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 donât use Tumblr lately, since I reach more people with Twitter, but Tumblr is perfect for long posts like this!Â
I hope you will enjoy this content!
đđ Letâs start with a recap! đđ
Iâm 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 letâs talk about the new features in more detail in another post~
đđ Progress đđ
Since this is the first blog in this series, I think I should talk about one of the things most people are curious about! âHowâs the progress of the remakeâ?
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:
âFirst step: Working on the artwork âSecond step: Mapping in Photoshop âThird step: Eventing all the maps in RPG Maker and testing âFinal step: English translation
After I finish all these steps, I start working on the next chapter, using the same steps!Â
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!
WellâŚ! Letâs answer the question now! âHowâs the progress of the remakeâ?
Iâm currently working on the maps of Chapter 2, which means Chapter 1 is fully completed, including the english translation! Iâm almost finished with the maps of Chapter 2, so I hope I can start eventing soon ~Â
đđ Expected release đđ
This is one of the questions I usually receive, so I also wanted to talk about it: âWhen will the game be released?â
The answer is⌠I donât know!
Iâm working really hard, but itâs 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: âWhy is it taking so long to develop the remake? Shouldnât it be faster than developing the original game?â
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, itâs 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, Iâm 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 canât reuse anything from the old version. I must create everything from scratch, including:
âCreating new dialogues when you interact with the new elements. âAdding new visual effects. âCreating new events that match the aesthetic of each map. âAdding new sound effects (voice acting and terrain sounds) âAdjusting old cutscenes to the new environment. âCreating new puzzles, depending on the map. âAnd 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.
đđ About the developer đđ
I usually donât post much about myself, since Iâm quite shy! But I also wanted to talk about myself a bit more~Â
As you may already know, Iâm Lydia, the creator of Ariaâs Story and Midnight Train! Iâm often told by my friends that itâs 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 itâs a flower that means humility, constancy, gratitude and everlasting love, which I think summarizes perfectly my journey with game development đ Thanks to everyone that supports me, you have my gratitude and everlasting love!
đđ Final thoughts đđ
OhâŚ! I think I already wrote too much in this post! If youâre still reading this, thank you! I hope it wasnât too boringâŚ! Next time, Iâd like to talk about more specific things!
If youâre curious about anything in particular about my creative process, donât hesitate to ask a question and Iâll try to cover it in the next post!Â
See you all next time!
