It has come to that again. During the past few months, I have been concerned with seeing the main plot through to the end and had to remind myself to stop making masochistic plot branches.
There was an unfinished sub-plot in Chapter 2, reachable only if PC goes around with random sailors, where PC would be kidnapped and put on a ship - unless she fights back. With the main plot being as it is, I absolutely couldn't allow the girl to use sea travel to reach any meaningful place where she could stay (or I'd have to make a completely new part of the game to cover that). That means the ship had to crash right after leaving Ravage, so the girl would have to return on foot. This walking in circles didn't seem like a good plot, though the nasty-content lovers would have appreciated the ship's crew. Also, same as many other unfinished things, this one was/is giving me a headache. Maybe it will be used later, maybe it will go to garbage. Not everything I ever write fits in nicely in the end.
Right now, my main concern is to finally finish the second chapter so that it can be played from the beginning to the character export part. I can't wait to finally make it there, but the amount of work required is still scary.
I know everyone wishes for whole new worlds of content... but sometimes I think there's no need, if the new content is something we have already seen before.
I'm kind of against the idea of releasing a skeleton game first and then updating with major changes, but who knows...
Publishing this gives me more resolve to say farewell to the ship. :( Yes, the modules are going to be short, but it takes me a lot of time to finish them even so.
There was an unfinished sub-plot in Chapter 2, reachable only if PC goes around with random sailors, where PC would be kidnapped and put on a ship - unless she fights back. With the main plot being as it is, I absolutely couldn't allow the girl to use sea travel to reach any meaningful place where she could stay (or I'd have to make a completely new part of the game to cover that). That means the ship had to crash right after leaving Ravage, so the girl would have to return on foot. This walking in circles didn't seem like a good plot, though the nasty-content lovers would have appreciated the ship's crew. Also, same as many other unfinished things, this one was/is giving me a headache. Maybe it will be used later, maybe it will go to garbage. Not everything I ever write fits in nicely in the end.
Right now, my main concern is to finally finish the second chapter so that it can be played from the beginning to the character export part. I can't wait to finally make it there, but the amount of work required is still scary.
I know everyone wishes for whole new worlds of content... but sometimes I think there's no need, if the new content is something we have already seen before.
I'm kind of against the idea of releasing a skeleton game first and then updating with major changes, but who knows...
Publishing this gives me more resolve to say farewell to the ship. :( Yes, the modules are going to be short, but it takes me a lot of time to finish them even so.
There will be time and place to add things when you have the finished thing in front of you, good luck on your work and I wish you patience, cheers! :)
ReplyDeleteim all ok with this, i like the sailors, not the sailing
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, judging by how you've been going back to add more/creatively tweak/flesh out even Chapter 1 so far (and what with how you've mentioned wanting to go back and do the same for the Prelude), you might end up finishing and then going back, when you've got the time and inclination (and when you've been able to play through and enjoy it yourself!) and modifying things, anyway -- and that, hopefully, will be purely because you -want- to rather than because you feel -obliged- to. But "skeleton" is hardly the descriptor to use for your module! It's got flesh, bones, and plenty of meat, lady. And it's delicious meats, too.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for having the clarity of vision to cut an idea that wasn't working. It sounds like an intriguing concept, a sort of consequence for sleeping around with a bunch of random, potentially unscrupulous dudes, but just because something could be interesting doesn't mean it is practical to include it.
ReplyDeleteYour prelude and chapter one aren't what I'd call skeleton modules. But they do have a narrow focus. I got the impression that chapter two will have a city or a large part of it to explore and populating that to your liking must be difficult. Until I play I can't say whether you have a legitimate concern or if you are holding yourself to unfairly high standards.
Chapter 3 also has a city. Making real cities for their own sake is not a goal of mine. It should still be less linear now. At least the player can make some different choices and walk around.
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ReplyDeleteI think you have created a very detailed world to explore. And some very interesting and provocative characters to interact with. So I am sure whatever you decide, it will be fun to see what transpires. Am sorry the ship has sailed with the sailors, so to speak. Wouldn't mind seeing the sailors appear at some other point though. Maybe they just kidnap the PC and keep her stashed at a port somewhere(?)
Oh yeah, and feel free though to include more horny farmers/bandits to try and take advantage of my character during random times. :P
I will think about using the ship conversation, which is half written. I like it so far. Parts of it reference their journey (fun parts, too), so I'm not sure whether and when to use that, but I think the vulgar sailors and their comments are funny. xD I'll see about that later.
DeleteYou think your modules are short?! Are you mad?!
ReplyDeleteThey aren't short, they are amazing!
Anyways, just another fan eagerly awaiting your incredible work. Oh and just so you know, I'm a huge fan of Brash. Omfg guh waaaaaaaaant.
Not sure what to think of Raze right now... he sort of annoys me, but I do recognize that I need his help. Badly.
As for Arana, meh. I would never leave someone to die, and maybe my character will start to like her someday. For now its, "I need her help if I want to survive."
And anyways, I am a total obsessive completionist. I won't be killing a character unless I truly loathe them, and there isn't a companion yet I would willingly kill. I'm looking forward to the interactions between various characters. Maybe Arana and Raze can hook up, and leave me and Brash to our screwed up relationship? ;-)
My 2 cent worth, I love your modules they are amazing and I don't think they are that short either.
ReplyDeleteI am also one of the people that like Brash, but Raze also intrigues me a lot so I need to wait and see who will steal my DH's heart in the end, I already have 5 characters waiting for chapter 2 and sounds like I will have to replay them, not that I mind :)
Arana is a meh for me, for my evil DH she so dies, but my good and neutral DM she lives, but she better not make a move for Raze first lol
Keep up the amazing work :)
I'm making a generator for picking previous character choices, for those who lose their character or just want to play the next module in different ways without replaying the previous one. But the character variables are too messy even for me, so this feature should only be used in desperate situations. :D
ReplyDeleteI've been following your blog for a while, and this time I'd like to comment...
ReplyDeleteThe idea of getting kidnapped by the sailors and taken to another place is refreshing and intriguing. Maybe it will feel like the Summer Island chapter in ADWR. Away for a while could give the players a little break from the main plot, although I could understand the reason you want to remove it since it will take longer time to finish... but maybe you could add it some time later once all your modules are completed. Just like Valine did with ADWR, she improved her modules from time to time...
It's official, the ship is out, but the crew's main conversation has been turned into something else and it's going to be in the module. Because some of you asked for that kind of stuff.
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