Hi everyone!!

And we’re back <3 How have you all been? This update kinda crept up on me. It feels like the last devlog happened so long ago, and yet I don’t even know what I’ve been doing since then? Time has been moving strangely... probably because i’ve been swamped with external responsibilities (Ph.D. school is currently kicking my ass, handing it to me on a platter, and then kicking my ass again). Let’s get into the updates, and see where the game is at right now. Maybe talking about it will help me see how I’ve actually been spending my time recently (lol)?

Recent Wins

1. We reached 600 followers on Twitter!! Crazy. I know numbers aren’t everything, so I try not to focus on it much (though I can understand how it sometimes may not seem that way), but I still think it’s crazy that many people are interested in Alaris <3

2. Someone donated $35 to Alaris??? Like in one go? The fact anyone would spend that much money on the game is absolutely wild to me, especially a version that is just a small sample. Obviously, any amount donated to the game means a lot to me, since none of you really ever have to do that! But I also don’t want to dismiss the amount, considering $35 is a lot :’)

3. Because of the amount raised, we’re able to fund 8 lines to be voiced for Alaris! That means from the original 30 lines, we were able to bump it up to 48, so thank you to anyone who has supported recently or in the past as it was all thanks to you we were able to do this <3 

Demo Updates

Last time we spoke, I think I mentioned I would be moving into coding and the personality system. Well, I did that. Based on what we have right now, there are 48 choices corresponding to personality and 20 personality result scenarios in the game! This is obviously a rough draft and things may change by the end (this is most likely the baseline though, I think I would only add in choices/ results at this point). 

Regarding choices, I also have been toying with the idea of timed choices to simulate more immersion in the game (e.g., your immediate reaction to something). These wouldn’t correspond to personality; as I’ve mentioned, I want the personality feature to be very stress-free. But I think they would be fun! I’ve also been toying with the idea of having additional customization elements (e.g., do you use your dragon energy more for healing, combat, no dragon energy, etc.), but I don’t want to overwhelm people with choices, so that’s something on the backburner that I’m revisiting once I have a more final version of the game! 

Regarding art assets, I’ve also finished the BGs! Sneak peek of one I find particularly exciting below (spoiler warning??):

With that, this means the BGs, CGs, and sprites are for the most part done. I may go back in to retouch some, and there are some leftover small and/or optional pieces I may work on, but most of the art assets are actually done!

Regarding art assets, I’ve also been working on making the game’s fantasy and magic feel more immersive, so I’ve been working on small effects that make the dragon energy magic feel more prominent in the game! Just simple overlays and stuff, but I think it helps bring the game together and create a more polished product :D

One last piece of update before I go, I mentioned some additional game mechanics I’ve been playing around with for the game last devlog. Today, I am here to tell you, I actually coded something that works! I don’t have a complete sneak peek of it right now. Truly, I haven’t had time to build up marketing materials even though I’ve got some exciting developments that have happened. But hopefully, this little illustration helps! 

So basically, how this is going to work is I created a puzzle mini-game! What players will do, is that images like this will pop up during key moments in the game (i.e., when the MC is casting their dragon energy). To use your dragon energy, you have to solve the puzzle. Imagine those green circles in the middle with the white lines don’t actually match up to the image. You will have to rotate them so that they match up and connect the lines. This one is simple, and I’m not afraid to show the final solution because it will be used for the tutorial, but I hope to make more complex puzzles as the game continues, where you rotate a lot of different elements to connect the necessary pieces and solve the puzzle! 

I’m quite excited for it, and if my explanation doesn’t make sense, I hope to post an actual video of it in action sometime- definitely before demo release. But I hope it adds to the lore of Alaris! I plan to make it optional so players that just want the story can opt out, but hopefully it adds a little something to those who want and enjoy it! 

In terms of next steps... we do have our casting call closed. So by the time the next devlog is released, you all will know the voices behind our characters \o/ I’ve had to balance some pretty hefty real-world responsibilities, the casting call selection process, and game development these past two weeks, so now that I look at the update, I’m pretty proud of what’s been done! My biggest priority coming up is writing and coding. I’ve begun coding what I have into the game just to get something in there, but I do need to go back and review the entire script to align it with how I envision the final product. 

The storytelling piece is really important to me, so I want to make sure I’m actually going in and devoting the time and energy to create a story that’s enjoyable for players. I haven’t done a good job of doing that in the past, usually because by the time I get to this stage, I’m so tired and antsy for release. But right now, because it’s the final version, I want to take my time with it and give it the love and care it deserves <3

Developer Ramblings

I don’t have much ramblings today- partly because I’m so mentally exhausted from everything I’ve had going on that my head basically feels empty (lol). I do think I’ve been feeling a bit lost with Alaris-- not in a creative way or anything like that. More like, because we are in the final demo development stage, there are so many things to do. 

I want to clean up the script and even rework some scenes, I want to implement specific game mechanics (some of which I haven’t even mentioned yet), I want to make sure I’m completely satisfied with the artwork, I want to create a trailer for the game, I want to create a logo for the game. There’s truly so much, because I think this is when things “get serious,” in a way. I’ve always had the safety net of “Oh, I’ll get to this when I make the final demo version,” and now the final demo version is here, and I’m like “Holy shit.” Overall, I’m trying to take it slow, but it definitely feels like a bigger, more official project, which is intimidating and exciting. 

I think the process is just different now compared to past releases. Past releases were much more small-scale, where I just focused on one little chapter and maybe introducing a mechanic. Now, it’s like the whole demo story, all the game mechanics that I want featured, accessibility and ease of use for players, etc. So I think I lose track of where I’m at and what needs to be done, even though I have a Notion and Trello board keeping track of everything. I’m hoping once I code everything into the game, it’ll feel a bit more concrete, but until then! 

I said I didn't have much ramblings and ended up talking a lot anyways- oops. Until next time! I will also have some extremely exciting announcements next devlog and recommend you follow on Twitter if you aren't already :') Hope you're looking forward to it!