Progress Report 07/05 - 21 (Patreon)

Fridays are for, finally, resting, and reporting a bit on the stuff we've done this week!

First thing first, the actual progress: we've made some headway on the Breaking the Lineage project this week, though it's mostly been me forcing the rig (or rather lack thereof) of Corrupted Shinnok to cooperate with me in spite of it all. Progress on the project is, overall, slow but getting there. Granted, we're in no incredible hurry as it is, since we're yet to acquire a voice actress for Cassie either way. I've reached out to the VA community, particularly prompting Ivan to check his extensive contact network for the woman who performed as Cassie in the StudioFOW piece "Daddy Issues", since I found her voice to be absolutely spot on. Nothing has come so far in my inbox, but I am holding on to hope that she'll contact me - and if not, I'll simply resort to a casting call to see who can do the lines in question. The first draft of the script is, incidentally, pretty much done, though I want to go through it a bit for grammatical and spelling mistakes so it's easier on the eyes to read, but I'll make sure to share it here once it's in a decent state.

On the Blender front I have come to a simple, if annoying conclusion, and that is that my current setup is incredibly outdated to create larger, more intricate projects on. While I'm currently in the process of contacting those promised commission slots for the sake of funding, I have taken the liberty to order a whole bunch of parts for what will constitute my new rig - joining the 32gb RAM club with a CPU out of the the new lineup of Ryzen processors along with a new motherboard (my old one currently bottle-necking my Geforce 1660 Super, not giving me max performance) and new power supply unit is going to alleviate a lot of headaches pertaining to 3D work - and prepare us for the future. The issue is, as some of you might know, the on-going global supply crisis, meaning my CPU is slated to arrive (maybe) towards the end of this month.

In that respect, while I am still going to do Monday Loops in Blender, all current on-going Blender Projects and Scenarios are to be considered On Hold until my new computer parts arrive. It's not an easy decision, but it is a necessary one, owing to just how beleaguered my computer is whenever it's wrestling with the program. Monday Loops in Blender are currently created in spite of my rig's capabilities, not because of them.

And speaking of capabilities, or rather, my lack thereof. As I now go down the list of commissioners, keep an eye out in your inbox here on Patreon (provided you're owed a slot) as this is where I'll be re-establishing contact. One recurring issue in the past has been the unfortunate reality that comes with my limited spare time, where I may find the time to work on commissions for a few days and contact someone, but by the time they get back to me (sometimes weeks later) that window of opportunity has been lost, and I've been presented with the choice as to whether let their commission interfere with a then new contact, or if I'll have to relegate them lower down the priority list for later contact.

I know this might not be particularly fair of me, but it's sadly a necessity for me to move on to the next commissioner when a couple of days have passed without communications, going one at a time, as to be able to facilitate commission work at all with the way my schedule works. That said, I won't be pushing you down the list just because I don't get an answer within an hour's notice - I'll let a few days pass, and then see about moving it along. If you're no longer interested in your slot or not in a position economically to pursue it anymore, there's no issue from my side, and I will simply move along - we all have our reasons and let's be honest, in spite of my now slightly more merciful schedule, I took on way too many this time around either way :)

And speaking of schedule: amidst this newfound slightly increased spare time, I've begun to pursue my first art trade as well, which I am very much looking forward to. The orc lady set to be a main character for my Warcraft comic is finally getting presented the way she looks in my brain (actually, way better than in my brain), and I can't wait to share it all with you when it's all done!

TL:DR: SFM project(s) underway but awaiting VA, Blender Projects on hold while we wait for computer parts (Monday Loops continue as usual), commission work is processing (keep an eye out on your patreon inbox), and awesome art trade underway. It's not even summer yet, but man things are looking pretty bright and my motivation is as high as ever :)

As always, thank you so much for your continued support, and for all of your kind words! We're retaining good numbers on Patreon and the Twitter just keeps growing - I cannot overstate how imperative your support is for what I do here, so truly, thank you. May the wind be gentle, wherever you are!

Take care of yourselves, and each other!
/DH