Hi everyone, and welcome to my 19th Dev Log!

We're approaching 20 of these, and I get a bit melancholic thinking about how far I've come, from a simple idea to where we are now. Sometimes, just taking that first step is all it takes to pursue a dream. That said, it hasn't been a walk in the park; it’s been much more than that. But by taking it one step at a time, we gradually see our vision become a reality.

I didn't intend to start with such a philosophical intro, but I felt a strong urge to share it with you all. I hope it serves as a little spark of inspiration to start working on that one dream you might have tucked away. Don't be afraid, the toughest part is always the beginning. The rest is like riding a roller coaster: sometimes intense, sometimes fun, and sometimes you're just waiting for the track to propel you to the next level.

Anyway, enough of the motivational talk! Let's delve into what has been accomplished over the last two weeks.

Development

The past two weeks have mostly been dedicated to polishing dialogue. Moving forward, I'll also start including word count statistics, as I know many of you find that useful for estimating potential playtime!

Coming from writing traditional novels—where sensory descriptions dominate and dialogue is only a portion of the text—translating that into the Visual Novel medium presents a unique challenge: "How much of what I'm writing is genuine dialogue versus prose masquerading as dialogue?" More importantly, "Do the characters have unique voices?" I don't mean accents or regional dialects, but whether their phrasing and tone truly fit their personality. It’s a challenge every VN writer faces, but one I very much welcome.

In the background, I've also been rendering Scene 28, which involves a lot of movement. That means custom-posing almost every single render and constantly tweaking facial expressions. It’s a demanding scene, just as I expected, but I'm getting closer to the finish line.

Here is where our stats stand today:

• Chapter 1 Progress: 28 out of 29 scenes are now almost complete!

• Renders This Week: +115 new renders.

• Total Chapter 1 Stats: 1,640 total renders, 17 completed animations and 18,997 total words.

Sneak Peek

Sunsets can be breathtaking, yet terrifying. As night falls, both Tiffany and Mike are still searching for a way back. It's a quiet moment, accompanied only by the wind brushing through the surrounding trees. It isn't cold yet, but it will be soon. They better find something fast... before it's too late.

Reaching the Peak of the Mountain

I'm getting dangerously close to finishing Chapter 1. I mentioned it in my previous post, but I feel the need to say it again: it's both terrifying and exhilarating.

Soon, I'll be audio-testing the sound effects, checking for missing renders, and figuring out how much of the soundtrack I can compose myself versus what I'll need to source. Sometimes, that quiet voice in my head asks, "Did you really do your best?" It's the same voice that drove me to improve my rendering and writing skills, but it's also the one that tries to paralyze me with doubt.

Instead of listening to it, I choose to keep pushing through the insecurity and anxiety. My goal was never to build the single "best written or best rendered game ever made." I'm simply following a vision, one born from a genuine desire to tell a story I feel deeply connected to. I truly hope that connection translates to you when you play it.

We really are getting incredibly close. There are still several tasks on my plate—like dedicating time to design my Production Logo, finishing character profile entries, and thoroughly bug-testing the script—but I believe in taking on one problem at a time. Still... wow, it's exciting to be this close!

Before I sign off: would you be interested in seeing "Facecards" for the supporting cast? These would feature some of the characters Mike meets throughout the story who leave a distinct mark on his journey. Let me know in the comments or over on Discord!

Thank you all, endlessly, for the love and support. Reminding myself of this incredible community is more than enough to clear away the fog when doubt creeps in.

Until the next Dev Log.

— MisheruMaxis