The amount of work done on PotF, both in and out of the engine itself, is huge. The next chapter has made significant leaps in progress, and the gameplay itself has changed and improved even more since the last blog. I'll go more in depth with more changes in future blogs, but suffice to say my version changes log is getting really, really long. I often post micro updates on Twitter, so feel free to stalk me there if it interests you. The whole point of becoming a developer was so I could get stalked. That's... how the saying goes, right? Yeah, I'm sure that's right.

Progress:
Aeyr chapter 1 is about 50% done. All of the maps have been laid out, most of the dialogue has been written and implemented, and the enemies have been created. Mia chapter 1 has been designed, outlined, and lots of dialogue was written there, and a rough map of the areas have been laid out. New skits have been written and implemented, and they've been a lot of fun to work on!

However, it's the gameplay side of things that's been the focus of my attention this past month. In terms of changes, there have been... lots. Since saves from the currently available demo cannot be transferred to the new demo, restrictions I had on me before have been lifted and I'm free to make some necessary updates and modifications.

For example:


Amalie's had a bit of an update. Her Stinger has been changed to a weapon with more functionality and story significance. Plus, the locket you see in her Relic slot has been added to give her a magic command in battle, and Piercing Light is now classed as a basic magic spell instead of being part of her Guardian Burst Drive tree. If you played the prologue, you'll recall Amalie has no magical abilities for herself, so this was given to her to keep consistent with the story and world.

But Mia, by far, has had the most work put into. I'll cover the specifics about her in the next blog, but suffice to say that quite a few systems have changed with her. Changes that make her not just easier to use and understand, but also more flexible to control. Mia's updates are actually what I'm most proud of here. Again, though, that's a topic for another blog. What I really want to talk about with you all right now is...

The Future:
I've been talking and showing off PotF to numerous people, including my college professors and other aspiring full-time devs, and they have been incredibly supportive and encouraged me to take development of PotF to the next level and find a place on the commercial world. As my time in university is reaching its final year, I'm starting to see that this is looking like the best route for me to take.

Making free games has been a blast, and I certainly plan on continuing to do so via either events on RMN or much smaller personal projects. But as it is right now, PotF is simply eating up too much of my time that I would otherwise use to further my career. So instead of scaling back my ambition for the game, I've decided to double down and go full steam ahead to make PotF as best as I can so this passion project can help advance my career.

I realize there is quite a bit of polish that needs to be made to the game, both visually and elsewhere. The good news is that I've received a few offers to give the game an OST, and I'm finally ready to make a commitment on that. So I'll be working with a composer to breathe new life into the game's audio. I'm also beginning to search for artists who can help make better, more unique animations for the game. The end result is that PotF will be a much stronger, more polished, and overall better quality game than it ever would have been before.

So what is this going to change here? Not a whole not, actually! I still plan on bi-monthly (or at least monthly) updates to stay as transparent as I can with regards to progress and updates. Plus, I still aim to continue releasing free demos to the public with the intent of working with all of you not just to build more PR for myself, but to take in your feedback and criticism. I want to make the best game I possibly can, and frankly, that can't be done without your input.

I can't possibly thank you enough for all the support you've given me so far, and I hope to continue working together with you! Thanks for reading!