If you haven't read the last DEVLOG, I recommend checking it out, as it'll probably give more context to this update.
It's been a month, and a lot of things have changed in personal circumstance. To keep it brief and to avoid being too depressing, I'll refrain from excessive detail. But, the most important note is this.
The Dreamer, as it was originally visioned, planned, and intended, will not come to fruition. There are two different paths from here: One is a concise, more surreal narrative rewrite that will require a significant amount of outside help (still a continuation of the PRELUDE). Two, is releasing a slightly polished version of the PRELUDE with a changed ending.
I, as the lead, will never be able to work like I did in the past. I will clarify again that I'm not dying or in active danger, but I am chronically ill and my physical state, even after I receive continuous treatment for a period to improve my quality of life and take much time recovering, will not be at a place where I can work like I did before. I won't be cured. Significant tasks I did all at the same time like managing and organizing a large team, programming the majority of the project, creating art in another style in a focused state, writing and formatting, keeping up promotion–it won't be possible for me in the future, regardless of how I stubbornly hoped otherwise. Waiting any longer to decide won't change anything.
I won't hand off the project to a different lead. No one else would be able to do it, due to how much I didn't even tell the team, and how much effort it would take to convey and guide the story accurately. It's my mod, and so it ends with me.
My hope is that the concise, simplified rewrite with a dramatically changed and shortened story (containing the same themes) will be possible, so I can give you all some closure. It would require other people to take on the task of programming, mapping–really, I still don't know what I'll be capable of in the future, or how long it'll take for me to get to a state where I can do anything but rest. Until then, I don't know the which path The Dreamer will take.
If even that is too much, the slightly polished PRELUDE including a new ending that's no longer a cliff-hanger/open-ending will hopefully be enough. I'll just have to see what the future holds. Until then, I wanted to let you all know that the mod I wanted and intended to make is dead, and I've made peace with that.
I guess we'll wait and see what the future holds! Even if it does end up finishing with the PRELUDE, it was still pretty cool, yeah? :D The next time I'll update will be if production of the final part starts, or the PRELUDE final release is decided.
Take care of yourselves, and thank you for supporting OMORI The Dreamer.
