[Progress Report]: 23rd of March

 Hey everyone,

Above you'll see a brand new Artemisia event! This one, like the ones before it, are building up to the upcoming Hospital Patrol. Honestly, I expected this scene to be fairly quick, but, as it turns out, Artemisia had a lot to say. The protagonist had a lot to say back, as well.

I wanted to talk a bit about the "likability" of characters. Why have characters like Felicity, Shiro, and even at times the protagonist, act the way that they do. They're not antagonists, the latter one literally can't be, so why not try and make them as likeable as possible? And it's not a high-minded concept I'm trying to get across. Likeable characters try to get along with people. Which means that likable characters don't usually create character arcs.

A character designed to be "likeable" from the start, or more specifically amiable, naturally preserves the status quo. I struggled with this a lot in the early portion of the game. Once the characters overcame their original hurdles, like Riley's doomed marriage, it became difficult to give them new stories. Chrys had a similar issue. There's a lot of content there, but the real, character-defining stuff is now locked behind this layer of pleasantry.

Which is where characters like Shiro and Felicity come in, but you already knew that part. Why the protagonist? Why make the protagonist alternate between likable and unlikable? It's a difficult balance to strike. On one hand, I want the protagonist to be relatable to the player. His triumphs should feel like the player's triumphs because... that's what's happening. There's no story without the player.

On the other hand, I need the protagonist to force his own kind of change. His agency is needed in the plot, which is why every now and again you slip out of his perspective, his thoughts, and observe his actions.

I never promised dozens of multiple endings for Superheroes Suck. It would be too much work, extend development for several years, and... I've played a lot of games that had variable endings. You and I know they're not all they're cracked up to be. That said, I did promise two endings to Superheroes Suck, and I am building up to the choice that will define it. It's coming much sooner than the end of the game.

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me.

Thank you for all of your support!

~Solace