Capstone project over! Here is what I have planned for Hyaline
My major university assessment - a group software project that was developed over 8 months - is over and done with! Woo! It was a game, I chose to jump in with the gamedev students so I could learn more about the technical side of development to aid me in making Hyaline. We were a group of 8 and had supervisors and everything, so it was an incredibly insightful ordeal when it comes to project management and completion.
So, Hyaline’s game - here are 2 things from the start of the year, and 2 things from the distant past.
And a bad quality 2018 photo of a draft print of Hyaline’s world guide book just as a reminder that progress had actually been made on it before life kicked my ass (this photo is my tether when I feel like I’ve achieved nothing in my projects, really.)
I’d like to continue on with my now ancient plans for opening a Hyaline themed shop but finances and time are not on my side for that right now.
Read below for information regarding my plans / my degree and how it all fits together.
The largest change is my focus shift from the world guide to the videogame.
The world guide writing is more or less in a second draft state and has been for eons. All that is left is some worldbuilding details about climate and then I need to work on the illustrations. I burn myself out every time when I try to paint complex scenes because I cannot visualize depth (stereoblindness.) I can’t imagine where to place things inside of a perspective grid.
The world guide primarily focuses on the section of rainforest Hyaline’s game is set in. So I’ve decided to build that first because I’ll need to do it anyway, and it means I have references for the illustrations I need to do - that are canon down to every detail!
The game relies on the environment for mechanics - the wildlife and placement of edible plants, of water, etc, is the driving force behind the survival gameplay. I also plan to include story-driven exploration elements which requires the map be finalized too.
I’ll be making the prototype for the mechanics as well to ensure my design decisions aren’t a total disaster so it’s going to be a big undertaking so I’m equal parts nervous and hype.
The graphic novel remains the last on the list to complete, which pains me, because it’s my favourite story arc! But it requires the most worldbuilding work and chronologically makes the most sense to release last. Though I do want to make some standalone comics of the characters since discovering sketching scenes with 3D art first. I have been slowly working on redesigning the characters and species to make them fit the world more, too.
I don’t have any deadlines or estimates on when things will be done, life circumstances remain fucky and will probably remain that way until I get any semblance of life and financial stability, after I graduate. Hyaline is a living world, anyway - I’m trying to just enjoy the worldbulding process.
As for my degree -
I’m scheduled to graduate at the end of 2022. Due to a prerequisite and unit availability, I have to do 2 semesters part time. I should still be able to access financial support because this is for a reason outside of my control. If so, thank fuck, because the lower end of the full time study load was really harsh on my disabilities and university has been torture for that.
2 of my 4 units left are 3D modelling electives, because I am so antsy to have time to dedicate to projects again after almost five years of utter hell, and I’d rather have a chill time in my final year. Also I’m not very good at 3D art for games and it’s yet another sneaky way to use my unrelated degree to help me make progress with my projects.
Thank you so much to my patrons for the support - the extra money has been a godsend - and to the people who have been patiently following me all these years. I have learned so much, and changed so much, and I can finally see a future that isn’t full of misery and art burnout!
I’ll have a cybersecurity and neuroscience degree by the end of next year, in absence of any more setbacks, and can maybe finally afford to exist as a Sick Person. Here’s hoping.
Project progress update & my last year of university
Seemingly out of the blue the burnout I had been carrying surrounding the game - for five years! - lifted, and I've returned to development, this time using Unreal engine. Here is a screenshot of early stage texture and terrain progress!
The environment will be used to map out all the world guide illustrations since every plant and road and river will be made in 3D for me to reference (this is going to take A While, but I still plan to finish the world guide first. Landmarks in the game environment are taking priority in being built to assist in that.)
I also updated my website to include separate sections for each Hyaline related project rather than host them on one large page. A lot of external links to old pages will be broken, I'll get around to fixing that ASAP.
Next on my to-do list:
Finish the large game development patreon-only post
Stop putting off making a press kit
Make a Hyaline development itch.io page for simple public posts so I can stop having to rely on twitter threads
I also revived my medium account and posted some writing! Woo.
The semester has officially started and it'll be a busy year- I have my capstone project to finish. Luckily I can jump in on a project created by a games student so I can do programming for something I'm going to find fun and which will help me with my own gamedev endeavors! They encourage us to wear multiple hats, unlike the traditional corporate capstone project selections as far as I've heard. I die inside when I can't wear multiple hats.
This is technically my last year - I have two semesters left (!!!!!!!) but due to doing 3 units every semester instead of 4 because Janked Body Things I may have to do a unit or two in semester 1 next year to finish it off. This is going to potentially be a huge headache - I can only get financial support when I do a minimum of 3. I'll figure something out, I'll have to. It's almost over. If I can survive doing both semesters back-to-back I'll be close to being able to reclaim my life again for the first time in something ridiculous like ten years.
The semester is almost over! Here’s what I have planned
First of all, here’s what I’ve done so far, ICYMI; store & #artofhyaline related.
The wooden charms are in!
I’ve finished polishing 2 of 3 posters
I wrote an overview on the worldbuilding project I’m working on here. I’m currently reading through a book on planetary climate for worldbuilding research purposes. I decorated the book I’m taking those notes in, rather agressively
So! With that out of the way. Here’s what I’ll be doing during my holidays:
Working on the third poster so I can finally launch my store (hopefully I’ll get around to doing that during my holidays)
Reading through the planetary climate textbook, and hopefully gathering enough information to start commiting to Hyaline’s atmospheric details
Doing some more artwork polishing for store-related endeavors, maybe even starting on some new merch designs (stickers are high on my to-do list)
It’s not a very long break between semester 1 and 2, about a month, but this semester has murdered me less than the last one so I’m hopeful I’ll have the spoons to make good progress on these things.
swotvac begins this monday, and my exams will be over three weeks after that. See you on the other side!
One of many ✨fruit transformation✨ concepts I did for my worldbuilding projects world guide, which you can find out more about here https://www.patreon.com/machinesbleedtoo #artofhyaline
An entire draft of #artofhyaline (Hyaline’s world guide!) is finished; it’s prototype printing time. Is this real life???
The page count is 56 at present, owed only to the two short stories & info text + a few full page spread and single page illustrations. If budget allows it- 70 will be easily reachable.
You can support it and all future related projects based in the same world here:
http://www.patreon.com/machinesbleedtoo 💕💕 💕
