Societal Shifting (part 2)

I personally believe that things will never be quite the same again after this pandemic. Many of the changes we will experience will probably be met with frustration, but hopefully we'll also be understanding, as we've been facing the sobering reality of seeing how fast a dangerous infectious disease can spread. I suspect we will see micro and macro changes in our society that may persist or even become a permanent part of our culture from here onward. One change that is debatable, however, is how we proceed with our use of online meetings, both for business and schooling. Science fiction has long predicted that learning will someday no longer be conducted through classrooms, but instead through monitored video meetings from our own homes. Meeting online means far less driving, which removes the risk of automobile accidents and lessens the cost of filling the gas tank and performing vehicle maintenance. Less driving also means less polution, so it is conceivable that some businesses or schools will reduce the requirements of meeting in person. However, our society is one that is dominated by extroverts, and the need for human interaction may supersede everything as it has before. As a borderline introvert myself, I know that I'd prefer to continue with online business rather than resume my long commutes to D.C. during the week!

Societal Shifting (part 1)

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and is abiding by the quarantine to prevent further infection so we don't overburden our hospitals as they help COVID-19 patients. As the quarantine continues, we're all wondering how long this will last before things “get back to normal.” Many of us have adjusted to working online, and many schools have transitioned or are in the process of transitioning to distance learning. We've also changed a lot of our daily eating routines: we've started eating out less (or not at all), and have begun receiving deliveries for food at home or we visit the grocery at odd hours to avoid people. We're probably eating a lot healthier than we have in the past, with more time to cook and more time to be together as a family. Some of these things will, no doubt, revert back to the way they used to be before the quarantine. But what in our society might change in the future? Getting back to normal might never be the same...

Opening of Demo played on Youtube by Shattered Controllers

Don't have time to try the demo for The Star Legation visual novel yourself, but you'd like to hear the music and dialogue, and see what it's all about? Shattered Controllers plays the first 20 minutes of the demo on youtube, so you can enjoy the beginning of the game here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSAMUHzzHfs&feature=youtu.be

Quarantine and the Future of our Society

I hope everyone is staying safe out there during this health crisis! A lot of us have transitioned to distance-learning and telecommuting to work. I've been thinking about the future implications of all this on our society, and I suspect that we may see a big industry rise up around this. I think businesses and schools are going to realize how easy and effective online learning and working is, so we might be seeing a big change in the future! I sure don't miss my long commute to D.C.! But on the other hand, many have also been suffering because their jobs have either been lost or temporarily shut down. Hopefully these businesses will find ways to adapt soon, and our society will be able to enter into a new era, where we are safer, more efficient, and have more time together with the people we love. Stay safe out there!

The Star Legation streams on Twitch tonight, 7pm CST!

Exciting news! The demo for The Star Legation is going to be streamed on Twitch tonight, 7pm CST, by the nice folks at Christ Centered Gamer! Here's the link to their twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/christcenteredgamer

Only 3 more days!

The Star Legation visual novel is coming to Kickstarter this Thursday, March 19! Sign up here to be notified on launch:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/starlegation/the-star-legation-a-scifi-visual-novel-game

The Gaming Community (5/5)

Gamers and game developers are imaginative people. Some have the ability to translate their imagination into a game, and others have the ability to appreciate and enjoy these creations. Although some game communities are competitive because of the nature of the games—and you'll find that in competitive sports as well—many gaming communities revolve around the game experience, the stories, and the characters. Gamers are always hungry for new experiences, but they are also extremely nostalgic, aggressively supporting reboots and remakes of older games they remember and loved. If you're an imaginative creator, I honestly can't think of a better community to be a part of!

The Gaming Community (part 4/5)

Have you ever talked to a gamer about their favorite game? Be careful, and be prepared, because you're in for a very, very long speech. We gamers love talking about our favorite games and gaming experiences, and we do so with such fervency and passion that it utterly confuses us why the listener's eyes start to glaze over after a few minutes. Gamers connect through their personal experiences in a game, and sharing these stories is something that makes gaming communities thrive. We remember these experiences vividly, too, so all it takes is a single image or tune from a game to bring it all back. Sadly, we gamers often feel like the amazing stories we've experienced in a game aren't known by enough people, and it's often this feeling of being in an isolated niche that causes gamers to bond more quickly with someone who relates.

The Gaming Community (part 3/5)

Gamers themselves often become fans of certain games because they recognize the passion that was invested in a game. In a way, gamers share in the vision of the game developer, because spending time in a game means immersing yourself in someone else's imagined world. Gamers often bond when they meet other gamers who loved the same game—they thrive on knowing that someone else shared the same powerful experience they had. These connections start to form into communities centered around a particular game or genre, resulting in devoted fans that seek out and follow everything related to their interest. When game developers see a community of fans that are excited about their game, it's incredibly inspiring and motivates developers to generate even more content for their fans. Uitimately, the relationship between a game developer and the game community is very symbiotic.

The Gaming Community (part 2/5)

As a gamer and a game developer, one thing I've really appreciated in the gaming community is how open and genuine game developers are with each other. One of the reasons this may be the case is because we're doing work that aligns with who we are, so it's easy to recognize and respect the personal passion and investment that is poured into our game projects. Game developers don't just do what they do because they want to make money—though, of course they need to earn from it, to keep doing what they're doing. But game developers are largely driven by their personal vision, and their desire to bring that vision to others.

The Gaming Commnity (part 1/5)

I've belonged to a variety of communities, but the gaming community is my favourite. There's something about this community that is really unique; it's a place where people of all types and ages are all bonding over the same thing. If you love games, then you're in. That's it, it's really very simple. But why is gaming a place where so many people can come together so easily and become friends so quickly? I think it's because we all have the understanding that it's about leaving reality behind to focus on having fun. There's no pretension or judgment, because being a gamer is a place of freedom--we understand that games are where we go to get away from the world, or at least forget it a while.

Voice Acting in a Visual Novel (5/5)

Regarding potential funding for partial voice acting, I've already been preparing for the possibility by scouting voice actresses. In order to accurately predict the cost, I've been talking with voice actresses that might fit the roles of the two female human characters. It has been a challenge in my search for one of the characters, an Asian woman named Kaori Tanaka. Kaori has a Japanese accent, and accents are challenging to maintain throughout even a few spoken sentences. Often, the focus on maintaining an accent interferes with the natural expression needed to convincingly act the lines. I am hopeful in my search, though, and if the campaign meets the stretch goal needed to fund partial voice acting, I will do my very best to cast an actress that really fits Kaori's character! I'll keep you posted on the launch date of the Kickstarter campaign, and if you want to be first in line to grab some of the limited, exclusive awards, subscribe to the monthly insider email list--they'll be the very first to know!

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Voice Acting in a Visual Novel (4/5)

What do I mean by partial voice acting? Some visual novels (VN's) do something like this with short little comments made at the beginning of a dialogue phrase, such as, "Well," or "Uh huh!." Personally, I find this to be distracting and sometimes even irritating. Instead of this approach, I am hoping to raise enough crowdfunding support to pay for full voice acting for two characters. Before you decide this would be weird, I'll explain the context. The two human females in the game--which the protagonist (Trey) can develop romantic relationships with--both of these women interact only with Trey through long distance holographic calls to his private quarters. Having these ladies voice acted would make their conversations feel even more personal, and I'm hoping that hearing their voices would even help enhance the potential emotional bond the player might feel with these characters. The cost of funding only two members of the cast is much more realistic, so I'm hopeful that extra money can be raised in the upcoming Kickstarter.

Voice Acting in a Visual Novel (3/5)

Developing a visual novel game is expensive, especially because of the costs for artwork. Add to that the writing, editing, programming, music composition, sound effects, and other miscellaneous costs, and it's understandable why game developers often turn to crowdfunding like Kickstarter to fund their games. I'll soon be launching a Kickstarter campaign to help fund The Star Legation, but I also have plans for the stretch goals. A stretch goal is a level of funding beyond the base goal needed for the campaign to be successful--it's any extra money contributed by backers beyond what's needed to make the game happen. Backers gain a variety of exclusive awards for their pledges, so the more people that know about the game and the Kickstarter campaign, the more likely stretch goals will be reached. I plan to make partial voice acting one of the stretch goals for my campaign!

Voice Acting in a Visual Novel (2/5)

The script for The Star Legation visual novel is over 900 pages long, which is over 300,000 words in length. Keep in mind, that number includes all the possible routes in this choice-based, branching path story. Recently, I've been collecting rate quotes from voice actors, and though rates vary, it is likely that the cost to have full voice acting for this game would be somewhere around $25,000 to $35,000. I've been creating and funding this game entirely by myself, paying talented artists for all the art assets I need to make the game while I've been writing the story, programming the game, and composing the music. Adding voice acting is a financial impossibility, unless I find some help. Tomorrow, I'll share my plans for the upcoming Kickstarter campaign...

Voice Acting in a Visual Novel (1/5)

Visual Novels are very immersive, with expressive character sprites, colorful background art, beautiful accompanying music, and even dynamic sound effects. Click- reading through character dialogue makes this visual style of book almost like watching a movie with subtitles, often with the added opportunity to shape the story itself through player choices. It's no surprise that some visual novels even go the extra mile to include professional voice acting for each character, which adds another immersive dimension to this video game genre. I'm considering voice acting for my visual novel, The Star Legation, but I'll definitely need a lot of help to make it happen...