Philosophy | Everything Counts

Philosophy | Everything Counts

If you go back to March 2022, you'll see a post I titled "The Little Things." It was a post talking about the subtle differences you might see when pursuing and not pursuing a love interest. It's easy to notice that you're going to get a sex scene but you might quickly skip over a render where you're holding hands instead of just walking side by side. Back in that post, I talked about how I enjoyed these small details. Not everything has to be as big as having sex or making out. And sometimes just a reminder that you're into each other like holding hands or a hug is nice between the sex.

I always think about this when I'm in a scene and I think about whether or not you're pursuing someone. I think how would you react and if it's appropriate to throw in one of "the little things" to give you a small reminder that you are indeed interested in one another.

I don't think these small interactions are limited only to when you're pursuing someone. I think these small details matter in a relationship even when it's not something as blatant as leading to some type of sex.

I've created relationships between you and the other characters. I like to have interactions and conversations. And if you're friends, it can happen frequently. Sometimes conversations can seem harmless without anything happen. Mostly because they are. Unfortunately, not every conversation can be as dramatic as Vanessa talking about her parents or as revealing as Riley talking about why she initially decided to help you with the coffee shop. Sometimes you talk just to talk. Because that's what friends do.

But just because these conversations are harmless, doesn't mean they don't matter. When I go into a conversation and write a scene, I always put something in there. I'm not talking about some cryptic remark that you have to speculate about or even some major fact that completely defines them. I'm talking about the details that you learn and discover when you're just talking to a friend. And if there are no details for you to learn or discover, I like to reiterate the things you already know not to be redundant but that's just who these characters are.

Take Riley, for example. You know she goes to school with you. You know she's a business major. You know she has an internship. You know you went to high school with her even though you didn't know each other personally. All of these things you've picked up while talking to her and reiterated. You continuously talk about them all the time.

On the surface, these are just descriptions of Riley. Her being a college student and having an internship is same as her having red hair and freckles. It doesn't actually tell you much about her beyond the surface. But in these conversations, talking to her, and learning all of these details, what do you know about her? How would you describe her? If you had to describe her personality and character, you would be able to come up with something. At least, I hope you would because you've had so many conversations that it's starting to feel redundant.

If you feel you've had too many of these conversations and you don't need to have them anymore, fair enough. And I've said that to myself. I've said, "hey, the MC doesn't need to know for the 100th time that Riley is a business major who's juggling school and her internship. Talk about something else." I could have you talk about something else. But sometimes there isn't anything else to talk about. So, what do I do? I put something else in there.

There are other details. Small things. Miniscule. Things that are unnecessary and the story wouldn't be much different if I left them out. But they're in there. I'm always aware of where the story is going, so I nudge it in that direction. In Riley's case, I continue to line up the characterization I have of her, pushing you in that direction with even the smallest details. By the time you get the full picture of who Riley is and what her story is all about, I want you to be able to think back on all of the conversations—the big ones and the small ones—and say to yourself, "oh, that makes sense," because everything has been moving toward a specific destination I've already planned.

Imagine you're trying to get somewhere. You can take a plane. You can drive a car. You can ride a bike. You can walk. They're all different methods with different impacts. Some might not have any impact at all in getting to your destination. But they're all the same in getting you to your goal.

This story is going to reach its conclusion eventually. You're the MC. The other characters are your friends. They're special people in your life. When all is said and done, I don't want you to be able to pinpoint one moment that you enjoyed more than any anything else. When you look back on what was the most special, I want you to say "all of it was special." Whether or not that happens remains to be seen but that's my goal. I realize this is a game and not an actual relationship but I like to think even the small conversations are a part of something greater.

And finally, being completely candid and less melodramatic, I'm aware that storytelling in this medium is not the same as real life. Sometimes in real life, friends have conversations about nothing because that's what friends do. I can't get away with that while telling a story in a game specifically meant to entertain and keep you interested. If you don't seem to be getting anything from these conversations—either some important details or something entertaining in the moment—all I can say is that I'm aware. I swing and miss sometimes. Even this post is long-winded. I'm trying to do better to make the conversations matter, even if the details I'm adding are small. For what it's worth, I know that there's something just around the corner that's special. And if there isn't, it must be the next corner. I'm sure of it.

With all of that said, we're well past the exposition of the story. We've established the characters. I feel comfortable going forward with major plot details and proceeding with the story arcs that are going to lead us toward the end. From this point forward, I'll be more conscious of the mundane. Looking at what I have planned, I only have room in every episode to get to the point, so I don't there'll be a lot of filler. But there's no point in keeping on making promises. I just gotta get you there.

Let me know what you think if you have any thoughts on this. I know some of you are anxious to get to the destination and don't feel like some scenes don't add much. Feel free to send me a message if you have anything to say. I appreciate all feedback if it means making the game better.

As a bonus for those interested, I rendered an extra image of Erika for this post. I thought she looked cute and figured I would put out the full hi-res render for those of you who are fans of her.

That's it for now. Still working on the next episode. Not much to update on. Take care and I'll talk to you all soon.