in front of me.

And the other type of plans are, as you probably guessed, the big plans. The big plans are the giant scheme that the smaller plans make up. Big plans are things like big events or important conversations or story-altering choices.

When I first started developing the game, before I released Episode 1, it all started with a big plan. I looked at the big picture first. I figure that's how most developers and story-tellers in general look at things. Some of the big plans I've had since the beginning have already happened. Things like Vanessa taking off her glasses. Things like Harlow revealing the truth about why she works at the Pink Rabbit strip club. Things like Erika's background with her brother. Thinks like Detective Seo's identity. These are all things that I had planned since the very beginning.

The way I look at these big plans sometimes is like a battle.

One of the battles I planned was the fashion show in Episode 14. Since Vanessa was a model, it made perfect sense to me that her big event would center around the fashion show. So, for nearly four years, there was always that plan of how I was going to pull off the fashion show. That was one of the big plans I had for Vanessa. And when I finally got to writing that scene, rendering it, and putting it all together, it was a big chance for me to address the small plans that took place within it.

Looking at it like a battle, you were gearing up for it this entire time. You were training with Vanessa by spending time with her. You were getting practice in during your confrontations with Luke. You've continued to improve outside of your interactions with her. And your biggest battle yet took place at the fashion show on the big stage.

The decision for the fashion show wasn't finalized in Episode 14. In previous episodes, the fashion show is mentioned. I planned the show since the beginning but I locked myself in by mentioning it in the story. Sure, I could have written it out of the story but I feel like that would have definitely cheapened everything I'd been building and working toward.

Finally being able to finish the fashion show and put it out there for you all to experience for yourselves was something special to me. It's no longer just an idea in my head because it's something that happened. I've been thinking about the fashion show for years and honestly, it's a great feeling of satisfaction to finally put it down and have it come to fruition, even if it might not have been the grandest thing in the world. It meant a lot to me for you to finally fight that battle.

With every upcoming episode and update, there are more big plans I'm finally getting the chance to turn into something concrete. The later the episode, the more time it's been cooking in the cauldron of ideas that is my brain. And with that, there's more satisfaction. I can't explain how much it means to me to have something that starts in my head and finally be able to share it with all of you.

I've learned a lot about development over the years. From writing to rendering to coding, every episode has given me a chance to learn something new. As an aside, I'm grateful to all of you for allowing me the opportunity to learn on the spot while I figure things out.

With every episode, I take everything I learned and apply it to make it even better than the last. In a sense, I'm training for the next battle with you.

Episode 15 is going to be the culmination of everything I've learned so far. I'm really going to do my best to make it special because it's just that important.

Through your journey as the MC, you've had a lot of ups and downs. Tragedies and triumphs. You've literally fought your way through the opposition and walked through fire to get to where you are. And for a lot of you, you still haven't arrived at the destination you wanted to. That's because you still have more battles to fight.

You've been waiting years for this. Not just you but you, the MC, have been waiting years for this. But there's nobody looking more forward to this more than me because it's one more big plan I get to share with all of you.

This is the battle you finally get to fight. This will be your biggest challenge yet. Everything you've been through and waited for has led to this. I appreciate all of you for your patience and perseverance as you've trudged along to get to this point. There's less and less story left to tell. You're at the doorstep of something that you and I have both been waiting so long for.

Fair warning. Depending on how you look at things, it won't be that simple. Your patience in getting to this point is only one part of the equation. If you've gotten this far into the story, you should be willing to face this challenge. The next battle you fight will be the one you and I have been preparing for this entire time, even if you don't realize it. There is one more dragon left to slay.

On the precipice looking out to what's next for you, there's only one question you have to ask yourself before you cross the threshold into battle: are you ready for the final boss?

I just wanted to put out my usual disclaimer with all Philosophy posts and say that everything is clear in my head. If things sound confusing and/or vague, it's probably because I'm just being confusing and/or vague. I'm trying not to give anything away in so many words but if you get any meaning from that wall of text, at the very least know that I've got some semblance of a plan.

On Episode 15

I've finally managed to build all of the scenes and create all of the elements I need for Episode 15. Outside of some smaller things I've forgotten, the early rendering process has begun. The scene outline is finished and I don't anticipate anything being added at this point. As I've mentioned before (and I'll mention many times throughout the development), Episode 15 is going to be another short episode. It's going to be tight and compact with everything heavily focused. One of the benefits of a focused episode is that I don't have to worry about balancing other plotlines to make sure that everything gets addressed. Episode 15 will be the most focused episode so far.

Because of how my schedule is these days, I actually don't have as much time as I usually do on the weekends. But that doesn't mean I don't have any time on the weekends. It just means I have less time than usual. I always make time when I can. Of course, I work during the weekdays when I can as well. It looks like June is going to be just a month of trying to get through as many renders as I can. Whether or not I'll have enough for a significant progress update is not something I can be certain of. Your support means a lot to me and you've all done so much for me, so please take a break if you like.

That's it for this week and this month. Thank you again for all of your support. I appreciate all of you. Next month is going to be me grinding and chipping away at the episode as much as I can. If you have any questions or questions, you can always send me a message. Take care of yourselves and I'll talk to you soon.