Progress Report

Friday, at last!!

This week was divided between tidying up the end of Chapter Two and continuing to work on the first draft of Chapter Three. Regarding Chapter Two, I need to add the five different Hubris Call descriptions to the stat pages. And, of course, add the choice to ask Mist about his true name.

I'll update the complete Chapter Two early next week. ❤️

I also had an idea. What do you think of me adding a 'Journal' entry to the stat pages so that you can click and read the facts and important things you've learned so far in your adventure? It would be displayed as if it was Romanus who wrote it — so, in first person, and it would enumerate a bunch of significant checkpoints of knowledge you've collected so far.

The major topics you can ask Mist about, for example, would appear there as you learn them. It would be like Romanus sitting down at the end of each day and writing a bit — I even want to change the scene in Book One to make all Romanus sit and write in their journal, thus making it canon that you have it.

I would only implement this after I'm done with Chapter 3, however, because I want to continue!!!! I only wrote 8 notebook pages this week, both because I spent half of the time working on the other chapter but mostly because I was writing a scene that... was hard. I struggled with describing the mood and, most importantly, characterization. It was hard to put my thoughts into words. I kept re-writing and adjusting to the point that my eraser tore open the page. xD

I always say that the start is the toughest. This scene is the start of an important path, so I needed to get it. And my early attempts weren't even close.

But I finally have it. I got over the hard bump, and my pencil was souring these last hour of my writing session! Which ended... half an hour ago. 😊

What's coming next, however, is a bit more complex. I'm torn on some of the conditions I should set to access a version of Vallen's meeting — her "true" meeting. On one hand, I want to make it challenging, but on the other, I hate when I, the reader, have figured something out, but there's no choice for my character to also get it. It makes me feel so frustrated. 😭 I know there are a couple of instances in Book One where people felt like Romanus was dumb because they couldn't grasp what they, the readers, figured out, so I want to try and minimize that in this next game. But it's very hard.

Do I make what's supposed to be a relatively hard-to-get coming down of the mask extremely easy to figure out, or do I make it challenging but risk the players getting it way before their Romanus does?

Plus, the non "true" meeting is, in my opinion, kinda cute. 😄 At least, it is entertaining in the typical Vallen fashion, so it'd be a pity if all the players missed it.

Ahhhh... I have to think about it!

And that is all! I thank you thee, my most darling of companions, for listening to my rambles. I adore November. I want to start the second draft around the 17th.

Have a great weekend! 🌹

Edit: Thank you for all your thoughts and suggestions! The journal is definitely happening (I've already been doodling some phrases and knowledge that I want to add). I would love to be able to write crossed sentences like when you first encounter the eye, it would appear:

I was face to face with an Eye of the Church. My days are numbered.

But then, when Rafael reveals that it's a fake one, the Journal would cross that sentence and write another below.

For a genuine, in-love Romanus, I'd love to add hearts beside some characters names 😄 or the hand shaking in anger at certain parts. A Romanus with a high Lore would go into great details about Juturna and Vulcan or the Nero while one with a low Lore would just put the names in there and little more.

But oh, well. Choicescript has limitations.

As for Vallen, you've also given me a lot to consider. Thank you again^^