Houses of Hearts Project update #1

Hi!

It's been close to a week—more or less—since the early access release of Game of Hearts. It wasn't a perfect product, not even close, lacking in a few glaring areas, and I've since tried to remedy that as the pre-production phase of season two nears its end.

One thing I recognize I absolutely need right away is a good rest. I need to pace myself better.

I'm excited to immediately start toiling away behind my computer and rendering dozens and dozens of images, but the built-up fatigue never left my eyes. It's a wonderfully terrifying event to behold; my thoughts grew more and more sluggish over the past few months, whose effects weren't immediately perceivable. It feels like I've aged a decade.

Sleep isn't one of those things I can pay back by resting well one day; it often takes a long, long toll on your body. So I've planned a week-long vacation, and this will be the last post until I return, hopefully, much, much more rejuvenated.

That being said, while pre-production doesn't technically produce anything that will be in the first release, I've gleaned and explored a ton of stuff to aid my future endeavors. Switching my coding and writing software was the first immediate change I executed, and it provided a method to spell-check as I write the story. I'm also delving into Blender and marvelous designer, but those are a little too complicated for me at my current... less than alert state.

My past post described grand ideas that were born from excitement, and, in a way, ambition. I wanted to push beyond my comfort zone bit by bit—because like I said, I do not wish to stagnate, I want to grow, I need to grow. I want every release to be better, to explore better ways to render an image, to find a better way to tell a story.

To do none of those, to stay at the same level as I was at the start, is nothing but a disservice to you, my supporters.

So, please keep in mind that nothing I write now or in the past week is 100% set in stone. I am very, very lethargic. I'm also very, very excited and hopeful. It's a strange spot to be in.

First, at this moment, I want season two to be more story-centric than season one. There should be more time spent exploring the main LI's character story than being in bed with them.

It should also feel a little more serious this time, hovering somewhere near the epilogue section. A part of me wants the next season to look like a movie.

Again, I must repeat, none of that is set in stone yet. I need to look at it again with a refreshed mind to judge my options properly.

Regardless, thank you again for your support! I sincerely cannot wait to start season two. But I must temper that excitement for a better product.

See you again in a week!