YandereDev
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Behind-the-Scenes Development Trivia
🕑 Added 2025-07-11 11:25:22 +0000 UTCDuring each rival's week, I want the school environment to change in various ways. For example, during Amai's week, there is a bake sale in the center plaza, and some placards around school advertising the bake sale. (These might be re-positioned or made more prominent in the future.)
During Kizana's week, there will be advertisements around school advertising a different event: a school play happening in the gym on Friday. Just like with Amai's bake sale, I want a variety of different posters to spread around school. Several artists are currently creating posters advertising Kizana's play, and I'm super happy with what has been produced so far!
Recently, an artist sent me the above sketch and asked for feedback. I thought that the artwork was phenomenal, but I felt as though there was a problem: the silhouette wasn't clear.
I'm a strong advocate for clear silhouettes. I'll give you an example of what I mean.
Take a look at this image: https://i.imgur.com/CsHYYlj.png What the hell is going on there? Well, you can kinda get a sense of it, but it's tough to know for sure, because the silhouette isn't clear.
Okay, now look at this image: https://i.imgur.com/KfnlEJr.png Ahhhhh, so that's it! Now it makes so much more sense, right?
I thought that the artist's work was good, but that the silhouette wasn't clear enough. I wanted to suggest moving the characters over so that their hands would be separate from the silhouette of the balcony. However, I didn't want to risk wasting the artist's time by giving unclear instructions...so, I took the time to edit the image to make sure my message got across to them. (You can see my edit in the gallery above.) I even took the time to make a silhouette version to really communicate why it would be an improvement.
I'm doing this sort of thing all the time. Seriously - all the time.
3D animator creating a "crouch walk" animation for me? I'll load up a stealth game and record footage of a character doing a stealth walk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jtGuGxl4ts
3D prop modeler needs reference material for a school clubroom? I'll load up a game set in a school environment and get them reference of what the clubrooms look like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN3RyVmCR90
3D environment artist doesn't understand why all hallways need to be at least 4 meters wide? I'll record footage of Ayano walking through a house, spinning the camera around her, showing that the camera needs at least that much space to avoid the camera clipping into the walls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_4LXAsuFPo
3D hair modeler gives a character a high hairline? I'll create an animated gif explaining where the hairline ought to be: https://i.imgur.com/zHtvSTK.gif
2D artist's work could benefit from an adjustment? I'll take the time to edit their artwork to communicate my feedback as effectively as possible.
In addition to that sort of stuff, I'm also "tech support," as well. Player e-mails me, says he doesn't understand how to steal from the faculty room before 8:00 AM? I'll record footage of myself pulling it off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaVpGvNk654
Typically, these things wouldn't be the job of the project's programmer. The lead artist would be providing guidance to the artists; the lead modeler would be the one reviewing and correcting the modeling team's work; the lead animator would be the one in charge of making sure animations turn out right; et cetera. But Yandere Simulator doesn't have leads; it just has me. I perform the duties that would normally be done by a team of leads. One man doing ten jobs. I'm not saying this to boast; I'm saying it because it very clearly and directly explains the game's development speed.
(I tried to communicate this back in 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us5PPyEvKWo However, it's an aspect of the game's development that usually doesn't get acknowledged.)
I'm not saying all of this for the purpose of whining or cultivating pity; "Grrrrr!! Nobody acknowledges how hard I work!!" I'm discussing this because it goes hand-in-hand with sharing "behind-the-scenes development trivia" like the edit of the Kizana poster above. "This is the sort of thing you probably don't ever think about, but it's the type of thing I'm doing on a daily basis."
If you're ever wondering to yourself, "What is YandereDev doing at this moment?" and picturing me writing code, keep in mind that that's only true 10% of the time; the other 90% are spent on a very wide variety of different responsibilities and tasks. Instead of programming, it's more likely that I'm taking the time to make sure an artist or modeler has the visuals they need to deliver the best possible assets for the game.
Comments
YandereDev
A lot of the artwork on the official website *is* the result of providing an artist with guidance until their artwork has drastically improved from the first draft, resulting in a finished piece that I'd be willing to include on the official website. In case you're saying, "A lot of the artwork on the official artwork is low-quality, and you should have the better artists coach the worse artists so they don't suck so much," my only response is that I'm in a "beggars can't be choosers" situation where I simply have to take what I can get. I only have access to one or two professional-quality artists, and they are usually very busy with their own lives/work, and can only rarely spare the time to create artwork for me.
Axle Strohl
Wild idea but maybe your main artists can work together to critic art coming in, give suggestions, and help out when they have free time? Although I did notice you only have a few main artists (from what I saw digging through the character page on your website), and it might be too much, but it could definitely help you out. Although I don't know how things like these run, just thought I'd give an idea :)
YandereDev
It's pretty unlikely that Torahiko will appear in gameplay, because it would just be an elderly man who doesn't want to be there and only tolerates the people he lives with very reluctantly. Pippi's socks look the same as default? Huh. I didn't realize this. Maybe I'll investigate that. Though, it's a pretty small priority...
Benjamin
I was wondering a few things from some of the latest builds this month. Ik u updated Kataba’s model and ur interested in doing every week the family does something different do u think it would be possible we will see Torahiko in person (ik u want to keep Ryoba’s sister a secret). I also wanted to ask about pippi’s socks. U mentioned in the August 4th build u changed it to the short ones but they look the exact same as the default ones. My question is the socks appearance supposed to be similar to the default one or were they supposed to be real short like Shinako’s and some of the 80s rivals.
YandereDev
It's true; I always imagined those 1989 club posters depicting the founders of those clubs. I never really had any super-meaningful backstories written out for any of those characters, although I did imagine the founder of the occult club as being a psychic / actually capable of perceiving supernatural things. Maybe a descendant of monster hunters.
Baby Crystal
Hey! I love the new Cooking club! I think it matches Amai’s color scheme better! I have a question for today. It’s about some of the first students to attend Akademi. I think you once mentioned that the club posters in 1980s mode are photos of the founding presidents of each club. Can you please tell me some info on some of those students in the posters (names, personalities, etc.) if you can. I’m just kinda curious about some of the students that went to school with Ichiko. Thank you!
Benjamin
How’s progress been with fixing the launcher?
YandereDev
Whenever I get the time. :(
Baby Crystal
Hi! I was wondering if you have an official release date for when you plan on releasing traveler aishi to the website yet?
