- Thread starter N2TheFire
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- Dec 28, 2019
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I am more sad about the long delay than you are, believe me. This past year was such a mess. As for when I expect to finally release the next episode, I'll talk about that in my big New Year's development post (this weekend).thats sad that thy can.t make a new update this year
- Dec 28, 2019
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Hello my friends and Happy New Year! Here is the first devlog for 2024. Brace yourselves, this one might be kinda long. So grab a coffee (or tea), relax, and open your Serenity Island books to Chapter 2, episode 3. Yes, I know it is blank... that's why we're here LOL
First... some actual devlog information because it is just a few sentences: Episode 3 will have 16 scenes, I am currently working on images for scene 3. So, that's where we are on that. I hope to have a release ready by middle of next month. Moving on...
RELEASES - Recently I posted a comment about possibly doing half-episode updates. After giving this a lot of thought, I decided not to do that. Sorry, but it isn't how I want people to experience my stories. I think a release should be a nice chunk of the overall story... an event or several, with a beginning and ending. It is the way I prefer to experience VN's when they are still in development. Not many devs do this though. Each episode should have it's own little 'arc' - an issue that is dealt with and resolved by the end of that episode, while also continuing to tell the overall story. So, I will continue to do what I have been doing: working on Serenity and Last Human in tandem (back and forth releases) until Serenity is completed. Yes, unfortunately this means it will be longer between each game's release dates. But, if you're a fan of both (which was my goal when crossing them over each other), then this shouldn't be too big a deal. With that said, I am setting goals and doing my best to keep a tighter work schedule when I am not working my full time job. But there will be times when my full time job has a lot for me. When my plate is full like that, it is more difficult because I have to prioritize my job over this since I still depend on that as my primary source of income.
HOW LONG WILL SERENITY BE? - Serenity is going to end with episode 9 (in Chapter 2). I have a great story lined up to complete it, but I'm ready to move on from it. I love what I created and I love the characters... I'm just ready to do something else. So yeah, Serenity will have 9 episodes. Episode 9 will be a huge update with the only choices (that matter) I have ever done in a game. And don't worry, there will be a LOT of choices, and WILL INCLUDE harem of course. I tagged it 'harem' for a reason, so don't freak out! Each choice will take a certain path with one of the six main love interests, plus a choice that will go harem. And each of those paths may offer some other choices... possibly pregnancy and seeing your children. I am still considering options for this, but I'm hoping these choices will cover a lot of your different preferences. Episode 9 will have to be released in parts because of all the branching paths. So each release may be 1 or 2 of the girls' paths (release 1 might be Trixy and Morgan, release 4 might be 'harem' which is the longest one, ect.). Anyway, that's pretty much how I have the plan laid out at the moment.
HOW LONG WILL LAST HUMAN BE? - Last Human is a bit special because it began the kind of pattern I truly wanted to do with Serenity from the start. I do have a lot of content for it, so it is possible for a season 2 for sure. However, we'll see how things pan out when we get to that point (probably well into 2025). Due to the nature of the relationships between you and the girls in your crew, there won't be any choices to end LH because no matter what, you're going to have a harem there. However, I do have ideas written down for choices on pregnancy with certain (or all) girls. We'll see how it plays out... still a long way away. If I do a season 2, Last Human could go on through 2026.
WHAT OTHER PROJECTS DO YOU HAVE? - Lots. LOL. I've been writing little short stories in notepad for a very long time (well before I even knew what a VN was). Some of them are really good ideas that could be expanded into bigger stories, and those could translate into nice VNs. I have been looking more closely at two of them over the last few months and I think I might have a winner with either of them. Now, this may disappoint some of you, but my third project will not be connected to Serenity or Last Human. I also don't want it to be 'magic' or extreme sci-fi stuff since I'm already doing that. Also, <ahem> probably no nekos.
<crickets>
Yeah, I knew you wouldn't like that LOL. Okay, I may find a way to work in a neko, even if it is a girl that does it in cosplay. As for the 2 stories I am considering for a future project... here is a little about what they are:
Story 1 - is pretty much what some call a 'life sim' where you step into the shoes of a big guy that is a bouncer at an interesting gentlemen's club. The MC is tall, muscular, tough, has a bit of a chip on his shoulder and is more intelligent than he let's people know. He's never really made time for girls so he's single. But he get's to see lots of them due to club business and his job of guarding the ladies or accompanying them sometimes as a bodyguard. The MC is VERY LOOSLY inspired by a character named Takeo Goda in an anime titled "My Love Story!!". Just, not as 'ogre-ish'. I liked that he was a good person no matter what. Anyway, no more super powered MC... just a normal guy with weaknesses and drama to deal with, although he's a pretty tough guy. Big guy with a big heart. It will be emotional, romantic, and have action and of course eventually sex.
Story 2 - Now this one has a title: Viral Affair. I wrote a short story some years back that is somewhat like an old movie called "The boy in the plastic bubble" starring John Travolta, only the roles are reversed. And the reasons and story arc is different from the movie. The MC is a psychologist that is tasked with helping a girl who lives in a glass room. She has a disease that is so contagious, merely breathing the same air as her can kill you. They interact through a glass wall. The girl's personality can be described as chaotic tsundere, perhaps a little yandere, multiple personalities. She is prone to major outbursts of anger. She's a beautiful girl in her early twenties. MC will be faced with trying to help this girl, and crossing the boundaries of being her doctor into falling in love with her. Plus dealing with romance away from her in the outside world. This one is like nothing out there (so is story 1 for that matter).
Between the two, I am leaning towards Viral Affair because it is completely different from any VN out there. And that's how I want it to be. But both have promise. Feel free to comment on them. At various times when I have the chance, I'll be slowly working on one of them and try to have most of the story ready by the time I'm ready to begin coding it into a VN. Understand of course, this game would be at minimum a year and a half away from actual full time develpment. But time flies, so I thought it would be good to fill you guys in and get feedback on the two.
Alright, I think I've written a long enough book of information for you to soak in and think about. Now I need to get back to work on episode 3 and try to get you guys some content out. The render is a really old one I redid a bit. Thought it fitting to start the new year with an old image.
As always, love you all! ...Fire
- Mar 23, 2019
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Sounds great. I am looking forward to seeing it. Serenity and Last Human are cute and fun, but variety is the slice of life. So it will be good to branch out a bit to different story themes.
Also, I have to give you a lot of credit as a developer for actually finishing your game at a logical point, and moving on to the next game. Too many developers just keep their one game going on and on, dragging it out past where it make sense to end it.
The only suggestion I have is to make the buildup a little slower than with Serenity. Other than a few characters, all the girls love the MC pretty much right away. For me, at least, the buildup from strangers to lovers is the best part, and should probably be more than half of the story. But that's just me. I think stories like Hillside and Eternum do it best, where there are many updates slowly building a relationship with the LIs. Also, try not to have too many LIs. I think 4-6 is best. More than that, and they start to blend together, and its hard as a player to differentiate their personalities. That is an issue with Serenity, I think. It's hard to remember who is who.
Anyway, Viral Affair sounds really interesting. I can't wait to see how it develops!
- Dec 28, 2019
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Yes I am well aware of how quickly Serenity moves. Even Last Human, which I think I did a bit better, still moves too fast. Viral Affair will crawl in comparison. It will touch on a lot of issues I think not many (if any) other VN's have done. How do you deal with falling in love with someone you can't touch? What do you do when she decides to tease you on the other side of the glass? Before you ever even reach that point though, how do you break down her barriers? VA will be very detailed compared to either Serenity or LH. Those looking for 'insta-porn' won't like it. Patience will win the day in VA. I brought it up early because I've been editing it on the side already and I love how it is going. But I'm a long ways from starting development on it.
- Feb 6, 2023
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- Feb 21, 2023
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Not gonna lie, while your concept for Viral Affair intrigues me a lot I still hope we get to see a lot more neko goodness (especially Last Human) from you. It's just so wholesome and fulfilling (naughty pun intended).
I like the idea of you challenging yourself with something so complex. It seems difficult to keep a game like VA engaging over the course of a longer story, due to the constraints placed by the premise. Will be thrilling to follow you doing it though.
Cheers =)
I like the idea of you challenging yourself with something so complex. It seems difficult to keep a game like VA engaging over the course of a longer story, due to the constraints placed by the premise. Will be thrilling to follow you doing it though.
Cheers =)
- Oct 19, 2022
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Viral affair seems fun but honestly I'd rather no other LIs if the focus is on one lady, or at least the option to avoid entanglements if harem isn't an option. My overly empathetic ass feels bummed out when the pixel ladies are sad after being rejected by MC, so I avoid doing that if possible, primarily by avoiding the pick one out of many style games.
- Dec 28, 2019
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All good points, but you guys have absolutely nothing to worry about. The style of writing I am known for will remain the same, but hopefully just done better with more build up. I have learned a lot during the process of doing Serenity. And Last Human still has a long way to go. Season 1 will be 9 episodes. And if enough people still want more, then there will be a season 2. Serenity however will end at episode 9. But that world hasn't seen the last of us. I have some plans for later, one mainly to address the beginning scenes in chapter 1 up to day 8 or so (possibly a bit further than that). The writing through those first cringy scenes as well as the graphics will be getting updated. I have noticed that some people get through the first couple of scenes and then close it and move on to something else. And I don't blame them. So at some point, I will be updating Serenity chapter 1 to address all of that and possibly add some other neat features.
- Dec 28, 2019
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Hello and happy Friday to everyone!
When I last posted my public devlog, I think I said I was working on scene 3 (of 16). So, currently, scene 3 is completed and I am now nearly finished with scene 4. I've been moving right along at a decent pace considering I have been fighting a nasty upper respiratory infection. Thankfully, I am just on the back end of that mess, just a lot of hacking and coughing. I have been thinking about doing one of those fancy progress bars to post in my devlog updates, kind of like Caribdis and a few other devs I've seen. Would you guys like that? Or are you good with my usual devlogs?
Anyway moving on... There has been a lot of new music released at my music source recently with a lot of my kind of tracks. That makes me excited because music is very important to me, even if some people turn it off. I spend a lot of time choosing music for each scene or situation to make sure it fits what is going on. I always hated when some games would just have a music player that plays random songs while you play the game. It's less artistic or meaningful. It could be a sad situation but some uplifting, chipper and fun music playing - which is just weird to me. So that's why I love it when people actually don't turn off my music.
As for a release date for Serenity C2 Episode 3, I am still looking at somewhere around the middle of next month. When I get closer to completing things, I'll be able to give a more solid date.
On a separate note, for those waiting patiently for the next Last Human episode, I'll be starting on that right at the same time I release the Serenity update. I already have most of it written, so I have a bit of a head start on that one.
I know it has been (damn a year already) since the last Serenity update and I'm sorry. Things got all fucked up last year. I just had too much happening at once with having a LOT of overtime at my full-time job, several illnesses, and a lot of other stupid shit going on. With the computer upgrades completed finally at my job, that should help a lot. Thankfully, we only do that every 3 to 4 years. Now if I can stay healthy and beat down anyone bringing me drama in 2024, things should be a LOT better. So, thank you for bearing with me up to now and putting up with these long waits. Now let's get back to work and try to get you this update, right!
Love you all, ...Fire
- Dec 28, 2019
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Hello again everyone. It seems January has been a hectic month for me, but not really straining my dev time yet. Last week I was fighting an upper respiratory infection, my wife and I both. Got over that mess only to catch a common cold yesterday. It sucks, but I can sit at my desk and work... and work I will. But going to bed a lot earlier to make sure I get plenty of rest and drinking plenty of fluids. Taking some meds and taking it easy. Also, on Wednesday evening, my wife's mother passed away. She was in a nursing home. So that sucks. My wife is taking it fairly well as we were kind of expecting it. Anyway, moving on...
So, there were 16 scenes originally. I changed that to 17 scenes because I realized looking over my code that I hadn't divided some of them up correctly. Quick easy fix. I completed scene 4 on Wednesday and got right into scene 5. Scene 4 was an event with Celeste mainly, and the other girls spying. It's a cute scene I think you guys will enjoy. Scene 5 isn't quite as long as 4 was. It will be an event with Melody and also Celeste. These events are wrapping up what I had talked about in previous devlogs... sending 'guests' back to their worlds. Moving some secondary characters around is a part of this episode, but not the main focus. We're also getting back on the main arc of Serenity itself, the dark flame and all that stuff. You'll see. Hopefully, you'll also notice that Mike (MC) is going to be much more confident in what choices he makes and how he handles things. Mike from Serenity, and Mike from Last Human should have nearly identical personalities (as will be the case for future projects). Of course, there will be some differences, but both are supposed to be "you", both are in a leading position, and both are also 'gentlemen'.
Well, I'm always telling you guys my plans and ideas for Serenity, Last Human, and even future projects like Viral Affair. As you know, I got started doing this with Serenity (hence the cringy beginning). With Last Human, I hoped to get more serious in my writing. I've already made it known that Serenity chapter 2 will be the end of that project (for now). I have plans to go back and clean up the first Serenity, but other than that, I'm ready to see the end of the story and move on to Viral Affair (or another project). Last Human is just getting started and may have another "season" of episodes when this first one is completed - which should be about 9 episodes. I plan to use the same format for the next project. Anyway, I brought that up because I'm thinking Viral Affair will be the next project. I've been taking some time here and there to write for it and the more I do that, the more I am liking it for a VN. It will be a single 'game' / story. Of course, this could change as I have quite a few stories that could work great as visual novels. But VA does seem like a logical next move for me.
Finally, one of the things I spend a lot of time on when making my games is facial expressions. All this time I've been doing that manually with the controls available to me in studio. However, I have decided to try out some presets and have already added a pack of those from a modder. After trying these out, I am really happy with how they look! This will save me a little time when posing/rendering each image as well. Along with that, I am starting to use presets for poses. Yes, I'm the dumbass that has pretty much done that manually all this time or used built-in poses then modifying them. I'm hoping this change will help move the rendering process along a bit faster. But at some point, I want to start saving some of my own original poses because I put a lot of work into them.
That's all for this week guys and gals. Image is a preview from scene 2. Mike takes Cammie with him into Fereldan's world. It turns out she knows a lot more about this world than he thought and will play an important role in what is coming.
As always, love you all! ...Fire
- Dec 28, 2019
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Hello my friends and happy Friday! Not a lot to say this week. The update is coming along nicely though. I have completed scenes 1 through 5 (of 17) and am currently working on scene 6. I am still fighting a nasty cold that isn't allowing me any sleep (wake up coughing all night). I'm hoping I am on the downhill side of this mess though because I did manage to get 4 hours sleep last night.
As mentioned in last week's devlog, this episode will have Melody and Celeste going back to their 'worlds'. Scenes 4 and 5 deal with that. The rest of the scenes will be building up to a confrontation over the dark flame, which Mike (MC) needs to get to bring balance between the fade and shade. This is the main arc for Serenity Chapter 2 and leads to the end of the story. So, we're now on that path at last, but more so when we get to episode 4 (the next update after this one).
A few days ago I released a little render set to patrons. With Melody and Celeste leaving, I thought it would be a nice parting gift. The attached image this week is the SFW from that set, Melody. If you would like to see the rest of this image set, they are available to all paid tiers here:
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That's all for now. Thank you all for your support and follows!
...Fire
- Dec 28, 2019
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Hey again, just slipping in one of the nsfw images from the Melody set for you guys.
She doesn't look exactly like Melody of course (MrDots - Daz version) but I didn't want her to.
She doesn't look exactly like Melody of course (MrDots - Daz version) but I didn't want her to.
- Dec 28, 2019
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Well, if I do actually add pregnancy, there are no pills in Serenity. But anything I decide to add for endings will be completely choice-driven. You'll see an ending based on your choices.
- Dec 28, 2019
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Hello again everyone! I didn't have time yesterday to post as I normally try to on Fridays. In last week's devlog, I was working on scene 6. Today, I am finishing up scene 8 and going into scene 9 - so we're moving right along. However, with 17 scenes, this is obviously not going to be finished before the end of this month. And I really can't stress myself about how long it is taking because the doctor said I need to chill out on all the stress. Apparently, that's why I've been getting sick so easily. Anyway, let's not talk about that shit...
I'll have another round of special renders for patrons soon. Those will be released for all paid tiers, including the $2 tier. This will of course include an SFW from the set for free members as well. So, keep an eye out for that.
Finally, I am planning to reorganize my Patreon page. The "about" and main page are just a mess. Sticky posts need to be changed and updated. After viewing it as a member, I can see how people get confused and have issues finding the latest release download links. I'll be addressing that soon and making use of the "Collections" feature so that you can find all devlogs, release posts, and special renders easily. At first I wasn't sure about the collections but they are actually a nice feature. I've already been trying to make sure I add devlogs to their collection.
Well, that's all I have for now my friends. The image is from scene 7, just chatting with a few of the girls on Lena's beach, preparing to go on a wish mission. Have a great weekend, love you all!
...Fire