#development blog

Hello everyone!

First off, I would like to thank all of you for your continued support! I usually publish short updates on my personal Twitter (or should I say X now?), but I thought it would also be fun to make long posts sharing my experiences and thoughts about the development of the game.

So, I decided to start a new series of articles talking about random things about the development of the game, like some kind of journal! I don’t use Tumblr lately, since I reach more people with Twitter, but Tumblr is perfect for long posts like this! 

I hope you will enjoy this content!

🌙🚂 Let’s start with a recap! 🚂🌙

I’m currently working on a remake of my second game, Midnight Train. The remake is titled Midnight Train: New Moon, and is being developed using RPG Maker MV.

Originally, I only intended to add new content to the original game, like new endings and an epilogue, but I ended up changing the engine and remaking everything from scratch. Thanks to all the feedback I received from the original release, I'm currently working hard to make the game more enjoyable for everyone!

Since it's a remake, it has a lot of new features that weren't present in the original: new graphics, alternate endings, improved gameplay, partial voice acting, many new cutscenes and events… and much more! But let’s talk about the new features in more detail in another post~

🌙🚂 Progress 🚂🌙

Since this is the first blog in this series, I think I should talk about one of the things most people are curious about! “How’s the progress of the remake”?

Before answering that question, I'll explain how I divide the work. Basically, I focus on each chapter in linear order. These would be the main steps:

◆First step: Working on the artwork ◆Second step: Mapping in Photoshop ◆Third step: Eventing all the maps in RPG Maker and testing ◆Final step: English translation

After I finish all these steps, I start working on the next chapter, using the same steps! 

Creating the maps is the most time consuming step because I also design and plan new mechanics, puzzles and new cutscenes, so it takes me a lot of time to finish them. Thankfully, once the maps are finished, I'm quite fast with the eventing, since everything is already planned!

Well…! Let’s answer the question now! “How’s the progress of the remake”?

I’m currently working on the maps of Chapter 2, which means Chapter 1 is fully completed, including the english translation! I’m almost finished with the maps of Chapter 2, so I hope I can start eventing soon ~ 

🌙🚂 Expected release 🚂🌙

This is one of the questions I usually receive, so I also wanted to talk about it: “When will the game be released?”

The answer is… I don’t know!

I’m working really hard, but it’s impossible to predict when I will finish all the work. For now, I can only offer updates about the development!

Which leads to another question: “Why is it taking so long to develop the remake? Shouldn’t it be faster than developing the original game?”

Honestly, that's what I also thought! But the reality is that the remake is taking twice the amount of effort that required the original. Or even more. Why does it require more effort? I think it will be easier to understand with this picture:

This is the comparison between two maps. Even though they look quite different, it’s actually meant to be the same map in-game. This map is basically a hallway that connects two maps, the purpose has not changed, but the map itself is different.

In the remake, I’m trying to create maps that are more interesting to explore, while trying to retain the charm and purpose of the original. This means I also added new events for the new environments, including new puzzles! There are a lot of new things to discover, and you can also learn new things about the characters.

However, the main inconvenience is that I can’t reuse anything from the old version. I must create everything from scratch, including:

◆Creating new dialogues when you interact with the new elements. ◆Adding new visual effects. ◆Creating new events that match the aesthetic of each map. ◆Adding new sound effects (voice acting and terrain sounds) ◆Adjusting old cutscenes to the new environment. ◆Creating new puzzles, depending on the map. ◆And more! The list is long!

So, in the end, working on this remake is like working on a new game. A more detailed, polished and professional new game.

🌙🚂 About the developer 🚂🌙

I usually don’t post much about myself, since I’m quite shy! But I also wanted to talk about myself a bit more~ 

As you may already know, I’m Lydia, the creator of Aria’s Story and Midnight Train! I’m often told by my friends that it’s weird to use your real name on the internet, but I like using my name haha

I also use the name LydiaBluebell on social media. Why Bluebell? Because it’s a flower that means humility, constancy, gratitude and everlasting love, which I think summarizes perfectly my journey with game development 💙 Thanks to everyone that supports me, you have my gratitude and everlasting love!

🌙🚂 Final thoughts 🚂🌙

Oh…! I think I already wrote too much in this post! If you’re still reading this, thank you! I hope it wasn’t too boring…! Next time, I’d like to talk about more specific things!

If you’re curious about anything in particular about my creative process, don’t hesitate to ask a question and I’ll try to cover it in the next post! 

Wield my armaments, babe!

Welcome to the first of many Sapphicblogs, where I explain monthly updates to Sapphicworld's Playtest Edition! You're currently looking at the Tumblr version of this blog, which lacks in-depth details and thoughts about the development process present in the Patreon version. Subscribe to the Sapphicworld Patreon for more!

Catalina Support

All Roseverte Games on Steam has been updated to work with Mac OS Catalina. There are some issue with Cafe 0 ~The Drowned Mermaid~ and Duplicity though, so please read the information carefully on Steam.

For the non-Steam version, I haven’t finished to notarize them, but they should work in Catalina until end of this year (since the notarize is mandatory start from next year). Only the non-Steam version of East Tower, duplicity and CAFE 0 ~The Drowned Mermaid~ might not working yet with Mac Catalina as they are quite old and I haven’t touched them for a while (kind of confused though, do people still use them?) 

How to Take Off Your Mask iOS ver. now supports Russian!

The review has finished and now it’s available on Appstore!

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/how-to-take-off-your-mask/id1031178753

How to Take Off Your Mask 40% OFF Sale on Steam!

Don’t forget to get the first game within this Eroolia series!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/365350/How_to_Take_Off_Your_Mask/

Eroolia Series Website Update

https://eroolia.roseverte.net

The website is now responsive and can be viewed better on smartphone. In a near future I plan to update other games’ sites in a similar format too.

Last

I never thought this year will end in just couple of months without I finished any other game T_T There are so many technology support, learning new engine, fixing website, preparation to start selling merchandise and others. I’m trying to update more info on my patreon (https://www.patreon.com/roseverte) though I must admit I’m very slow and it’s mostly about business experience T_T since well... that’s mostly what I’ve done lately T_T

There are still updates to come that I haven’t finished yet.

Google Play 64 bit supported apps-all apps must be rebuilt and the in app purchase needs to be re-code.

Roseverte Store updates.

How to Fool a Liar King French version.

Catalina support for non Steam games. Considering to only sell at itchio and steam.

Other games website update.

Re-coding and remake some assets for 3 games for hidden projects.

Remake a game from scratch for other hidden project.

Expanding business in Japan.

And others I can’t remember because there are too much things to do.

The Animal Shrine

Between 15.Oct - 03.Dec 2018, I had the pleasure (and stress, as it is with any big creative project) to work on my own game environment.

The theme is Feudal Japan, and was given by the Art Challenge for which I made the piece. The prompt was quite broad and everyone was allowed to pursue whatever genre they wished. I went more towards fantasy.

As rules of the challenge follow, I created everything from scratch for the 2 months deadline we were given. Every texture, every model, the layout and every but in the engine is my own design.

You can see the whole project over at my Artstation.

Making this was, well, quite the challenge. Deadline was super tight and this was the first project of this scale I do in 3D. My expertise was more limited just in painting before that.

You can see my page of my official development blog here.

Whilst making this, I made 16 blog updates, talking about how I am making the different bits and my decision making. I am going to post those 16 individual entries here on Tumblr now, and I hope that you enjoy it.

Software used is Unreal Engine 4, Maya, Substance Designer and Painter, Photoshop, World Machine an SpeedTree.

If you are interested in any of those, stick around, you wont regret it.

Pete.

This blog is for the development of my interactive novel Regrets of the Traitor, which will be made using the choice script format. I figured, hey, may as well give me a place to put everything, right?

It is about a fantasy world where you are the villain, except you have already won and have the kingdom at your beck and call. Of course, not all is well, and when you begin to receive visions of an otherworldly nature, you must decide whether to trust those who once trusted you, and hope they’ll trust you in return, or continue the fight alone. You can’t afford failure, for failure means death on a cosmic level.

The game takes place in the Kingdom of Hadaria, five years after you have vanquished its rulers and virtually ruined any trust those that used to travel with you had in you. You were supposed to be a hero, after all. You will be able to choose things such as sex, gender, sexual orientation, race and height, all of which will have an impact on how some characters and the world treats you.