celestialcrownsvn

[celestialcrownsvn]

March Update

Hello all! Let's jump in.

Voice Lines

I started using snippets to make inserting the voice lines easier, which took a bit to set up but streamlined the workflow. I also have my boyfriend helping me insert lines now as well, so that I can focus on camera animations and coding in the new CGs.

Programming

I'm at scene 12/22 for Sahi's main route, things got a bit busy at work for me and slowed me down. But I don't anticipate it taking much longer now that I'm getting help with the voice lines!

CGs

I wasn't happy with the first CG from one of the new artists, so I decided to just use one instead of the two. It will make the CGs take a little longer, but they should still be finished in time. It will also allow for a more consistent CG style. 

Two new CGs have been completed, I've posted some WIPs in the discord.

Writing

I don't think I'll be adding much to Sahi's route, I was much happier with it compared to Aalam's. But there are a few things I want to adjust or add to, mostly in the endings. Another reason why programming the main part of the route shouldn't take that long.

Music

I'm poking the composers, I hope to have an update on the three new songs soon.

Conclusion

That's it for me! Not much to say but that progress marches steadily onwards.

[celestialcrownsvn]

February Update

Happy February!

Lots of progress guys! I have new CG stuff at the bottom, so spoiler alert if you don't want previews!

Programming

It's happening!! 

Aalam's route is fully programmed, all it's missing are the last CGs. I'm currently working on Sahi's route with 1/30 scenes done. February was hella busy for me so I didn't get as much done as I wanted, but here's hoping I'll finish Sahi's by mid March. I don't plan on adding nearly as much as I did to Aalam's route. Sahi's route has always felt more "complete" to me, probably because the childhood friends to lovers romance is an easier one for me to write.

Yay programming! 

Once Lune's route is done, I want to go back through the whole game and just add some polish and things like more animations, effects, etc. I sprinkled in some of that for the spellcrafting in Aalam's route, but there's always room for improvement. First though, I need to get a finished product. 

Voice Acting

Voice lines are in for all the mains, I'm just missing one side character. Hopefully I'll be able to get in touch with them soon. But for the time being, all the lines I have are in the game and I just need to code them in!

CGs

Most of February was spent on this, and I have found new CG artists! I have one currently working on the new CGs, and one finishing up the one's Erupan was sketching. Here are some previews! I'm super excited for how they're turning out.

SPOILER ALERT

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Conclusion

I'm still pretty happy with my progress, and now that I've found CG artists and the voice lines are mostly taken care of things are back to smooth sailing. Next month I should have some updates for you about the music, and hopefully I'll have more news about Sahi's route. I have still been uploading testing previews in the Discord for those who want more sneak peeks!

[celestialcrownsvn]

December Update

Hello all! A short update while I recover from the holiday, all the VA scripts have been given out and I already have some lines in! From now I'll be focusing all my attention on programming and testing the routes.

I found a new tester! So hopefully I'll be able to beat out all the bugs before release for minimal patches afterwards.

I am still looking for a new CG artist, but there are only a few left so I'm not too concerned, I'm focusing on programming for now and once I have a better stock of what I need I'll begin that search again. I originally had a backup already but that fell through. No worries though, I'll find someone to finish strong!

[celestialcrownsvn]

November Update

Hello all!

I'm happy to say that scripts for all named characters have been given out! Lines are due mid to late December. Now I just need to give out scripts for secondary characters, and voice acting should be pretty much done by the end of the year. 

I was sad that I couldn't afford to fully voice the project, but the partial voice is really growing on me, and of course everyone's performances are fabulous.

That's what I've been working on this month, and I hope to get those last scripts out before we get too far into December and holiday stuff gets in my way. 

My goal for next month is to double down and finish up Aalam's route, so we'll see how it goes. 

Thanks as always for your support!

[celestialcrownsvn]

October Update

Hi guys! Thanks again for all the support regarding my last update. Stopping the marketing has been great for my mental health and I've finally been able to make progress on the game. 

Backgrounds

All the backgrounds are... done 😰I feel like that can't be right. But, I've got them all, and barring any issues where I need to commission a couple more, we should be all set.

Programming

I have programmed 1750/7255 lines of Aalam's route so far (Scene 5 of 30)! This includes voice, music, animations, etc. Once I get through this round of programming, it'll be ready for testing. Last time I asked for volunteers for beta testers, but due to mixed results as far as people keeping deadlines, I don't think I'll be doing that again. I might ask a select group of people and see if there's anything left in the budget I can offer as payment.

Writing

Most of the new writing for Aalam's route is in later chapters, so I didn't do much this month aside from some editing of typos, etc., as I started from the beginning to program/polish all at once.

CGs

Good news and bad news on this front. The good news is that my CG artist is okay and isn't in any danger as far as we know. The bad news is that she has decided to leave the project. I am going to reach out to another artist once I finish taking in all the sketches/finished pieces she's done and seeing how much work is actually left.

Voice Acting

I hit a snag when someone asked me about the VA strike. I wasn't aware of it, as I haven't been keeping up with current events due to life stuff. But we came to an arrangement, and I'll be sending the VA scripts out soon, hopefully today. Essentially, I'm making a commitment not to use any of the voice lines received for AI training, now or in the future. Which I think is a very simple thing to promise and I can't believe people are having to strike for what seems like common sense. Anyway.

Conclusion and Timeline

That's it for me folks! Your support has been so uplifting, so thank you again.

I've been very busy with IRL work lately so I haven't had as much time to work on CC as I wanted, but I'm hoping to finish Aalam's route and send it to testing by the end of November. Slow and steady wins the race. 💪🏾

As a side note... my birthday is Friday, a great present would be to wishlist the game!

[celestialcrownsvn]

September Update

I only have 2 bgs to show this month because the rest would be spoilers!

CGs

My CG artist was the unfortunate victim of a cyberattack, and I have not heard from her in some time. I am hoping that she will return soon and let me know if she's okay, but in the meantime, I am just holding tight. The CGs are almost all done, so in the event that she is unable to return to finish them, there shouldn't be a holdup finding a replacement. 

Conclusion

I have really been struggling with my mental health recently, and I was diagnosed with depression earlier this month. I'm doing what I need to improve and I've been trying to power through and keep going on as I had been, but it's apparent to me now that I won't be able to. So I've decided that I am going to stop focusing on marketing for Celestial Crowns and instead direct my attention to just finishing the game. This means that I won't be updating the tumblr or twitter regularly any longer, nor will I be doing anymore drawing streams. The stress of it all was giving me a lot of anxiety and I don't want that to get in the way of delivering what I've promised you guys. 

I will still be updating the Kickstarter page monthly (and posting an update here monthly along with it) to keep you guys in the loop, and still plan on delivering the game and all the rewards along the original timeline (Dec 2025 or earlier). Since I made everything I needed for the game and have already paid for pretty much everything but the last round of voice acting and the remaining backgrounds, the profit from the game is less important to me than my mental health. I had hoped to keep up the marketing efforts so I could make enough in the end to work on some extra routes for you guys, but unfortunately, I don't see that happening now.

You will still see me around on the Discord server, answering questions or fixing bugs. Or just feel free to say hi :) 

[celestialcrownsvn]

9/3/24 Update

I'm alive!

Writing

No real progress on this front, though I'm starting to program in the new backgrounds tonight, which means I'll be editing as I go.

Backgrounds

I can't show you the new backgrounds because there are spoilers this time, but we have two new gorgeous ones! I will post previews in the Kickstarter update on the 12th.

Voice Acting

I'm behind getting the final scripts out to the VAs, but I'm hoping to send them out sometime this week!

[celestialcrownsvn]

8/13/24 Update

Hi guys, made some good progress this week!

Backgrounds

The BG artist is hard at work! I don't have anything I can show you yet, but the next few bgs are gonna be gorgeous!

Writing

I'm still working on that new Aalam scene!

I had to take a little break to fulfill some other commitments I haven't had time to work on, such as my Patreon stories, and Beauty Kills the Beast. Speaking of...

Beauty Kills the Beast

BKB is a spinoff of Celestial Crowns that I'm updating weekly on Dorian. It's a lot of fun and expands upon the CC world with three new love interests! It's a freemium game but I always make sure the free content is still enjoyable. And any money spent on the game goes straight to supporting Harlevin Studios. ...Which is my studio name.

I created a new tumblr for BKB (@beautykillsthebeastvn), so you probably won't see much about it here except for major updates.

Weekly Drawing Stream

It's today! In just a few minutes! come join me at https://twitch.tv/harlevinvns

[celestialcrownsvn]

Episode 5 Live

As promised this is a bonus episode featuring Malik x Caswyn.

It has 2 CGs, and a dash of spice 🤭

Comment here or on the episode to vote on who gets the next CG!

This pairing was really fun to write about. There's a lot of dramatic irony because of what the character knows... is Caswyn genuine? Or is it all a ruse?

I'm calling this pairing snakecharmer 😘

I'd love to hear what you think!

[celestialcrownsvn]

August 6th 2024 Update

Hello all,

Writing

I've written around 1000 new words for Aalam's route, about halfway through a new scene--minus the branches. I think it will be the only entirely new scene, the other edits are just tweaking existing scenes to make sure everything fits right. Here's a little preview:

Backgrounds

I also just got news that the Andromeda library bg is done. You guys are not ready for how beautiful it is. Here is just a small preview. Kickstarter backers will be able to see the whole thing in the update on the 12th.

Every time I see a new BG done, I cry. they're just so pretty ;;

I've set new deadlines for myself to try and get back into a groove:

Aalam's route edits: end of September

Sahi's route edits: end of October

Lune's route edits: end of November.

Full game edited and programmed: end of December.

I'm not totally positive about the programming being done by December, but we'll see. I'll be programming most of it while I edit anyway, but there's a lot of small touches and polishing I know I'll want to do.

There's still plenty of time though.

Music

The composers have gotten their marching orders and are starting on the new songs for the LIs. I should have something to show for that by early next year.

Tumblr

I am going to start doing these weekly updates again, sorry again for the long hiatus. I'm not going to say things are calming down for me because every time I do some new terrible thing happens, but at this point i"m just trying to power through.

Weekly Drawing Stream

The weekly drawing stream is tonight on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/harlevinvns

Beauty Kills the Beast

BKB will be updating weekly from now on. Even if you can't afford to support me by buying the premium content, I hope you'll still check out the game and have a good time with it.

Kickstarter Rewards

I will be working on the guide once I finish the game edits, so probably starting in January.

I've been slowly chipping away at the lore book, and I'll work on that in earnest once the guide is complete.

Conclusion

Your support means everything to me. Every like and reblog on here genuinely makes my whole day. Thanks so much for having faith in me and I promise I won't let you down. Celestial Crowns is close to the finish line guys, let's push it over the edge.

[celestialcrownsvn]

I decided to make a separate blog for this because that seems like a thing people do…this is my first attempt at a phone game and it feels weird. But there have been success stories on Dorian and I’m in financial hell right now so any support is greatly appreciated 🫡 it’s freemium so you can of course enjoy the story without paying anything.

This story is set in the celestial crowns world and it’s been nice playing with something a little less serious. There’s drama of course but I feel a bit freer writing these characters because of the weekly update format and the attempt at monetization. What I mean by that is, since I only have a week, there’s less pressure for everything to be perfect. So I just do as my muse tells me. It’s very indulgent and that can be fun, too.

I’d love any feedback you have if you play, be it criticism, or requests for content in future episodes. I’d love for the fans to get really involved so I can give you guys exactly what you want. Please follow the tumblr and send any asks there.

A new episode of beauty kills the beast is live! And I’ll be updating weekly from now on. 🥳

If we can hit 500 bookmarks by the next update, I’ll include a special spicy oneshot featuring players’ favorite couple! Help spread the word 🌶️

https://dorian.app.link/Kb2HMbIctIb

[celestialcrownsvn]

Can you save the villainess when you don't remember who wants her dead?

Save the Villainess is a fully animated villainess isekai game that lets you:

🦋Control a witty and determined investigative genius of a villainess 

🦋Gather clues and solve mysteries and puzzles as an assassin stalks you

🦋Use your genre savvy to determine which of your potential love interests – including a Crown Prince, a Duke of the North, a Childhood Friend, a Servant, and a mysterious woman – is your would-be assassin

🦋Use your genre savvy to determine which of your potential love interests – including a Crown Prince, a Duke of the North, a Childhood Friend, a Servant, and a mysterious woman – is your would-be assassin

Play our fully animated demo through our Kickstarter campaign!

[celestialcrownsvn]

Weekly Drawing Stream has returned

Live at https://twitch.tv/harlevinvns

[celestialcrownsvn]

Update 7/17/24

Hello Tumblr, I'm back! I'm so sorry for the unmentioned hiatus. I just had a lot of stuff going on that I had to deal with and didn't have the mental capacity to keep up with socials. I'm trying to ease myself back into it, so I will be resuming my once a week posts on tumblr, and I am aiming for two twitter posts a week.

So despite the fact that I've been away, there has been some serious progress made on the game. Specifically, backgrounds!

Backgrounds

Sorry for the duplicate, I just loved Aalam's room so much I had to share twice ^^

That's right, this is our first look at Aalam's room, and the full city of Andromeda! Mika has been doing a fantastic job with the backgrounds and there are only a few left! Which means that I'll be able to program in style and see the game really come to life as I keep writing.

We also have both the Laute and Andromeda infirmary, the Laute dungeon, and Aalam's family cabin!

Community Goal Reached

We hit one of our community goals--1000 steam wishlists! 🥳

This means that I will be adding an additional CG to the game! It will be in the first few chapters, so I've asked the CG artist to prioritize it so I can get an updated demo out. Look out for sketches in the Discord sneak peak channel if you pledged at that tier!

Writing

I have continued writing and am currently working on a new Aalam scene! Here's a look:

In this scene, Aalam takes Terra on a romantic sleigh ride. Who knows what might happen...?

Music

I have decided to add three more songs to the game, specifically theme songs for the LIs. So I will be speaking with the composers soon about those!

Conclusion

I am steadily moving along! Now that I've started writing again I'm hoping to have some meatier updates moving forward, but it's always difficult because I don't want to give too many spoilers.

Thank you all for being so patient!

[celestialcrownsvn]

are you okay??

Yes, I’m fine! I had to take a brief hiatus and I forgot to post about it on tumblr. 😅 But regular updates will resume within a couple of weeks! In the meantime, I posted an update on Kickstarter for backers.

Thanks for checking in 🙏🏾

[celestialcrownsvn]

Update 5/5/2024

Hello all! I've been slowly settling into my new circumstances so sorry for the gap in updates! It's been difficult for me to get back into a routine but I'm doing my best.

Note, there's a free Lune wallpaper currently available in the Discord. Sahi and Aalam ones soon to come.

Writing

I've started writing again for the third draft, updating Aalam's route first. So far there's about 1000 more words. I don't anticipate adding more than 10,000 but there are a few scenes I need to add or flesh out. 

Backgrounds

Mika has been busy! 

For some backgrounds I did an "Andromeda" version and a "Laute" version. I think it's pretty clear which is which! 

Music

I've decided to commission a few more songs for the game, namely themes for each of the LIs. Look forward to more news about that!

Conclusion

That's where we are, I'm hoping to pick up the pace a little bit once I move into my new place in June. It's been super hard for me to focus where I am now because there's a bunch of bugs and I don't really have room for my things.

I'm working on a VN for Otomejam with Fablesoft, so you can look forward to more updates about that here soon. 

The weekly streams have started up again, so join me on twitch.tv/harlevinvns to watch.

[celestialcrownsvn]

4/6/24 Demo Update

Hey guys, got that demo update I promised. It's up on itch.io right now and will be updated on Steam tomorrow.

Some major changes to note:

Bellatrix's sprite has been changed to better reflect their voice actor's appearance, per the VA's request.

The stat screen can no longer be viewed while clicking through and reading. I saw a lot of confusion in testing over how to close it during choices, so I've added a 'close' button to head that off.

All skin tones have been added and reflected in the CGs.

Please report any bugs to the Celestial Crowns discord.

Here is the full changelog:

Added additional voice "barks" for Lune, Terra, Sahi, Celeste, and Aalam

added 15 new SFX

added existing SFX in places where it made sense to

added additional art assets to ballroom scene

added camera animations throughout first 3 chapters

created chapter cards for first 3 chapters

implemented new skin tones

added voice lines where needed

fixed bug where camera was not working properly when skipping

updated textbox

updated popup for increased stats

updated save/load screen bg

updated preferences screen bg

added additional text effects in some places

added new theme song

added new sad song

added new romance song

changed music on character select screen 

adjusted button size for title buttons to ensure the hitbox was working properly

adjusted text size of save file names so they fit under the screenshots

adjusted Terra's history screen picture to be generic to accommodate all skin tones

changed some text for clarity (no trade at all if marriage goes through, the only benefit is they must protect each other when wars happen)

changed main menu

changed character customization music

There is also a new trailer. Give it a watch, it has some new CG teasers ^^ Any feedback/constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated, video editing isn't my strong suit.

New BGs

Our BG artist is on fire! We now have a first look at the inside of Andromeda castle.

I still haven't had time to sit down and start writing the third draft in earnest as some life stuff tripped me up, but with any luck by next week I will be ready for that. Hope you enjoy this update in the meantime ^^