SailingShellsGames
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Extended Writing Update
🕑 Added 2025-05-19 01:18:36 +0000 UTCI swear someday I'll be done with chapter one. ð Listen, I've said before that the first three chapters of a game are the hardest to write and I stand by that. Fortunately, I'm not averse to chucking what I think doesn't work into the bin and making something better - in this case, a lot more opportunities to mouth off to the council or to make them like you, much more insight into exactly why they ask MC the question about spellcasting, possibly an interesting moment with the death magic, and a moment of reference to the dream MC has while falling through the waterfall in book one. It's a lot more action-driven and less of MC just having to talk through a million things. There's still a bunch of Q&A style conversation you can do to check on things in the world state, but it's... idk how to explain it but it's better now, and my source is trust me bro bc I wrote it I guess ð
On another note, I've been thinking a lot about the romance in this game. My plan has been to deepen the romances as the series goes on, with book 2 being probably the biggest jump in terms of increasing MC's connection with their chosen RO. Of course, in the earliest chapters that's not going to factor in as much because we're setting up the plot, and all the factors that will help create those moments of growing closeness. But as we've reached chapter three I've been trying to figure out how to do it. Three romances (plus Leon) and a plot is a lot of plates to keep spinning, and I keep running into the wall of feeling like "oh geez, if I deepen one RO's romance for this next update I have to deepen them all an equal amount." Which is not how my mind works! I go all-in on a plot as I write it, and inevitably if I do that here I'm going to have demo updates where it feels really unbalanced how much attention one RO is getting vs the others.
So anyway, I've been thinking about this for so long and trying to come up with solutions and force myself to write a little of each at a time, switching between each romance. And then I realized... I have created a problem for myself that did not exist. Oops ðĪŠ This isn't a public demo where I need to agonize over that - this is a platform where everyone is insanely nice and supportive of my work (thank you, btw âĪïļ). I have a feeling it'll be okay if I just tell you guys "hey this update we're getting some Rin romance content, next up is Keo, then Wren."
Or I hope so, anyway lol! If that plan doesn't work for you don't be shy - leave me a comment or send me a DM. I'm constantly adjusting how I do things (much like chapter one, lol).
Here's this week's preview ~
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"What's done is done," Lady Ostrai says with a sigh. "If it will satisfy you, we can... consider the matter of restarting your team's research at our next meeting."
