sierralee
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June 20 Update
🕑 Added 2021-06-20 22:29:46 +0000 UTCScrew it, I'm just doing two posts. There's a post for the video trailer, then all the images are uploading here. First, TLS talk.
The good news is that I am over the cognitive hump for 0.57.0!
Don't take that to mean I've done a bunch of planning - important though planning is, I did all that during the past two months while working on other stuff. No, by this I mean writing a huge amount of dialogue and setting up all kinds of conditional branches for the variables that will control these next couple updates. This, more than any other work, solidifies the shape of what the coming updates will be.
On the other hand, the update isn't immediately imminent. I'm over the hump, but this update has a lot of dialogue/variables. I still haven't touched little details like, say, making new maps or enemies. Even once all that's done, I need to do a lot of connective work and testing. Still, I hope I'm past the most creatively demanding hurdle, so the work should be less discipline and increasingly raw enthusiasm.
How quickly this goes will depend on many variables and if I can build up momentum. What I can promise you is that I will keep working.
Other stuff:
- The first image is one of the new worldbuilding lore posts on the TBS blog. Click through if interested!
- Check out the new maps. Mostly new Frozen Tale maps, showing you the aesthetic for the dungeon. Also a light revision of the previous clearing, and we added a campfire to the trees to hopefully make it clear players should go investigate.
- Don't forget the trailer, if you have opinions about that sort of thing.
Comments
Sierra Lee
I'm glad to hear you liked it, and your review is very appreciated! If you ever want an early copy of future books, you only have to ask.
Sierra Lee
I'm doing alright. Making steady progress, just not as much as I'd hoped.
Darthjake
And because I forgot to mention it earlier, read and enjoyed Hollow Mountain. Amazon review posted.
BleBle
How are the things going? everything okay?
Sierra Lee
Not uniformly, but it's distinctive that the practice exists at all. Perhaps I could have mentioned the Stormpeaks. Most Wahleenese mansthein don't have hair, but it's not unheard of. It operates similar to a recessive trait in their case, so children of Wahleenese and Laenan/Seinan parents almost always get full heads of hair.
Sierra Lee
I'm sorry, but given how deep into the update I am right now, I can't provide much support, especially for the wiki. I'm not sure if anyone else will see your comment here.
Decanter
Your lore post on the Sotunn raiders mentions that they're oppressive to women, but is this uniformly true? The Heartbloods may be a myth, but the Stormpeaks are quite real, and their women seem equal in war (and in mad bloodthirst). Do Wahleen mansthein women have hair? IIRC their origins are mentioned as being partly Laenan.
Darthjake
TLS Question, I think I screwed up, the wiki says there is a "chosen" in the mines where we gained Hilstara is that the mines in stineford, (got that one), or in Devil's Pass, b/c if it's the Pass, I just went in for the King and didn't look around, and now it won't let me back in. Also is there any benefit in avoiding the Lustlord's minions when we breach his domain after talking to Ulrissa?
Sierra Lee
Feel free to comment on the blog/subreddit/wherever! More discussion never hurt, and I like to hear people's thoughts. ^-^ My idea with the frozen villagers is that the Snow Queen put them on display... wait, I think I actually uploaded the wrong Outskirts map. That was the one with all the statue types, whereas the final has rows of her own statue. Thanks for your feedback on the maps!
Lamsey
It says a lot about the depth of TLS that you're able to say things like "little details like, say, making new maps or enemies", even in jest. It must be a dauntingly complex tapestry of storytelling threads to weave together by this point, so it's good to hear that you're past the trickiest bits. The new TBS lore post has some interesting tidbits - for instance, I didn't know that the Wahleenese mansthein had diverged so markedly from their overseas kin, to the extent of developing different colouration. I'm never sure whether to comment on that stuff publicly, since I can never remember if I'm remembering details from beta drafts or the like which might not be published knowledge yet :-/ OEA maps: I assume the blue statues in the east of the Frozen Outskirts are supposed to be frozen villagers? Seems a bit odd that they're up on a random line of plinths. It'd be more creepy and threatening if they looked more like they'd just been frozen in place as they fled the castle. If you keep the plinths, they'd blend better if they were partially snow-covered at the bottom. The repeated tile pattern of the snow on the ground is quite noticeable, especially in the south, but maybe it'll be less of an issue once the shadows are added. The blue flowers outside the frozen Grandmother's Cabin are eye-catching, which is good since they're a plot item. They might look better if their positioning was more varied, e.g. if some of them were flipped horizontally, or if some were on their own rather than in pairs. If they're being done with event sprites rather than being part of the map imagery, I could maybe help with making a spritesheet with a few different variants. I assume the white smudges on the floor and walls in the interior of the Grandmother's Cabin are supposed to be frost, but it looks more like mould or dust to me. I'd expect frosty patterns to follow the grain/edges of the wooden boards, rather than being fuzzily spread across them. Some icicles on the fireplace or the mirror table would help make it clear that everything's frozen. Looks like the layout of the Pac-Man game in the outside of the Snow Queen's castle has been changed a bit. It'll be interesting to see how the new layout affects the gameplay. The map looks good to me visually. The tiling is quite noticeable on the frozen stream in the entrance to the fortress basement - I assume that's not an animation thing, since it's frozen over? The rest of the basement looks suitably cold and eerie, and the frozen villagers on plinths make more sense here. The placement of the loose gold is good since it will help to signal to players that they can't interact with the treasure. I like the brighter light from the campfire in the Frozen Grove, since it heightens the contrast with the darkness outside the clearing and makes it feel more like an oasis of calm from the biting winds. The addition of the campfire to the grove's depiction in the Frozen Expanse is good - is there maybe an animated smoke sprite you could add above it, to draw the eye? There's a horizontal seam on the southern edge of the tree shadows (both sides, more noticeable on the right).
BleBle
The maps are nice I like the blue color. On other hand I am bit worried. For what I read it means a lot of work I hope you get some rest.
Darthjake
Catching up! And looking forward to the new content!
Sierra Lee
This update will be most of the lesser powers putting all their cards on the table, but 0.58.0 is the one that will have the key revelations. Most of the mysteries remaining in the plot will be resolved then.
Sierra Lee
This section is supposed to be more complexly branching than normal, but I hope it feels rewarding.
Sierra Lee
Hard to put a number on it, especially since I'm not completely sure where I'll split 0.57.0 and 0.58.0. But good progress is being made.
DankPotatoes
Gotta say man, with all the Tanurak and Mithryn teasing I'm about as hyped as I've been since Erosia. Can't wait to see the final hands of cards being put on the table,before all the players go all in. I'm honestly surprised with how well Tanurak works as a foil to Simon. Usually, introducing a major antagonist over 80% of the way through a story doesn't work, but he still feels like a legitimate and interesting threat
Seriathus
It lives again! No seriously, I'm so glad to hear TLS news again - it seems the last stretch truly is the most arduous, and this definitely promises to be an explosive climax. I regret nothing.
JJS
Sounds like you've made good progress on TLS. Roughly I'd guess, halfway there? I'm really looking forward to seeing what this update will contain.
