...Not really.

As I ever-so-obviously pointed out, Laguna Loire is officially included in SLH's roster. Although I didn't realize until I was looking for pose references, his class in SLH is very similar to his Duodecim incarnation. Laguna's the only one who can use Militia items, which used to be restricted to a sub-class called Demolitioner. Certain skills will use certain Militia things, and as he levels up he gains new skills that use different amounts or types of items. For example, Desperado would use 1x Grenade. There's going to be a variety of moves, many most likely inspired by Duodecim, but like Squall there will be some new ones thrown into the mix.

So, since I haven't posted in forever-ages, I guess this had better be a nice big blog post, eh? True question is, have I been working?!

Yes. Yes I have. HOLY SHIZ.

Alright. Soooo I've actually decided on the proper intro for the game now. Starting out in Deling City in the RSW demo wasn't...dynamic enough. So I've added a bit to make sure the entrance is nice and abrupt. Drop you right in the thick of it. I won't tell you too much, but it involves trains.

Yes I did draw this specifically for this blog.
No, the train sequence does not involve Laguna.
I wouldn't let that man within ten feet of a train.

Aside from that, I've been mostly mapping and doing cutscenes for Winhill. I wanted to remake some older maps because they were genuinely too cramped for cutscene use, so I did!


Text box is semi-transparent in the final version. I have a common event for them.

Artwise, I'm sure most people who are reading this blog will have seen the new Squall portrait. I'm still playing around with how to crop it, but I'll get there eventually. I'm a much bigger fan of this version than the old one, at the very least.


I have a STYLE apparently

Continuing along on the arts, I should probably preview Laguna's art, eh?


battle sprite, guest staring Zell and Irvine's FF8 outfits


Outfit design, featuring VESTS.

I do love vests. The outfit's pretty simple, but I didn't want Laguna of all people wearing something complicated.

Aside from new cast members, I do have some new-ish stuff for some other members of the cast that I do need opinions on! I'm not completely satisfied with Irvine's, though I think this might, finally, be Rinoa's last incarnation. Friggin hell.
Rinoa:

Irvine:

And one last sketchy-one I did for Tobias:


Aren't you guys lucky?

Although it's probably a bit early to actually be mentioning it, I will be looking for a composer at some stage. If anyone's interested please message me, but I'll warn you that I'm picky about this. Sound design and music is so crucial to a game's vibe and energy, and I need someone who knows how to keep the power and emotion of a song in place. More or less, the songs I'm referring to are The Legendary Beast, Man with the Machine Gun and Only a Plank Between One and Perdition. If you think you can deliver a satisfying rendition or integration of these tracks in a song, then by all means, give me a buzz.

Anyway, onward and foreward! I plan to have that train-related intro done some time soon.

Out of curiosity, which would you prefer in the opening of an FF8 sequel- the game's tagline ("When the sleeping lion awakens, grief will swallow it whole") or a throwback/something similar to the text during the opening of Advent Children? ("For those who loved this world, and found friendly company therin- this Reunion is for you"). Of course, phrased differently.

Something along the lines of
"For those who promised to wait."