v0.08 Teasers--Part 2-- Before/After. Update Next Week! (Patreon)

Hey all,

We're back today to show off the last set of Before/After teasers for the upcoming v0.08. Rather than make you wait until the end of my giant-ass posts, this time I'm going to start with the goal-release date for the update is going to be this upcoming week at some point.  So in the meantime, let's take a look at some of the visuals from the old version of the game and the replacements in the revamp. 

As always, if you want earlier access to these previews as well as the audio log which typically contains a little more background on things, you can check out that post here. 

Note: This post will contain mild spoilers for v0.08. If you've played the original game, you won't be surprised with the discussion here but if you haven't played the original and already know the story, tread carefully :)

Another note here is that all of these teasers are genuine Before/After pics. This means they're all direct replacements for the original images. In previous Before/After comparisons, I've reshot entire scenes but these pics are the same exact shot. It's a fun way to sorta check-in and realize how far the visuals have actually come.

Alright, enough intro, let's get into the images:

Pic 1: This first pic is a good launch point for where this update kinda goes. This shows the first time that Braden jumps over into Zack's bed to watch TV. I think one of my favorite parts about some of these early story threads is that some of the old cliches that are mentioned in the story actually mattered. In this case, Braden's early discussions about needing glasses or struggling to see actually has a purpose. It's kinda like watching some old porno where someone orders a pizza but the pizza significantly mattered in the story or pushed the narrative forward. 

That being said, this early pic is pretty awkward. I will say that at this point in the story, I started to get a little brighter with lighting but it was still very inconsistent and looks sorta cell-shaded. Braden's facial expression is also a hot mess and it sorta looks like someone broke his neck, lol. 

Pic 2: This is the direct replacement that we'll be seeing in the revamp. Obviously, this entire scene is now shot at night time because-- well-- it was night time and I have no idea why it was bright as fuck in the original. We also have the massive change of depth-of-field used here to help give the room some depth, focus the eye, and it just sorta brings more realism and intimacy into this scene. Like many aspects of this game, this scene has quite a bit of dialogue so we'll be seeing more expressions this time around and I've spent some time (actually a couple of days) trying to get the position of these guys to look right on the bed. It was important to me to have things feel relaxed but not over-the-top pervy. I wanted them to land in the bed how they landed without any premeditation or anything and that "relaxed" kind of positioning is pretty challenging for me to capture.

Pic 3: So this pic looks pretty average and boring and is the typical reused shot of Braden standing in the middle of the room talking. I wanted to showcase this because during fight night, Braden gets out of bed to demonstrate some wrestling techniques and lures Zack over to be his guinea pig. In the original game, I just used shots here that I had used before, but in the revamp, this is an important scene that leads to more physical contact so I wanted more visuals to keep things fresh so people didn't get bored and miss this important step in Zack and Braden's evolution. 

Pic 4: So in the revamp, we're going to have this shot-- which is one of my favorites in the entire update. This is a much more purposeful shot and shows that fun balance of Braden being kinda cocky yet gentle and empathetic as well. Much more interesting pose here as he beckons Zack to get out of bed to come get his ass kicked :p  I really love this pic and will probably be using it as the actual promotion pic for the update. 

Pic 5: So this last set of pics is all about the first room wrestling event. Like the other teasers, this comparison is a showcase of an identical Before/After. This original pic has poor lighting, is grainy, and we're not even going to get started on the fact that the TV isn't even turned on despite the fact that they're watching it. While I like the poses here, there was room for a lot of improvement in this scene.

Pic 6: Almost identical shot revamp replacement. Replacement wrestling scene takes place at night (obviously) so we have the lighting changes. I also wanted them to be backlit a bit-- almost a stylized silhouette shot. The TV is now a light source but like many aspects of the story, the thing that they're doing is less important then what is happening between them. As such, I've blocked the  TV in most shots because it's irrelevant . Braden's facial expression is also drastically improved in this shot. This expression captures a lot more of his energy here-- he's not even trying and he's still about to flip Zack into next week. It's effortless, and it shows how skilled he really is. 

We can also expect a few more action scenes with the wrestling event. It's not long but it's a good excuse to practice action shots and sorta experiment a bit. It's a fun scene with way more energy than the original had and it made me smile more than once actually making it.

That's all for today.

Stay tuned. v0.08 is in the finishing phase now and should be out sometime this coming week. 

Thanks, as always, for the support. I seriously appreciate y'all

-Aaryn