This week I started working on the final section of the game. Now that the first level of the game is more or less done (barring some necessary improvements for the art), I'm now doing the final part of the game. That way, I can easily scale the game by making more or less levels between the two I've made already.

I started by making a section right before the final boss where the player gets a moment to say goodbye to the characters they've recruited on their way.

Click 'Read more' below to read more about the code regarding the conversations.

This week, I've been working on artwork and animations for the first level. They're not all implemented yet (thanks Smash Bros!), but I've got the most important ones in there. There's also no sound yet for most of the animations, including a new song that I'll need to request at some point.

Click 'Read more' to see some of the sprites and the process of creating Viola's animations!

Some of the feedback I've gotten from more senior game designers is that there's lot you have to learn right away in the vertical slice. Attacking, defending, all sorts of spells, items, on top of all the platforming. So it's high-time to show how exactly I plan on introducing the mechanics one by one.

​Click 'Read more' to read more about the tutorials!

I believe it was Miyamoto who said that the first level you create should always be the second level. That way, you know exactly how to introduce the mechanics of your game in the first level. I've followed that advice by making the vertical slice a fitting "second level", which means that now, I have to create the first level.

Click 'Read more' to find out a bit more about the first level.

This week, I replaced the text-based introduction with an interactive one. I wanted the player to be part of Viola's frustration, which causes the violin's fantasy world to open up. After this part, the game starts right away with a smaller tutorial level where the player meets Fenrys.

​Click 'Read more' to read more about the introduction.

This week and the last have mostly been spent on contacting publishers (if you're a publisher and you're reading this, hi! Please help Viola!). But I've also been concepting characters and mapping out the game's story and levels. I've created a timelapse to show how I move from a concept sketch to a final sprite.

Click 'Read more' to see all the character concepts I've created this week!

There isn't much to talk about this week. I took one day to submit Viola to a "stimulation fund", looking for a cultural subsidy to fund Viola with. After that, I worked on getting spell animations to work, complete with sound and particle effects. Most of my time was spent actually getting things to work, with only two spells being actually implemented: Viola's.

Crescendos are powerful spells that use their own Crescendo Points, rather than the standard Ability Points used for spells. You gain Crescendo Points by taking damage. The system is based off of Lufia's "Rage" system, combined with the flair of super moves from fighting games.

Battle animations and player feedback is in! The things still missing are animations for spells, as well as their visual and sound effects.

Click 'Read more' to read more about the animations and some of the choices I've made for the battles.

I don't have much to say this week: it's very much what you see is what you get. The story bits in Viola have been upgraded! Animations, sound, music, visual effects, camera work... It's all there! Some polish would still be nice, but I'll have to actually finish up the rest of the game first. Just a few more weeks!

Click 'Read more' below to see more of Viola's story!