Developing Blog!

Hello everyone, this is nekoda! In yesterday’s poll, 5 options were chosen equally, so I rolled a dice to decide what I should do, and here I am with my first Developing Blog!

Today, I’d like to tell you a bit about the people on our team.

Wilhelmina

Our team consists of one developer and three writers. Initially, the plan was for me to write all the stories, with the others helping me. However, this didn’t sit well with me, as I already knew Wilhelmina’s writing and admired her greatly. Wilhelmina was not only my friend but also a writer whose works I looked up to. When I approached her with the idea of making a game, I didn’t expect her to agree to work with me on this project. But her accepting my offer both surprised and thrilled me.

So, I thought if Wilhelmina could write her own story and create her own route, I’d get an RPG experience directly from her, which excited me immensely. Thus, I entrusted her with the responsibility of Vegoia and Luminyan’s route. We’re not actively working on this route right now; we mainly discuss it in small meetings, as Wilhelmina recently graduated and has her own responsibilities to take care of. But I hope we can work more deeply on it in the future.

Currently, the three of us—Emarf, Mau, and I—have fully committed ourselves to Karaneko; still, I can’t expect the same level of commitment from Wilhelmina without having a budget. That’s why I’m eagerly looking forward to the day when Karaneko reaches a good budget, so we can all experience Wilhelmina’s amazing stories together.

Emarf

Emarf, the developer of Karaneko, is also my closest friend. He’s been by my side from the moment I first thought of Karaneko and remains by my side. His presence on this journey gives me strength, both as a teammate and as a friend.

Perhaps you remember from my previous post: after playing Omori on livestream with Wilhelmina and Emarf, we had planned to work at the library the next morning. When we met that morning, I shared my excitement—and to be honest, my frustration—with him. (Omori’s ending had really moved me, and I was frustrated from being stuck for hours in Sweetheart’s castle, hahahaha).

Afterward, I asked him a question I couldn’t have asked anyone else: “Should we make a game?” I couldn’t have asked anyone else, as I was just a random artist, and he didn’t know how to code yet either. I was sure many people around me would oppose the idea of making a game. But Emarf supported me without hesitation, and he started learning programming through this process. Now, he’s an amazing developer who enables me to realize everything in my imagination and dreams; I’m endlessly grateful to him for that.

But what I’m most grateful for is his support in helping me realize my dreams. If he had judged my initial, fragile ideas, I might not be telling you all this today. I’m truly lucky to have Emarf by my side.

Mau

Mau is the last person to join our team. While learning programming to assist with development, he also contributes to our team as a writer and critic. (And what a critic!)

I think the depth of the stories Mau wants to tell, the thoughtful philosophies of his characters, and their psychology are incredible. Mau aims to write realistic stories that resonate with us, and I believe this will add an amazing dimension to the game. (I love how this contrasts with my own fantasy writing style!) I’m truly excited to experience Mau’s route! I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but I have no doubt he’ll create an incredible route.

Mau is also an amazing critic; his comments and critiques about games, music, and, of course, Karaneko deeply impact me every time. He points out many things that enlighten me and, rather than holding back so as not to hurt my feelings, he always tells me what he thinks. I respect this quality of his immensely.

(Sometimes he critiques things I’ve spent days working on, which drives me crazy hahaha)

Thanks to Mau, we notice the flaws we couldn’t see and improve Karaneko, enhancing the universe, mechanics, and story. Of course, we debate a lot; sometimes, we spend an entire day locked in a creative clash over a detail of Karaneko. But each discussion helps us grow, and I’m genuinely lucky to have someone like Mau on the team.

Additionally, Mau is a fantastic leader who brings us back on track when we lose momentum in our work. He’s also the one who keeps us in touch with you, the server! Wilhelmina, Emarf, and I don’t really prefer being in the spotlight; talking to people in the Discord server or posting on Twitter and getting feedback isn’t exactly our thing. You can think of Mau as similar to the editors who help mangaka in Japan meet their deadlines! He’s truly a wonderful addition.

I absolutely love my team; each of us shines in different ways, and together we create an amazing harmony. I hope you’ll come to love this team and the work we’ll put out. See you soon!

nekoda!