Philosophy | An Incomplete Puzzle

Philosophy | An Incomplete Puzzle

I talk a lot about how I have the story outlined. I have the plot written and I know how the big story arcs are going to play out. I know how everything is going to end. Some of you may be tired of me saying it but I'm going to keep saying it from time to time as a constant reassurance that I have an idea of where I'm goin and I'm not just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. I'll admit I'm throwing some things at the wall but the major pieces are things that have been planned out well in advance.

The story is important to me but I know that the story doesn't matter much without the characters. Some might argue that the characters are more important than the story itself. This could be a story about an MC fighting dragons in dungeons or traveling through space fighting aliens. I could use the same characters even though the setting and circumstances would be slightly different. I planned the characters out since the beginning in conjunction with the story I wanted to tell.

Some characters are more important than others and I put a lot of emphasis into all of your love interests. I know they're the reason why you're all here, so I treat them with as much respect as I can.

At this point in the story, you know a lot more about them than you did at the start. I'd like to think that you put yourself in the shoes of the MC and you're comfortable around them. Maybe you don't know everything about them but you're going to know everything eventually.

When you start putting a puzzle together, you don't know what you're looking at. You have a bunch of pieces that are different shapes and colors. You start to group similar-looking pieces together and you start to have a better idea of the picture. Eventually, you have enough pieces that you know what it is you're looking at.

But when you know what it is you're looking at, your perspective changes. You're no longer looking at an unknown image. You're looking at an image with holes in it. The picture that wasn't there is no longer the issue. Now it's about the few lone pieces that are missing. And the longer you go without filling in those missing spots, the more glaring they become. Now you don't have a bunch of pieces you're trying to put together. Now you have a picture with a missing pieces.

I'd like to think there are two sets of feelings associated with seeing those holes in the image. The first is excitement. The anticipation of seeing the finish line can make you push even harder to get it done. The second is frustration. In the beginning, you were a long way from your destination. Now that you have a picture, it's those last few pieces you need to find and place to avoid having to look at that image with those missing spots.

I designed every character like a puzzle. With every interaction, you gain a new piece to figure them out. Their hopes and dreams. Their past failures and triumphs. What makes them laugh and cry. What their favorite food is. How they like their coffee. Who they were, who they are, and who they're going to be. These are all pieces, big and small. Eventually, you'll have every piece to have a better picture of them. And then finally, you'll add the last piece.

I generally don't like going behind the curtain because it might change your perspective of enjoying the game and story rather than just enjoying it on face value. But I wanted to say this to give you something to consider.

So, what is that last piece of the puzzle?

You.

I tried to make all of your potential love interests as fully-fleshed out as possible. I wanted to give them more depth beyond just being attractive models you wanted to screw. Part of that is giving them a purpose in the story and in your life. In return, you do the same for their story and their lives. You and your love interest play a role for one another. When all is said and done, there's going to be a reason you're together beyond the physical.

Here's something to consider. With every update that comes out, you receive new pieces to every puzzle. I want you to consider what pieces you received and how it adds to the image. I know what some of you are thinking. You're thinking that a lot of these pieces look the same. You already got the pieces before. I'd like to think that these pieces may look the same but they're separate pieces. They all make a certain aspect of the image, in this case, a part of the puzzle that these characters are. And how do you, the MC, complete that puzzle?

There's been a lot of story so far. There's plenty to speculate. And there's a lot more still to come. You're going to keep receiving pieces until you get the whole picture of who these characters are. Some pieces are going to be bigger than others and make it a lot easier to understand what you're supposed to be looking at.

When we finally get to the end and you place that final piece of the puzzle, I have two hopes. The first is that it makes sense. I hope that all of the pieces of the puzzle make an image that's coherent. And my other hope is that you appreciate the final image you're looking at. I know putting together the puzzle can be a chore but this is one of many reminders that it's going to, hopefully, look great when the puzzle is put together. In this case, I think all of these characters, specifically your love interests, are amazing for reasons you might not be able to see yet. If not all of them, I hope there's at least one character you bond with and think is amazing the same way I do.

I wanted to say this because I know some of you are having trouble trying to figure some characters out. I know some of you might even be frustrated. I'm not just talking about not being able to romance or sleep with the girls you haven't been able to yet like Riley and Vanessa. I'm talking about trying to find the purpose of every character's role in the story and what makes them tick, even the ones you've already been intimate with.

Just know that—as I've said before and I'll probably say again—I know what the final image looks like. I have the completed puzzle box that the pieces come in with art on it in my notes and in my head. If you ever find yourself wondering what the incomplete puzzle is going to look like, remember that there are still more pieces coming your way.

This post is a little more long-winded than usual. I'm rambling mostly because it's hard to articulate exactly what I want to say. Obviously, there's no right or wrong way of how to view things. This is just how I created these characters and my hopes when I put everything together.

Do you like putting together the puzzles of these characters? Are you frustrated about not getting enough pieces? Are you intrigued about the next pieces to come? Do you think you know what the final image of the puzzle looks like? Let me know what you think and your view of things if you have an opinion.

On Episode 12

There are a couple of important events in Episode 12. Some big "puzzle pieces" for certain characters. It's also an important episode in terms of what it's leading to. There are a few tricky scenes to render and I'm making way through one of them right now.

The first official progress update for the episode should be next week. I should have enough for a preview or two as well as some decent progress on the bars. I'm hoping to have a new poll up soon for Riley's dress.

That's all I have for you now. Right now I'm just in the rendering stage, so I'll leave it at that.

Thanks for all of your support and patience. I wouldn't be here without every single one of you. I appreciate you all. Send me a message if you have anything to say. Take care of yourselves and I'll see you next time.