Life Update

Hey there folks! Its been a minute. Last time I posted an update I was climbing out of a tough place. I didn't intend to worry anyone, my intention was to be transparent, and normalize some of the struggles that we all go through in life. Doing creative work while being depressed was just about impossible, but things have continued to go well in recent times. Honestly, Im doing solid (all things considered), and through a lot of hard work have found my way. Anyway, enough about that. Moving on! In other good news Ive also completed a world building fellowship with Epic games. It's been an honor, and a privilege learning alongside folks who've worked on some of the largest IPs, from the Lord Of The Rings, to the Matrix series. I feel honored, and humbled. My work in the industry hasn't gone unnoticed. I was 1 of 100 people chosen to be included. Ive learned a lot from this experience, met a lot of incredible people, and Im excited to bring some of those new skills to Ira. All that being said, Ive been happily working on Ira, and have made a lot of progress. Ive overcome many of the shortcomings that playtesting brought to light. But enough about me, let's get into a big Ira update! This is an exciting one

Gameplay Footage

Let's start off this update with actual gameplay footage! This clip is from early in the game and is an introduction into the world. Here you will meet Jo and Patrick. Jo works at the local service station and supply depot. Some of you will remember rough / preliminary screen shots of this place a loooong time ago. So, without further ado, Ira gameplay footage!!! Most characters still need emotive voice work, and the dialogue needs a little touchup work as well. Overall, Im really happy with the state of things. It feels pretty good. [previewyoutube=A0c0biYQE0s;full][/previewyoutube] On a side note Ira will not have any real voice acting via characters. They will have abstract sounds to represent their language. It sounds weird but it works in tests.

Game Mechanics

I've recently completed an updated Interaction system. The old full body radial menu was just too much trouble, too complicated, and in general didnt add to the experience as I would have liked. So, Ive moved to a more simpler / classic Icon drawer solution. Does it look as cool? Nope (it doesn't look bad either). Is it way more functional? Yes. Yes it is. Will anyone notice besides me? Probably not. All in all a nice reduction of complexity without taking away from the experience.
Ive added more Inventory additions for more gameplay opportunities. Play testing found this area lacking. More inventory interactions have led to more environmental storytelling opportunities!

Characters

Characters have the ability to pay attention to things, and to emote contextually. That might not sound like a lot but when Luis follows Jo around and looks at her it makes a huge difference in making them feel alive, and not just some lifeless automatons. Im loving how it feels. Do note, this is just a test room clip, and not final gameplay. [previewyoutube=G1en_-J1O3A;full][/previewyoutube]

Music updates

Davide is back in action for the final version of Ira and so is Tim! Davide is crafting character themes and motifs to further push emotions in dialogue / character interactions. Check out a gameplay example above where you can hear a theme for Patrick. Its a bit melancholy, and you know when playing that you are getting real vibes from Patricks troubled past/present. Davide is taking the time to give each character their own audio treatment/theme. Hes doing beautiful work, and his audio adds real texture to the souls of the characters in game. Tim is back in action and is working on audio implementation specifically sound effects within the world. Tim brings the environmental audio to life, and without it, it just would not be a living world. It's great to have both of these gentlemen back in action after an extended break.

Sponsorships

In the last couple months Ive worked out 2 sponsorships from both AMD, and Intel. They might be competing chip manufacturers, but it doesn't seem to be an issue! Intel is going to be advertising Ira on launch! Which is great news, and may provide other support along the way. AMD had really stepped up as my biggest sponsor. They will not only be advertising for Ira on launch, but just recently provided me with a high end development workstation. Im humbled and appreciative, thank you AMD (and Joe)! I could not have asked for better support, and from one of my favorite companies no less! My fan boy heart swoons. The new system is already proving helpful in my development work. I will be doing an Ira related developer blog for AMD as well in the future. I cant believe this has happened. Im very excited to say the least. I will also be including (the latest version) of AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution in Ira. Its awesome software that will make it run its absolute best on any hardware. Its basically witchcraft (in the best way imaginable).

Whats Next?

Refinement: Right now Im making a pass through all the levels. Im about 1/4th the way there, and trying not push myself past my limits (slow and steady). But my updated Action system is making refinement much faster, and more manageable.
If you still follow this then thank you! I know its been a weird long journey and the fact that Im still updating this is kind of wild. Most people would have let the project die, but its been a real passion of mine (when life permits). Ive been the only developer for a long time, and Ive made it a life goal to see this through. It feels good to be back on track, regardless of everything. Im insanely stubborn, and I love the world Ive created. I hope to share it with you soon! Until next time folks!

[ 2023-01-14 20:39:05 CET ] [ Original post ]