Hello all! I'm back with some exciting news. The demo draft is complete! I technically have a full, working demo as of this very moment!! I'm  so pumped that I'm so ahead of schedule. This was supposed to be completed by 12/31. I will not be readjusting my schedule, as I don't want to put pressure on myself and ruin the inspiration I've got going, but I'll tell you my goals:

Second draft by 11/30.

This means polishing, fleshing out, and basic programming for the demo script. I'll be adding backgrounds and sprite cues, as well as a few small animations as I visualize how I want the final game to go. I've already begun, and have 5/25 scenes completed. I plan on going steady at 1 scene a day and seeing where that gets me.

All sprite expressions by 12/5

I have basic expressions for the sprites, but I want to create a full spread by this date.  And in case you didn't know... they blink! It's a subtle thing but I think it adds a lot to the game. 

So, here's what I've been working on!

The video below shows the sprite and font animation I've added. Each character has their own speaking speed, and the font animation reflects this. I've also added a highlight effect to show who's talking.

Writing

As mentioned, the demo draft is complete at 49K. Since I've been editing the scenes, I've been adding just a bit to choices, rounding things out. I suspect the later scenes will require heavier editing, as by that point I was more focused on getting the main point of the scene out than fully developing the setting and situation. Since I've edited the first 5 scenes, it's gone up to 52K. I don't think it'll go higher than 60K. I feel this is a good length for the demo.

The demo includes the full prologue of the game, and includes Terra making her choice: marriage, war, or...? You meet all three love interests, two of the side characters, and get to explore the first location, Laute. There are 33 choices in the demo. By scene 20, your choices are taken into account and you are put onto one of the three routes. After that, the common route continues for 5 scenes, changing slightly depending on which love interest you're pursuing. 

I have to do some test runs to see how easy/difficult it is to get onto a chosen route and balance things a little. In my last game, you simply chose your route, so I'm going going to try and make it require some thought without being frustrating.

Since I've done the other two LIs, here is a teaser of one of Aalam's scenes! I have gone with a male Terra. This one is shorter to avoid spoilers!

t = Terra

a = Aalam

co1 = Councilmember Saiph

    "As if on cue, there's a knock at the door, and then Councilmember Saiph walks in. He has his doctor's bag with him."

    co1 "My King, what's happened? Are you all right?"

    "I redirect my attention to the doctor, grateful for the distraction."

    t "I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm sure any wounds are superficial."

    "He beckons me over to one of the armchairs, and I take a seat. He sits next to me and begins to look over my arms, tsking at what he sees."

    co1 "Any pain?"

    t "Just a bit of stinging..."

    co1 "You're probably in shock."

    "He pulls out a tray and some tweezers, beginning to remove the larger visible shards of glass."

    "King Aalam comes over and stands behind the couch, watching the doctor work. His looming presence makes me uncomfortable. I clear my throat, looking up at him, then back to my arm."

    t "I am not shy to say that I dislike the idea of marriage."

    "Councilmember Saiph looks between us briefly, but he is polite enough not to join the conversation."

    a "What is it you object to?"

    t "Ow!"

    co1 "Remain still, [title]."

    "I wince grimacing at the size of the glass sliver he drops into the tray."

    t "I...do not wish to leave my kingdom. My people need me here."

    a "You could better serve them from Andromeda."

    "When I look up to King Aalam, his expression is completely serious."

    t "And how is that?"

    a "By merging our two kingdoms, breaking down borders, they will have more resources, more business, more jobs. The Andromeda schools are the best on the continent."

    t "A matter of opinion."

    "He waves a hand, as if my statement was only opinion as well."

    a "It will broaden their opportunities. And they will be protected."

    t "Protected? Are you of the same mind of my advisor, that the southern kingdoms are out for blood?"

    a "Your advisor is wise. Your father received a missive from Canis several months ago that gave me cause for concern. It was what prompted him to reach out about a potential arrangement. It stated that they had reason to believe their lost prince was in Laute."

    "My eyebrows shoot up to my bangs."

    t "The lost—ow! Councilmember, if you could affect a more delicate touch, that would be greatly appreciated."

    co1 "Apologies..."

    "Councilmember Saiph carefully rolls up my sleeve and inspects my arm. He gets a bottle of alcohol from his bag and a cloth, beginning to disinfect the shallow cuts and scrapes."

    t "As I was saying. Why do they suddenly know of his whereabouts? I thought he was...well, lost."

    a "That is a question I would like to know the answer to as well. They did not give it, but did express hostility towards your father, as they believe him to be harboring him. He is the sole heir of Canis, and Queen Rin will not allow him to live after what happened."

    t "Ridiculous."

    a "I suspect they are looking for excuses."

    t "For war?"

    a "Precisely. Andromeda is not strong enough to take on Canis, which means that Laute certainly is not. Together though, we stand a chance. It is past due for me to find a second. This seemed to catch two stars with one wish."

    co1 "All right [title], you must change out of this shirt."

    t "Okay. There should be something in my wardrobe in here."

    "He nods and puts away his supplies, rising with a bow."

    co1 "If you'll excuse me, I am going to get back to sleep."

    "The guards open the doors for him."

    t "...The night is growing late...perhaps we should continue this conversation in the morning."

    "Just thinking about this is giving me a headache. The lost prince, in Laute? My father harboring him? What could have possibly given that impression?"

    "I start towards the bedroom saved for me."

    a "Wait, King Terra."

    "I turn to face the King, hoping whatever it is will be brief."

    a "I have met many other Royals, but none of them suited me as you do."

    "I don't respond, unsure how to."

    a "I will admit what first caught my interest was your potential for spellcrafting."

    "This startles me into speech."

    t "What? What are you talking about?"

    a "I could sense it immediately. All Royals have it, of course, but it is particularly strong with you."

    t "No, I can't..."

    a "You can. I will teach you. Together, we could be a wall that Canis would have no hope of penetrating."

    "I stare at him in silent shock."

    t "I-I..."

    "I shake my head, hurrying quickly to the bedroom. It's so difficult to believe. Me? Spellcrafting? I want to think he's wrong, but if he's capable of freezing someone solid, who's to say he can't sense others who can spellcraft...?"

Gasp! Terra can spellcraft? Who would have thought!

Art

The official BG artist has not yet been chosen, but we do have a few new BGs in!

[Left:  http://stefbaz.com | Right: @Rosariy_]

To the left we have Andromeda, King Aalam's kingdom! To the right, Terra's study. 

I will be using temporary backgrounds for most of the demo, due to cost constraints.

Now that the demo script is ready, work can begin on a big part of the game: CGs! I plan on having at least 3 CGs for the demo due to cost constraints, but I will certainly try to do more if possible. I'm thinking at the least 1 CG per love interest.

UI

The UI is coming along! I have finished the character create screen, and have tweaked the design of the prefs screen.

The prefs screen is not yet programmed, but here's a screenshot of my mockup.

The two fonts available will be Cantarell and OpenDyslexic, for accessibility purposes. I'm not sure if I love Cantarell for the official font just yet, but we'll see. 

I wasn't supposed to start working on the UI until next year, but once I get an idea I just can't help myself. Here's a list of what's left:

• Save/load screen
• About screen
• Help screen
• Yes/No screen
• Quick menu
• History screen

When I lay it out like that, it doesn't seem like a lot at all! This demo will be pretty before you know it. 

Music

I will be commissioning 1 song ahead of the demo, but it will have enough layers to break down into several different pieces. I suspect I will still need to use temporary music to supplement. 

Once this song is completed, however, I will begin working on the game trailer! I almost have enough assets to make something really nice, I think.

Conclusion

I'm very happy with the progress made, and you can expect more to come. Today I'll be working on the final draft of scene 6, and just keep on pushing on.