Two years ago today, Act I of Vacant Sky was released after sitting around for nearly four years in development. In the time since then, Project BC, the team formed to build the game, has grown in size, skill, and scope. Two more episodes have been released since then, bringing the story of Auria to a close. In celebration of today, I'd like to comment briefly on the projects we're working on at the moment as well as to unveil some of the new things to expect in the future.

The World Is Made of Paper Demo
Before I start on the Vacant Sky-related announcements, I'd like to mention a non-Vacant Sky-related project. Isabel (aka Ganonfrog, mysterialize) recently released the demo for The World Is Made of Paper, a "modern fantasy, psychological whosawhatsit" visual novel written and illustrated entirely by her. You can grab it on RMN right here: http://rpgmaker.net/games/2954/



Vacant Sky Complete Edition
The big project currently being undertaken is the Complete Edition, a compilation of all three acts of Auria's story with updated mechanics, overhauled gameplay, updated story, new artwork, and more new optional content than the first three games combined.


One example of the updated areas in the game is the Hall of Legends, which now features cosmetic lighting to add to the atmosphere.

On top of that, two new story routes are being introduced in the Complete Edition of Vacant Sky which open up in Act II and unlock completely new scenarios for Act III. Essentially, there are three completely different Acts III depending on the choices you make throughout the rest of the game. The Complete Edition, currently in early beta, was selected to appear at this year's Made in MA pre-PAX party where attendees were able to try out the game in its current state.


The battle system has come a long way from Act I, including revised mechanics, a streamlined interface, and many new customization options.

Complete Edition Soundtrack
One of the most-praised aspects of Vacant Sky has always been its music. Now totaling more than 70 songs, the soundtrack will soon be available in high quality for digital download for a small price. By purchasing the soundtrack and supporting all of our hard work, you'll also receive several unreleased tracks which didn't make it into the game. Enjoy the music and help us keep our games free in the future!

Watch this space for more details on when the soundtrack will be available.

Vacant Sky C3
The second new commercial piece of Vacant Sky merchandise I'd like to announce is the Vacant Sky Contention Complete Collection (C3), a making of artbook which will include concept art, development notes, a complete walkthrough, a behind the scenes look at the development of the world and characters, and tons of other extras.



There's currently no estimate regarding when C3 or the Complete Edition will be released. Considering every past attempt to make a release date has resulted in a delay, I'm planning to hold off on making a guess until they're nearly complete.

And lastly, there's one more new project I'd like to announce in collaboration with Ereth from RRR.



Vacant Sky Origins is a prequel novel, set two years before the start of Contention. It follows the story of veteran cop Blaise Tearson and fledgling detective Matthew Rhode as they attempt to uncover the mystery behind a string of disappearances related to consumer electronics giant Lykken Corporation. The story introduces several of the key players from Contention and explores their backstory and motivation, both of which were originally intended to be part of the game but hit the cutting room floor. The story of Origins will shed light on some of the mysteries of the world of Vacant Sky, answering some questions and raising many more.

With that, I'll bring this post to a close. It's been an amazing few years working with great people to build this world and it's been a great pleasure to share it with all of you. I hope you continue to stick around and check out what we have to offer. Hopefully, I've been able to show that the future holds some really exciting things.

Thanks for making this an exciting two years and here's to many more!