Peace Island is now two years old - here's every 50th screenshot I've taken since the project began!

On the evening of November 17, 2017, a line cook in Portland Maine sat down in front of his PC, took a deep breath, and  sketched out the first blobs which eventually became Peace Island.  

 He wanted to keep a record of his progress, day-by-day, so he could always appreciate that he had always come one step closer to getting the game done.

A few days later, a sun appeared in the sky, and the first generation of bedrock was shoved into place...

Roads were laid, and trees took root...

Understand- this line cook guy had absolutely no guarantee that his idea for an adventure game about cats would even succeed...

He didn't have much of a budget- essentially, every time he could set aside a few bucks from his dayjob, he'd buy an asset, or hire a programmer to assist with things he didn't understand, first-hand...

The barren world was springing to life.

Occasionally, he'd wonder if there was any chance of getting such a huge game done on such a threadbare budget- but he'd bury that thought- after all, there was so much work to do- why bother with doubt?

PBR textures were added, to give the world more depth...

The first buildings were laid out in downtown, while a future hero in the story looks on...

The first cat added to the world was simply a model- with no animations or controller added- it just stood there like a silent sentinel, watching the world take shape around him...

Down the road, the future home of Boyd's was decided.

The inland paths get laid out using a tool we have long since abandoned...

The first generation of curbs are complete- but will be replaced- twice.  A game dev never gets too in love with their own work - they know it is likely to be depricated and changed at a moment's notice...

The first blocks that eventually become the hotel and the history museum are placed.  

For buildings made out of base primitives, they didn't look too bad - but again, they were eventually to be replaced.

Businesses appear.

The public dock is finally up!

The next generation of boulders is laid down...

The first cat controllers are added.

Inland forests are thickened.

All of this hand-placed foliage will be replaced, soon- but I felt quite a sense of accomplishment, while creating it...

The last shot of the island with all the handplaced trees and rocks...

Incorrectly-placed grass...

The first birds appear...

Ocean rendering problems...

The first interiors get laid out- this was the library....

Touching up downtown...

Adding detail to Greenwood Gardens.

Fur shaders are finally added!

Ellison farms gets more detail...

By this time, the old hand-placed foliage is long-gone, replaced with speedtree assets...

The game world starts to really come together, now...

Although all downtown buildings are due for another re-design...

LaFlamme Fishworks shapes up...

As do the inland houses...

New ocean shaders.  So much has been done, and yet- there's so much to do...

Fortunately, that line cook is no longer toiling in whatever few hours he can grab in-between 11-hour shifts behind a kitchen grill - and he's no longer working alone.  

And he can't thank ya'll enough!

SEE YA TUESDAY!