Progress 25.03.2022

 

So... what's up? A lot. Day 2 of the initial release has been sent to be proofread and tested, so my work is done until those two phases are completed. Then it is making the fixes and doing the final build, and final testing.

Now as a complication there is a spring storm coming this way, it started actually last night, which might complicate things for a bit, but I'll start uploading and doing the usual release stuff as soon as I do the final test that everything works. Hopefully it is sometime on Saturday but I have to give a warning that it might be later than that.

So how is it going to be?

Obviously this first release will be one download, but right from the start I will offer the compressed and uncompressed versions, like I did towards end of Sorcerer. Also from the update 3 onward I will provide the "update" only option as well for both.

The release schedule after the initial build will stay as it was with Sorcerer, the initial build will be given to all current patrons since you have patiently waited for a month for it.

Also TRS2 will have music and sound effects (mostly for communicators and "door bells", depends on what I can find/make). The default volume levels are set to 50% of the "full volume" so your ears (and speakers) shouldn't blow up on the first run. And the music, and sound effects are normalized so there shouldn't be a need to adjust the volume constantly.

Now as stated few times, I'm not a sound engineer, and my taste in music can be questionable at times. So it might be bit hit and miss. And once I find suitable music for the scenes, I will add more over time. There are currently, few variations, there are 5 ambient music that will play mostly, then few situations have their own music. I try to switch things around between days so you won't be always starting with the same music.

But all that is done and dusted and no more spoilers so concept stuff with random rambling.

The biggest difference as an author between sci-fi, fantasy, and modern day settings is, in all honesty how do you get from place A to B. Sci-fi it's space ships, fantasy horse carts and boats, modern day airplanes and cars. Roughly put.

The setting is mostly the dressing, every fantasy setting can work easily as scifi, you just replace the bows and arrows with a gun. Swords with... well some sort energy sword. Magic with psionics, for example.

What entices me as an author to enjoy sci-fi settings the most is that they offer the most freedom out of the three types I listed, if built right. And as someone who enjoys creating weird creatures occasionally it allows me to do so and not break the setting.

But that being said, even though Terminus Reach allows almost everything, there is the other side of the coin, the limits and the laws of the setting. While creatively it can be as enjoyable to write a setting that has more stricter limits, like Shattered Seals (Sorcerer). In there I'm limited by what exists in the real world and what mythologies offer. The fun part comes from trying to fit all of those together so they work in believable way. And trying to find the ways to bend the limits of the setting so it benefits the characters, truthfully those more often than not don't work but it is fun to try.

So what about these concept renders of some weird dude? Well, as said I like making weird things, I like trying different things to see what works and what doesn't. I needed someone that can look menacing. Although while creating a character can give inspiration, it also can mean that unfortunately some of the characters won't be seen even if I end up liking them.

And at times, I just want to see how things work together. Although, I might need to buy the hair color textures for that one.