FORGOTTENDAWN'S PROFILE

author=AtiyaTheSeeker
I've got to say, your progress and endeavors with this game are kind of inspiring. I'm not in a very good place regarding game development and creative stress right now, and I appreciate the retrospect.

Thank you for reading all the way through! I find it very honorable and flattering to be an inspiration for aspiring game developers and artists alike. I'm learning as I chug along, and despite all the hardships, I feel like I have a clearer idea on the game now compared to when I started. Ups and downs are part of the process, unfortunately, and many things happen that might slow us down. However, it's important to remind ourselves why we do it. There's really no shame in being stressed or hitting a wall, it just happens and we have to deal with it. Luckily, we're not alone. I wish you all the best on your endeavors, present and future~

author=narcodis
Super chill stuff.

Thank you~

Thank you for dropping a review! :D

This version of _fade was my de facto first game ever made on RPG Maker. I've been thinking of this version as a mere prototype for what's to come, in that the whole _fade concept might be completely revamped in the future featuring new, updated graphics, new engine, new maps and what-not. In fact, the areas seen in this "demo" of sorts represent about 15-20% of the entire concept, so there's really a lot of content I am planning to expand and develop when the time will be.

Even in this state, there are still quite a handful of secrets lurking around. You may either try to backtrack "solved" areas to notice some changes or, I guess, "cheat" your way via hacking the source files. ;D But yeah, each area has something that needs to be solved. Feel free to get in touch if I can help you with that in someway.

It's honestly easy to link this game to the likes of Yume Nikki since it has been a huge and possibly obvious inspiration since day one. I personally love exploration games and I love the idea of an environmental narrative as a vehicle of suggestion rather than explication. I took the liberty of putting some sparse text as a way to convey a sense of mystery and implement a bit of a learning curve for newcomers. I think the few key differences from YN, aside the use of text and lack of collectibles, was that I basically built the game around the music. I first made the tunes and ambiances, then I slowly designed the levels. Furthermore, another key difference is that "solving" an area will trigger a change in it.

It's a starting point. I'm definitely learning as I chug along and it's great to get some feedback every once in a while, even when this prototype is technically "finished". :D

Wow, thank you for your detailed review! It's been a while since I've actually logged in here, so seeing this review was a pleasant surprise.

I think you're absolutely right about the second half and it's actually the part that has been heavily in the works so far. The reason why I ultimately chose to release a preview build of v1.3 is because I'm actually holding another part, and world-building is still in act. Naturally, people should talk about the game for what it is rather than what it's not. The preview was pretty much meant to introduce the audience to the new characters who up until then were either wishful thinking or just another faceless NPC. The only minor tease I can give is that Blobber isn't supposed to be the surprising bit of the post-game. If you feel like a second climax is missing right now, then you're actually correct. :D

Right now I'm working on the Garden, Plant and Junkyard areas. I'd like to make them a little more visually interesting and give people something to look at while they wonder about in the first half. Before v1.3, Bill's quest was basically a side quest that didn't influence the final outcome whatsoever. It was just a bonus (fast-traveling) that was fairly forgettable since by then, there wouldn't be anything left to do in the world.

Also, thank you for praising the sound design, haha. I'm mainly a composer and funny enough, .defrag actually started as just a pretense to give some of my noisy, experimental tracks some interactive context. I guess it worked. :')

I enjoyed this review very much and the visual aids made the experience more relatable.

This game looks interesting, I might give it a try someday. Given I've also been developing a monochrome game myself, I have to say I'm quite curious. :)