Extended Writing Update

I'll have more to say on Eiwynn in the coming weeks. For now I don't think I'll be able to stop crying if I post anything else about it today, so I'm going to jump into this writing update to give my head a break where I can pretend things are normal. For more details you can check my tumblr and the forum. I hope you give your loved ones a hug today. I hope you know how much I appreciate you guys. 

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With my focus now solely on getting chapter one ready for its alpha launch, I've been spending a lot of time making sure the character voices between games are consistent. I think a lot of the outline work I've been doing has extended so far that I've been thinking of the characters as who they'll have become in 50 years - so now I need to rein it back in to six-ish months after the end of the first game. It's interesting to have that wide and narrow perspective at the same time. I keep thinking how much I can't wait to write that final version of the characters, but then I remember oh, that'll mean it's done. So I guess I can wait after all - it's pretty easy for me to enjoy who they are in book two, after all.

On the topic of bird's eye views... one interesting thing about the content review process for book one was that there was an item that almost didn't make the cut. I'll be clear-but-vague to avoid spoilers for anyone who hasn't played the full beta: it's the late-game scene where MC can do some questionable things as part of the plan on the tavern rooftop. What saved the scene was that I had negative consequences for the action, showed that some characters weren't okay with it, and gave the player a chance to turn back. It's interesting because when I think about that bird's eye view again, that scene and some other morally dubious options can have big effects on MC's relationships with their teammates in books 2 and 3. I'm glad Hosted Games decided to keep it. I wanted to make Leas the type of game where (within limits) you'd have the option to really define your character and have npcs react to them.

Anyway, it's coming along and I expect the demo to be about 15k words. That's a little longer than the first game's chapter one, to give an idea. I've also got the first RO bonus story mostly done, so that should launch this week after some editing.

Here's this week's preview:

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Keo catches me staring, and when I don't look away [he/she/they] shrug[s], and turns​ back to the others, massaging the muscle around [his/her/their] shoulder like it's sore.