Hello everyone! Just wanted to give everyone an update on what I've been doing these past few months. 3 Projects have been in my focus for a good portion of this later half of the year, but I will be changing my focus back to Ventio Mortis very soon. Since I now have all the character assets required to finish Ventio Mortis, I've let people play test the game to give me a good idea of what may need to be changed here or there, as well as any spelling/programming errors I may have missed. I've come to the hard decision to completely rewrite everything I have, save for select opening scenes. Now, this may seem like a horrible set-back -- and to me it's felt like one, hence the reason it's taken so long to get around to just doing it -- but it will be the best choice for the overall finished product. The reasons for this choice are as follows: The story was too "all over the place". I had a clear vision of the characters, the setting, and the story, but not the ending, and it caused a lot of problems during the core programming phase, as well as defining what assets I would need for CGs later on. As well, my main (and only) editor has been in college the past year and hasn't had time to actually edit any of the dialog. As the winter break comes closer, she will be more available to actually edit. This wouldn't normally be a huge set back, but she is not only an editor, she is the co-creator of this concept and her input is very important to the diversity of personality in characters and the eloquence of Hollowelle and Inan. As we reach the re-write phase of my plans for Ventio Mortis, I would value now more than ever anyone's input. What did you like so far? Which character did you like the best? Who did you hate the most? What would you have liked to be different? Now is the time for you to make an impact on the final game. While I want to make something I am proud of, I also want to make something that you want to play. And as we reach the end of production, I will once again start a kickstarter campaign for proper background CGs. Alright, long winded explanation done and over with, let me show you what has been being worked on this year, and what I hope to bring to you in the future. Sector ChimeraAs you can see from the screenshots above, a lot has been changed. I've switched engines for Sector Chimera, and I believe this to be a much better fit for what I imagined. I will still include combat against kere, as it's an integral part of the story. I've also changed the way you interact with people via your computer. There is a "forum" system, where you can choose responses that may effect later choices. I've changed the city character select menu for freetime events. You'll be able to interact with groups of people, or just talk to them one on one. The choice is yours. I've also revamped the textbox. It will display relevant information about the speaker, along with their city icon and face. Dialog will now have definition links so you can better understand the lore of Chimera without having to feel bogged down and bored by game explanations that aren't immediately relevant, as well as collect and update dossiers on your fellow Limbonites. Another huge thing I've added is maps and locations for Chimera. I also intend to add side quests once the main story is programmed and mapped out. Since Chimera is primarily a puzzle solving type of game, it's important to check locations more than once! I've also considered adding a quest log, but that will remain solely dependent on if I actually add side quests or not. Something you may have noticed if you've been here for a while is that everyone has an updated sprite. I will be slowly showcasing each new portrait over the next few weeks/months and describing the "character of the day" so that you can all learn more about the strange people you've been stuck with here in Chimera. Don't Talk To StrangersA little side project of mine that I began working on in the height of my depression. The concept is simple: I wanted to make friends that weren't real and I wanted a game that could trick me into believing I was talking to someone real. After discussing the idea with friends, they agreed it would be a neat concept, and so I started production just to see if I could do it. And that's how we got Don't Talk To Strangers. Well, as it turns out, making believable characters and an immersive chat system aren't that hard... but predicting what someone would want to say in response to these characters was quite difficult. Originally this was a two choice system. Either pick option A or option B. However, I've since decided that I will either rework the GUI to support 3-4 answers, or will implement some sort of "dialect" option at the start of the game where players can decide how they would typically type. I'm 25 and out of touch with proper texting etiquette apparently, as I abused smiley faces. The one compliment that was resounding that directly involved dialog was how the characters use your personal information. For instance, one might try to ask your name, and then from there on will refer to you by name. Or had to chosen NOT to share your information, they'll continue to be in the dark until you decide to share it... or not. Another huge way this works: If your favorite food is pizza, and you talk to a character who also loves pizza, they'll comment on how you have the same taste. Let's say your favorite food was tacos. They'll instead make a comment about tacos and how they feel about that particular food. Let's say you put your favorite food as... something else. Something... "bad". They'll probably have something to say about that, as well. Don't be afraid to be weird, and don't be afraid to play honestly. The results may surprise you. If you are interested in writing a character, let me know (via the contact form below or on social media)! I want diverse characters with interesting and engaging personalities, and I just don't think it's possible if I write all 8 of them. More on this game will be spoken of in the future, but for now just know that it exists. Monster PartyThere really isn't much to update here, but I do have some things I must get out of the way. First of all: writing for this game has been temporarily halted. Since this game is a joint project, I've been working closely with a friend of mine, Inujuju. She's created the characters Nea and Zephyr. I originally attempted to write these characters on my own due to her business, but when she read Zephyr's dialog she was not pleased. Which is quite fair, as I strayed from the original character traits we gave him. I will be rewriting his dialog, and/or give that responsibility to Inujuju depending on what we decide. Zephyr deserves to be cute and shy, and I hope that Inujuju will be able to write that character archetype much better than I could. That being said, I've begun working on Ashe's CGs. 3 are already done, with many more to go. Backgrounds are being selected and edited, but are mostly place-holders until I can decide what I want to use. The character creator has since been completed, and to avoid spending anymore time on it that needed, I've decided to leave it as is and come back to it at the end if any items really bother me style-wise. Lastly, and most importantly: I may be changing the name of the game. With the release of Monster Prom, I just thought it was a little too on the nose and that I may be accused of ripping from the game when it's released. This choice was hard as my heart was set on Monster Party, but it's ultimately the right one and I know this. TLDR; In the future?My main focus will turn to Ventio Mortis, as I want to try to get it out before the end of the year. This may not be the case, but it is what I am aiming for all the same. I have high hopes that while I begin writing now, my partner on the project will be able to edit the dialog during winter break and all will be well. That being said, I will also be working on Don't Talk To Strangers in my spare time. Chimera and Monster Party have both been benched for the foreseeable future so that I do not get distracted while pushing Ventio Mortis into its final stages.
Once Ventio is complete, I will start working on Monster Party again. And then after Monster Party, I will move on to Chimera, and so forth. Both Ventio and Monster Party are not huge games with a lot to them. They're fairly straight-forward, and so I believe in my ability to see them through, whereas Chimera is intended to be a large game that will take some time, and that is the reason why it's last on the production list. All of that being said, we here at Jingleriot Gaming are chalk full of ideas for upcoming games in the future. If there's anything you'd be interested in seeing, let us know! When the time comes to reveal these projects, you can bet they'll be here on this blog. But for now, we're spearheading our current projects and moving our way into the final long stretch for Ventio Mortis. Thank you for sticking around until the end of this post! Ghosting for a few months will usually leave you with many updates.
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I apologize to anyone who expected regular updates. I decided on a different approach for sharing progress on my games considering how hard a time I have being consistent. I'm going to wait until my projects are in their late stages of completion before I share progression updates and previews. This is being done in part to keep me focused on the game and not worried about external responsibilities so I can guarantee a polished and finished product, as well as stay focused on the tasks I've mapped out for myself. That being said, I will still try to share some things here and there, but they will not be nearly as consistent as they have been in the past.
The other reason I've chosen this new approach is because of the pressure to completing things in a timely fashion while also posting every other day. If I find someone to help me run this blog, there will be updates galorem but for now we have to sit in this solemn medium. As for Ventio Mortis: It is slightly on the backburner for now. I am focusing on Monster Party, but will switch back and forth between it and Ventio Mortis. The unfortunate facts are these: I want Ventio Mortis to be the best finished product it can be, and I don't feel I can do that without extra cash to pay for some background CGs. That being said, if it comes down to it at the end of the day, I will release it with whatever assets are on hand, but for now I intend to wait until I can afford, comfortably, to have this game look the way I want it to. I may also go back and rewrite everything, rescript some routes for my own sake and sanity, and rework some menus/ideas. Thank you for being patient with me, and remember you can download the demo from itch.io. (The demo also might have some bugs in it at this moment. Should you encounter any, please send me an email from the contact form.) tl;dr: To anyone who's worried, I am still working on Ventio Mortis, along side my new project, Monster Party. However, my focus has shifted to Monster Party for the time being. Ventio Mortis is still being worked on. And as a gift for making everyone sit in the dark for so long, here's a preview of the character creator for Monster Party. Hello all! I suppose there's no way else to start this post than to address the fact that I've been missing for a few months. Why, you ask (or don't)? Well, I've been working on a side project of mine for a few months now and wasn't sure if I was ready to share it with anyone who wasn't a personal facebook friend. But the time has come, now that there's enough so show and feel confident about, to finally reveal it to the world. What is it? Monster Party is a mystery dating game (seems to be my field of interest, huh?). You are a high school monster just trying to make it in the world -- and if that isn't bad enough, your datefriend seems to have gone missing without a trace. Where have they gone? And more importantly, who knows something about it? You're determined to get to the bottom of it, even if that means shaking down your own bullies, breaking school rules, and cavorting with unsavory folk after classes. As per standard with Jingleriot Games, customization has been a huge part of the project. It will feature character customization (with the ability to modify parts to create your perfect monster). Of course, choosing your own name, and even name your missing SO. Other features are currently up in the air (such as going so far as to let you customize your SO's appearance as well), but might not make it to the final product based on time and energy. *Disclaimer: The following previews are not final, and are used to showcase the features within the game. Everything is subject to change. The Suspects . . . Wait, I meant characters.
Want to get involved?If you're interested in joining the team (of... me. And sometimes my co-writer, Inujuju), let me know! I've got most character assets and UI complete, but programming help is still always appreciated. For the most part I need people who make backgrounds and music, and potentially voice acting, but the game will do fine without all of it. Still, if you're a masochist who likes working for free, shoot me a message.
If you'd still like to get involved but don't have any of the skills described above, fret not! I'm still looking for suggestions on character creation parts to include in the game (hairstyles, clothing styles, ect). Don't be afraid to send messages or send anonymous questions to our tumblr, here. |