Hello everyone! I hope you’re doing well.
Today, I wanted to share more about a monster we previously revealed on other socials but not around here - the Sylvan Drake (or maybe the Forest’s Wrath? Or maybe both?).
As with all artwork revealed so far, @halybs worked on it! And as with all concept artwork revealed so far, please keep in mind it’s an early concept art and anything, really, is subject to change or cuts as we go through the preproduction.
This monster has been one of the first monsters that came to be. I think I had their concept in mind back in 2017? Wandering on FurAffinity, I remember a large, hulking dragon designed with features reminiscent of trees, rock, almost everything that’d make a mountain base covered by a forest. It ingrained in me this concept of a large drake creature, found deep in the woods. Everytime I see this creature, I realize how long it’s been since their ideation. Back then, it was…
It was another time, really. I was still a student, doing an internship in a big video game company that didn’t go very well, to be honest. I had pushed hard to work in video games, because I was convinced of the amazing storytelling power of games, but also that other, better working conditions were possible for video game workers. I finished my studies, got another internship in another big company, which went better, although not for all my colleagues and despite the large amount of working hours. I found my first “real” job (as if internships weren’t real jobs?) at a video game publisher, where I worked hard for three and a half years, probably too hard. I kept holding on to this dream - that one day, things would go better, that one day, games would be done in a respectful way. That one day, we could have a game about caring for monsters, too.
As we were working on the project, as I was spending many hours working on and dreaming about it in my free time, I eventually sent that folder to apply for a grant, and we got that positive reply. This game idea was worth it, they said ; it was something interesting to see. Other people, knowledgeable people in video games, were suddenly encouraging us, and we weren’t the only ones to believe in it and see the potential anymore.
That convinced me to leave my job, to estimate how long I could leave on unemployment benefit, if I could really bet on building a company, which I knew nothing about, if I could bet many years of savings on this project. I still discover a lot of things about it every day. How do people build this much confidence, learn that much in so little time, how do I still believe in everything? I often thought that it was frightening how so many things were suddenly up to me. I had to do everything, tell people about it, while for so many years, I felt like no one would care. It only asked for me to decide to give up for everything to stop. I could look for a new job tomorrow, and leave all that behind.
However, the more we’ve been sharing the project around, the more we’ve been getting support. Even from our Ko-fi supporters - I thought we’d have so much difficulty gathering people. It’s of course not much compared to the expenses building a company asks for, especially when you’re alone, when you don’t come from a wealthy background, and when you’re learning along the way (what to do? Who to trust?). But now, knowing that even a few people support us, actually give us some money to show their support and help as much as they can - I have no choice but to give it all and carry this project as far as we can.
I’m meeting more and more people willing to help us. They tell us this is a great idea, this has potential. They tell us it’s ambitious, it will be hard, it will be difficult. They tell us it’s necessary, it’s an important game to make.
It feels great to share what you have had in mind for so many years and confront it to reality. To realize people are excited about it. To realize you’re not alone.
I won’t lie that working on this project and building this studio in these dire times for many people on the planet sometimes feels foolish. Just looking at the news makes you wonder about what you’re doing. But then I’m trying to hold onto what motivated me in the first place - the storytelling power of games. How, through them, we can tell stories of hope, of people doing their best against adversity, how to work for peace and respect in a world of conflict, how societies could change, together, hoping for the better. It feels like such a grand dream sometimes.
I’m not sure how far we’ll make it. It depends on so many things. I’m not sure how good it will be. It depends on so many things. But maybe the most important thing is to try.
Since the week started, we've been working on reviewing our lore and worldbuilding. So many things change and can still change - even this monster that’s been existing for so long and going through so many reworks - who they are, what they do, how important should they be, or not. It’s weird, exhilarating, sad, and fun. What to tell you in these posts supposed to share more about creatures and people and our world if anything can change depending on all the feedback we’re now getting? I’m not sure. I can at least remain transparent and talk about how this project is going, where it comes from, and what we’ve been up to - as people, too.
Thank you everyone for your support, and until next time :)
