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It's the "Good news!" update...
🕑 Added 2022-08-31 17:37:06 +0000 UTCNews, news and more news this time around but let's start with the key one.
Health stuff
I got my shoulder fixed.
I couldn't go on as I was and it was no fun not knowing from one day to the next how much mobility I had (and for how long before things went sideways again). It was also more or less stopping any progress on Heavy Five (you can't really do that much with a couple of hours one day, a couple of hours a few days later); so I threw down the credit card and I've paid for private surgery.*
So I'm fixed. In hock to my eyeballs, but fixed. It's been a slightly ropey month as I've recovered but right now I feel as good as new. Or at least as good as I was back in April before the accident (well, bar a little scar or two), and I'll happily take that.**
So with that blocker out of the way I can, and given I had this done a few weeks ago with all progress being positive since then, say quite confidently that I can start putting in decent hours again and wrap this chapter up.
Speaking of which...
Chapter Five
Despite the above, work has been on-going on the chapter with elements of the game having actually gone out for playtesting. Not as much as I'd have liked for sure, but something is better than nothing and the feedback so far has been entirely positive. The graphics are better, the script is better and, most importantly, the gameplay is better. So that's a win at least.
Now I'm fighting fit again, I'm expecting to be able to start shovelling other parts of the game out to the testers at a rate of knots as most of them are all ready bar a couple of visual tweaks.
And we even have some breakthroughs on why the game as a whole kept falling over. You may recall that list of possible reasons I gave last month? And top of that was the impossible one of having broken Renpy? The one that couldn't possible be the reason?
Turns out I broke Renpy.
Well, overwhelmed it at any rate it would seem. I say this as one of the testers came back to me with a bug in a section of the game that was coded perfectly. Clean as the cleanest whistle. They'd had a look themselves and reported back that it was fine from what they could tell but there was a line break (or blank line) in the code and could it be that?
Well, no. You see if Renpy comes across a blank line it just ignores it and my code has been littered with blank lines from day one. As I'm coding and writing I often put little notes to myself in the code. Little nudges to myself to remember to take into account what would have happened elsewhere in the game for example. Once I've dealt with them, I then delete the note, often leaving a blank line in it's wake. Not best practice but I've done it for ages so, it couldn't be that.
Except it was.
The tester deleted the blank line and that section of the game worked perfectly. Why something that Renpy used to be fine with, no longer is I've no idea. None. But this explains why I was struggling to find the game killing bugs. I just couldn't see them. The only explanation I have is that there is perhaps so much code now that Renpy is having to be a little less forgiving. So, time to hunt down every line break it seems...
The chapter does still has some coding problems however, but they seem mainly related to the new GUI interface now as opposed to some massive unknown structural failure throughout, which is a much more manageable state of affairs (and one hell of a relief too!). With luck it's the sort of thing that a solid few days work should be able to resolve and now I have a dependable arm again (It moves, it turns, it can wiggle up and down! I can do the Peacemaker dance again!)*** it's now a practical proposition to do so as well.
Patronage
I'm pausing September patron support.
Why if I expect to be working on it all month? Well, I'm hedging my bets a bit. I'm certain I'm one hundred per cent fit. I'm also certain I can now throw in the hours to get a lot of the game tested in September and clear all the bugs too. But there's a difference between what I'm certain will happen and what will actually happen.
You see from where I sit, I'm bloody lucky to have you guys as patrons. You have to put up with a lot from me at times. My over-ambition in terms of the development, my quiet periods, the gaps between releases, my bad jokes and my bad luck too it seems. I'd be a bloody fool to take patronage like that for granted. I'd feel more comfortable getting a full months work under my belt before turning the tap back on again to be honest. Although I have been doing work since I paused in April, it's been "bitty" and I might need a full months run to get to where I should be progress wise. I feel I owe you that.
Alright, for once the delay isn't actually my fault but that still doesn't make this four month(!) delay any easier for any of us and I rest more easily knowing that, if I can't do anything about the delay (well other than what I have), at least I haven't let it cost you any money whilst all this has been going on.
Previews
I mentioned in my last post I was looking to put together a non-spoilery preview trailer but I haven't been able to manage it. Raiding the animation box, most of them are either lewd (oh, we have a -lot- of those...), links or full of spoilers. Hell, even the die roll in Caverns is spoilery, which might give you an idea of the extent of the problem. I did have a bash but a trailer full of links or VR combat moves just didn't pitch the chapter at all.
So instead, I've gone down the slightly arty route and whomped up some film style posters for each of the characters. I'll be dropping one of these once per week just to remind you I still exist ;) Besides they make a nice run in to the release of the game I feel.
Other matters
I'm still going to be fairly quiet comms wise. I'm not quite as furious at the world in general as I was (not going "Argh, bollockingbastardingarm!" when you reach for something helps with that I've found) but I am still a -little- grumpy.**** Besides I really want to focus and throw all my available hours into completion right now. I have peeked into the forum and discord a little but I think even there I'm going to be a fairly light visitor for the next few weeks, except for testing work, as I resolve and wrap up as much as I can. I trust you can appreciate my reasoning on this one.
And that's it for now.
Take care of yourselves and we'll speak soon.
Notty
* I realise paying for surgery is probably what a lot of you have to do elsewhere in the world, but over in the UK going private, instead of waiting for the sainted NHS to bless you with its services, is tantamount to confessing you sacrifice kittens to Satan whilst jumping up and down on a small child's favourite toys in hobnailed boots. Whilst dressed like a morris dancer.
** I did ask post surgery if I'd be able to play the violin and I was told I'd be able to with no problem at all. Which is nice as I've no idea how to play the violin. So, bonus?
*** That last one was my "Am I well?" test. Seriously.
**** I confess I may have pouted into a wine glass a few times bleating about "It's not bloody fair. Why me all the time?" but I'm over that now. But why take chances, right?
Comments
Sulring Durgul
Playing the violin is not so difficult, you know. Playing it well, on the other hand... ;-)
I'm glad you're feeling better.
