uuhhhh hi i guess?

it's been a month since the prologue demo for the game came out, so i think it's about time to clarify some stuff...

not giving out real public info on the next segment yet, but i'll at least let you all gauge how far along development this whole area really is... and address a few things, as well.

THE DEMO
As you might've noticed, the DEMO was short. Really short.
and it lacked actual rpg content (battles, for example).
That's because this was, basically, a prologue made in (3~?) months.

I'm gonna be straightforward. (the only straight post you'll see from me lol). I'm not much of a programmer. I get the hang of it, generally, but it's not something that comes too easy for me.
The only reason this game is able to even happen, is because pancakez made the engine years ago, and is constantly helping me fix and modify it (or straight up fixing it himself... most the time).
What I'm doing is using that engine to program this game.
This is like, if he created pen and paper, and I'm drawing a maze with those, for you to solve. kinda.
BUT. there is a big caveat here. it gets to a point where there's nothing to "fix" with the existing systems, and from there on, it's basically smooth sailing. Since anything that would come on top of that would either be cutscenes, maps, fights, or some new variation to add. on TOP of the already working engine. Y'get what i mean?

...I lost the point lol. Anyways, what i wanted to get at, is that I've... actually been working privately on the actual first area since late 2024. Mostly as a "study" of how GameMaker Studio 2 works, while keeping up with a shitty job life. So not only any progress i made was slow because of inexperience, but it was also EXTRA slow because I was always tired. (adulting sucks ass)

So, even with a whole year, it... really isn't THAT much progress...

anyways as a thank you for hanging around here, you can have this drawing, while i work on the game:)

...

oh, you... actually want to know how far along development the first area actually is, huh?

weeeelllllll....

////////////// Area 1 (The Ruins) progress //////////////

Segment 1 - Ruined Halls

100% everything
you just played this lol, dumbass

Segment 2

90% - Story
The story is set, almost all events that should happen are either implemented in a basic way, or prepared. (For this area, at least).
Expect this next segment to be kind of... like UT's Ruins?But with a bitts'a more stuff.
(That's why the PBLight "ruins" segment was so content-light. THIS second part of the ruins area is the one with the actual content, and once this segment is done, work on the second area of the game should properly begin. also, once it's released, please judge both the Ruined Halls and this one as a single area together. that's how they were designed, after all.)

50% - Engine work
The engine works, so this is mostly me not having properly explored these things before, but I still have to properly define routing affecting everything... random events, tandem battles, game memory, soul things, proper battle cutscenes (toriel's was hard-coded in a really messy way)... and some more things i haven't thought of yet. probably. also shops. still haven't added those. (borders would be nice too)
I'm not a genius prodigy, and i'm learning GMS2 while working on this, so i WILL struggle with simple things from time to time, and procrastinate because my brain is constantly melted by the addictions we all are forced upon with social media... So even if i'm not doing my *best*, i'm doing something, i guess. dunno. i like making this game, though.

60% - Enemy logic
Currently missing tandem enemy variants, route variations & refining for a certain boss, and the entire final area boss + route variations in the logic itself.

15% - Enemy attacks
Only the attacks for 1/5 common enemies are finished, and 1/3 of them for another one (mostly because i had to code a bullet type for it and needed an example attack to test, lol).
(all are designed, but ngl im dreading the math this'll be...)

50% - Cutscenes
Almost all of the pacifist-neutral route cutscenes are done in a basic state.
This is the most tedious part... but, making mistakes here lead to some funny moments. will share some from the already-revealed things in a later devlog.

90% - Map
Most rooms are completed, only missing 1 simple cutscene one, and tidying up some placeholders i forgot to change.

90% - Spritework
All character, map, and battle sprites are done. All the sprites missing are some small tile variants, and attack pattern sprites. but that's like, an hour of work and then bullet pattern work anyways, so i can consider this lowkey done.
Though, i'd still like to go back and rework some of Toriel's sprites from the demo. (sometime. probably before the final game update in 7 years lol)

100% - Soundtrack
I actually had to rewrite this 2 days ago, because i accidentally coined the two tracks i was having issues with??? alright??? go me???
The ost for this segment is 20 songs. (Counting the demo ones)

There's something i'd like to clarify. I know it's redundant to have "Original" variations. That's not the idea. The ones from the demo specifically were old remixes of the UT tracks i felt fit, so i used those instead of editing the original tracks.

The way the soundtrack will work is: If a song uses a leitmotif from UNDERTALE, it will have 2 versions. One where it uses it, and an edit that uses an original/legally distinct replacement. (For example, Once upon a time, Toriel, and Ruins all have set original leitmotifs.)

So, this way, every song will be original, and if a leitmotif would be used, you can know which one it is meant to be.
I know it's not Materia's fault. Bots fuck up when they hear the same melodies and stuff. I believe this is the best solution to avoid repeats of the Yellow Incident (tm)

I also have been asked about streaming. The soundtrack will be released in chunks with each of the 4 main area updates.
(For obvious reasons, the UT versions won't be included.)

90% - English script
The dialogue is almost fully written (now all left for that is for me to sulk on it for like 3 months until i realize something isn't as funny as i thought, and rework that.)
So all that's left in that area is for it to get to a "final pass", and test it's displayed correctly, too.
But all thats missing is some route variations, and to actually have it displayed in the game lol.

0% - Spanish translation
yeah no i'm not touching this until the script is 100% done and working properly. i learned my lesson from ruined halls and it was like 30x less complex than this LOL.
a ver, yo hablo español, pero como el juego esta basado en un juego que esta pensado en ingles, tambien lo estoy haciendo principalmente en ingles y despues traduciendolo al español. se me hace mas facil asi, y como el dialogo lo escribo siempre yo, me es "simple" localizar algo. en fin, cada actualizacion que haya va a estar disponible en ingles y español. (other translations by other people could be potentially added in the future. sorry, i dont know other languages.)

//////////////Area 2+//////////////

0% - anything that requires coding
yeah no, i learned my lesson from ruined halls, forking the project to delete potential spoilers is a mess when you end up fixing/adding things to the new version that interfere with already existing future area content. i'm not starting to work on the next area until the current one is ready.

80% - Character/Story design
The main "cast" is already designed. It might iterate a bit until each one debuts, but the story is mostly decided and planned, along with the characters. (enemies aren't fully decided yet, but a bunch of designs were made)

10% - Soundtrack
dude when i say i randomly cooked with some of the late-game soundtrack i MEAN it, like, for real some of my favorite songs i've ever made are there. it drives me crazy it'll take years for them to be public... but it isn't the first time that happens to me lol... (some day, SoulStory, some day...)
but yeah, some tracks are finished, but if you expected me to have already made ~130 tracks for a fangame then... you'd be right in another scenario... just not in this one lol.

TAKE ALL OF THESE PERCENTAGES AND ESTIMATIONS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT, I'M SIMPLIFYING IT FOR IT TO BE EASIER TO EXPLAIN.

ok but like, when does this release

the game isn't even done chill

if i stay unemployed and don't burn out this'll maybe release by like, the first anniversary of the demo release? like, in the VERY best scenario. (let's hope it's not the case, i have bills to pay lol)
if i get a job, then development will probably PLUMMET because my free time will be occupied. (let's hope this is the case, i needa the monays)

so the obvious course of action is to make this my job and open like, a fundrai...ser... to...
right... fangame. can't money.
so the second obvious course of action is for me to get some people to help make the game by taking off workload from specific areas; aka; someone who works specifically in enemies, someone who works specifically in cutscenes, and each help me build those areas to be ready, while i do the rest.
if you're reading this and getting excited, i'm only looking for adults who have experience with general coding / gamemaker studio 2.
anything else isn't needed or wanted. don't waste your time.

SO, what's next?

idk, at the time of writing this it's been like, a week since the demo release. And i just finished making the logic for the 5th enemy... i think i'll take some time making the boss logic, and then the overworld NPCs. which... actually should be done by the time this post is live.
(i forgot to do that, got busy improving the battle logic and music lol)

actually, for now, i think i should rework some debug functionality instead to make debugging less tedious.

anywho, i'll also spend some time trying to find some help for the project, coders only. that should help make progress a thing.

Next announcement?

right, if for some odd reason you knew me from before, you'd know i SUUUUCK at online prescence and consistency.
so i feel like a "seasonal" devlog is a decent approach at this. though only if there is something to actually share.
like, maybe in a whole month i don't feel like working (or just can't work) on the game, so the next month i say oooh yeah i didnt do shit. or straight up lie, which'd suck.

in any case, if there are no news for a while, you can always check on my twitter or something to see if i posted something abt the game lol.
anything worth announcing will be posted properly here, though.

TL;DR
will put out news when there are news. the game is going well and in... ~1? year the next segment should come out (best scenario)
i'd also like help coding it.

written by @thehairdudelmao , of course lol

#eggsforbreakfast #projectbluelight #pblight #undertale #undertalecyan #undertalelightblue #undertalebluebutslightlylight #undertalefangame #undertalenews #dage