[SciFi|Adventure|Christmas Release!] Adrift

[Taleweaver]

What's this, Watson? Do I smell... update?

That's right, there's news to tell! The script for ADRIFT has just reached the point of the first major event CG, and it's a pretty cool one! mangakaluna already received a rough description, and she says it will be difficult, but she'll give it a shot.

Two of the girls now have a full Act 1 and I'm into writing Minako's sequence at the moment. Next will be Sachiko's, then the additional early endings, and then I can get into the part where things get complicated I'm trying to interlink classic ren'ai, adventuring and intrigue at the same time, all in VN structure. Hopefully, I don't lose focus.

The next few days are my Easter holiday, and I'm dedicating a large part of it to working at ADRIFT. Wish me luck; I'll try to keep you all updated!

[Taleweaver]

Yay! Fast week!

Minako's path to Act 2 is now complete, so that's 70% of the difficult things finished! I'm really happy about having a bit of time for once, and I'm very confident that I will have completed the first part of the game by the end of next week... maybe even a day or two in advance.

And you know what that means? I will need some early alpha testers - people able and willing to try out everything I've written so far and to test every little possible action so that I can be sure there are no holes in the script! To give you a scope of what's ahead of you:

The game contains 1,549 screens of dialogue.
These screens contain a total of 16,559 words,
for an average of 10.7 words per screen.
The game contains 22 menus.

You'll be looking at around 20,000 words or more and a non-linear game system. I think two testers should be enough; so don't hesitate to apply quickly, and also tell me what qualifies you as an Alpha tester. I'm awaiting your applications!

[Taleweaver]

Okay, prospective alpha testers: Act one is now complete and ready for throrough testing! If you're interested, just drop me a line!

Oh - and it's just this >< short of 20,000 words. I was able to cut a few corners here and there.

Don't hesitate and apply now!

[PinkMawile]

Oddly enough... This really really reminds me of some of the old text-based adventure games of the late 80s and early 90s.

Well, in lieu of that comment...

I can't help but find myself in anticipation, this seems to bring sci-fi, suspense, mystery, possbily who-dun-it, and romance all into a tidy enigmatic package.

I'd happily apply for Alpha Testing~

[Taleweaver]

Okay, folks, application for testing is now closed! Thanks everybody; as soon as you've all reported in, I'll give you due credit!

[Taleweaver]

Update time!

With almost all of the alpha testing of chapter 1 done (and a few very embarrassing bugs located by the team), I have moved along to writing chapter 2. This chapter is separated into four parts reflecting the paths of the individual girls and, unlike the very non-linear chapter 1, almost classic VN. Each of the paths is completely unique, so ADRIFT is going to have a really high replay factor. While the chapter 2 paths don't cross, decisions made in chapter 1 will still heavily influence the events of chapter 2, so it will be possible to make the exact same choices in chapter 2 and still get to a different outcome depending on what happened earlier.

Currently, I am writing Hinami's path, and I must admit I really like her as a character. Her path will definitely be the funniest of the four, mostly because of her somewhat strange behavior and ditzy attitude, but it will also contain a very dramatic revelation. Also, her path will include a fierce confrontation, one which may force the player to make a difficult decision.

I already know that after this path, writing the other three just as well will be really challenging. I really shouldn't have started with this, but as only Hinami's artwork has been completed yet, I pretty much had to. Putting in additional graphical features after the script is already complete is a real drag.

Stay tuned for more news from the writing of ADRIFT!

[Taleweaver]

News!

Alpha testing for chapter 1 is now complete, and I give my heartfelt thanks to my Alpha Team. As appropriate, in alpha-betical order:

DaFool
PinkMawile
RemnantDream

Also, special credit goes to DaFool for helping me with a special part of programming I pretty much suck at but which will definitely rock in the final version.

Hinami's path through chapter 2 (of 3) is now complete to about 60%, so I consider this a week of really good progress! Things are going get slower next week again, but I'm confident I can keep the timeline I set myself! So stay tuned, and don't hesitate to drop your comments here if you'd like to say anything!

[PinkMawile]

Anything.


I said it . Anyways, I have to say you are quite the prolific and proficient writer. I'll be on stand by to test as soon as you need me, so don't hesitate to call.

[Taleweaver]

Whoa, it can't be the weekend already, can it? Time for a little update!

DaFool has been working his ass off to create a nifty look for the little tidbits of Adrift graphics that aren't exactly character art or BG. Stuff like this here:

Boo!

Seeing through the eyes of a robot who only sees sound sources... guess who this is

Also, the script is getting along nicely. Still working pretty much in the same segment where I was last time, but I'm close to completion and will probably finish that part tomorrow. (My mother decided to go on vacation for Mother's Day, so no, I won't be a bad son for not being with her tomorrow.)

So stay tuned for more news tomorrow!

[Taleweaver]

Sweet, sweet progress! Hinami's Act 2 is now complete!

The game contains 2,743 screens of dialogue.
These screens contain a total of 29,802 words,
for an average of 10.9 words per screen.
The game contains 29 menus.

Okay, if I estimate each girl's path through Act 2 at around 10,000 words, like Hinami's, then that's 30,000 more words until Act 2 is entirely complete. Act 3 should be a little shorter altogether, just this side of 30,000 more words altogether, so the entire game will be around 90,000 words! Not shabby, eh?

As mangakaluna is currently working at Sachiko's art, I'm going to create Sachiko's Act 2 path next! Stay tuned for more updates... and a maybe a look at Sachiko's full-color appearance!

[Riviera]

That sonic image is really neat.. almost a little creepy, really.

So far it looks nice!

[Taleweaver]

I think I promised you something, right? Well, here she is:

Sachiko off-color

As usual, I won't reveal her final color scheme (this isn't it ^_^), but you can still see her here in all her conspicuous glory. I'm currently writing her Act 2, and it's so much fun thinking up dialogue for a not-exactly-trustworthy character...

[Taleweaver]

Whoa! Eight days without an update? Can't have that, can we?

So now I give you

Not Minako

Minako looks a lot like Ayanami Rei in this color scheme, which is why this is the one you're never going to see in the game. Her "true colors" are closer to her personality, which I already wrote a few things about...

In other news, I'm a little deeper into Sachiko's Act 2 now and have completed the first sequence of choices for her. She's a really devious person, and I have a great time writing snappy dialogue between her and the protagonist. I only hope her special aura comes through in the end; that's essentially the best thing about her.

Next update on Friday, promise, with a look at the GUI of Act 1. And if you were among my Alpha testers, you're in for a big surprise at the changes...

[Taleweaver]

Ack. Didn't hold my promise and it is already Saturday. Well, I had to meet an old friend I hadn't seen for a few decades. Yes, decades. Sue me. Or rather, don't and instead rejoyce with me:

The game contains 3,098 screens of dialogue.
These screens contain a total of 34,425 words,
for an average of 11.1 words per screen.
The game contains 31 menus.

Yup, Sachiko's Act 2 is almost half-complete. And here's the look at the GUI (preliminary) I promised you:

This is a very early version of what the Act 1 GUI might look like. Well - will probably look like. If this reminds you of something: I asked for it. I just love classic sci-fi.

More updates soon! I also appreciate all sorts of comments and encouragement. I can see from the number of views that somebody IS reading this thread, so I'd really appreciate it if some of the lurkers wrote me a few lines. This is hard work, boys and girls!

[Taleweaver]

Yay! Update Friday!

I am happy to report that Sachiko's Act 2 is now complete and I've started with Minako's. While on the first lines, I had a really neat idea for the third Act which I hope I'll be able to include somehow... though that will take the entire message of the game into a different direction than I intended it to go. I am not sure it's a good idea, but I guess once I'm through with Act 2, I can go on.

In other news, I recently played Heavy Rain, and I'm pretty convinced that's where the future of VNs is. Interactive movies with strong writing that focus more on offering the player a unique experience than to provide him with a kick-ass new way of killing aliens or play tag with his friends. While only a few people play and like classic VNs, it's surprising how many traditional VN elements start to appear in other game forms.

Depending on how quick my two artists work, next update may or may not have a new snippet of art inside. If not, I'll show you my impressive decision tree. And that's not a sexual metaphor