LordArioch
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News From the Six Realms #97 - Slouching Towards Act 2
🕑 Added 2025-09-08 17:17:30 +0000 UTCHey all,
Been a while since I did one of these, but everything is moving along nicely. We got the last release out with the first chunk of the epilogue done, meaning we are one step closer to Act 2, which is something I'm going to talk about today, but first, I'm going to talk about this month's release.
As always, work is well underway to get the release out at the end of the month. I am continuing to work on the epilogue, focusing on the option to meet with Alexia during it. It is quite a large task as it requires four different versions, depending on her corruption level and her loyalties, so it is probably going to be all I manage this time around. Rein continues to work on Astarte, hopefully he'll turn in a chunk of one of the outstanding branches. Unfortunately, Gern has to take some time off to deal with real-life issues, but he has told me he will finish the last of the Jezera favour events before he does. DM is still working on Che-Lin, but it will probably not make it in till the next release. On the art side, I have the first set of CGs from last month now, and MDN is currently working on this month's sketches, which I will share with the backers when I have them.
Onto Act 2, with Rein's help, we've developed a solid outline for the act now, building on what we have achieved in the first game, as well as finding ways to make it more manageable so the trilogy can be finished before we die of old age. I'm really excited for you to see the new characters, locations, and mechanics as we level up using everything we've learned from making this one. To achieve this, I have begun transitioning Sommy from working on CGs into a role more befitting his job as art director. He'll still be doing one complex CG per release and still rendering those done by MDN, but the vast majority of his work from now on will be groundwork for Act 2. This falls into two general areas; the first, which he is currently working on at the moment, is improving the overall look of the game. He's liaising with our coder, JR X, to improve all visual aspects of the game using what is available with Ren'py. This includes, but is not limited to, parallax scrolling, depth, visual effects (like weather), and camera panning. In the near future, he'll be working with one of his associates to design the new UI and screens to give the game a new, updated aesthetic. Secondly, he'll be starting to work on the assets needed for the first release of Act 2. While it seems early to do this, since Sommy wants to give all of the main cast new sprites with updated outfits, as well as needing backgrounds for all the new locations, starting now is the only way to ensure there will not be a massive gap between acts as we play catch-up (the intro alone needs around twenty new assets). I appreciate that a few of you might be disappointed that there'll be less art in the meantime, but this is necessary for the health of the game, and in the long run, it is going to make for a much better second game.
That is all for today, but I hope you are all as excited as we are to see a little of Act 2 when Sommy is ready to share it. Regarding the release, my birthday is on the 27th, and my parents are taking me out on the 28th, so I am pushing it until the last day of the month, which is the 30th (although I may get it out on the 29th if it is finished). Until then, as always, take care of yourselves.
Comments
Lord Arioch
Sequel.
Hiccups
So will Act 2 be considered a sequel, or more of an updated expansion?
Tonysmica05
If so, great! And I want to see Alexia in 2K FHD or 4K. Although I'd like to see Act 1 included in Act 2, or at least continue where we left off in Act 1. Don't forget those of us who use Steam, thank you very much.
