[Status Report #1] MBML Chapter 2 - Episode 3 (Patreon)

Hey, everyone!

Today marks the official start of development for Chapter 2 - Episode 3.

The roadmap is done. All that's left is execution.

So what can you expect from this one? Quite a bit, actually. Beyond Sky and Naomi, Kei's condition is going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting this episode. Driving both arcs forward and dropping some things you're probably not ready for. NO SPOILERS.

Now, the honest part. Because we've always kept it straight with you, and I'm not about to stop now.

This isn't me being down on the episode and saying it's not going to be good, but I'll be honest: I'm not walking into this one with the same fire I had going into Episode 2, and there are a few reasons for that.

For starters, this is what I'd call a transitional episode. It's an episode that does the unglamorous work of setting the table for something bigger, closer in spirit to Chapter 2 - Episode 1, where we were laying the groundwork for future arcs, Emma's final arc included.

On top of that, this episode puts Sky and Naomi in the spotlight, and let's be real, they're the least popular girls in the cast, and that's not an accident. We've got a lot of characters, and these two haven't had the same chances to build momentum that Emma, Moon, or some of the other girls have had. Their final arcs are coming, but the foundation just isn't as deep.

And yes, that's on me. Naomi and Sky represent the parts of this game I'm not proud of. They have gaps I wish I could've done better. We've got grander plans sketched out for Lily than we currently have for either of them, and that hurts a little to admit. If you're coming in hoping for another hit like Emma's arc, this episode isn't going to be that.

Again, not doom and gloom. Just keeping it real as much as I can.

There's more to talk about, but I'm not going to dump everything in the first status report. We'll get there.

That's all for now. Take care of yourselves, and have a great one.

— NiiChan