Been a while since I gave an update, but fear not progress moves onward. I'm just not the type to keep spamming little things haha.
So I present some interesting wip things that will appear in later phases. (phase 1's updated version will have some of them as well)
The first two are things to help the reader follow the story with more ease.
Character Chart:
This is a chart list of all the characters from each phase. When a character is introduced they will then appear in the chart, along with the little information. As you learn more about the character it updates. Allowing you to keep track of reveals and changes in the characters. Also if they go missing or die, it will appear on this screen as well.
This is so the reader can easily remember who is who, and if they are alive/dead/mia.
The second is
Incidents:
This is a list of events that occurred in the story. Anything that was big and caused changes to the direction of the characters will be included in this list, also anything that confused the pov character will be added. And just like with the character chart, it will update when new information is learned about an incident. If the text is blue (might add another change to help players noticed it) new information about that incident has been added and not been viewed yet. Text = red, the one you are currently viewing. Text = white, ones you can view. And finally text = green, means 'complete.' No new updates will occur with that incident.
Note, and this is important. The incident list is impossible to make all green. So don't even try. Since some questions and events might occur, and due to the path you end up taking through the story, they might not get full explanations, so they can update to their final stage. And some paths you won't even encounter some incidents.
Both of these screens are tied to your journey, so just like with your choices, unless you delete your journey data (only available after reaching an ending) And isn't recommended to take unless you have reached such a point and want to 'restart' as it is a restart. These screens are made to help the reader remember characters and story events, as well as maybe offering some new insight as you read the summaries. You might realize something, that you missed during the actual scene.
The final little announcement is something I'm really excited about, and after this am not going to talk about at all, since nothing to say on the matter and despite it is very far off. I still want to talk about it.
It is 'trust'
Each character has a hidden 'trust level' with the pov character. During points in the story, there will be times when the story will look over the trust levels of all the cast/or a few of the cast, and depending on the number you might change up the current scene, might get different scenes, and so on. Trust levels might even effect sometimes if a character lives or dies.
And the last thing I'll say about 'trust' is that in the final phase, the character with the highest trust level, that is alive at the end of the story. You'll unlock an extra scene with them and the pov character. Sort of like a little achievement for being closest to them and keeping them alive. I've been playing around with this idea for a long time, and maybe there might even be other extra unlock able scenes depending on if certain conditions were fulfilled along the journey.
Obviously I'm not going to show a screen of this menu ever, since it is super spoiler-filled.
Last bit is showing off a bg for Phase 2.
The script is about to head off to betas this weekend, sprites are all finished and bgs are being worked on. Music was finished a long time ago
Can't give an ETA just yet. But hopefully we can release phase 2 before the day phase 1 released, haha.