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Weekly Update - Alpha Test 3 Next Week!

2 years ago1,064 words

Another busy week! Alpha Test 3 will start next week, if you're interested in volunteering to help with that! I also worked a little bit on the Belief side-project thing I started recently.

I've done a lot on Atonal Dreams again this week! I've been continuing to work through the remaining tasks (which are all things I'd been putting off and can't say I've been enjoying), and I've got through most of them...

But I've also replayed the ~2-hour-long section of the game that currently exists multiple times this week, and each time I do, I find new stuff that needs fixing or changing! Bleh.

While mostly I fixed annoying issues and did writing- or code-related stuff (I had to rewrite the target selection code (that is, determining which foe a combatant should aim for), for example, which there were three slightly different versions of in different places for some reason), there are some things I can show visually:



I'd been meaning to draw icons for items for ages, and finally got around to that!

It took longer than I would have liked because I struggled to draw the resonar icons in a way I was satisfied with, as they have a challenging shape to draw, so I experimented with pixel icons, as it's easier for me to keep shapes precise with that... but it didn't look right with scaling, I experimented with stuff, blah blah blah.

Eventually I just tried drawing the resonar icon again and really liked how it turned out. I like how all of these turned out! Good! Done!



I also redesigned Savitr's appearance for the first time since I came up with him (old version on the left, new on the right). Not a huge change, but I feel it makes a big difference. The new blue bits fit with the colour of the new Harmony element, and the Cherubim uniform has been blue for years so it makes sense that the Seraphim one would at least have something in common with that!



I also altered Pierce's model a few weeks ago, but can't remember whether I posted an image of that or not. So here's one! I like the lightning-bolt-shaped tear through the symbol on his chest (though it's not the easiest thing to make out).



Right. So. I said last week that I should do the next alpha test sooner rather than later, and I think I'm at the point now where the game should probably run okay for testers without major issues.

It's not at the perfect state of polish and completion that I'd like, but I think it makes sense to move forward with the next alpha now; I can continue fixing the relatively minor issues as people work through testing (though I suspect most people will take days to get around to it anyway, which is fine).

I'll post on ∞ my Patreon ∞ on Monday about how it'll work, though it'll probably be the same as last time. Nothing strict or formal; games are meant to be fun, after all! But I do need to hear how people other than me feel about things to know whether it even is fun!

If you already have access to the last alpha test, you won't need to get permission for the updated version (which I've yet to upload). It'll just be done as an update to that.

Or if you're a patron and want to help test, I'd be grateful! I'll provide all the details in the post on Monday. No need to volunteer until then!

(I know off-work times would probably work better for people, but this is work for me... You can always volunteer mid-week or on the weekend and test when it's convenient for you. No rush.)



After that, I'll need to finally prepare marketing images, videos, etc, and should post on Reddit, Twitter, etc, then read up about what the best next move is. A public demo? A Kickstarter? I'm assuming I'll be doing the latter, though I'll need to look into exactly how, or even if I should. Lots to learn.

And I can't say I'm looking forward to it because it'll be a stark change from the years of mostly-isolation. And maybe I'll just do something wrong, or get no attention and all these years of effort will be for nothing, then I'll need to look into drastically revising my life...

Bleh. I need to face it at some point, though.



Also, I've been itching to get Atonal Dreams to the point where I can just make more content, like dungeons to explore and figmon designs to populate them with. I feel I need to perfect - as best I'm able - the intro bits, then advertise, run a Kickstarter, etc before I can, though...

So I've been trying to scratch that itch by doing some more work in the evenings on that other as-yet-unnamed project I recently started; this thing:



If you didn't see ∞ the other post where I described it ∞, I can only imagine what this image makes you assume!

I came up with an in interesting way to incorporate it into the Alora Fane lore, if I do stick with it, and I'm imagining it as Pokemon-like in that you can 'catch' and 'train' human archetype people (who might be mental figments like figmon, but humanoid; everything's still vague at this point as I've devoted little time to it). Something you can dive into and just play without much story.



I've just been trying to get the dungeon creation and exploration aspects set up, though I've not made much progress because I've been spending most of my time on Atonal Dreams. I've probably only worked at this for like three hours this week, if that.

I hoped to do more on it today... but spent a big chunk of the day in bed as I was so tired, and another chunk composing music!

(Which I've still yet to put on YouTube! Pfft! I've still yet to find the right combination of available time and mental energy!)

(I've also been putting off some messages I've been wanting to reply to for months. Ugh. Haven't done that today either...)