Progress Update: Weekly Screenshot

Let's begin with eye-candy:

Screenshot of the appropriately-named Pirate Cove. Oh, what fun it will be to prance around with pirates!

The area in the screenshot and the area immediately connected to it is what I'm working on right now. The NPCs have been designed and added, the main quest and side quests are ready to be plugged in, but the mapping itself is inching toward completion at a snail's pace - which frustrates me to no end. In terms of design, it's one of my favorite locations. It has a unique look and I'm hoping to find an equally unique song to go along with it. But the actual mapping has just been excruciatingly slow.

Mapping is usually my favorite part of game creating. I enjoy placing every little detail and making up little stories around different bits and pieces. Occasionally, I will stop mapping to create an NPC with quirky dialogue or add a side quest. More often than not, however, I'll just map until the maps are completely done.

Yet this Pirate Cove ... This fun and quirky place has left me feeling so frustrated! I'm excited by the side quests, tickled by the characters and NPCs and working hard on introducing much needed features (relationship expert, for instance, that will tell you about the party member relationships and offer some not-so-legal relationship-altering potions) and looking forward to letting you explore every nook and cranny. I just have to actually make those nooks and crannies worth exploring. Which they're not right now. Definitely not! {imagine me shaking my head here and muttering some gibberish, here}

Let's shift gears to something more positive. The story!

There's a rare moment writers encounter every now and then that's like a writing epiphany. You'll be plodding along, writing or thinking, when the metaphorical gates of inspiration flood open and you just get it. That perfect scene, line of dialogue or motivation. It clicks on every possible level, and all you can do is tell yourself: "Now, that's good. That's really, really good."

I had a moment like that last night with TUAH's plot. It's not about anything major, since the story has already been written and decided. But it is a glorious plot point that ties many things together in a neat little package. It's so good, in fact, that it's still giving me chills thinking about it. I am at the edge of my seat, wanting to share it, but I will let you discover it as you play.

I will, however, take a moment to laugh the masterful laugh and utter the phrase "You have no idea what you're in for, ladies and gentlemen. The fun is just beginning."