Weekly Dev Update – Character polish, Episode 3 work, and visual upgrades

Hey everyone,

Quick update on progress this week.

I’ve spent a good chunk of time working on character polish and consistency, especially on Michaela. I’ve been testing different skin/material setups, HDRI lighting, makeup, brows, and hair options to make the cast look more lifelike while still keeping them recognisable from earlier scenes.

One of the main jobs this week has been improving the overall realism of the renders without losing the established look of the characters. I’ve had some good progress here, and I’m much happier with how Michaela is starting to look now compared to earlier tests.

On the writing side, I’ve also been working on the opening of Episode 3, particularly the transition from the end of Episode 2 into the first proper scene. The goal has been to make that flow feel more natural rather than jumping too abruptly into the next section.

This week’s focus:

• improving character skin/material realism

• testing hair, makeup, and makeover options for Michaela

• refining lighting/HDRI setups for more consistent renders

• working on the Episode 3 opening and scene transition

• continuing planning/render prep for upcoming scenes

Next up:Weekly Dev Update – Character polish, Episode 3 work, and visual upgrades

• lock in Michaela’s updated look

• finalise the opening Episode 3 sequence

• render more scene assets for the next batch of VN content

Thanks again for the support — it genuinely helps me keep pushing the project forward.