October 6th 2023

Hey guys, I totally am not exhausted, and definitely wanted to writer this.

But on a real note, I do want to update you guys on my progress. Though it’s going to be a less cohesive than my previous devlogs, cause none of these were big enough topics to dedicate an entire devlog to on their own. Not without oversharing/spoiling.

Truth is, I’ve made a lot of progress this week (and in general!)

 Just at this point it’s almost easier to work on the game than to talk about it….

First, then main story writing is underway! I finally figured out the ending (I had an ending in mind, but wasn’t very in love with it. But luckily, one good brainstorming session helped me patch some holes yippee!)

I also implemented all the sprite art! So we are moving on to CG’s 😎 (there are only 3 and 1 of them is the title image) but hey, there will be CG’s for key moments in the game. (basically the romance.)

Story Stuffs

Because this game is still a romance! Lawrence and Gala’s love story is the center part of this game, and the plot of ‘Princess Poison’, now ‘Lord of Lies’. It’s by no means secondary to all the cool RPG stuff, if anything it should add to it! Think, Final Fantasy VIII! (the main couple actually has some stylistic similarities to my main two, but I swear this is a coincidence 😅)

I have a little something planned to showcase Lawrence and Gala’s dynamic beforehand on social media, because this couple is super close to my heart! And I hope since they are such a focal point to the game, that they also manage to capture you guys’ hearts as well!

Lawrence is heavily based off of how I viewed my now husband, back when I met him 5 years ago. (I wrote Princess Poison the novel that same year!)

Gala is just cool, like- I just find her to be super cool aesthetically, and her and Lawrence are two halves of one whole. 

I tend to write mainly complimentary couples- like Chrys and Shay for example, or Makai and Rhett. (p.s play Tattoos and Tulips and/or Crabs & Cocktails if you like boy’s love/yaoi!)

Chrys is anxious and hot headed, Shay is chill and slow to anger.

Makai is terrible at communicating and Rhett is a sweet talker. For example. 

They balance the other out. And I do genuinely love complementary dynamics a whole lot. 

But Lawrence and Gala are two sides of the same coin, ‘twin flames’ even. They are mirrors to each other. In some ways, there is no Lawrence without Gala, and vice versa and I am excited to showcase this in the story itself.

I also feel like Lawrence and Gala are very different from myself. Both introverted, insecure, and seeking a greater purpose in life. While also fighting for their lives on a daily basis in this world filled with corrupting magic, hexes, and monsters.

Also… HEIGHT DIFFERENCE! (Lawrence 6’0, Gala 5’3)

Gala is also the first trans character I ever wrote for, I’ve been writing her for quite awhile and have written trans and non binary characters since then: namely Eli and Raine from “Tattoos and Tulips”. And some other characters for future projects which I will not disclose here.

So even though the romance appears straight, ‘Lord of Lies’ is still a very queer story. And Lawrence and Gala aren’t the only reason.

Lawrence and Gala’s romance isn’t the only romance explored in this story, and romantic relationships can actually get quite…messy in this cast of characters.

Relationships in general are all over the place, whether it be siblings, parental, romantic, friendships, enemies, etc…

There is a big web of relations you’ll get to sift through in this game. So look forward to tackling that right alongside all the RPG goodness.

RPG Goodness

Simultaneously, I am figuring out the combat system so I can properly execute it next month.

A fun little thing I implemented, was each character’s own custom victory pose after each battle! It showcases their personalities a bit more (also they are animated in game). 

(Also yes I know the UI is misaligned, it will be fixed by the time the game is playable, right now it’s about drafting the story- pretty comes later lol)

So if you’ve ever played Octopath Traveler, you’ll be perfectly familiar with the combat system on the most basic level. However, this battle system is a combination of several games I have enjoyed through the years.

Namely:

Octopath Traveler

Wizard 101/Pirate 101 (no this is not a joke…)

Dragon Age Origins

The Witcher 1-3

Darkest Dungeon

Smite

Slay the Spire

Undertale/Deltarune

Final Fantasy 3,6, and 8

Diablo 3 & 4

Divinity Original Sin 2

Baldur’s Gate 3

(probably more I can’t remember)

It takes the most inspo from the first 3, but there are bits and pieces from all- aesthetically and mechanically.

So we’ve discussed the importance of  mana conservation- MP in the image above, also you’ll see- ‘magic’ this word will instead be replaced with: ‘abilities, skills, etc…’ something more general as not all characters use just magic. 

Regardless, in that box you’ll have your abilities you can use in combat against enemies. Skills that require mana will always hit. I hate when attacks miss, so you have to pay a cost-mana- to ensure you hit all the time. If you are out of mana you can still attack, using the attack button right above.

However, these are not guaranteed hits, but they also don’t cost any mana. Some classes- mainly Charles’ class- ‘The Hunter’ uses a bow and arrow which can be used with the attack button. Arrows can hit quite hard, but that is if you hit at all.

I also want to say none of this imagery is final, everything is subject to change this early on, however, I like the foundation I have and want to build on it.

I also want to make it clear that the game is almost entirely linear with flavorful choices throughout. This is not like Dragon Age in the sense you have to make major choices, have branching romance paths, etc…

The game is closer to Final Fantasy- I wanted to make sure my original story was still told as I had always intended, and though you play as Lawrence, he is a very established character with his own thoughts and feelings and any choices you do make, are in the vein of what Lawrence would do.

Think the Witcher series where you play as Geralt and make choices in the game, but most of the choices are perfectly in character for Geralt.

I do have plans to potentially include a female Lawrence or ‘Laura Bane’, and give 3 other characters a romance route like Gala’s. But this is all more than I can do during this jam. 

So for now, you get Lawrence and his girlfriend Gala, and you will like it! 🔫

But it is something I would love to do, and wouldn’t be too hard to do, as long as I had the time and there was enough interest.

In addition with voice acting at some point! Only time will tell.

Last But Not Least, Camp Events

I also totally didn’t end this devlog originally without talking about the tent events…. Definitely didn’t happen, don’t worry about it.

Alright! Tent events is a big part of the story and the #1 way to interact with your party members, you have 9 in total (though the hound doesn’t talk very much, but you can in fact still interact with them)

Tent events allow you and your party to discuss main story events, restock, explore, give and receive gifts! And even eavesdrop on your party member’s conversations with other party members 👀???

Approval isn’t a requirement in this game, but the more you interact with your party the more rewards you get from them, whether it be items, additional cutscenes, or even special skills in combat to make it even more fun! We are talking duo, triple, and even full party attacks to truly WRECK your enemies!

The campsite is accessible pretty much all the time, except for during battles.

Each party member has their own tent that is blocked off until you are high enough approval for you to join them in their tent.

Lawrence shares a tent with Charles and his hound. (as they are brothers). 

I want to also say there is a lot of collecting you can do in this game. So make sure to frequently interact with your environment and even pick flowers…? 🫢 In addition to speaking with party members, you’ll also have your own vendor at the campsite since revisiting towns is not something you can do in this game. You’re on a train towards one destination and once you leave a town, you cannot return.

But do not fear, all you’ll need - potions, mana pots, phoenix downs (not actual name) etc…. will be at your campsite shop. 

However, the town shops all may have items you can’t get anywhere else. Specifically weapons and armor pieces. Though you can also find lots of nice things on your travels and in dungeons.

lmaoooo sorry for almost forgetting Snakks (mwah, mwah)

Next Week’s Devlog Sneak Peak

That’s all I have the willpower to talk about for this week! Thanks for giving it a read if you did.

Next week I have no idea what I will be talking about, something ‘Lord of Lies’ related probably lolol, I am working hard to get this game done. So if I don’t share a lot, it’s because I want most of the game to be a surprise for the player. If I wasn’t worried about spoiling something, I’d have plenty to share, but alas. 

I want to say another huge thank you to all my friends and those who have interacted with some of the stuff I have shared on social media! You guys showing interest, leaving nice comments, and questions really boosts my motivation and gets me excited to get this done so I can share it with you all!

I can’t thank you enough, so I won’t stop thanking you. This truly wouldn’t be possible without all you guys’ support!

Till next week gamers!