Extended Progress Update: January 20 2023

Hi Everyone!

I hope you had a lovely week.

Well, I learned something that I kind of already knew about myself. If I say: ‘I’ll think about it’, then I really think about anything other than ‘it’ and procrastinate until someone asks me the same question again. (Yes, it’s an utter joy deciding what to eat for dinner with me. /s 😌) It has been 15 days since Book One’s release, and it sometimes still feels like the first day of release…

…But, I’m also seeing more comments/reactions from people finishing up their first playthrough or even a third/fourth, which helps to cast off that feeling and makes me eager to delve back into where I left off with Book Two. I’ve also been playing Book One—a few select pathways to ensure that foreshadowing or links I have outlined for future chapters neatly dovetail. There will be plenty of a-ha moments within the series because I love giving little details big meanings!

Re-playing Book One has also helped me further isolate those variables I mentioned in the last update that should be called on in Book Two and beyond. I’ve also been studying the random test readouts and color-coding them to make sure I’m not letting any slip through the cracks. All of this legwork is important when building the recaps and the level of character customization at the start of Book Two. I know not everyone is going to want to pick with exacting detail what flower the MC’s grandfather gifted them for school graduations/events, but some of you might want to since many of you have experienced how it does come up again. 💐 The levels will let readers who don’t choose to import set their own degree of detail; some might want to get right into Book Two’s story, while others will want to mold their MCs. (I recommend importing saves, but that’s far-off in the future since Hosted Games enables this feature closer to the next book’s release!)

It’s more than 80 distinct story variables that can be filled in multiple ways (e.g. the flower is a single variable, but it has 6 different potential fills for it from a daisy to a forget-me-not) without counting the obvious gender-setting, height, aesthetics, personality stats, etc. It’s a lot! But, I’m proud and happy to account for them all so you get a meaningful experience while in Fernweh.

Some variables will naturally be called on more than others, but I wanted them all coded-in and largely accounted for in the recaps to not tie my hands while I’m writing. (*hint*: that one choice in Chapter 6 that earned a lot of reactions will come up very early in Book Two.) I can always go back and adjust later. I’ve been re-familiarizing myself with all of this^ to get back into things.

Thank you all for your support and kind comments; I’m glad you enjoyed R’s Reunion Encounter. Also, thank you for your many kind words and reactions to the character portraits.

[Spoilers Ahead!]

Here’s an excerpt from Book Two:

Your and B's friendship deepened during the visit, but it's different now… The soft smile on their face that usually brightens when directed your way is rare these days.

A lot is going to happen with this dynamic in Book Two. 🥺

Wishing you a lovely weekend! 💚