Chapter 16 progress update

Hello again!

Despite medical emergencies, hospital visits, illness, pirates, death and taxes, I'm actually doing okay...
It feels frustrating having half my time, energy and work stolen from me.
It's more than a full time job to keep creating the Academy series, but it is what it is and I am rolling with the punches and making reasonable progress.

Yesterday I was working on one of the things I enjoy the most. I was making the achievement images that appear at the checkpoint for each chapter.
That stage of the production process is normally a good indication that I'm closing in on completion.


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The main part of the story for Friday afternoon is all done up to a natural point of conclusion/cliffhanger. I'm now working on the bonus scenes.
Previously I have mentioned how the bonus scenes really boost the image count.
That's due to the use of many multi frame animated sequences.

The image count is currently just under 3000 images and I've recently been working on (and nearly finished with) the first of a planned four bonus scenes.
This bonus scene is on a par with the average size of my larger bonus scenes, which are generally around 150-250 pages with 600-800 images.

The overall volume of images, files and variables has left me with a bit of a dilemna...
At this rate Chapter 16 will likely be close to 5000 images.

The larger the chapter, the more technical challenges and issues can occur.
That has always been the determining factor when restructuring the game into 'shorter' chapters.

The problem in terms of Ch16 at the moment, is that it doesn't complete the story. There is more required to finish off the day/week/game and get to the narrative conclusions.

In other words, there is going to be far too much for just one release.
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I mentioned in my last update the possibility of releasing Chapter 16 in phases, like I have done previously with some of the larger chapters.

Following a similar strategy, my intention is to release Chapter 16 with at least two of the four bonus scenes available to play.
I hope to do this at the end of this month or the start of next.

I'll then move on to completing the remaining bonus scenes.

After that there are a number of outcomes/finales/rewards to create.
These will be determined by what has happened, the choices you make and what you have done during Chapter 16 and the preceding chapters.

For example, there will be an outcome whereby Miss Goodhead is very happy with you...
That will have it's own pay off or finale.
I don't want to think of these outcomes as becoming separate chapters.
It will be more a case of Chapter 16 : Finale 1/2/3 etc...

Each finale will be large and extensive. It wouldn't afterall, be very fair to work hard all the way through the chapters only to have an unsatisfactory conclusion.
I want the pay offs to be worth the wait.
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So that's all for now. I'll keep pushing to keep creating.