[Status Report #4] MBML Chapter 2 - Episode 1

Alright, let's cut the small talk. No fancy intros today. Straight to the point.

Issue:

So, the big elephant in the room: everyone knows about the massive three-year time skip after Chapter 1, yeah? If you don't, you probably missed a few status reports and announcements.
Here's the main one you should check out: https://www.patreon.com/posts/123286829

Now, after stepping back and really thinking it through, I had to admit something painful: that "record-breaking" idea of mine was probably the dumbest bright idea I've ever had. Don't get me wrong, we're not tossing the time skip out the window. It's still a crucial part of Chapter 2. But it is getting an adjustment.

Some of you caught the previews I posted recently. Yep, I finished outlining Chapter 2 in its entirety. Every arc, every climax, every ending. Took a while, but it's DONE. Reading it all back, though, I realized… if I stick with the three-year jump, I'm setting both myself and the story on fire.

Three years is a lifetime in storytelling terms. Sure, plenty of things would've happened off-screen, but I can't just wave and say, "Welp, nothing big went down" for most of it. Even if you were willing to roll with it, Chapter 2 would drown in constant flashbacks, clunky exposition, and route-patching gymnastics. And that'd be a nightmare for all of us.

To those I debated with on the Patreon post—you were right. I get it now.

So what's the fix?

We're still keeping the time skip, but instead of three years, we're scaling it down to just one. The trick to pulling off a time skip is making sure you don't feel like a stranger in the world when you come back. One year keeps it clean, keeps it grounded, and keeps me from digging my own grave with the pacing.

One of the biggest reasons for the skip is to reintroduce Leah from Emma's Solo Ending into the main story. To make that work, I'll need to retcon ESE's time jump to one year as well. Not a big deal—just a few lines of dialogue to tweak. Nothing back-breaking.

So… is this some giant, earth-shattering change? Not really. Editing a couple of dialogues here and there, making sure continuity stays tight—it's manageable. I'll take care of it once I'm back from my break. Right now, I'm still a little fried from all this planning.

Now, on to the fun part: Character Designs. Are we rolling them back?

HELL no. 😅
The new designs are sticking around. They're miles better than before, and I'm NOT undoing that progress.

I mean... seriously. What the hell? 😆
I couldn't care less if the glow-up seems "too much" for just a one-year gap. It's working, and I'm running with it. Gwen, Naomi, and Moon haven't changed much besides some occasional hair switches. Naomi even went back to her old style—she looks hotter in it. But the rest? Chef's kiss.

Now let's talk a bit of content stuff.

📊 Progress & Current Numbers

• Lines of code: 3,468

• Renders: 487

• Animations: 13

• Music & SFX: 39

Because of all the outlining and re-planning, progress slowed down, but the wheels are still turning. Once my break's over, expect the pace to pick up again.

As for the spicy stuff, three confirmed lewd scenes across three different characters. Two are already written, one's fully animated.

Once I'm back, the main focus shifts to implementing the skip changes and diving into Klara's arc. That means it might take a bit before the next preview drops.

As for what's ahead, this episode is more on the wholesome side (well, wholesome by our standards 😏). Just characters living their day-to-day. Trust me.

Aside from that misleading insight, I'll let the story do the talking when it's in your hands. 😅

That's all for now.

Take care, stay safe, and catch you on the next update.

— NiiChan