SWORD OF SYMPHONY - Dev Summary - June 2023

Hello again everyone!!

Hope you've all been doing well!

So yet again, I managed to successfully achieve the goals I set myself in the last update! I was able to host auditions for another voice acting role and implement their lines into the intro cutscene. I was also able to work out an efficient & replicable method for me to direct the additional 3D environment modellers I've recruited so far; which came very much in handy, since I was able to simultaneously finish the animation for the intro cutscene and I'm now FINALLY ready to begin working on the tutorial level!

Animation for the intro cutscene is now FINISHED...

This has been one of the goals I've been DESPARATELY trying to finish, and let me tell you - the relief is immeasurable! At the moment, the only thing that is done is the animation for the intro cutscene. The texturing and post processing will be done at a later stage, since the main purpose of doing this task is to create a loading screen (which will be this cutscene) to seamlessly transition into the tutorial section of the game, since the events in the cutscene and the tutorial section happen consecutively (similar to how the prerendered intro movie in FF7R leads seamlessly into the first level).

While animating the final part of the cutscene, I hypothesised 2 different methods to execute it. One which is more 'standard' and relies on dialogue to carry the narrative, and the other which relies much more on creative imagery and music to tell the story in each scene. After experimenting with both and seeing the unique and impressive storytelling quality of the second method, I've decided to go with that. A huge benefit with this new method is the future scenes I've planned for the game no longer need to be as long as I've originally written them, yet they'll have even more of an emotional and visual impact. I'm very much looking forward to showing you all how I've done this! I've also noticed that this new style of scene execution has dramatically improved my animation skills, likely due to the way it has forced me to think outside the box when animating. Due to this, I may redo the promo animation for the monthly development summaries either in this month or August to reflect this...

(You can see the progress I've made on the intro cutscene in the behind-the-scenes channel of my community discord as a mid tier patron or above).

1st level's environment ALMOST DONE...

Following from May's update in which I mentioned that I opened applications for additional 3D environment modellers, I was able to recruit a few so far to help expedite my creation of the game's environments. Currently we've almost finished doing the environment in the first level in just 2 weeks! I will forever be grateful for their assistance. I've always envisioned that by the end of my development of Sword Of Symphony, I'll have assembled a reliable handful of 3D environment modellers and potentially other specialists who I'll be able to also commission for my future projects (such as Purpose: EIGENGRAU, Purpose: VERSA & VERSUS, Sword Of Symphony II, etc.) and after what we've been able to achieve in just 2 weeks, this feels more and more likely to be a reality. I'm looking forward to further enlisting their assistance as this game's development continues; so far, I couldn't have asked for better people!

(If you're reading this and you're also interested in assisting me with the 3D environment modelling for the Sword Of Symphony, you can find details on how to apply in the information document in this Drive Folder).

Writing music for the tutorial level...

The first task for me to do for the tutorial level is the music for it. Since Sword Of Symphony is a musically driven game, it's important this comes first, as the music will control the pacing and action of the gameplay. Due to the fact the tutorial begins seamlessly after the intro cutscene, I must also make the music for that too and treat the music for it and the tutorial section as if it's one track (hence why it's a good thing I've now done the animation for the intro cutscene). It's been a while since I've actively composed music for this game (due to the other tasks) so now I can finally do what I do best! xD

(You can see my progress updates on this in the behind-the-scenes channel of my community discord as a mid tier patron or above).

Conclusion & Goals for July 2023...

Before writing this, I honestly had this feeling that I "haven't done enough" in June, despite accomplishing the tasks I set myself in the previous update. After analysing why I've been feeling this way, I realised it's due to the fact that much of the month was on only one task. Day in, day out mostly working on 1 cutscene - which included hosting the voice auditions for it, actually animating it, directing the voice actor/s involved on multiple occasions, experimenting with the 2 methods I had in mind executing it etc. Doing one task for almost a whole month is a HUGE change of pace in comparison to how I've been progressing before June, but it's reminded me that progression in game development isn't always as linear as you think; there are some moments where you're able to pump out a lot of visible progress due to some tasks being naturally quicker to accomplish (thus giving you the 'illusion' of speed) and other moments where you're either doing 'longer' tasks or tasks related to the game's development (like contract drafting, casting, voice direction, hiring, art directing etc.) that may make it seem like little progress on the game is being made. But even though that is the case, it's important to remember that every step, whether big or small, whether in the game-engine or on Microsoft Word & Gmail for several days must be done to make progress in the project OVERALL - and its secondary tasks like those which consume time, no matter how many people you have in a team or enlist to help you (I'd even argue doing those tasks yourself, if you're able to, is actually faster - as there's much less waiting time and 'bureaucracy' involved). Hence, after reflecting on the tasks I've been able to accomplish for last month in this update today, I now know that I've actually done quite a lot and that many of the aforementioned 'secondary tasks' involved me doing certain things which can now be replicated much quicker in the future due to me having already done them now, meaning everything's only going to get faster from here.

This has also reminded me that one of the reasons people often give up is due to the very real state of hebetude one falls into once they reach a point in which it's not actually possible to accomplish many consecutive gains due to the current task/s either being too large, too steep or consisting of many secondary and seemingly unrelated tasks - which at times are even more important than the main ones, thus giving you the illusion of stagnancy and burnout (which is the same for many things in life - and even life itself). But in those long and laborious moments, you must exert an active and conscious effort to convince yourself to stay unwaveringly (and even blindly) loyal to the prospect that you will achieve in the end, but only if you keep moving. Know that the goal is bigger than yourself; and to achieve it, you'll often have to step outside of yourself and become something equally as big. Ignore everything else other than your desire to achieve your goal - for when motivation is absent, discipline must take its place.

By the end of July, I honestly want to finish the tutorial level. I know that's a bit of an ambitious goal, but for some reason even after everything in June I genuinely believe in myself to achieve that goal. Realistically, the tutorial level may be done by mid August (10th August probably) , but I'm not going to let that happen. This month, I'm genuinely going to attempt to defy reality. So let's make it happen! 👏🏾😤

See you all in the next update!

- Stephen