Chapter 8 weekly status report (1)
Work on Chapter 8 began right after delivering Chapter 7, but these past few weeks I've been focusing on polishing this last update and managing some other aspects of the business (tier re-structure, itch.io page, video trailer). Now that that's out of the way, I can really focus my efforts on Chapter 8.
So, how's work on this new chapter progressing?
I have a rough outline of the plot, the scenes that will take place and the overall structure and timeline of events. Without this planned it's nearly impossible to start working on the other tasks, and weaving all possible paths, setting up future ones, and composing the scene structure from two points of view is really tricky, and often times I find myself wishing I took some more time to think through the events and how they will develop moving forward.
I'm already working on the new illustrations so I can send them to the colorist as soon as possible. Setting them up also takes quite some time, especially when I'm trying to avoid making them uninteresting or repetitive. I have to lay out the upcoming scenes on my mind, decide how many illustrations will compose it, what actions will the characters take and select the best references for what I want the drawings to look like. I've already completed the drawings for 5 scenes and additional phone content (selfies and other stuff).
I've also prepared the briefings for two new backgrounds, I've been looking into licensing music and creating new tracks for the OST and I'm also hiring some professional help for a very specific aspect of the game that I will talk about at a later date. I'm also looking for some help to make a stable and official Android port, so if you know of someone, hit me up on Discord.
I've prepared some WIP images from Chapter 7 to share with you during these next few weeks. I hope you're interested in that!
It's still early in Chapter 8 development but I feel like things are being taken care of. The tricky part will come when it's time to write! Let me know if you're interested in me talking in more detail about the process behind this early stage of development. It's the most important one in shaping what the next update will be like and it's one I'm taking more and more seriously. I think it pays off!
I'll keep you posted!
Comments (17)
Will Lena get more piercings and tattoo?
I think it is a given, since Jess asks Lena about tattoos and is preparing some designs for her.
Chapter 7 ended with so many plot paths that it caused a brain explosion! The scene of Jeremy and Lena's sexual encounter, Ian and Holly's date, Lena is close with Ian and uses Robert! Ian and Cindy! Everything is interesting! "Secrets of the Madrid Court" are nervously smoking on the sidelines! I would like to wish Eva creative success !
It'd be great to hear more about the processes that go in to development, for any stage of production, really! These updates are more or less a substitute for playing the game between chapter releases, and besides that, more perspective about the creative process is fun in and of itself! Very excited for chapter 8, glad to hear work is already in progress!
Wow i m fired up!
New tracks for the OST... yes please. I hope it includes both Lena's music and the gang's old band.
Didn't think of that, but now that you mentioned it I would really like to hear "the band"!
Looking forward to Chapter 8.
I hope Ivy gets her chance to take advantage of Ian.
iewwww! Just kidding I’m down for that 🤣
Can't wait to see where the Minerva plotline will go...
iewwww!
Looking forward to it. Crossing my fingers for the pairing I like to get some.
"hiring some professional help for a very specific aspect of the game. " That sounds eerily close to Liam Neeson in Taken...
If that's who she needs to take care of...some personal problems with the ORS cast then who we are to argue with her? ;)
Of course we are interested in to know more about your creative processes, the things you do to make your game better and better (which is already awesome BTW and stand out from the crowd of other VNs).
Yeah, BTS stuff is one of the main draws with Patreon for me!