The Silent Column (Closed)

[SelLi]

Hi everyone, this thread is now closed. I need to step back from this project and do something else. I get confused and overwhelmed when it comes to this project because it's been in my head getting built up for about 11 years, since I was about 16 years old. And because it was something that I initially thought up when I was that age, it's very personal to me as well. I don't know what will come of this project: it's clearly inside me but it's very big and it's a very personal and an emotion-centered project. Maybe I should write this as a novel or series of stories, posting chapters on Wattpad as I write them. My reasoning there being that the project is very large so it would take a lot of time and effort to make art and music for everything. And also, because the work is very personal, a free-form writing format might be just what the doctor ordered. Especially one that doesn't require a lot of artwork and music to be completed before I can call anything done. I still like visual novels, though. Maybe I'll give visual novel making a more fresh shake with an idea that isn't so large or personal. We'll see. Thank you all for your patience with me over the years regarding this project. Take care.

[drinkerofmilk]

Very cool and trippy artwork.

'The fall' seems like an interesting and mysterious concept. Are you going to introduce players to the details of the fall early on in the game? Or is it more like something they will slowly find out about as they progress? I think it has a lot of potential.

[SelLi]

Very cool and trippy artwork.

'The fall' seems like an interesting and mysterious concept. Are you going to introduce players to the details of the fall early on in the game? Or is it more like something they will slowly find out about as they progress? I think it has a lot of potential.

Thank you and I'm glad you like the artwork.
I was thinking of having players find out details about the fall as they play. Perhaps some characters will have flashback chapters to what happened during the fall, or there will be bonus chapters where the reader can discover what happened to certain characters who were mentioned, but who don't appear because of dying during the fall. All that said, though, there are also other large mysteries, and some of them may dwarf the near-apocalyptic event.

[drinkerofmilk]

I was thinking of having players find out details about the fall as they play.

That feels like the right way to go. It would make the first line of your synopsis a major spoiler though.

[SelLi]

I was thinking of having players find out details about the fall as they play.

That feels like the right way to go. It would make the first line of your synopsis a major spoiler though.

Hmm, I see your point. Understanding that people went insane and killed themselves and others is established fairly early on, though, and the other details about the fall listed in the synopsis aren't really spoilers. What isn't mentioned is the "why".

[SelLi]

Hello everyone, here's the update for these 2 weeks.

I'm currently at around 5206 words according to my word count (But then again, according to that word count "..." seems to be considered a word for some reason................) and I've been working on several non-spoiler pictures that are at various stages of completion.

A shot of a city:
https://i.postimg.cc/MG47MfRK/city.png

A sprite of Sal:
https://i.postimg.cc/Rh1KDPYN/Sal-Neutral.png

A CG of Serra holding a box:
https://i.postimg.cc/h4VLvjGc/Serra-Holding-Box.png

As for what I was writing about, I wrote two small scenes between Tashen and Lisa, a small scene between Tashen and Kina, a small scene between Tashen and Nithi, a small scene to introduce Tashen, and a small scene before the fall introducing Patricia, Maielle, and Lisa as they talk about a monster that one of them saw first-hand. I also wrote a small scene between Tashen and Sal.

In the same vein of working on this project, I've downloaded a few visual novels that - to my knowledge - are of professional quality, and have been playing them to help me get better at writing and for inspiration.

I'm excited to continue creating this story that I've loved and wanted to tell for many years. I'll see you in the next update, two weeks from today. ^^ See you, then.

[SelLi]

I couldn't wait to let you guys know about my progress on Serra's sprites. I have two expressions for this one pose (happy and happy, looking away from the player), and I think she's looking great.

This is how she used to look:

[Aniknk]

Serra looks kinda odd, but surely it's very artistic style. Kinda like it.

[SelLi]

Serra looks kinda odd, but surely it's very artistic style. Kinda like it.

I know how you feel: When I glance at her I feel like she looks odd but whenever I look at her more, I think she looks good. Kind of strange, but I'm glad you kinda like it. I kinda like it, too.

[SelLi]

I lost a few pieces of writing because of poor file management, but it was a blessing because I rewrote the scene between Maielle, Patricia, and Lisa in art class (while the characters are in art class, not while I myself was in art class) and I think this version is better.
I've also written the scene where Tashen meets Amy for the first time, and worked on the story structure a bit. I like how things are going.
I'm working a little bit on a CG, but it's a spoiler so I shouldn't share it, even when it is done.
But I've been making some art pieces unrelated to TSC where I've been experimenting with Fire Alpaca's watercolor brush, and I'm liking using it quite a lot~! It's very intuitive - I just open a canvas and start painting on one layer, for the most part. It's the technique I'm using for the spoiler CG I'm working on, and I can see using it for a lot of the artwork. Between discovering this new way of making art and feeling that Serra's sprite is somehow a little bit weird as it is... I may redo it at some point. See you in the next update.

[SelLi]

Hi there, just posting an update for these last two weeks. I haven't been working much on The Silent Column these two weeks to be honest with you, but I did write a scene where Josephine is talking to Tashen after Tashen first meets Amy, and I've been working on artwork for another project which, while it is separate, is helping me improve my art skills. I'll see you in the next update.

[SelLi]

[SelLi]

Hi everyone. Haven't been working on The Silent Column, lately. I've been busy looking for work and working on my traditional card game. The Silent Column really is very big project that I'm very personally attached to... and so, I've been thinking about working on another visual novel that doesn't have such a tight hold on me, and that isn't as big. To get used to making artwork more, writing without second guessing myself a billion times, getting familiar with releasing things properly, and to try to healthily separate myself from The Silent Column and stop thinking of it as "my baby" so much. So, I don't think I'll be working on The Silent Column in the immediate future. Whenever I start working on this, again, I'll dig up this thread.

[SelLi]

Hi you guys. While I think that my last post made a lot of sense, I honestly just want to keep working on The Silent Column and not start another VN project right now. I've been doing a little more work on it, but I don't think I'll be updating this thread on any sort of schedule or anything like that.

This is Lisa. She's a high schooler who was friends with Maielle and Patricia before the fall.

[SelLi]

I made a new sprite of Serra and have been writing, a little bit. This sprite doesn't seem to mesh too well with her other sprite - in fact, her other sprite also doesn't seem to mesh well with the sprite of Lisa - but I like them all. I may just use all of them... my art varies anyway, so I don't know if I'd be able to make an entire visual novel with a completely consistent-looking set of pictures. Then again, I might scrap the previous sprite. It is a little bit sketchy, even just compared to the other pictures. I don't quite know what I'll do, yet, but regardless, I like this picture and thought I'd post it here.

Edit: I do really like this picture, though, so if I can make an entire visual novel in this style... I think I'd really like that. ^_^