Hi everyone!  Here's the news from Made Marion.

Fresh New Glossary

Thanks to our Beyond Stretch: Goodies funds, I've been able to hire an expert Ren'py programmer to add some things that I don't have the time or talent to add myself. Shawna is a joy to work with, and has given us a lovely enhanced glossary.

We now have automatic cross-referencing within glossary entries and sections for name pronunciation and maps!  The above map is temporary, of course.

Ambient Sound

I've also begun implementing ambient sound into the game. Three cheers to the folks who make ambience files for Dungeons & Dragons players!  They've incidentally created some perfect ambient soundtracks for a medieval fantasy game, and several of them have been kind enough to allow licensing for commercial video games.  By the way, you'll be able to adjust the volume level of the ambient sound to your liking, separate from music and sound effects.

Programming the Prologue

After consultation with Anna, we did a small development pivot. I decided to code in the Prologue and do the necessary related edits to our common routes before embarking on our character routes.  I've just finished the first prologue coding pass (story, backgrounds, sprite positions/animations, music, and sound) and everything looks great!  It feels lovely to hear the birds chirping in the background when Marion is out in Glastonbury's fields and forests.

Marion's father and stepmother in the new sprite style. Marion's new sprite is currently in progress, and she'll be wearing a slightly different dress in the prologue.

Sepia-tone for memories!  Ren'py has a new function that makes it very easy to tint backgrounds and sprites. By the way, Theo's design by one of our Character Designer backers is complete, and his sprite is at the sketch level. He's rather handsome, so we're sorry to report that he is both gay and taken.

Marion and her father have a lot of conflict in this chapter. It's only natural for two people who haven't seen each other in years and have similar personalities but very different outlooks on life. If only they'd had the time to get to know each other anew. Alas, I had to get the game's plot going!

I'm super excited about the prologue. I think it turned out very well, and it'll give everyone a chance to get to know Marion better before she's plunged into the deep end of her adventure.

See y'all next month!