NEWS - Patreon Payments on iOS - Sprite & Scene Upgrades - Rowan Design Poll Winner (Patreon)

Before I get to the progress update, just a quick note for those of you who use Patreon on the iOS app! As you may have heard from other creators, Apple has twisted Patreon's arm into using only the Apple payment system on iOS, which takes 30% of all transactions. To account for this upcharge, the cost of new pledges made on the iOS app will be increasing by 30%, which can simply be avoided by making pledge payments via browser (or any other platform), where prices haven't changed. Existing members aren't affected, so if you're already pledged, no action is needed!

Onto the game news! Sprites have gotten a big overhaul in the upcoming polishing patch, with each reexported using a new sampling method that makes them look sharper, cleaner, and more consistent. Additionally, one of the most noticeable improvements is that sprites will now be lit to match the setting they are in. Color tinting mechanics in Ren'Py, the visual novel engine we use, have come a long way since we began Changeling Tale years ago. We're now able to tweak each sprite to fit its environment: nighttime, dawn, sunset, and more!

No longer will characters be garishly lit in the night! Here's a sneak peek at a new pose we've drawn for Alana, too.

We've also wrapped up our scene asset reviews! Over 60 scenes have been touched up, ranging from small tweaks for consistency to major repaints. Changes may not be immediately discernible without the originals on hand, but artist Watsup and I are much happier with how they look, and we think they will translate into better appeal and immersion in gameplay! If you want to check out the improvements before we release the patch, the Hi-Res Art Pack has been updated with the polished scenes. Our next step is creating a few pieces of new art that we didn't previously have time to make for the game. We'll start sharing those in the next post!

Last but not least, we have a landslide winner in Rowan's design poll! Behold, Rowan's very first completed sprite:

Thank you to all who voted, and especially to ComicTF whose stellar fan art inspired many of you—and us!—to embrace this fantastic design. With the story done and Rowan's sprite art finalized, things should come together quickly once this polishing patch is complete! Hype!