Super serious developer blog post. (Patreon)

So, here comes the super serious developer blog post.

Even with all the stress last week, I still managed to get some work done on the game here and there, especially on the writing side.

For everyone who has already played Chapter 12.5, I hope you paid attention to the warning and saved your game at that point. I have made some changes to the perspective sections. Not a massive amount yet, but enough that I would definitely recommend replaying that part.

So, what is coming next?

Some of you have probably already noticed that this chapter uses different perspectives a lot more than usual. There have always been small perspective changes in the game, but most of the time it was something like 90% main character and 10% other characters, mostly to move the story forward.

In the current chapter, that balance is different.

There are more scenes from other perspectives, and for this chapter, that will stay the case for a little while. Chapter 14 will shift the focus much more strongly back to the main character again. But for the second part of Chapter 13, this higher amount of different perspectives will still be part of the structure.

I will try to explain why without spoiling anything.

The main character is about to find someone, or rather something, and through that, he gets a glimpse into the past of the place he is currently in. That part will answer a lot of questions.

So yes, technically it is a flashback. Or maybe “memory sequence” is the better term here.

Usually, I am not the biggest fan of memory sequences. They often feel a bit disconnected from the main story. To me, it can feel like the main plot suddenly gets paused and you are forced to sit through a chapter inside the chapter until the actual story finally continues.

And because of that, I asked myself how I could make it feel more interesting if I were the player experiencing it.

Because the sequence itself is important. I want to include it, and I have some ideas for it that I think are genuinely cool. I just wanted to find a way to make it feel less distant from the present story.

The idea I came up with is that the main character will experience the memory sequence together with the player. So while we see the events from the past unfold, we also hear his thoughts and reactions as it happens.

That way, the sequence is not just a detached look into the past. It still stays connected to the present through our main character and his companion experiencing it with us.

I do not know yet if it will make a huge difference, but I think this approach will make the whole thing feel much better. And I definitely want to try it.

I also have a new system planned for this part. It is something I want to experiment with a little.

But just like with Emma’s detective work, I want to make one thing clear right away: the whole thing will be completely skippable. (Not the memory sequence itself but the mechanic i plan to implement there.)

So for the people who want to experience my little experiment it, I think it will be really cool, and I definitely recommend playing it. But if you are not in the mood for that kind of section, you will be able to skip it, no hard feelings.

And if you are unsure, try it out. Do not skip it immediately. I promise you will not get stuck. There will always be a way forward, with clear and tight narration guiding you through it.

I am really excited for it, so I want to do it at least once and see how it turns out.

After that, Chapter 14 will return to a more regular structure again.

As for the length, release plans, and all that stuff, I cannot really say much yet. Right now I just want to return to the grind of creating the game. I am just really motivated to create new shit.

And that is important to me.

I want to sit down and think, “Damn, this is going to be cool.”

So much for the game update.

The image above actually does not have much to do with the sequence or the future of the game. The image was commissioned by Patreon supporter Lacrima. Thank you for allowing me to share it publicly.

I hope you all like it.

And that is about it for now.

Oh and by the way, for those of you who played the Emma part, I would love to hear what you thought of the investigation. So please send me feedback. In general, as always, feel free to send me your questions, thoughts, and all that stuff here on Patreon or over on Discord.

Take care of yourselves, stay safe and best wishes.Berki