Vortexily

So, dev blog #1..?

In broad strokes, the plot/routes of the game are mapped out, and I’ve made two major changes to it. One, the self-shipping is taking a massive backseat and might be scrapped altogether as I focus on the ships between the established characters (for those new, interfaction! is a game where you play a ghost ‘Shapeless’ who feeds on others’ emotions, and throughout the game, your actions bring different characters together). So you as the ghost are not really getting together with the cast, which is kind of a shame, but it just isn’t feasible for me to add all those routes within the plot.

Two, and this is a weird one, I’m making a combat system! It’s turn-based and very Omori-inspired. Because the game is centred around major conflict and some of the characters are already fighters, I thought, why not? There will be around 5-10 major fights with different variants depending on which characters you’re allied with and which ones are together. It’ll be very fun to design

The art for the game is really coming along, too. Here’s some stuff:

Obv third one I’m still working on, haven’t gotten to the background yet. I also want to experiment with creating some background assets and just scattering them across my scenes to add layers and detail, basically treating my canvas like I’m putting together a video game level like Hollow Knight/Silksong. I also keep fine tuning details in all the art and character designs, so these will probably still go through changes.

I’m creating music for the game! Right now, I got one track finished and I’m working on a tense/moody second one. I have no prior experience, no musical knowledge, but I persevere. I’m using BeepBox by the way. There’s a really good tutorial for it on youtube.

The least interesting bit is the coding. What I did create is a film grain overlay for the whole game, which you can see in the first illustration above^^ (but it’s animated in-game). I got a video of how I made it on my TikTok! I really like how it looks, and it just adds a bit of moodiness and character. Was a bit of a coding adventure…

I really should post more updates here, so follow me if you want to see! Next I’m going to work on the combat system and hopefully finish more of the writing. I didn’t really talk about that part here, but that’s also going on behind the scenes!

The scope of interfaction is so big that I really needed something I can finish in a month, so that’s what I’m challenging myself to do! Anyway here are my new lesbians

I unfortunately like evil men in top hats and bow ties with a very non-human canon form

I’m also obsessed with staticmoth

Instead, I’m working on interfaction! A visual novel that i refer to as a dating/shipping sim.

Each character is dateable, but also, you’re their wingman. My webcomic plot was already centred around a love triangle, so of course a player should be able to choose who ends up with who!

The OG cast had 5 characters, to which I added 2 newer OCs of mine (who are also one of the main ships, but, like everyone else, will have multiple potential endings!)

I’m doing the programming, writing, art all by myself, so it’s a *project*. So please follow me here and on tiktok where I’m showing my gamedev journey ☘️

See here some base sprites I’ve finished:

I recently got back into it and god I’m still obsessed. Ruby’s arc in v9 is so gooood

Also I drew this first in 2018-ish? This is that version:

I had to combine the doomed yaoi endings cus I’m sobbing. Jmart as Jayvik:

I mean that the Eye, Dark, Lonely, and Vast are the least forthcoming/explicit with the way they hurt people. The Slaughter, Hunt, Desolation, Flesh, Corruption all clearly imply physical pain, or at least clear psychological suffering. Their avatars are also volatile, actively going around hurting others. It makes sense that there’s way less cooperation between them.

Avatars of other Fears also show this pattern. If you take this as a spectrum of implicit to explicit cruelty, the End also leans more implicitly, I think, judging by how focused it is on the gradual, psychological fear rather than preying on brutal, violent ends (which would be more Slaughter aligned). See then also how Oliver Banks is someone who Jon even decided to spare because of how he had been willing to help him.

The Spiral is right in the middle of the spectrum, being cooperative on the surface but also willing to dirty its hands. See ep 187. You think they work with you but absolutely don’t.

Art from the finale, because I can’t get over Jon’s final statement, getting so close to becoming his worst version and giving his elegy to the Fears.

Webcomic lore: Diana is a secondary villain, at least in the first arc of the webcomic. As the casino owner in the city, she also serves as a connection to a bunch of other factions/characters. She’ll mostly interact with Mar and Aloides, with the three of them trying to work out plans together. Meanwhile, Ocellus and Darling are still with the Fey, reconciling social power with magical abilities.

Darling/Ocellus

Diana