Crafting Lucky Paradox #3: Difficult Weeks in My Life and Luna's Content

Hello everyone, there is a lot to say this week...

Long post alert.

I was debating quite a bit with myself about writing this post or not, as I have had a very bad few weeks, and it is difficult for me to write about what has happened, I hate to share negative news, but I think you deserve to know everything that has happened, as it has indirectly affected the development of the project.

Those of you who have been following the development of Lucky Paradox for a while will know my little buddy, a rather old bunny who unfortunately had been diagnosed with cancer. He has been a fundamental support for me during the development of Lucky Paradox. He was always there in the nights of work, in the days of frustration, in the good times and the bad times. He was a friend I could always rely on and who gave me unconditional support.

However, one Friday night he began to suffer some digestive problems, which got worse and worse, so I decided to hospitalize him urgently to stabilize him again. These crises became more and more constant, due to suffering from cancer and being of an advanced age for a rabbit (more than 12 years old).

I went through days of intense emotional stress in which I could hardly sleep. On Monday, I received positive news about his recovery, which gave me some relief. But the next day, the vet called me to tell me that he was no longer responding to any treatment and was on his last legs.

I went immediately and when I finally saw... he was in very bad shape. I felt a terrible impotence, but there was nothing more to do, I could only say goodbye to my little partner forever.

He died on Tuesday of the same week at 3:55 p.m....

Even though I always knew this could happen, I never imagined it would affect me so much emotionally and mentally. In the days that followed, I continued to work on Lucky Paradox while I waited for his ashes to give him a resting place.

And on Friday, I received another devastating news: my mother was hospitalized due to a stroke.

This ended what little emotional and mental stability I had left.

Expressing everything I feel in words is extremely difficult. I want to apologize for not being able to work faster so that you can enjoy more content. You, with your support, make possible the development of this game that is so special to me. But I needed to take at least a day or two to think about what to do next and find some stability. So, I decided to step away from development for Saturday and Sunday of that week.

At the beginning of the following week, I decided to resume development. Working somehow helps me keep my mind busy and avoid getting caught up in that tide of negativity. Besides, I don't think it's fair to stop development for so long, especially considering this is the biggest update yet. Although, my work speed hasn't been the same and I haven't managed to make as much progress as I had hoped.

It's been strange writing Luna Blair's story during these days, as it touches on some themes related to death and darkness. However, I have tried to focus it on a more fun plot.

Even so, there has been progress in the development:

I have completed writing of the Luna Blair story, which now contains a significant amount of content. I have also decided to remove the initial prerequisite, so you will be able to enjoy this story without needing to have reached Halloween within the game.

Through the side stories, you will be able to unlock two new activities with Luna Blair. The first one is a regular activity: "Going to the beach", which will allow you to earn Love points with the witch. The second activity, which for me is quite significant, is "Reading the Tarot", although it requires a more detailed explanation...

Luna Blair possesses special abilities that allow her to strengthen the relationships between the characters in the game and the player. By performing the "Read the Tarot" action, they will be able to earn Love/Lust points with any of the girls in the game that have content to unlock. Of course, this comes at a cost (money), as Luna is a very business-focused girl. This option offers the possibility of spending money in exchange for saving time, as performing this activity will not advance the clock, although for the moment it has a limit: you will only be able to get five Love/Lust hearts with each girl.

This is also a small reference to Chihaya system from Persona 5.

Luna's story will unlock two new eroge scenes, both of which could turn out to be quite strange. One will be triggered through spirit possession, and the other will be unlocked through a crossover event with Maxy. These scenes serve to set the trend for future Luna content, and both will be optional.

My intention is that Luna's story will feel very different to anything seen so far and that this, along with the other secondary girls to come, will allow other content to be explored. I think this will enrich the story and make it more and more of an adventure.

A new gallery entry (Blue Firefly) has been added (Luna Blair), from where you will be able to revisit the two previous eroge scenes. Even if you decide to avoid these two scenes during the story, the content will still be unlocked in the gallery, so you can enjoy them if you think the time is right.

From now on we only must edit the texts and make hundreds of renders, there is still a lot of work to do, but it will be totally worth it when you see the final result.

Although for now I'm working slower than usual because mentally I'm not feeling in the best shape, bad things never last forever, and I think I should soon recover to be able to work at my usual speed.

I apologize for the potential delay in the update's release date, as I do my best to prevent such delays...

Your support on Patreon means the world to me, especially during these trying weeks. It's a vital part of Lucky Paradox's progress, and I truly appreciate it <3

I hope the week ahead treats you kindly. Stay well, and stay tuned for more updates coming your way!