NiiChan

[Announcement/Discussion] MBML Chapter 2

Added 2025-03-01 10:20:07 +0000 UTC

⚠️ WARNING: Extensive Post Ahead ⚠️

I'm making this public so everyone can join in on the discussion. Yeah, this is a massive wall of text, but it's important. I highly recommend reading through it. No skimming, no skipping. You'll want to take this all in.

Hey, everyone!

I'm back, but let's put Sicae's discussion on hold for now. Today, we're diving into MBML's Chapter 2—this is a big one. I originally wanted to wait until Sicae's update was wrapped up, but since this chapter has already stirred up some buzz (and a bit of criticism), I figured I'd tackle it head-on. Getting this out now gives me plenty of time to brace for impact when things inevitably go sideways.

Nii, it's the Before and After thing again!

Yeah, you're not tripping. But why?

Because we're making a massive three-year time skip—right at the start of Chapter 2. That means Chapter 2, Episode 1 kicks off after a time jump. I know we left Chapter 1 with a solid plan, but hear me out. No matter what, a time skip was bound to happen at some point. So why not do it now?

But before we go any further, I know you've got one big question: Why do a time skip in the first place?

Because of this:

Well… this is where I have no choice but to drop some major spoilers—so consider this Drip Marketing™. (Gacha players, I see you.)😅

Remember all the hype when I first teased this? Well, it's official now: Leah is coming back to the main story! Will she be sticking around, though? That's something you'll have to wait and see. I'm taking a different approach compared to Emma's Solo Ending (calling the real ones who get the reference to this episode). But one thing's certain—she will add another layer of elements into the main story.

Now, back to business. Why the three-year skip? Simple: it's the only way this episode makes sense. We did the same in ESE, and the logic applies here too. If we don't jump ahead, Leah's presence just wouldn't add up—timeline-wise, age-wise, even personality-wise. She's not just some side character. She plays a much bigger role in the main story than you might think. In fact, she's crucial to a far, far future storyline, but I won't spill any more than that.

And of course, a time skip means character growth. Three years is a long time. They're older, (hopefully) wiser, and naturally, some things about them will change. Some of you might not agree with this decision, but I promise—it's necessary to keep things realistic and coherent. All I ask is that you trust me to pull this off.

Why do we need to do it now instead of later?
This is more about technical storytelling than just the "why" behind the time skip itself. If we push the jump further down the line, I'd be doing you guys dirty—starting a whole new arc in Chapter 2, Episode 1, only to suddenly hit the brakes and drop a three-year skip in Episode 2. That would leave a ton of character development hanging, making the story feel messy and disjointed—like setting up a big moment, only to pretend it never happened.

Now, don't get me wrong. Skipping ahead early still means we'll be sacrificing some character growth. But here's the difference: we’ll only be skipping minor developments, the kind that can be easily covered through small bits of exposition. This way, we're not completely abandoning anything—we're just streamlining the transition and starting pseudo-fresh with everyone.

That said, to make everything flow smoothly, we need to tweak how Episode 4 of Chapter 1 ended. Nothing major—just removing the part where Shu talks about Kei's birthday. That little detail is what's tying Chapter 1 to a specific point in time, and by cutting it, we can leave things on a clean slate and seamlessly introduce our plans at the start of Chapter 2.

But don't worry—the plan itself hasn't changed. We're still going to see Kei's birthday celebration, just three years later. The core of the story remains the same—this just ensures it unfolds in a way that actually makes sense.

So, what did I do to the girls?

Since Leah's comeback ties directly into Emma's 3rd and final arc, let's check her out first.

Honestly? I barely touched her. No, seriously. All I did was shift her center bangs to the side, push her hair closer to her cheeks, remove that messy blush, expand her iris mask, and slightly darken her lips. Oh, and I added a little extra flair with some uneven side bangs. That's it. No crazy character maker wizardry—no endless hours tweaking sliders like a mad scientist. Turns out, her bangs were just gatekeeping her beauty all along.
Now, this minx right here…

I've spent days working on Freya. And yeah, I get it—this is a huge change. But I'll be real with you: this one's personal. There are some characters I've made that, for whatever reason, just don't sit right with me anymore. And Freya is one of them.
All through Chapter 1, I kept holding myself back from fixing her. I tried small tweaks—hair swaps, minor improvements—but nothing was cutting it. She was just… impossible to work with. If you go back and check Chapter 1, you'll notice almost all her renders are low-angle shots. Normally, those angles are used to make a character look powerful or imposing, but with Freya? That wasn't the goal. It was literally the only angle where she looked halfway decent to me.
So yeah, this redesign was long overdue.
Now, let's talk about what actually changed.
Her biggest flaw was her eyes. They were structured to point outward—away from her nose—which gave her this awkward, bulging effect. Combine that with her sharp jawline and deep-set cheeks, and it was an absolute nightmare trying to find a flattering shot. Every time I tried, it felt like fighting an uphill battle.
So, I did a ton of tweaking (some real character-design fuckery) to fix all these issues. And the result is what you’re looking at right now. Am I happy with how she turned out? HELL YES. She looks way prettier now—even better than her sister. (Sorry, Aine. I don't wanna play with you anymore. 😅)
That being said, there's still one more major change to Freya that I can't reveal just yet—but you’ll see it once we hit Chapter 2.
I know she's got a lot of fans out there, and if this redesign isn't your cup of tea, I genuinely apologize. But this was something I had to do.
After Freya, it's only fair to move on to her sister.

Compared to the last two, Aine's changes are pretty minimal. Just a few tweaks here and there—plus the new hair, of course.
I tightened up her temple width, gave her sharper eyes, and widened her iris mask. That’s it. No crazy overhauls, no drastic redesigns. Does she look at least three years older? I'd say so. But honestly, we didn't need to do much—Aine has always been one of the more mature-looking characters anyway.
If you've seen her latest wallpaper, then yep—that's her now.
*nervous laugh* Forgive me, oh Lord, for I have sinned.

Sky... oh dear...
She was already adorable before, but this new hairstyle? Absolute angel. As for the rest of her tweaks—nothing major, just like Aine. Sharper eyes, slightly lower eyebrows. That's it. Simple, but effective.
Does she look three years older?
Hell no. 🤣
But you know what? That's her charm. And I wouldn't dare take that away from her.
"Because tuh-noit will be the noit that I will fall fer yeww... over againnn, don't make me change muh mooiiindd!" 🎤

[Shoutout to Maple for pointing out what she was missing, and to Kainan for the final result!]
Klara's improvements are a mix of Emma and Freya's case. Don't get me wrong—there was nothing horribly wrong with her original look. But when I really sat down and stared at her, I could tell she was missing something. She lacked... depth.
I spent countless hours trying to figure out what it was, and in the end? It all came down to makeup. That's it. No drastic facial restructuring, no major tweaks—just makeup. Oh, and a hair color change, but that's about it.
I originally considered leaning into a more emo/gothic vibe to make her design better reflect her character. But too much makeup completely changed her. At that point, she didn't feel like Klara anymore. So I had to dial it back. It doesn't need to be over the top—as long as both you and I can see the vision, that's more than enough.
Given the recent events in the story, I'd also say her transformation makes the most sense out of all the characters. The chains that once held her back are broken now. And in Chapter 2, Episode 1, we'll finally get to see who Klara is without them.
(Yes, I have a strong fondness for goth girls.) 😄
"DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON ME, YOU'RE OLREADY THE VOICE INSOIDE MOI YEDD!!!!!!!" 🎤🎤🎤
Now, the rest of the girls didn't need any tweaks. No redesigns, no major touch-ups—they're already perfect as they are.
That said, I did give them something fresh—a new, more prominent hairstyle. Just a little change to keep things interesting, but nothing that messes with their original charm.
BUT! I'm in the middle of a serious dilemma with Gwen.
Both hairstyle options are solid, so I'm stuck—I literally can't choose. Help me out in the comments! Do we stick with her old look, or do we switch things up with a fresh style? Do we make a poll for it?
Either way, she already looks older than everyone else, no matter which one she rocks. So honestly? I'm cool with whatever you guys decide.

My thoughts about all these?

Well… I know I can't make everyone happy or get unanimous approval on these changes. That's just how it is.

But hey, I hope you guys are on board.

These will be their final looks—locked in until the game is completed. No more tweaks, no more second-guessing. This is it.

A couple more things…

First off, we're about to completely overhaul MBML's UI from the ground up. Yeah, I know—I said the current design was final, but I've got an expert on board now, and there's no way I'm passing up this opportunity to make it even better. 😆
I'm not sure yet if this will break your save files, so consider this a heads-up—just in case.
Lastly, I'm pretty sure most of you know Caribdis (and if you don't—WHY??). He's the dev behind Eternum and also a friend of mine. You might have heard about his situation with a certain music platform, and unfortunately, it affects me too.
He and I source our music from the same place, and since they're getting out of hand, I have no choice but to stop using them as well.
The good news? I found another platform that allows their music to be used in NSFW projects, and I've already secured permission. The bad news? I'm not 100% confident in their quality just yet.
I'll find out soon enough, but if you notice a dip in music quality, well… now you know why.