Evergreen Valley Demo

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DaFool
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#31 Post by DaFool »

F.I.A wrote:By "focus" I mean to concentrate wholy on it for the time being, without any side projects in work. While I have no priveledge to say this since I still do not have a "completed" project, doing side project will just hinder the progress of the initial one.
Uh, sorry to disagree, F.I.A., but as the character artist for the ex-nano 'side-project', I only recently started working in earnest, and Drake mentioned he's now working in earnest, and we'll get that done.

Then he can concentrate on EV.

It is an epic project, and you can't work on it on overdrive for a long time...slow and steady might be the only way to do it.

I fear for the actual art requirements for this project, but by golly I will lend my full support when the time comes, as Drake looks for the best and most affordable way to complete this.

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#32 Post by Enerccio »

DaFool wrote:as Drake looks for the best and most affordable way to complete this.
Yeah, by playing fate XD

But he sure is great writer. I liked story a lot, really a lot...
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#33 Post by DrakeNavarone »

F.I.A. and DaFool >> I think this is a situation where both of you are equally right. Perhaps I should have focused solely on Evergreen Valley. After all, I had that whole Songs of Araiah sidetrack, and look how that turned out... even if someone managed to benefit from it, Evergreen Valley sure didn't. If this was an approach I took in the beginning, I probably would have more done. But it isn't an approach I can take now. Rather, that is the approach I am taking with my side project. I haven't even touched the script for EV since I started my late nano game, and I won't touch it until that nanoreno game is finished. It's not something I'm going to budge on at all, despite all of Enerccio's pleas (though they are motivation boosters for when I do get back to it). And I am glad I took this approach for the side project. Sure, I've been slow, but I'm closer to finishing a story than my two projects before, and doing it for nanoreno despite being late has kept the scale small and actually completable. But as soon as it is done, I'm diving right back into EV, and I don't plan on any side projects during that time, so hopefully you'll see it sooner rather than later.

Enerccio >> Is playing Fate that much of a crime?
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#34 Post by F.I.A »

DrakeNavarone wrote:But it isn't an approach I can take now. Rather, that is the approach I am taking with my side project. I haven't even touched the script for EV since I started my late nano game, and I won't touch it until that nanoreno game is finished. It's not something I'm going to budge on at all, despite all of Enerccio's pleas (though they are motivation boosters for when I do get back to it). And I am glad I took this approach for the side project. Sure, I've been slow, but I'm closer to finishing a story than my two projects before, and doing it for nanoreno despite being late has kept the scale small and actually completable. But as soon as it is done, I'm diving right back into EV, and I don't plan on any side projects during that time, so hopefully you'll see it sooner rather than later.

Enerccio >> Is playing Fate that much of a crime?
If Songs of Araiah is progressing well, then by all means finish it first. It will definitely serve as a motivation boost when it is done.

Well, playing is never a crime, but slacking surely is.(I am guilty as charged.) :lol:

To DrakeNavarone
Winter Shard will be nearing completion soon(Minimum 2 weeks). By then, I hope you are free to give me a hand on it in BT department.
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#35 Post by DrakeNavarone »

F.I.A wrote:If Songs of Araiah is progressing well, then by all means finish it first.
Well, Songs of Araiah is quite dead in my eyes. DaFool has taken it over, but I won't be touching it myself at all. However, my current project, the nanoreno one, is going strong and near completion, so naturally it'll be the game I focus on.

And as for your game, I already volunteered for beta testing, so of course I can go over the final version too. I'm actually hoping to finish up the script at least for my own game by two weeks time, so the dates line up perfectly. Looking forward to seeing your game released as much as I am my own.
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#36 Post by DaFool »

I myself have put Songs of Araiah in the backburner shelf, awaiting inspiration to finish writing it.

But yeah, the one ongoing is the exnano one (I don't even know the title, only the setting and characters).

By the way, any word on Project Nattsu since you're beta-testing it? (I would post for a status update but it might seem rude). And it seems like The Boy Who Loved Crows is in Alpha.

So if all goes well within the next two weeks, we'll have four new releases:

Winter Shard
The Boy Who Loved Crows
Project Nattsu
Ex-Nano Project (not the real title obviously)

Hooray? :D

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#37 Post by mikey »

DaFool wrote:Hooray?
Yes.

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#38 Post by DrakeNavarone »

DaFool wrote:I don't even know the title
Actually, I'm in the same boat, ahahaha. I have yet to come up with a title for it, but that's the least of my concerns. For the time being, the project name is "storybook", but only because of the source of inspiration. It has nothing to do with the actual game itself, so that wouldn't be a suitable title for it at all.
DaFool wrote:By the way, any word on Project Nattsu since you're beta-testing it?
Am I allowed to talk about it?

I actually owe Hime the revised script from my second proof-reading pass. I should get on that, right now... Hime, if you're reading, you'll have it today, I promise!
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#39 Post by Enerccio »

Finally it is time to finish this, right DrakeN? xD
Don't forget about this http://www.petitiononline.com/enerccio/petition.html ! :lol: 8)
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#40 Post by DrakeNavarone »

I lost over 4000 words, and I've never felt better! (Sounds like one of those weight loss commercials...)

Anyway, for some news on the EV front, after quite a bit of arguing with myself (and Enerccio too...), I've decided to switch over to the kinetic structure for Evergreen Valley. It certainly does seem like a cheap way to get out of a lot of work (and, well, it is), but a lot of thought was put into it. It certainly wasn't an instant or easy decision. Hell, I was probably arguing about it before I even started Starlit Sky...

The decision basically boiled down to three major points: Necessity, Function, and Impatience. The big switch/scale-down really was necessary in order to get this project done. Despite all the pushes and encouragement, I'd still freeze up whenever I thought of how much more work would need to be done, and then I'd go and run to something else. I really can't see me finishing it if I continued going like I was. This story just would've died a slow and painful death that I'm desperately trying to avoid. Even though it isn't done, and even though SS is already out, EV will always be my first game to me, and I'd really like to see it finished. So the scale down was absolutely necessary. Plus, scaled down story equals less art requirements, so it does increase my hopes of being able to find an artist willing to do all the work.

Then there's function. This was actually probably the biggest contributer to the final decision. I mean, I probably could have just scaled down and kept the vn format, but in the end it really is a matter of function. Just what exactly was I accomplishing with these three other routes and ends? Not much at all, so there's no reason to really keep them. Why waste the reader's time with three more routes if they don't accomplish anything, and frankly, weren't all too satisfying either. Why not just merge the important elements into the true route and go kinetic? Well, that's what I've decided to do. It's not just for my own lazy self's sake, but for yours too, so don't look at me like I'm shirking out of my responsibilities!! Continuing... some cuts have already been made, and so far I've only lost about 4000 words (surprisingly less than I expected), and I found I can keep most of what I had since it looks "mergeable". So after the scale down and being able to keep most of my work, I'm suddenly quite a bit closer to the finish line. Impressive, considering all I've done these past few days involved the backspace and delete keys more than anything else.

And lastly, there's impatience. No, I'm not talking about Enerccio's constant badgering or the petition or anything like that. I'm talking about my own. I've already got a ton of different ideas that I really want to jump on. But I can't, because I'm not letting myself get sidetracked while EV sits on my computer unfinished. Now, I don't want to make it sound like EV is holding me back. It's not. It is something I want to see finished, something I do want to work on, too. But it is preventing me from moving forward. But again, that's the thing... I have to make it prevent me from moving forward, or I'm afraid I'll just leave it behind, which is something I don't want. So the only way to scale the wall before me is to make it shorter. I want to be able to look back and say "Yeah, I scaled that wall," instead of knocking it down only to say "Look at that pile of rubble I left behind."

So, to summarize: Man, it really is tough going back to old projects... uh, I mean: EV will now be kinetic. And even though lint tells me I'm going backwards, I'm actually closer to the finish line, so hopefully, I can get it done soon. Oh, and note to self: Next time, aim really really really big, so when the inevitable scale downs occur, at least what's left will still be big.
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#41 Post by Enerccio »

hehe you are kinetic man... your biggest dream is to make even next project (we know what it will be) kinetic too :twisted:
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#42 Post by DaFool »

Hmmm... that's why I like the string-of-pearls approach. It's still technically linear, but it gives a false sense of interactivity at least. But the best part is that hardly anything is wasted since the Player will have to exhaust each part before proceeding.

Anyway, I don't mind kinetic novels (in fact I love them). I don't know who you have lined up for EV (assuming Enerccio/yvanc are concentrating on Songs of Araiah right now). But just to let you know the working experience we had for SS was very pleasant for me (like with Magbou), so I'll be available to help out with any art requirements if you couldn't find anyone more talented.

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#43 Post by mikey »

DrakeNavarone wrote:I want to be able to look back and say "Yeah, I scaled that wall," instead of knocking it down only to say "Look at that pile of rubble I left behind."
It takes courage, determination and strength to scale down. Most people don't want to admit they've calculated wrong, or that their ideas aren't that grand (by that I mean that their ideas will work better in a smaller scale production). What's left is a persistent "we're not dead yet".

So if EV is going to be linear, then it's for the best. I remember a quote from The Last Samurai that I smiled about (but I like it) - a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed. So you did what you could for EV, and if this is its desitiny - then it probably really is. :P

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Re: Evergreen Valley Demo

#44 Post by DrakeNavarone »

I woke up with a funny thought this morning. "Today's the day to officially declare EV as dead," I thought. So, that's what I'm going to do. It was really inevitable, given the fact I haven't touched the script in months. Yes, months. It's been that long since any progress has been made. So, I think it's better for everyone if I make my intent regarding EV clearer by declaring it dead, instead of some kind of indefinite hiatus or whatever I could possibly say to dress up the fact that I simply wasn't working on it, ahaha. If I had to give a reason why I'm calling it quits on this project, I guess I'll have to pick the typical "big ambitions + loss of motivation = a lethal mixture". I just don't wanna work on this anymore. No, that's not it, because I do like the story and the characters. It's more like, I just can't bring myself to work on it anymore, not that I tried very hard to do so. Well, that's that, I guess. I apologize to the petitioners and the forum members looking forward to this story, and I'm sorry your patience, input, and cheering has gone to waste.
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Re: Evergreen Valley Demo

#45 Post by Enerccio »

It's a shame, specially when I learned that plot was nice... :(
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