HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO RESPOND TO THIS COMMENT, CHIM??????? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START?????????? 🤣💦
OK no I do and that's first ofc to simply thank you! Thank you not only for this essay(?) but also all the love and support you've shown for this game even long before this. I always look forward to hearing your thoughts about each new update as you always have so much to say and always analyze things down to their core and make me realize things about my OWN game and I just am always filled to the brim with so much love and appreciation and gratefulness and joy whenever I read your comments. AND THIS TIME WAS NO EXCEPTION I HAVE TEARS IN MY EYESSSSSSSSSSSSS. The amount of time this must have taken to write!!! GODDDDDDD. Thank you so so much for all the kind thought you put into your words 💕
"HOLY GOLLY MOLLY IGGY" --> LAKJDFLAKDJFALDSKFJAD
"the perfect conclusion to a perfect game" --> DON'T SAY THAT YOU'RE ALREADY MAKING ME CRY?????
But I digress your words are too much LKDJALKDS Thank you for all the kind words about the writing and music and animations. THOSE FREAKING ANIMATIONS LMAO. They are always the biggest time suck (and CG filler lkdjlfakd). Sometimes I just know that a scene needs to be set to music and no matter what I do, I'll never be able to make it match and be as impactful it is in my head unless I actually set the scene to the music, as opposed to just have it be written while the music plays in the background. It first happened ofc in Arc 1 where I actually did try to just write out that final scene first, but I was so displeased and unsatisfied with how it was turning out and lacking the impact I wanted it to have that I eventually just attempted to semi-animate it. And after I did that first one, ofc then every time I had a similar feeling, I had to do it again LOL (Thank you Arcs 3 and 4 that didn't require this somehow??? Though Arc 5 then made up for it by requiring multiple cutscenes lkdjafsd) ANYWAY THOUGH. Hearing such kind words about the animations in general makes my heart very full. I'm by no means an animator but I try really hard to think about how to stage each scene and take advantage of what I can do in Ren'Py to create different compositions and effects. NOW IF ONLY THEY COULD BE COMPLETELY ANIMATED LOL living in a dream world... sigh.
LKFDJALSKDFA I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU WERE SO MOVED / RESONATED SO MUCH WITH THE ENDING????????? The ending in general was something that I had kinda half figured out in my head before actually moving in to working on the finale. I had some scenes kinda set in my mind (like I knew I wanted them to confront the tree / the stuff with the roots, and I had the scene in the field in my head even since towards the beginning of production). But so many of the actual details and especially a lot of the meta stuff that ended up happening throughout those scenes only formed as I was actively working on it, so I consider myself very lucky that I was able to pull together so many of the strings and themes of the game and make them all come together the way that I did 🤣💦 (then again, a LOT of this game was that way, I really have no idea how I managed to get lucky so many times LKFDJALKDSFA)
"This theme of the monster residing in the perception of others, rather than being something inherent to a person, really touched me a lot, and it was the perfect conclusion for Bucks." --> LFDKJFKALDS THIS IS SO POETIC????? I was a bit nervous in general how people would respond to Bucks's part, not only because she's been kind of an enigma up until now, but also because she's done so many things to actively make people dislike her LOL And yet compared to the others, she has a lot less screen time. Though the structure of the story ended up kinda necessitating that. So I really tried my best to try to make her (and Hunar's) part of the story have as much impact as I could give it.
"And only the ignorant can remain innocent, because the world has its darker colours, and so do we. " --> THIS IS ALSO SO POETIC??? AND PHILOSOPHICAL????
"Being nice. Being kind to others. Trying to understand them. Apologising for our wrondoings. Always making sure we act with kindness and respect. These are the things we can do." --> Yes... sob.... I'm getting teary-eyed again...
The way you've written out so many of these things is really cutting to the core of me. I feel like I could never make a good analyzer, I would never be able to like pinpoint a lot of these things and write them out so succinctly and eloquently. I CAN'T EVEN WRITE THESE TYPES OF THINGS ABOUT MY OWN GAME???? So so often while working on this I would have people present to me themes about the game and I'm just like... omg you're right... BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA THAT'S EVEN A THEME THAT WAS THERE THAT I WAS GOING FOR. I'm really bad at putting things in words and instead just vibe through the story in a way that feels right to me for the way the chars and story is heading but I could never tell you why I do a certain thing or exactly what I'm attempting with it at any point in time. So whenever you come along and are like "it's doing this" I can only be like OMG YESSSSS THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE LDKJFALDKFAFD So thank you for being able to put so eloquently all these things I didn't even know what I was doing half the time.
I'M GLAD YOU LIKED SAYDIE WEEP. I was really happy with how her whole part turned out... 💕
"And seeing these characters happier, realising their dreams and being still imperfect, of course, because who isn't, but so much healthier." --> WEEP. I was also a bit nervous about this. What people would think about the skip back. If it would somehow feel like a cop out to not have to face the repercussions of everything that happened especially in Arc 5. But to me it's not that they don't have to face them, because they do, all those experiences are still there, but they've changed them enough that when they do go back, they're able to influence their lives enough to create better versions of themselves. Not perfect ofc. Because nothing is perfect. But better. Happier. Still making mistakes but being able to work through them better. And able to support each other better.
"accepting exploring a soiled world will also soil you, and that some soil is okay as long as you act with kindness was an excellent message." --> 🥺💕 This is so beautifully put.... ahhhhh.......
Sob I'm glad you liked the romance, too!! I really tried to make each choice feel not only earned but very different from each other in how the dynamics play out. Not only in their special scene but also in the epilogue. Because Iggy has such different dynamics with each of the possible LIs that play out completely differently. And also ofc hopefully putting a nice topper on each character arc in their special scene, too ldkajfda I feel like to really experience the entire story for all the chars you do need to play through each ending, but I hope that I haven't made it too difficult to achieve that 🤭 I also felt really cheeky in the neutral ending for having it to connect to OC. Maybe it's just me being self-indulgent but I liked the fact that even if Iggy chooses to focus on himself first as an outcome of the main game doesn't mean he still can't find love and companionship later (in OC).
" you and your game are the reason I've started working on Waterlily on the Froth lol" --> HELLO?????? AHHHHHhhhhhhHHHHHHH I'M SO TOUCHED???????? To think I could be the inspiration for something that also means so much to you!! That really makes my heart squish! 😭💕 Not that I wasn't already looking forward to it but now I am even more lakdfad
Goddddd.... how do I even wrap this up after all that LOL I am honestly just so moved and touched. Reading all this. Weeping inside (and out). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all these words and also for all your wonderful encouragement all throughout production since we first met!! It's been such a journey. FOR BOTH OF US. With all of our own games. And I'm so glad to have met you! Thank you for always taking so much time to write out all your thoughts so beautifully! And for your love and support for my games and characters and stories. And for being here as I saw this game through to the end (finally!!!). It really means the world!!! 💕