Desecration of Wings Preview (Patreon)

This post is both an early preview of a game that will be coming out eventually and a bit of insight into my creative process.  What is the game actually about? Here's my first attempt at an official blurb: 

Game Intro

The Endless Court is eternal, ruled by Immortals who have guided the four races of the world since the dawn of time. But they seem very concerned that no one spends too much time studying the broken ruins that litter the world, and peace is more fragile than it seems.

Felana is one of the historians at the margins of society, forced to prostitution by the anti-scholarship edicts of the Endless Court. All she wants is to take care of her daughter and study in peace... but as war brews among Immortals and her knowledge suddenly becomes troublingly relevant, she isn't going to have that option.

The Cast

Felana: A strong woman who doesn't mind using her body as a way to survive, but who wishes for a better life. Though she's the game's protagonist, this game jumps between different characters more frequently than TLS.

Trila: Felana's daughter, conceived in her youth. A half-breed of two different races, she occupies an uncertain place in society that mirrors her uncertainty in life. She has conflicted feelings about her mother's work (both sexual and academic). Their relationship is one of the central threads of the game.

Palind: A conflicted Immortal who has given up on the idea of reforming the Endless Court and instead lives in simple isolation. For years he has been inactive, but when he meets Felana and Trila, he begins to wonder if there isn't another way. Can he use his position for the good of the world instead of only for his own benefit?

Anmin: A young mage the party meets in the city of the Endless Court. Her motives and her loyalties are ambiguous, but she seems to know something about the forces stirring against the Court. Who does she work for, and what does she want?

Lyrillian: One of dozens of nobles vying to become the next Immortal, Lyrillian is determined and talented but spoiled. She begins in opposition to the party, but when events turn her life upside down, she'll have to reconsider her loyalties...

Those are just the party members, there are other characters that will be introduced throughout the game. I do not like writing hype text, but I hope that gets people a little interested! 

Rambling

This project actually has a long history. My plan has always been to try to create at least one conventional h-RPG, both for the experience and as a benchmark. It's hard to make data-driven conclusions in creative fields, but I like to have more information. My first attempt was Ouroboros, but that pretty much immediately turned into an atypical h-game.

With Desecration of Wings, I'm giving this goal another shot. I want to make a game that's just good plot and mechanics, no meta twists or unusual mechanics. I also wanted to strike a more even balance in terms of adult content: solid RPG gameplay with NSFW content evenly distributed throughout.

This game is also a way to "rescue" some old work I abandoned in RPG Maker VX. I had some nice scripts and systems that I never got a chance to use. Having said that, working in VX has made me eager to return to Ace. >.> This will definitely be the last game I ever create in VX.

I actually hired out a few parts of this game and purchased more assets than usual, though the core plot and game design are still mine. This was an experiment I hoped would improve TLS creation speed, but I don't think it ended up that useful. Still, lessons learned, and it produced a game I think is worth playing.

A lot of the work on the game is actually done. See below for a fairly accurate representation of progress:

Progress Report (Updated October 1)

First Draft: 100%
Editing: 100%
Maps: 100%
Combat: 100%
Testing: 90%
Character Art: 100%
Sex Scenes: 100%
Custom Sprites: 20%
CG Art:  NaN %


You can see how the heavy lifting on my end is done, so it's not like this game will be consuming a large amount of my time. But it also won't be done soon, because it takes a while for a full game of assets to be commissioned. This is something I'll be quietly working on in the background, and maybe you'll hear about in more detail as it gets closer to completion.

Artists and Connection to TLS

After having several artists flake out on me, and hearing from other devs about artist troubles in general, I've decided on a new plan for finding a TLS artist: I'll only choose someone who has worked with me on a significant project. That will let me see their work ethic and also give all of you a chance to see their style and ability.

I am happy with the character artist whose work you see above.  He hasn't done any NSFW scenes, though, so we'll have to see about that. Worst case scenario, I will consider trialing some other artists as well for this project, so long as I can keep the style consistent.

He's not the only other artist I've been working with, either. There are two other projects and two other artists. You'll hear about them in time, too! I hope that by doing it this way, we'll be able to find an artist for TLS via a series of interesting side projects instead of just attempts with artists who don't work out in the end.

But for now, check out the animated title art! I actually just commissioned normal title text, but the artist added an animated version as a special bonus gift. ^-^ 

Thanks

Again, I want to express my gratitude to everyone for supporting me in my dream job. There is nothing I would rather be doing than making games.  Side projects help keep me productive overall, so I'm glad everyone is willing to support me in them. If you're reading this post, you'll definitely get all the finished games for free as thanks!

There's actually a lot of stuff in the works I wish I could show, but I intend to pace myself and stay focused. Expect the TLS update and the data post in the near future, some polls about art direction after that, and eventually some of these side projects. Please look forward to everything!