In Progress - Lighting the Way Forward
Hai again! Time for a new update - and this one’s all about tackling the first real hurdles. Challenges were bound to crop up sooner or later, and I’m sure there will be plenty more to come.
Lighting
Where do I even start? Lighting has been an unexpected beast to tame. Finding useful guides is already tough, but trying to adapt general lighting techniques to Koikatsu - or better yet, find a guide specifically for Koikatsu? That’s a whole new level of tricky. I’ve been scouring community scenes, and let me tell you, the complexity is real. Circular shadows, round shadows, colored shadows, directional lights, point lights, spotlights - it’s a lot to wrap my head around, and I’m sure there’s more I haven’t even discovered yet.
Still, I’ve been experimenting and learning bit by bit. Since the intro scene (where you can rename Vera) uses a static background, I’ve been focusing on lighting that enhances her character. For example, here I'm using a warm peach directional map light to mimic sunlight, a soft cream point light for a subtle glow from behind, and a couple golden-white spotlights to highlight her face without clashing with the directional light. Here’s a comparison of Vera before and after I applied these lighting effects:
What do you think, did I do okay?
Maps
If you caught my last post, you’ll know maps have been a bit of a headache. That hasn’t changed much. For those familiar with Koikatsu, custom maps can be found under the items tab - but the problem is, there are over 250 tabs, each containing their own tabs, and they’re not organized. (Fun fact: a lot of those tabs are gacha game weapons. No idea why, but here we are.) I’ve been working my way through them, taking notes on anything useful. So far, I’m about 40% done and hoping to finish in the next few days.
The bigger challenge though, is finding a maps that fit the story. The first scene needs something that makes narrative sense, especially since I’m also searching for a house map where the characters will live. The outdoor and indoor maps need to match logically - I can’t have them living in a feudal Japanese house and stepping outside into modern-day Paris, after all.
On top of that, many maps are just individual rooms, with no connection to form a cohesive house. While it’s great that I can use these to customize something, it’ll take a lot of work to make everything feel seamless and believable.
Script & Characters
Now for some brighter news: the short intro scene is pretty much done! I’ll share some pictures soon so you can see how it’s shaping up. I also have a rough draft of the first proper scene. It still needs renders, a map, and lighting, but hey, progress is progress.
Meanwhile, I’ve been sketching out the profile for a new character - Vera’s landlady. Yep, it won’t just be you and Vera in the house. While Vera is warm and loving, the landlady? Well, let’s just say she has her own plans - and they definitely include you. And don't get too comfortable yet - she’s not the only additional character you’ll be meeting in your new home.
Next Steps
Breaking through these challenges has been slow, but I’m optimistic. I’ll keep chipping away at the lighting and maps while refining the script and characters. In my next post, I’ll showcase the intro scene, so keep an eye out for that. Thanks for following along and see you soon!
-Aevyl
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