Sylvia progress status & next update plans

Dear Patronettes and Patrons,

It's about time to write a public progress report for Sylvia.

We used to keep you informed by publishing artwork and scene preview videos. However, getting an overall picture from all these posts can be difficult.

We plan the next update for December 2023 / January 2024

Here is a table summarizing our progress

Let's dive into the details of this table to give you more context.

The update will include the following:

Chapter 2 Revision.

Similar to the first chapter, the second chapter got a revision of its story, and most of the spicy scenes got new and improved artwork. We introduced a new (non-romanceable) character, Tania, and the boat run race sequence is better integrated with the scenario.

Approximately 3/4 of the dialogues got changed. Our cast has already recorded all this.

The code for the "boat run race" is very challenging with Renpy. This represents a significant part of the work.

Chapter 3 & 4 improvements

We added transitions and improved artwork in those chapters.

The spicy scene between Sylvia and Léa has been improved, as has Sylvia's narration of what happened in the "club" in the 4th chapter.

We also added some scenes involving Valérie's story in the hospital. This implies recording new lines of dialogue as well.

Chapter 5 Alternate Branches: Bad Ending

As a sketch goal, we would like to include an alternate lousy ending. The artwork for it has been completed. However, it might not make it to the update as we prefer to focus on higher-priority work.

Questions/Answers

Why are artwork and animation ahead of all the rest?

Starting with artwork is the most natural way to continue the script. From the code perspective, getting at least full-resolution sketches as soon as possible is essential to preparing camera movements and visual effects. Those scene previews help artists visualize what could be modified to accommodate the scene better.

Once revisions are made, coloring and hand-drawn animation works can begin.
Here is a screenshot of our internal scene preview menu or Teasers, as we call them internally.

Why do some "not planned for this update" branches have some code already done?

We preview some scenes with the artwork during the sketch phase and after coloring and animation.
For this, we often reuse existing voice lines, and it's also an excellent way to add fitting music.
We usually publish those scene previews on Twitter/X to keep you informed.

Here is a recent scene preview on Twitter: "Valérie mechanic outfit reveal."

Why is dialogue writing 50% in some branches? Did you have the story written in advance?

The story was entirely written when the project started. We made improvements to it. The most noticeable change was the development and softening of Valérie's character. Valérie came from a pure "jealous" nature to a deeper personality. She is now someone who can legitimately forgive or part ways with the main character.

This added a new dimension to the game, and we are pretty proud of our Valérie.

Another less romantic reason is that voice acting is becoming costly. Since Chapter 4, we have worked hard to refine dialogues to be as close as possible to visuals.

We can't afford to pay for voiced lines we would not keep in the game. The pace and balancing of scenes with dialogues, effects, and visuals are delicate. And this work pays off when you save 99% of your recorded lines!

Why not translate (to French) while writing as Manor is French?

Translation is a time-consuming process. It takes a lot of work to include during the development.

We prefer to delegate this task to a professional once all the voice-acting scripts are recorded in English.

Will you have voice acting in other languages?

We had French voices while trying to maintain both English and French versions simultaneously. We currently have two voice actresses we can rely on for the French cast: Miss Nikita and Midnight Datura. Finding a natural French-speaking voice actress is incredibly hard!

That's almost the end of this report. I'll write another one next month.

In conclusion, I would like to thank BBCchan, Lalabun, and our cast of actors for their stunning work on Sylvia.

Thank you for your support, care, and understanding.

Please do not hesitate to ask questions or give feedback or comments.
It proves your care, and it helps us to improve.

With Love,
- Manor