Remaster Progress Update: Arc 4 is done!

I'm trying really really hard to promote as much as I can (to the point where I'm getting a bit burnt out, I'll admit LOL I have even started making videos again, which was a big part of what led to my last mental breakdown, that is how hard I am trying hahaha) because so much of the success of the launch will depend on it.

BTW HAVE YOU WISHLISTED IT YET????? TELL YOUR FRIENDS. TELL YOUR ENEMIES. TELL YOUR FATHER'S BROTHER'S NEPHEW'S COUSIN'S FORMER ROOMMATE.

But this update is mostly about progress! Because ofc the game is also still in production (or else I could just launch it right now LOL). Well, I suppose it's not the game game itself, given that the original game was completed in April of 2024 (sign of the cross) but I am referring as we all know to the new remastered art and features. And I'm happy to say that I have finished up through Arc 4 now!

As expected, Arc 4 turned out very similarly to Arc 3 in the amount of work that went into it.

Sprite Work

The main sprite work across all of the arcs is, ofc, the Iggy Sprite itself. Going through line by line and adding him in, with all his... 674 variations and expressions...

A number that continues to grow with each arc as I add further clothing variations and/or even more expressions when I just can't find the exact expression I need. Although this arc didn't require me to draw any new clothes for him for once. He has a couple clothes changes, but they already appeared in previous arcs (suit, pajamas, etc.) and he also doesn't get injured in this arc (*cough* looking at you, Arc 2 *cough*).

Adding the Iggy sprite is always the most time-consuming part, though along the way I also polish up other bits I come across, like the other sprites, some animations here and there, sizes, lighting, etc. I needed to fix the Cecil sprite, for instance. It had always bothered me that he was a bit out of proportion to the rest of the cast (his head was comparatively way too big, and he just looked a bit off). So I have lengthened and better proportionalized him now, and he looks more accurate as to his height compared to other characters, too:

Surprisingly, there wasn't a lot else sprite-related I had to deal with for this arc, because when I originally updated the character sprites, I updated all their versions, even future ones to just get it all done, so for instance, all of Gidget's outfit variations in this arc had already been updated. I think the only one I hadn't done yet before going into Arc 4 was Genzou's suit sprite, which for some reason I had missed I guess lol. So I had to update that one with his new edits. I also ended up giving him a few cute new expressions as I was working through that scene teehee.

CG Work

And ofc the other bulk of the work is all the updates to the art and CGs. I generally work on them as I'm also going through implementing the Iggy sprite, so I just update a CG as I reach it in the story. Similar to Arc 3, this arc didn't require nearly as much as the first two arcs -- the art itself is generally much better and more consistent and there are already a whole lot of CGs packed into this one. However, I still ended up at least touching almost every CG briefly, and I did end up redrawing and heavily tweaking a number of them.

What is my decision-process like when it comes to how much work I think a CG needs? Well, it's not very consistent or exact, I'll say that much LOL It's kinda vibes based, if I think a CG just looks really really off, then I'll be more inclined to at least heavily edit it if not redraw it. Some of it also depends on how important I think a CG is in the general impact of the story, too. (Or how much I like a scene LOL) There was one CG in particular I knew I was going to redraw going in as it had always bothered me before, and that was the CG of Iggy and Gidget at after-prom in the flashback. I just had always thought it looked so so strange and the proportions look really odd and off, so even before I started I knew it was on the list. And there were a couple other ones that when I reached them again in my work I was like.......... yeah, this one's........ not super great LOL And so I'd either redraw it completely or heavily edit it.

I redrew this one for instance as I felt not even a heavy edit would fix its flaws LOL For one, I thought they all looked very strange. And for two, the composition didn't allow for it to have as much impact as I really wanted it to have. So I redrew it to be a really tall image that could pan up quickly to get a better effect when it's shown in the game. It's also more zoomed in than the original and they all look much better (cuter) and more consistent.

I also completely redrew Cecil's intro CG. I decided to go a completely different way with the composition and just focus on him instead with a simple pan up, rather than worry about showing Iggy and Genzou in the background, as it felt kinda pointless. Not to mention all three of them looked very strange in the original anyway and it was bothering me. I think this looks much better now and feels really nice in the flow of the game, too.

I won't spoil any more of the redraws for now, but there are a few more. I think I completely redrew... six? It gets a bit murky between the really heavy edits and the complete redraws, but we'll say around six or so.

Speaking of heavy edits, I feel like this arc really got me cooking with a few of them. By heavy edits, I usually mean that I've completely redrawn the faces and sometimes parts of the hair, as well. And I also might have done some new lighting work. The really heavily edited ones I think almost look like completely redrawn CGs by the end, at least to me.

For instance, this one got a ton of work -- I completely redrew Iggy's and Gidget's faces, fixed Gidget's hair, fixed a few other various wonky spots, and also did some extensive lighting work. I think it looks 100x better now LOL There are a number of ones that I really went to town on, though it's hard for me to say if they should be considered a heavy edit or not, as each CG required various different bits and bobs.

This one, for instance, I don't know how to categorize at all:

I edited enough that to me it looks completely different, but maybe some people won't notice, I don't know LOL I pretty much completely redrew Genzou, including his face and body, but I only redrew Iggy's face and parts of his hair. So I don't know. But I think they both look incredibly cute now, so that's all that matters in the end, really, isn't it???

Ahhhhh.... anyways.

There is also, ofc, the subject of new CGs. Like Arc 3, Arc 4 is already packed full of CGs, so it's not like it particularly needed any new ones. However, I did end up drawing 5 new ones! Mostly just if I was working through a part and got a random urge hahaha. I will not spoil those though.

Other Bits and Bobs

Actually there's not a whole lot else LOL I mean there's a bunch of random little stuff that I also did while going through it but none of it really seems important enough to mention. I have been updating some music here and there though, even outside of Arc 4. So when you're playing through it in the future if you happen to wonder "is this music different??" it probably is. I mean it's not that many new tracks, but it's a few places here and there. I think the most obvious will be the main menu music. Yes, I have updated the main menu music. Though not because I didn't like the old one or feel it wasn't fitting, rather, because of my continuing frustration with stupid royalty-free music sites. You already know about my whole issue with certain music sites -- it's why I have the Streaming Mode, because there are a few tracks that will trigger the content ID thingie on YouTube. Though it doesn't trigger a copyright strike, it can make it so that any video using that music can't be monetized. If it was just me, this would be fine, because I have the music license and can dispute the flag and get it taken away. But it only works for me as the person who bought the music. It wouldn't work, for instance, for a streamer who played the game. Hence, my troubles.

Well, for a long time, it was just 4 specific tracks I knew of that triggered this flag on YouTube -- the tracks "Things Left Unsaid," "Is This OK?", "Nothing Good," and "My Dear Friend." They are pretty much all the Epidemic Sound ones I think, and then one Storyblocks one. Well, the main menu music recently started popping up with this, too, even though it didn't originally. Extremely annoying. (It's also a Storyblocks track.) I noticed not only in my own OST video but also when I went and checked a few playthrough videos, this track now popped up. Ugggghhh. And because it's the main menu music, this makes things very tricky. With the previous four, it's annoying, but it's enough that I can have the Streaming Mode to decrease the volume. But........ that would be really awkward to have to turn off the song for the main menu??? I don't know, it didn't sit right with me. I don't want anyone to experience a version of the game where they don't even have a song at the main menu to help set the tone when you first start up the game. It felt very Bad to me. So, reluctantly, I decided that it would be best if I replaced it, this time with something from Audiostock, my beloved, that never gives me any stupid trouble with content ID hahaha. AND! I'm happy to report that I have found one I actually genuinely really really like and that has a very similar vibe and sound as the original. So even though I still love the original and am annoyed by having to change, I am pleased with the update and enjoy it a lot. I hope that you will like it, too!

Current Totals

I thought I'd take a brief moment to outline all the new CG totals across all of the remaster work, also perhaps just as a note to myself hahaha. With Arc 4 now done, it brings us to a total of:

New CGs: 51 (19 in Arc 1, 23 in Arc 2, 4 in Arc 3, 5 in Arc 4)

Completely Redrawn CGs: 70 (25 in Arc 1, 31 in Arc 2, 6 in Arc 3, 8 in Arc 4)

And then I won't total the edited ones because that would start to get a bit ridiculous. It would probably be easier to say which CGs I HAVEN'T done at all which would be....... well, not very many. Maybe less than 10??? Even CGs I otherwise didn't touch I would often still go in and fix the pupils or redraw the noses, for instance. So at the end of the day, there are not many that I just didn't touch at all.

Where To Next

Next is, ofc, moving into Arc 5! Arc 5 is........ very long, as we all know hahahaaa... So the Iggy sprite implementation is going to take some time. And just generally going through the whole thing will take some time. Though I think there will be less polishing of the script aside from the small tweaks I've done to sprite sizes and such, since by this point, my scripting skills had already increased by quite a bit. So yeah, it'll mostly just be the Iggy sprite itself for the most part. But even that will still take some time. because of the sheer length. He will also have a few variations I need to draw -- the wound he incurs about halfway through that will need to last until the end (he'll need both a pre-bandaged and a bandaged version), as well as his short stint in Genzou's coat and hat. Ah, he also has that blanket for a while in the rabbit burrow. So that's three I can think of off the top of my head. There may be others I am forgetting. I shouldn't need to do much in the way of sprite work for any of the other characters though I don't think.

CG-wise, however, I am hopeful that I will not need to do very much. Do you know how many CGs there are in Arc 5 alone? OVER 200!!!! So. I do not plan to do a whole lot when it comes to the CGs. I will mostly just focus on consistency tweaks and not much else. Maybe if there is a CG or two that bothers me I will do a bit more of an edit, but ideally I will not have to completely redraw any at the very least. That is the plan because otherwise I think it will literally never get finished. (That and the Arc 5 art is already the best in the game as far as polish and consistency already.)

Once I am finished with Arc 5, or perhaps concurrently if I want to give myself some variety, I will start writing the after stories. These will be like short stories set somewhere in the post-game future for each of the LIs + Iggy. I don't remember if I mentioned this, but they'll likely take the form of NVL with a couple of illustrations. They're also going to be extremely indulgent I think and just something cute and sweet to end each of the pairings off on.

And then I will need to finish the last of the Steam implementation, i.e., the achievements. I already have the foundation for this set up, so really it will just be going through and making sure every CG is counted so it can go towards the gallery completion achievement. Plus I will draw a little achievement icon for each one! Followed up by testing to ensure everything is working properly.

So those are the last big steps! I believe I will get everything finished up in time for summer release, though as always, I don't want to promise anything specific just yet. We'll wait until we get a bit closer. But things are definitely progressing forward at a good pace. I will be in China for a month to visit my partner's family coming up pretty soon, which may or may not affect things... though hopefully not too much, as I'll be bringing both my laptop and tablet and will have plenty of free time to work on stuff. It's mostly just that it's always hard for me to draw in new places as it's super awkward for my hand and I can never get the physical placement and setup of my tablet so that it feels as natural as here. But since the majority of the upcoming work will be Iggy sprite coding for Arc 5 and writing of the after stories, that helps.

And that is pretty much it, I think. I hope you have enjoyed this update!

My anxiety has been pretty bad lately in general, particularly with unemployment stuff (my insolvent employer not doing what it needs to do re: paperwork and causing me great stress) and tax stuff (that time of year as always... did I ever tell you that tax-related stuff is my number one anxiety and panic attack-inducer??? LOVELY!!). And that's not even taking into account the fact that I have no job now and no prospects. Sooooo... yeah. I'm really just. Trying to bury myself into and distract myself with this release so I don't have to think about any of that! Yay!! Honestly it really has helped so much. Before this, I had zero hope and motivation about anything, but now I do have some optimism and excitement again. Even if from day to day I'm still struggling a lot with anxiety and depression, it gives me something to focus on and work towards each day, which has been a big help for me. I really really hope that the launch can go well!

I leave you with some sweet art that I drew in one of my darkest hours this week that helped to give me a little spark of joy: