Retrospective 2022 (4)
Last post, I promise!
After looking back in the past, time to look forward!
Going back to the super cool infographic I made, there's still a lot. BUT, I will try to follow a resolution this year:
Get things off my desk and shelf it for good.
I honestly have too many working projects on my hands, too many "completed" projects I should finish (or give a nice send off like I did for Meeting the Parents). So this will be my goal for this year: finish and shelf as many projects as I can.
To this, I was tempted to add and not starting any new ones. But knowing myself, that's not something that I can realistically promise. With a couple of jams and comps I had planned on participating/hoped to take part since last year, I have a feeling there will be a few additions to the game pile by the end of the year. Will this be a terrible idea? 100%. Will that stop me from trying to squeeze a few jams/comps? Nope. Not at all. I have no self control...
With that announced, the more detailed expectations/schedule with no date below the cut.
OH! and continue to do word crimes :P
The "list" should be the planned arrangement (first to last) for the year. Unless I get bored and change my mind. Because, let's be honest, that's what my brain does best...
I won't give any timeline, because I can't keep it and I can't seem to be able to predict how much time all this work will take me. Maybe I'll be quick, maybe I won't. But I'll announce the release/updates about a week or two in advance.
P-Rix - Space Trucker
What I had been working on during the End-of-Year Holidays was editing the missing content and code it. This will include opening the world to the player and introducing new mechanics (technically already coded but missing the flavour text).
Since the UI is currently static, playing it on mobile is not advised. It will be a headache, but that needs to be done. Also needed: more QoL settings (animation toggle, timer/typewriter amount etc...).
On this blog, expect an actual shareable Intro Post with all relevant links/features sometimes... *shrugs*
La Petite Mort
Because of the 4h time constraint of the EctoComp, I wasn't able to include all rooms I wanted to include. You were supposed to explore the whole house/garden and not the current available rooms/space, and interact more with other NPCs. A proper/more-than-one-line ending was drafted too. The journal would get crossed off then a task was completed, and you'd get some codex/diary when finding some stuff about the Grandma.
So that's the plan on the addition (with some quick UI edits for the Dialog boxes). And the English translation to go along (because you should all be able to experience this fun puzzle/quest bit.
Oh! and an actual Intro Post as well.
Goncharov Escapes!
Made quickly and not edited before posting, Gonchy needs a bit of TLC. I also want it to fit the whole vibe I'm going for with all my projects (the logo/manonamora presents/etc...).
And a French translation (because I can/want to share my games in different languages). Since there are like 4k words total, it might not take me too long. When I get to it.
Exquisite Cadaver
Planned already for the last semester, but didn't get to it (yay writer's block!). Well not completely. I did open my file during the autumn, but didn't write more than a handful of words. The main issue with this project is that all rounds have an ending (distinct from the other endings) which have not yet been written or drafted (unlike the actual rounds). So I am left with 15-20 workable/potentially playable rounds but no endings. And, stubborn as I am, I don't want to upload a round without its linked ending.
So writing, editing, coding, writing, editing, coding, etc...
Maybe a complete release this year? Big Question Mark on it.
ALSO: that is when the whole game is done, I would want to try and port it into French. There are some HUGE challenges (gendered languages/adjectives going before OR after the noun/etc...), but it's something I'd want to take a crack at. BUT, that's like super future. Next year or year after that timeline-wise.
The Trials and Tribulations of Edward Harcourt
Chapter 3 coming when the edits are done. The ball is in MelS's court, but we are in the final round of editing (after more back and forth than the other chapters, we kept bickering about some sentences).
Any further update is dependent on MelS and the free time he has. Chapter 3 may be the only update this year, or maybe we'll have a couple more after it. We will seeeee...
The Thick Table Tavern
Now we are really going into the maybe territory. This would be dependent on the time/energy because there are a lot of things in there that either need fixing, re-coding, adding. Because this was always a large project, it won't be something easy to get off my desk (unlike the ones above).
BUT, if the stars align and ladida...
Addition to the story would come only in form of storylets (like the ones currently in the game) and other events (like the Brom shenanigan). Ideally, I would want to add the recurrent NPCs, but the 14-day story would need some/a lot of re-organising.
Opening the possibility of playing the full 14 days or creating a way to spend the coins earned.
Achievements!
Fixing/Balancing the mixing elements
More stuff that is written on a paper at home somewhere in a drawer...
I know some of you would want this to be ported for mobile, but I don't think it would be realistic considering the Bar Gameplay/UI. I might take a crack at it, but don't hold your breath for that one.
Crimson Rose & White Lily
The I really want to update this but words are not coming out project. The I definitely went over my head with this one project. But also the I promise this is not abandoned project. After updating the story 3 times last year (with the last one getting a long edit/re-write), I've had a hard time continuing/going back to the story itself.
If I can't get Scene 5 out this year (which is probable, it looks to be chunky), I would like to try to get one small variation out at least (the Scene 2 secret forking or the Harbour afternoon). Even that, I can't promise it happening. All dependent on the above projects.
Honestly, my only hope is being able to start writing more than 10 words on the document at this point... Maybe even if it is just a prompt.
SugarCube Template
Obviously this is coming back! Creating weird templates is really fun. And I want to create more shapes (like maybe a circle/oval?) with the page.
There's that promised Space/Sci-Fi one that are still not here (my SeedComp! entry will probably become that, but in a more simple form, and mobile accessible).
Since I've been working on adding more accessibility in my projects (hopefully it actually works for people), I've been wondering if having a basic Settings/Accessibility Macro Template could be useful to people. Like a Copy-Paste for the JavaScrip/CSS for Font Change, Toggle for Animation/Notification, Theme Change, KeyBinding. I might even try to get through the Audio macros once and for all and create a volume slider/mute button. If there are other options I should take into consideration, let me know!
SPS Iron Hammer
That's a super long reach. I would actually be amazed if I make some progress on this project honestly. Especially if I finish the ones above. The only reason I would start the re-writes of SPS IH without having completed the projects above would be because I threw the whole schedule out the window. I am trying not to do that.
Long story short on what is planned:
Puzzles!
More day-to-day job stuff (with more interactivity for each)
A nicer Codex page and functioning stats bars.
Mysteries :o
A brawl.
And more :P
Other
Didn't I just say I'd try not to be involved in Jams/Comps this year? Welp I lied.
There's the @seedcomp-if that I am involved with. Round 2 which is starting soon and last until March 1st. Since I released a seed for the first round, I do want to make a small 5-10min entry for the second one (think Gonchy size/style).
Having done that, I am kind of interested in organising smaller Jams (à-la Fortnight Fiction during the height of Covid or the Sci-Fi Twine one last month). I'll wait until the SeedComp is further ongoing, maybe somewhere in March to plop something. Probably with a word count/time limit.
Also, the @if-confessions's box is still open. Feel free to drop something! It's all anonymous :) It's been fun to get stuff and add to The Discourse TM. Would be nice to get more positive/happy ones tho...
And finally, #coding support is still a thing. Still ongoing. Still down to make tutorials, even for small/basic stuff. Just drop an ask with your question!
I missed answering coding questions...
That should be it? A lot planned, a lot of things I hope to achieve, a lot I will prob not do because I decided to just do jams this year :P Who knows!
2023 is going to be fun!
Last note: I should try to play a few more games/WIPs, and write some reviews...
