October Devlog 2

This month has been great!

I've spent most of my time learning to use blender, which has been a lot of fun. Until now I've only used it to block out backgrounds, so modeling organic subjects has been a big change. After all that experimentation I have a much better idea of what I want to do with the visuals.

The first images are a series of map assets I made this month. I've committed to building the map in a 3D low poly style. These flowers will be the signposts/buttons for each scene. As you progress through the game, more sprouts will be available. As you complete scenes, each will turn into a flower corresponding to the featured character. I'm also going to render landmarks like the elemental academy on the right.

The next images are some of the results of my character modeling experiments. I tried several methods, including high poly sculpts and low poly blockouts. I still need to experiment more to fully commit to one of them.

The last images are experiments with how the models might actually be used. I rigged an armature to the Quacksworth model and figured out how to pose him in clip studio. If I do end up picking the high-poly models, this is probably how I'll render them. I'll pose them against the background and do a drawover, adding interior lines, colors, and expressions in 2D.

Next month I'm going to be prioritizing coding/writing. I'm still aiming to publish a demo build by the end of the year, so November will be focused on completing the foundation for that. Afterwards, December will be spent on visual polish, filling in missing visuals and making sure everything runs well. I'll also continue to experiment with 3D modelling, fleshing out more of the map and learning more about character sculpting.

I'm excited (and slightly anxious) to hear what you all think of this progress. I hope my self-exploration hasn't come across as wishy-washy or noncommittal. I'm putting my whole ass into this project, and part of that includes figuring out how to avoid it getting sore.