20/02/2021 Patreon Devlog

Hi everyone! Let's jump into this week's devlog

This Week's Summary:

• Finished Chapter 4, 5 and 6
• Started Chapter 7
• Commissioned new BGs.
• Started a Lance CG

The Ramble:

So this week, my entire focus was on writing. The only art I did was when I trolled everyone by giving Ari eye-patches for his nips.

For reasons. LoL!

Well, that's not totally true. I did start work on a Lance CG - but it's just a message concept sketch right now. OwO

So the writing is trucking along. I know this route is still coming up a bit short on content but I'm also not focusing a lot on fleshing out the early chapters of the route in favour of getting through them quickly so the rough draft is done.

Lance's route is much more slice-of-life in a way. At least at the start. Many of the plot and story elements that haunt Morgan in the early chapters of other routes are irrelevant to her in Lance's route because she is so far removed from all the factions and people seeking her out.

In Lance's route, the focus is centred on her recovery rather than her training. And her exploration of this new place she's in with this new person she's met. Morgan's internal conflict early on is more about knowing she should go back to the domes and deal with her problem but pushing it off because she doesn't want to…

Then ultimately deciding to stay with Lance indefinitely. (But of course, her story will catch up with her by the end of Act II).

I did decide I need to get a few new backgrounds and have reached out to one of our previous artists about them. This happens a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up needing additional BGs when I get to the remaining three routes as well.

Not all the ones I ordered this time are for Lance's route - There is one for Jack's route that I was thinking of doing myself (I think I can use it in Caleb's route as well). And another one I did do myself but have decided to order. My style is just a little too painterly - I can't really mimic the 'clean' feeling of Son and Vui's artwork.

The other background is for use in Jack and Ari's route. I could probably manage without it but since I'm ordering some, I figured I should just grab that one too since it's for multiple scenes, not just one.

Usually I will avoid ordering BGs for just a single scene unless I really can't avoid it. They're too expensive for single use unless it's *completely* necessary.

Sneak Peeks and Previews:

It is just a snippet this week. I really don't have any art to show off.

Morgan: "You don't always have to talk about things just because I ask. You're allowed to tell me you don't want to talk about it. To say it hurts too much."

Lance: "I didn't think it still...hurt."

"He trailed off and put a hand to his face, pulling it away with an astonished look on his face when he realised it was wet."

Morgan: "You were crying, though."

Lance: "I've never cried about this before."

Lance: "I suppose I never really told anyone about it before as Lance either."

"Sometimes it was easy to forget he wasn't just this thousands of years old entity - he was also a young man who was, based on his appearance, no more than a few years older than me."

"And both of them had been through so much.

"I shouldn't just ask about the past like he was a neutral party who wouldn't feel sad over it."

Morgan: "I'm sorry. I feel like I always ask about memories that are difficult to talk about."

Lance: "No, don't apologise."

"The look on his face softened and he reached a hand out, catching a strand of hair that had escaped my ponytail."

Lance: "These are things I don't mind telling you."

Romance check:

Lance: "No. It's more than that. These are things I want to tell you."

Lance: "Isn't that strange? At least, it's strange to me when I think about it."

Lance: "All these memories and pieces of my past - I just sort of want to hand them to you and let you piece them together like a puzzle until you're able to see...all of me."

Lance: "Part of me doesn't quite know why I want that. And the other part of me has a very clear memory of why I want it. And why I want you to do the same for me."

"I swallowed hard, reaching up to catch his hand."

"I had been very aware I was getting attached to him. But I think it was in that moment I realised just how attached I was."

Upcoming Week:

More writing.

I have been able to hit my daily goals without fail though not always going over them as much as I would like.

When I started Lance's route, I needed to write 1500 words every day for ten weeks to complete the route by mid-April. I currently need to write about 1170 words every day to complete the route by mid-April. So I've managed to shrink my daily word count requirement.

Not by much (I actually have to go over it by a substantial amount to shrink it. I think 100 words of writing removes 1 word from the overall daily goal). But every little bit counts. I'd like to get it below 1000 words to be honest.

Anyway, Chapter 7 is where we first meet the mysterious "Nomos" people Morgan has been curious about. This means introducing Edan and some others. Though Edan's route is quite small, I'm still looking forward to having him show up.

He's one of my favourite side characters.

Chapter 7, I think, will be a slightly longer chapter. If I do *just* my word counts each day without going over them, I'll finish it and probably start Chapter 8 by next week.

If I go over my goals, I'll probably get further into Chapter 8.

Anyway, that's it for this week's update. I shall see you all next week. Maybe I'll have some kind of art preview to show you! =O