Devlog #72 | Rest Day and Crimson Prison Progress (From Now on, I will use the number of Patreon's Devlog here, too)
Hey everyone, another public Devlog (because I want everyone to know about this!)
First, the important stuff. The final adjustments for the Crimson Prison release are going really well. The flashbacks for Arzu and Goliath have been properly added, and their stories are now complete.
THE GOLIATH
I'll be honest, Goliath's story wasn’t entirely clear to me at first. But in the end, I think I came up with a solid story for a character as raw and visceral as Tanioku Jindai is. However, due to Patreon’s guidelines, several aspects of his story had to be censored or removed. I’ll reveal those details after the update releases to avoid spoilers.
THE DROWZY SERENADER — ARZU
Now, about Arzu... what can I even say? Before passing judgment, please read this FULL. Arzu, in Crimson Prison (along with Anna from TSSC) might be considered one of the first characters in my projects with a strong emphasis on inclusivity. And before anyone jumps to conclusions, hear me out.
As you know, I’ve always aimed to include all kinds of characters in my projects. (For now, there are no LGBTQ+ characters— nothing "radical," and I don’t plan on adding any for the time being.) But Arzu’s case is special.
Designing and writing this character made me reflect a lot. I feel like she represents the first real instance of inclusion in my games.
But let me make something very clear: My reason for including diverse characters in my projects is NOT and NEVER WILL BE to pander to an audience or align with a particular community. That will never happen.
My reason for adding characters like Arzu and Anna is simple: At the end of the day, we are all people. We are all human beings with different strengths and flaws. Making one character among hundreds unique is just a way to make them feel more human.
Inclusion isn’t just about being gay, lesbian, or trans, or whatever— it also includes skin color, nationality (which I’ve explored before), and disabilities like hearing, visual, or cognitive impairments. Anna is a clear example... with poor execution. When I started writing TSSC, I had no clue how to write a blind character, and I think that showed. But I’ve learned from my mistakes, and now I’m trying again with Arzu.
I repeat: This won’t be a forced or radical approach. I want this to feel natural, not like something thrown in just for the sake of it. Once the update is out, if you like this character, or if you think I messed up, overlooked something, or lacked research, please let me know.
I won’t reveal Arzu’s “condition” right now. In fact, it’s not openly stated in the game either— just hinted at. But deep down, I feel like Arzu was a really fun character to create. She has a lot of personality, and I ended up getting really attached to her. I hope you all like her as much as I did.
Now, about Grisselette…
Her story is written, but I’ll only start working on the CGI images tomorrow (Wednesday). Grisselette’s story was the clearest in my mind from the start. I had it well thought out, but I never got the chance to write it or include it in the game due to time constraints.
If possible, I’d like to add an event featuring Clarissa and Silvie so players can get to know them better before Grisselette’s fight. But I’m not sure how to fit it in since, as I originally planned the game, they don’t really become relevant until later. Regardless, progress is going well.
Lastly, a personal update…
For the past few months, I’ve been feeling pretty exhausted. Maybe even overwhelmed. Since I started developing Two Sides of the Same Coin four years ago, I’ve never stopped working on it, almost every single day.
Considering I also have other ocassional jobs with passive income (on top of these projects), I haven’t been able to fully support myself as a visual novel developer. In short: I’m putting in a ton of time for very little financial return, and burnout is hitting me harder and harder.
So, I’ve made a decision.
As you know, weekends are already my busiest days with my other job, so I wasn’t working on game development during that time. Starting now, I’ll work on TSSC and Crimson Prison over the weekends, and I’ll take Tuesdays as my rest day.
I’ll still be active on Discord and might post updates on Patreon, but I need to start enforcing at least one proper rest day for myself. In all these years of development, I can count on both hands the number of true rest days I’ve had. And lately, I’ve been feeling more drained than ever.
It’s tough, though. Over the years, I’ve built this routine of working on both games nearly all day, every day— no matter what, even when I’ve had issues like De Quervain’s tenosynovitis or lower back pain (lumbago). But if I want to avoid severe damage to my physical and mental health, I have to take a break.
Thanks for reading, and sorry for the long post. Good night. I love you, guys!
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