Devlog #6 Hey! It's me again! (again so soon? wtf)
Hey, everyone!
It's me again! And this time, instead of talking your ears off about the story, I thought I'd show you a little bit of what I've been working on behind the scenes!
As you probably know by now, I've been slowly improving my art, and one of the things I've really wanted to revisit is the backgrounds.
Some of the older ones were among the very first things I worked on for Spermatosis, and, well... let's just say looking at them now makes me realize how much I've learned! LUL
So today, I want to show you some before-and-after comparisons, along with two little surprises for those of you who don't mind spoilers! Hehe.
Giving the Old Backgrounds Some Love!
You guys have already seen the new kitchen, and it's actually been implemented in the game!
I've also been reworking some of the other backgrounds to make them look a little cleaner, more consistent, and hopefully more pleasant to look at.
I know they're still pretty simplistic, but that's actually what I was going for! I feel like even small details, such as the number of plants around the kitchen, can tell a little story of their own.
The MC, Rick, and Brian don't really care much about plants, but Sara did. So they decided to keep them around as a little tribute to her.
I'll probably never explicitly mention this in the story, but it's a nice little detail that I really enjoyed adding!
But the kitchen isn't the only room that's been getting some attention.
I Also added the hallway, that's also in the game already, which again, it's simple but it works.
And the shower bg...
Well, I went back and reworked the inside of the shower stall!
The previous version was pretty basic, and while the new one is still relatively simple, I think it's much better.
I'm not trying to make every background ridiculously detailed. I just want them to look good, fit the game's style, and make the scenes feel a little more believable.
It's a small change, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!
Now, onto the interesting stuff...
SPOILER #1 — A Brand-New Bedroom!
The following section contains a discussion about a new background that hasn't appeared in the game yet!
Just a quick heads-up: All images containing spoilers will be attached at the end of this post, so feel free to check out the other images without worrying about accidentally spoiling anything!
I've completely reworked the bedroom!
And before anyone asks, no, I won't be replacing the bedroom in the previous chapters.
A lot of the existing CGs were created around the original room's layout and aesthetic, so changing it retroactively would mean having to redo quite a few things.
And trust me, I don't want to do that right now! LMAO
However, all new scenes and CGs featuring the bedroom will use the updated design from now on!
I wanted the room to feel a little more natural and lived-in, with some details that reflect the characters' personalities.
You might even notice a few references to things the characters are into!
But here's a little challenge for you guys...
There are several references in the room, but one of them is actually something only I like, not the characters!
Think you can figure out which one it is?
I'm really curious to hear what you think of the new design!
SPOILER #2 — Meet Sophie's Dad!
WARNING: CHARACTER DESIGN SPOILER!
Alright, you filthy little degenerates...
I know quite a few of you have been waiting to see this guy.
And, well...
Here he is!
I'm not entirely sure whether his design will be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm personally pretty happy with how he turned out!
I've been experimenting with different character designs lately, and I wanted him to have a look of his own.
But hey, even if you're not completely sold on him just yet, I'm hoping that once he's flattening the MC's nose with his balls, you'll change your mind! LMAO
Jokes aside, I'm really excited to introduce him properly!
So, What Do You Think? 💜
That's pretty much everything I wanted to show you today!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the updated backgrounds, especially the before-and-after comparisons.
Do you think the new versions are an improvement? Is there anything you'd change?
And for those of you who decided to take a peek at the spoilers...
What do you think of the new bedroom and Sophie's dad?
Oh, and don't forget to take a guess at that little reference hidden in the bedroom! Hehe.
As always, thank you so much for supporting Spermatosis and following along as I slowly figure out this whole game development thing.
There's still a lot I want to improve, but looking back at where I started makes me pretty excited to see where I'll be a few months from now!
Stay safe, keep those ropes flying, and I'll see you in the next update! 💜
— RopeShooter
Comments (4)
Do you think the new versions are an improvement? The new versions are a huge improvement! The new backgrounds provide so much extra detail and environmental storytelling. I like that if you look at the old backgrounds you can see the new ones are all revised versions of the same rooms. Is there anything you'd change? I’d consider adding a window to the bedroom somewhere. A lot of people prefer natural light and a way to get air exchange in their main living spaces. What do you think of the new bedroom and Sophie's dad? The new bedroom is probably my favorite of all the backgrounds you showed us here. It tells us so much about the MC and Brian. You can tell the MC moving in there wasn’t planned, as their bed was clearly purchased at a different time and probably with a shorter time constraint. You can also tell the MC REALLY likes fantasy based on everything they’ve stocked their shelves with. I was surprised to see that Brian is into cars. He’s also got a huge jar of protein powder right above his bed which makes me feel like he’s a lot more of a jock than I’d thought. I appreciate how you’re consistent with the color you’ve assigned each character. You can tell exactly which side of the room is the MC’s and which is Brian’s based on if it’s red or purple. Sophie’s dad is pretty visually distinct from the other characters so far, which is a good thing! I’m interested to meet him in game and learn more about him. Can you figure out which reference is something only I like? My guess is the poster for The Thing! It’s the only thing that’s sci-fi as opposed to fantasy on that side of the room.
Hey! Yeah, I didn't want to completely disregard what I'd done before, so I tried to keep the original layouts while improving everything around them! And you're right about the window! It shouldn't be too difficult to replace the board with one, so I'll definitely consider doing that! You're actually right about almost everything! Let's just say that the protein powder is more of a reminder of Brian's failed attempt at becoming a proper athlete, haha. He's still in pretty good shape, though. I mean, he could probably pick up the MC and carry them around like it's nothing if he wanted to... Just saying. And yeah! I really want to keep using colors and little environmental details to tell you more about the characters. I'll definitely try to do more of that with the upcoming backgrounds! You'll probably be seeing quite a few new ones in the next release! As for Sophie's dad, I hope you guys end up liking him! He's a little rougher around the edges than Rick, so I'm pretty curious to see how everyone reacts to him. Hehe. And nice guess! Unfortunately, it's not The Thing! Funny enough, the MC actually bought that poster without even knowing what the movie was about, and that's what eventually got them interested in horror and sci-fi! So there's a little bit of backstory behind that one, too! If you really want to know I can send you a private message! Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts! I always enjoy reading them!
sophie's dad is so hot. cant wait for the next chapter!
Haha, glad you like him! Let's just say I'm looking forward to INTRODUCING him properly.