Dev Log : Where We're At

Before I get round to telling you where we're at - I'll tell you where I've been. I've had a little break away the past week or so to recharge the batteries and so took a visit to Rome. Never been before - always wanted to. So figured I'd keep the Mrs happy and gave her a little holiday.

Fortunately, I'd finished off a scene for Behind The Curtain before I jetted out and so never left anything hanging mid pose.

So. Where are we at?

I think I've mentioned previously that so far Chapter 3 is larger than both Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 combined - that's both in number of renders and play-time. Which is a good start.

We're also more than half way through the number of scenes that I have in mind for Chapter 3 - even if they are large scenes with a lot going on and a few with narrative branches.

Now before you start bouncing up and down with excitement - that doesn't mean Chapter 3 is imminent. Even though I've got fewer scenes left to do than have already been completed - these are big scenes.

In fact, again I've mentioned before, Chapter 3 starts with a big scene that's made up of multiple parts. And the chapter will also end with a big scene made up of multiple parts when somebody comes for dinner.

It's difficult to put a number on exactly how many smaller parts will make up the whole of the final scene at this point and how long each will be in length - but the final big scene itself could be bigger in size and scope than the entirety of Chapter 1.

So we're certainly not imminent but I'm on the downward slope and can see the finish line - but there's still a good bit to do.

So now I'm back from my Jollies - I'm going to do a few day-to-day things I need to get done and then I'll be back to it and onto the next scene ..

... which is problematic.

Way back when I started Chapter 1 - I had a scene in mind that I wanted to include in Chapter 1. I scripted it out .. rendered the 100 odd images for the scene .. it was all ready to go .. and I then decided to push it back to Chapter 2.

When Chapter 2 came around .. my intention was still there to include it .. but narratively speaking I couldn't find room to do so. So I decided to push it back to Chapter 3.

Now. I have the narrative slot for it .. but .. it's 2 years old now and looks "dated". I'd like to think I've improved in certain areas in that time .. I even struggled to find an example image to post in this Dev Log that I was "happy" to post.

So .. I'm going to re-do the scene. I've hummed and ahhh'd for months as it's got closer to the front of the queue as to what to do with it. For a while I convinced myself to just go with it .. it's just one scene .. but there are some images in the scene that I can't bare to look at now.

So I've now persuaded myself to redo it and given myself reasons beyond the dated look to do so. Bit's and pieces have been added to the story since the scene was first written, I don't need this bit, I could do with that bit and and the scene that comes off the back of it is probably more important.

So I'm binning the scene, re-jigging it and then re-rendering it from scratch.

So strike one scene off that had been complete .. but, I think overall, things will be better for it.