#when stars collide

[steamberrystudio]

24/03/2024 Devlog

Hallo! Time for the bi-weekly tumblr update! 

Writing:

I have finished revising Chapter 6 and am about halfway through Chapter 7. Chapter 7 is the longest chapter in the game (by far) and will be longer when it's done as one of my goals is to flesh out the character interactions in this chapter and make them a little more interesting.

Art:

Received two new completed BGs (a restaurant and a Kav-specific BG) plus a new location sketch of, appropriately, a very sketchy place where sketchy things happen.

Other Stuff:

Nothing significant. I've been formatting each chapter as I get it revised but unlike a few months ago, I don't really have time to pick up many little extras on the side right now as real life is quite chaotic and busy, which means it's just easier mentally to focus on one game-development thing at a time instead of bouncing around.

I do have a little break this upcoming week so hopefully I can tick a few small things off the to-do list though including a few residual things I have to finish for GS backers who are waiting on some artwork.

Upcoming Weeks:

Mostly I will be focusing on the revision until it's done. I'm currently more than halfway through editing, and making decent progress though it doesn't always feel like it.

Chapter 7 is about halfway edited and is the longest remaining chapter to revise. (Not that the chapters after this are short - just short by comparison.)

The next two chapters are a little shorter and have a slightly higher ratio of common content in them so I'm hoping I can edit them faster since the "common" content has already been revised once.

I'm not quite optimistic enough to think I could get through two whole chapters in the upcoming week but I'll dream about it at least. Ha ha.

That's all for now!

Remember if you want more detailed and weekly updates, you can support on Patreon, where I update every week!

[pandorasteapot]

“I want a girlfriend,” complained Marlene and leaned with the back against the door, keys dangling from her hand, the bright red leaden touching the floor.

“Trust me, you don’t,” said Lily sliding down the door to sit on the floor. “Relationships are hell.” Marlene doesn’t remember if she’d been single that night or not. But it didn’t matter.

Marlene tried sitting down, too, but instead tipped over. Both of them erupted in giggles while Marlene regained her confidence, before she finally got on the floor, her hand now firmly against the wall.

“Are you okay?” Lily asked, suddenly all serious again.

Marlene brushed it off. “I never even fell.”

They looked each other deep in the eyes. And then they kissed. Did Lily kiss her? Did she kiss Lily? Marlene didn’t know.

They stopped, and Marlene was catching her breath, the alcohol was already clouding her mind too much for her to make sense of what was happening.

Lily gagged and jumped up, running into the bathroom. Marlene cursed and got up too, much slower, and followed her, ready to hold her hair and pat her shoulder.

keep reading on wattpad or ao3

[otomegamesandme]

I really liked Changeling! It's cute, the mystery is pretty interesting, and i like how the routes can unfold with different focuses. though Gilded Shadows by the same developer ended up being my favorite, because I appreciate having a sci-fi VN with an adult MC

Funnily enough I followed Changeling before it was even out (I know I know, it's taken me forever 😭) and I've been really enjoying it so far! I feel bad I haven't gotten to it sooner, especially since it's one of the more popular indie titles!

I also have Gilded Shadows on my to-play list. Sci-fi is such an under represented genre in otome, and I wish there were more! I'm also super curious about the title they're currently working on When Stars Collide, which is a science fantasy as well!

[absolutelyhetalian]

theyre interacting again 😻‼️‼️

[zeb-z]

The Tipping Point is an apt name for this episode. Crosshair has reached his with the Empire, and has done a full 180 to risk everything to warn his siblings. Hunter has reached his with Cid, having had enough of her bullshit. Echo being asked what his point will be, when enough will be enough, fighting against a force that he cannot defeat.

The episode itself has taken a turn in the severity of darkness, if that makes sense. We see more of the interrogator droid than we do Crosshair, but the torture is still on screen. We hear the needle, we hear his cries, we watch the scientist and clones do nothing but restrain him, promising to find his breaking point. There’s another depiction of an Imperial electro-cyanide pill suicide. Clones are blatantly called property of the Empire. The creeping horror of the top secret science operations, the clones going missing, the doctor who was dismissed from the Republic because his experimentation and methodology were too extreme, too horrific.

And then alluding to what’s next. Echo being asked when will it become too much, what point will he go home and stop fighting impossible odds, and his response is likely going to be never. Then Crosshair having no choice but to face too much. Torture until he breaks, or he dies. Both fighting against impossible odds, the terrifying and seemingly all powerful might of the Empire.

It’s showing boundary lines, and the crossing of them. It’s showing the way the Empire brazenly takes the point of no return as a first step into cruelty and disregard for life. How that becomes the point at which more and more are fighting back.

With Echo, it shows that determination pushes past tipping points - but with Crosshair, it asks: at what point past that is the breaking point?

[euesworld]

"If you were to look into my eyes, would you get lost in space? Would you get lost among the stars that hide inside my face? Would you fall as the galaxies collide? Would you find a place that you would like to hide? If you would, then you would know that I die a little each time that you look into my eyes.. that little orgasmic death, the one where I am thinking of my lips on your neck."

There are universes in us, come and visit mine - eUë

[kitsunabi]

I keep reading the lore and like I am absolutely doubling down on the idea that DF in the animation is 100% not the actual personality of DF. It contradicts like all the lore we’ve received of him.

It is 100% a representation of DH’s personal fears and viewpoints as shaped by his time in the Shackling Prison and skewed perspective from the ones who inundated him with the knowledge of the crimes of his predecessor

[caramello-styles]

ugh I’m so busy nowadays (has ongoing kdramas to follow from mon-sat)

[topspin-the-fuzzy]

“Heh, that all you got?”

[that-glitter-chick]

Cyclones has risen in popularity since his unexpected romance, with the Autobot Tailgate, in the IDW comics. Back in the day he was an impressively deep and well developed personality added woefully late in the original series. I like to think of him as a precursor to Beast Wars Dinobot; honorable, brave, loves his culture but doesn’t always agree with his commanding officer, it’s enough to make me head canon him as Dinobot’s direct ancestor.

Imagine my surprise to find out that he was originally played by Roger C. Carmel, known to Star Trek fans as the original actor of the unforgettable character Harcourt Fenton “Harry” Mudd! Two VERY different characters indeed lol!

[steamberrystudio]

27/08/2023

So now that Gilded Shadows is wrapping up, I am promoting When Stars Collide from "Spare time project" to "Part time project"

What is the difference? Well, when I work on something in my spare time, that means it is late at night or the weekend. Literally when I am not doing anything else and just feel like tinkering with it. 

As a part time project, this means that I will be spending an hour or two each day during the work week to do things for this project. It will start making more steady progress even if I'm not focusing on it full time.

This is basically taking it from me spending 0 - 4 hours on it a week to 8-10 hours on it a week. 

My goal is to have the draft complete before the end of the year (by 'draft', I mean 'rough draft'). But more on that below.

Summary

Finished all scenes for the new chapter three

Finished Yren chapter 6 scenes

Started catching Kav's route up to the others

Edited Asher's CG to account for the new conference room BG

Small adjustments to Wil's first CG

Ramble

This week my big focus for WSC has been on writing. As I mentioned, I really want to get the rough draft completed by the end of the year. Currently the draft is nearly 70% complete (for those following updates in multiple places, when you see different percentages....it's because I've written more since then. Rofl).

Now, the draft was nearly 70% in the past as well but I added another route since then, so I lost some progress due to the increase in target word count. I'm also calculating things more precisely now as I created a newer and fancier writing spreadsheet to track my progress and keep myself on track.

I went back and wrote in the new chapter 3, reorganising all the existing chapters and scenes to accommodate it. 

I finished Yren chapter 6 (which catches him up to Noel and Raif). 

And now I'm working on catching Kav, the new character, up to Yren, Noel, and Raif. (Remember, Daaz and Asher's routes are already fully drafted).

I have written about 15000 words since my last update here. I don't expect to write that much every week and my goal is actually a fair bit more modest than that. Gilded Shadows is not 100% complete yet. I still have multiple KS related things to finish and, of course, I will be making corrections and focusing on its beta testing once testers have had a bit more time with it. 

WSC is still a part time project. This was just a particularly good week for it.

I have also worked on a few other things for WSC - mostly UI related and some art related things.

I received a new BG since my last update, and realised that...I have to revamp all the existing CGs. Or at least update them to change the background elements. I've only edited one so far but I don't think it'll be too much effort to fix the others.

And I continue to streamline and adjust the UI to make it look nicer and be more efficient.

So...

Kav. The new character. Kav'isari Tiaine, a Ka'mérian crew member who works in the space labs most of the time and specialises in identifying alien technology (what species it belongs to and what it does).

To explain where Kav came from, he actually popped into my head months ago. And every so often, I would contemplate whether or not I wanted to add him. I would say I first had the idea in January or February of this year. I would repeatedly think about it and dismiss it.

I then mentioned it to a friend sort of off-handedly back at the very beginning of June. A month and a half later, I mentioned him on a voice call on my server knowing full well that if I really talked about him and had a conversation about him, I would probably end up doing enough character brainstorming that he would become "real." And I talked about him anyway.

And that's exactly how he became an actual character. I think I had his sprite sketched out by the end of that day.

But he had existed as a concept long before that. The main reason I was willing to add him instead of ruthlessly telling myself no is just that I felt there was a gap in the cast for a gadfly style character who has a little mystery to him. And I just knew I could manage another route based on the length of Asher and Daaz's routes.

So...yeah. That is how Kav came into being. His introduction into the story has caused a few minor changes to standing lore or things in the prologue (just mentions of him, etc). But the changes to the currently public content of the game are pretty minor.

Kav won't actually appear in the game until Chapter 3. He gets mentioned a few times up to that point. There are some logistical considerations to his route but I have talked about those more on Patreon.

Speaking of Patreon, now that WSC is moved into "part time" status, I will be starting to slowly release some Patreon-exclusive lore posts for this game there. Like most games monetised through Patreon content, the lore posts will not be critical to having a full and complete game experience. Rather, it is going to be comprised of additional and extra lore content.

Some of the lore content released on Patreon will be in the game (such as character back stories) but Patrons will get to see it early and will get it presented in a different format.

Much of the content can be considered "extras" rather than necessary.

I will also be updating on the development progress weekly there (available to all patrons) rather than bi-weekly, and my updates there (going forward) will tend to be more detailed than the ones here.

Once episode releases start, Patrons will be able to access them before they the public releases. But backing on Patreon is not necessary to be able to play the game and get a full and complete game experience. It's just how this particular game will be monetised as I'm looking for more sustainable release styles so I can continue to make games.

That is all for this update. I will see you in a couple of weeks to talk about WSC again!

[pandorasteapot]

“You know I’m not the only one to write the songs, right?”

“You have the sole writing credits on fourteen out of sixteen songs on the last album, shut the fuck up.”

[formerchaoslord]

It's been a while since he was captured by this strange people, he even couldn't move him own limbs every time trying to move ends with horrible pains what that person done to him. Upon hearing the battle near he could only say with a low wick voice. "H...Help me ... it hurts." (For Gunvolt)

After Elise freed Roy from Asimov's grasp, she and the others tried their best to help him.

"His body is still trying to adjust to his new Adept powers..."

"How long must he be in pain like this?!"

"The time varies depending on the individual. Some of the people who were experimented on didn't even service the procedure..."

"Are you telling me Roy is going to die...?!"

"No, he should be fine. The fact that he held up for this long is a good sign that he's going to make it. All that's left is for his body to adjust to being an Adept..."

"Oh... Well, I'm glad he's going to make it, but I don't want to watch him suffer like this..."

"I'll try healing him to reduce the pain. Roll, Meddy, Atoli, may I have your assistance, please?"

"Yes, of course."

"Please, feel better, Roy. LaPha Repth!"

"I hope this helps, Roy. Recovery 300!"

"Don't leave us out. I know we're new here, but we can lend a hand. ToadMan, give Roy a Healing Song."

"You got it, Ribbita. Ribbit, ribbit."

"Roy...Once you've adjusted to being an Adept, let me train you. I'll help you control your new powers..."

"Normally, I'd object since training Roy is my job... But since you're an artificial Adept yourself, you're the best option to help him with this, Gunvolt."

"Um... I'd like to help, too... I may not be an artificial Adept like you, Gunvolt, but I'm still an Adept."

"I'd appreciate the help, Elise. Thank you."

"You're welcome... Um... This is all alright with you, right Luna?"

"Like I'd object to you helping someone! Go ahead, Elise. Do everything you can to help the Edgelord's apprentice."

"...Thanks."

"What was that? Did you just 'thank' me, Edgelord? Can I hear that again?"

"Don't push it, Drill Hair!"

"I was joking... But in all seriousness, Solo... We'll do everything we can to help Roy. I promise."

"...I'll hold you and everyone else to it, then. Take good care of him."

Solo walked off after that. The medics continued the healing afterwards.

"How're you feeling, Roy? Any better?"

[euesworld]

"Stars in my eyes with enough love to fill each galaxy, you'd never realize how much I love you.."

Galaxies collide in my heart every time that you smile, igniting every shadow within me for miles - eUë

[willerska]

GUYS my dash did SomeThing

rip us i guess

[beevean]

Sonic Frontiers

Undefeatable