Beautiful! The cover especially has my heart @Anathema Iām curious, is your icon MC with the rose? Also, do we know already what the Golden Rose is? If itās mentioned in the demo, I forgot
Wasnāt the golden rose an emblem of the Theers in the first, longer public demo? Or is my memory playing tricks on me?
My profile picture has nothing to do with the rose! Itās just a gift, although I suppose, it has a little bit to do with the game because Matt, the artist, was clearly inspired by it But it isnāt any character or symbol from the game, itās just something that I like to use as my pfp.
I have not yet disclosed what the Golden Rose itself is, no.
The Theersā banner is a rose against a field of green, itās true. Good memory!
@Anathema
I just wanted to tell you that ever since I played your demo Iāve been absolutely in love with this game. Thank you so very much for giving us the opportunity to be able to play your amazing story. Congratulations on your success, I very much look forward to playing the full game.
Rayvn looks at the artwork with a smile of approval. Riese grins at her from the couch.
Well, it seems that Rave here will be waiting a few more months, oy? Donāt worry, thisāll be goodā¦I promise.
Rayvn shrugs and nods as she heads to the couch & stretches out next to Riese, who strokes her hair affectionately.
Thatās some excellent work, @Anathema
How many ROs is there
Itās in the first post! Iād recommend reading it. Two confirmed: Hadrian and Alessa. But there is a bit of flirting with Lieutenant Vallen, and pretty clear signs of romance with the Theers; Alain and Ysabella.
Iāve had this saved as a must come read post for like a year. Iām so sad I never got a chance to before the demo got shortened since I have to wait until next year (according to the release date thread) to read it!!!
I did read the public demo and I cannot wait until the release of the full thing!
Finished the first draft of the Prologue!
And how long overdue this announcement is. Iāve been quiet about my writing process, and for that I am sorry. Truth be told, while I believed at the time that I had truly finished with the outline, it turns out that wasnāt quite accurate.
It also turned out that I wasnāt ready, mentally, to officially start writing. It was only after I had sent all the assets for Book 1 to Hosted Games - so when the art files were sent - that I could truly focus on Book 2. Itās a flaw of mine, not being able to compartmentalize and push worries out of my mind. So it wasnāt until the 20th of September that I could say to myself: āOkay, Iāve done everything, and Book 1 is done.ā
As a result, it wasnāt until then that I started book 2, and I had to go back and work even more on the outline. I expanded it - a LOT . As I was writing it, conversations and sentences came to mind, so I noted them all down and mapped the game as in-depth as I possibly could. I was writing almost entire scenes before I forced myself to reel back. So, now the outline is really done, and if anything, it made me so incredibly eager to write this book. There are some scenes I cannot wait to get to.
Cannot wait.
Just as I couldnāt wait to write the Prologue! And what a beast it turned out to be. This bookās prologue is different from the first one - this one will be as big as a chapter. Standing at 193 notebooks pages long, it grew and grew and deepened and deepened, and I could not be happier with how it turned out. Of course, being only the first draft, there are a lot of sentences and dialogue that is complete rubbish, but the core of the scenes are there - and Iām proud of them.
Next, itās time to put all those scribbles into Word and fill in the choices, the paths, and the variations. Time to try and put eloquence in my sentences and flow in my descriptions and refine my poor characterās voices. Make nonsense sound sensible.
Iāll start writing the second draft tomorrow! For now, I hope youāve all been doing well. Itās Autumn where I live, and the skies seem to forget theyāre supposed to be darkening. My days are still bright and warm, but the nights are starting to carry a chill that speaks of turning seasons. And so time passes, never stopping, never waiting, always traveling at its own rhythm.
And weāre left trying to keep pace.
Even your updates are poetry, Anathema
Can we romance the rich siblings? I forgot their names also is polyamory available?
Maybe and I doubt it
Their names are Alain and Ysabella, and they havenāt been confirmed as romance-able. But Iād guess probably a yes.
For romancing them, not a poly route, I mean.
Congratulations on submitting it to Hosted Games! Canāt wait to enjoy the rest of the story.
Both Alain and Ysabella are romantic options yes. As for poly, no. Ana has stated in the past there wonāt be a poly route in the game.
Hello, everyone. It feels as if itās been an eternity. In a way, eternity is the perfect way to describe it - the last few months were long and heavy, a burden the kind of which I never quite had to endure.
Truth is, I hadnāt been doing well. For the first time in my life, I dealt with a series of health scares - and while, in the end, it turned out to be nothing more than scares, it had a profound effect on me. Mental health has always been something that I took for granted - health in general, to be honest - but for a while, my mental health was in shambles.
I canāt quite explain what it feels like to be trapped in your mind as if you look out of a mirror and you hear yourself talking, and you see the faces of your friends and family, but youāre not really there, and thereās a knot on your throat, and youāre sinking deeper and deeper into a hole you canāt see a way to escape.
There are no words because I wouldnāt wish this on my worst enemy.
I am⦠So much better now. Iāve been writing again, and God, it feels so good. I can even read again, get attached to my books again. Iām back to exercising and food has taste again. I feel present when Iām going on hikes with my dog or I play with my cat. Iāve been neglecting them a bit, and thatās a guilt that will probably stay with me for a long time.
And when I hug my friends and my parents, I really feel them now. Iām not outside looking in any longer.
I couldnāt write, which is one of the cruelest sides of anxiety, how it robs you of the things that make you happy. So, in the last two months, I have to admit that book two hasnāt progressed much. Iām still working on the Prologue, which now stands at a meager 23k words, but Iām back to writing regularly again. I canāt quite meet my previous daily word count yet, but itās getting easier and easier with each session.
Iām almost finished with the first big scene of the Prologue, and Iām so excited to keep moving on!
In the meanwhile, April is closer and closer. Book One feels so far away right now, like a thing of the past, but it isnāt. Itās coming, and my dream to have something published is coming too. I cannot wait to share it with you all, I canāt wait to be able to openly talk about it. I know Iāve faded to the background, as have my characters and this world Iāve built, but theyāve never been in the background of my mind. And when the game is finally out, I hope they wonāt be in the background of yours.
Much love, sincerely,
Ana
As someone whoās gone through some dark times myself I cannot begin to describe how glad I am youāre doing better now. And youāre wrong, by the way. Your story (or you, for that matter) was never in the background of our minds, we were just waiting for your triumphal return. Glad youāre better, glad youāre back
Iām glad that your doing beter. I understand what youāve gone through more than you think. I havenāt gone through it for as long as you have though, at most it has lasted a couple of hours but I do understand. I know exactly how it feels. It was like I was blank, empty. A shell that wasnāt meant to exist. An imposter that wasnāt supposed to be here. If that makes sense? When I get like that what always helps me is calling or talking to a loved one or just focusing on something or taking deep breaths and focusing on the fact I am here, that I am okay. Even if I have to lie to myself. Mostly suggesting this to try and help anyway I can. Just in case something like this happens to you again. That way you can feel better sooner.
I completely understand when I was stuck in my house because covid I couldnāt get ID when covid happened Iāve been stressed out feel like Iām going to keep living in my familyās house forever canāt do my own thing like get a job try and was so stressed out I got angry with myself for not thinking ahead