Q: What is this project?
A: Underlegends: Patience and Bravery is a fan-made prequel that tells a story of two humans who once fell into the Underground together at some point before Frisk. One human has a light-blue soul and the other has an orange soul.
Q: So, is this canon? Or a new AU? Or a different timeline?
A: It's... none of those. Or something in between. However you want to see it. I prefer to say that the events of the game are a legend. Hence the overarching title - Underlegends. Someone in the hypothetical "present" peaceful time is telling the tale of events from a distant past. It's unknown what's true and what's distorted over time. And in which universe all of this took place, let everyone decide for themselves.
Q: Why did you choose this explanation?
A: Because for me, that's not the main point. No matter how much you try to argue that your game adheres to all canon rules, takes every detail into account, and Toby Fox himself would have released it if he weren't busy with Deltarune, someone will always find some inconsistency, accuse you of lying and betrayal, and generally say that it's all nonsense. Arguments and disputes will arise, shifting the focus away from what I truly believe are important things.
I don't want to prove to anyone how well or poorly I understand the Undertale universe, I don't want anyone to prove the same to me about themselves, I don't want to label or create unrealistic expectations. I just want to tell a story that came to my mind, because that's why we love videogames. To put it very roughly, a similar story could have been told completely detached from the world of Undertale, but I just love how it fits into it, so this project is exactly a fangame based on the motifs of the game I love so much.
Q: What will all of this look like then? What can we expect from the project?
A: While this isn't the most crucial aspect of the project, as I tried to convey in the previous question, I nonetheless strive to keep the events of the original Undertale as untouched as possible. I try not to alter the history of the Underground, create alternative versions of familiar characters, or parasitize on them in general.
Instead, I want to expand upon it all, adding new locations, new heroes and villains, telling a new story, accompanied by an original soundtrack with its own melodies and leitmotif system, but trying to preserve the style and atmosphere of the original game. If you still need a very specific image - perhaps I can say that of all the existing fan projects, the one that is most closely aligned in philosophy and concept with mine is the recently released Undertale Yellow. But we will have plenty of differences from it, so don't rush to conclusions based on one rough comparison.
Q: Are you just trying to replicate the success of Undertale Yellow and capitalize on its release?
A: Actually, no. The project idea came to me back in 2019 independently of anything else. At that time, I was unaware of the existence of Undertale Yellow. So much so that the original concept of my story featured the yellow and blue souls. Over time, I became acquainted with the demo of Undertale Yellow, which influenced the decision to change Justice to Bravery. Recently, I've happily played the full game. I have a great deal of respect for the Undertale Yellow team, genuinely thrilled by their success, and grateful to them for instilling confidence in my own project with their story. However, my goal was never to replicate their journey, and it never will be.
Q: How and when will the game be released?
A: The game will be released in chapters, so that after the demo release, you won't have to wait 7 years for the full release. There will be a total of 3 chapters, each acting as an independent act of the story, yet together they form a cohesive narrative. The first chapter will serve as a demo version, similar to the release system of Deltarune, and is expected to be available in 2024.
Q: Can we be sure that the project won't die out? After all, there have been many ambitious ideas that were abandoned, and their creators disappeared.
A: That's absolutely true, there's never a 100% guarantee of anything, and such a risk does exist. However, to alleviate some skepticism, let me provide some context. The idea for the game first emerged in 2019, back then it was completely different, much smaller in scale, and like many things dreamed up at 17, it quickly fell by the wayside, existing only as a bundle of text documents and about 20 soundtrack pieces.
However, in 2022, when many of us needed some refuge from the world's events, I returned to this idea and since then have been filled with determination towards its development. I never once thought of abandoning the project, expanded the story to span 3 chapters, composed over 60 soundtrack pieces, started programming a prototype, and even made the project's demo version the subject of my programming diploma, which I'll be defending in the summer of 2024. So, I simply have no choice but to see it through to the end. And if you support me in this, my motivation will only grow stronger, and together we'll create something truly awesome and grand.
Q: Will sans appear in your game?
A: nah, he's too lazy to join the party.
Q: And what about other familiar characters?
A: I try to focus on the original story and characters but there might be someone you'll be happy to see!