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It's the "Tale of the lonesome PC" update...*
🕑 Added 2023-03-08 16:06:51 +0000 UTCHello!
A couple of weeks since I last posted so I thought a quick update was in order.**
A lot's been going on but the progress bar hasn't moved that much sadly. However, it's not all bad news. Indeed, far from it.
The bad news
Alright, so there is some (well it has been a while), and it's mostly due to something that caused me so much grief in making Four. Namely, a single asset in the VR module.
The set scene up for the VR in both Two and Four is the same and, when making Four it turned out that a key asset just didn't look good in close up due to the textures. Since this wasn't apparent until the close ups in Four were done we had a continuity error between the two chapters.
Now, it was tempting to let this one ride as VR as is a game within the game and it could well have been handwaved away but, in this case, VR has had some major buffing going on and there's been a re-use of some combat animations from Four in Two (as well as some new content in Two). So the call was either redo the stills in Two or drop all the new content.
I redid the stills.
It only took about a week, so not the end of the world, just a bit of a drag. So what about the other week?
The good news
Well, there's another game coming your way...
"Notty, will you just bloody focus!" I hear some of you cry - and with some justification. But in this case it's all to do with my PC set up.
So, without going through all the back story, I now have three PC's. The weakest of which is a second hand rig powered with a 2070 graphics card. Although not that powerful***, I ended up having to buy it to help make Four at the time when crypto-mining was the thing and more powerful cards kept rising in price out of my reach.
Now, although it did the job, it doesn't that get much use these days. It's just too slow. I was originally going to press it into service to make alt MC animations for the naughties but it's a tenth of the speed of the 3090. A tenth. It's far less hassle (and quicker - as well as avoiding any Daz lighting quirks on different versions of Daz and cards) to just run them again on the 3090 and so the 2070 largely just sits there gathering dust.
Now I feel bad about this. Largely as you guys bought it and it just seems a bloody waste it just sitting there. So, it's been pressed into use to make you a bonus game.
It will, of course, still be slow(ish) to render, but for bonus material it doesn't matter. It doesn't impact on the main game delivery and even it takes weeks to make content, it's still making content that we otherwise wouldn't have.
It's also a way to thank you for your patience. Yes, I know Patreon is turned off and so there's been no charging but even so. You deserve a thank you more substantial than me just prattling on.
So what it is?
Strip Ping-Pong believe it or not. Well, Strip Philosophy Ping-Pong to precise. It's a show on Channel Seven that gets referenced every now and again and...erm...now you can play it.
It took me about a week to work out the gameplay and set up the animations for it (so, yep that's where the other week went....) and, even as I type, the 2070 is busy chugging them all out. It will take a while for it to do as there are around 40 animations required per opponent but time isn't really a factor for this one as long as they all get made. But you can see why it made more sense for me to start it off now than wait until I'd finished my main work. Besides it get rid of my "2070 not doing anything" guilt. :)
There'll be a game with one opponent for everyone and a version with another two opponents will be dropped into the bonus pack.
Other musings
The only other main game issue that's causing me to wrinkle my brow a bit is Annie's naughty in Two (it was done a while back but whilst I'm still doing other work I keep worrying at this one).
Technically it looks good. Better than good (with several thousand renders and more experience under my belt you'd have hoped so!) but it's lacking...something. Whenever I go back and watch the animation I go "Yep. That's a pretty good animation..." but it feels a little....clinical? As though it lacks a little soul or passion. I dunno. Maybe, I'm overthinking it but it looks great and yet feels off somehow. It's not an uncanny valley problem - the composite animation really does try to drag you into the moment - but there's something not quite right about it.
Doubts or not, she looks pretty good
But I think this is one I might have to let others watch and judge. There is a real risk that the problem is just me wanting perfection (or quite possibly just trying to show off) after all this time to be honest.
Alrighties, that's it for now.
Stay, or be, lucky.
Notty
* Now there's an obscure reference to the very first adult game I played if ever there was one...
** I honestly did think this'd be a quick update when I started writing this...
***Christ, I'd have killed for that much powah when I started though!
