Heyo! Apologies for the slightly-more-than-a-month of silence! You know the drill by this point: Getting reacclimated to an academic setting.

Unfortunately, I don't have much to share right now. I want to eventually get a video out with just the rough recoded battle system which was like 95% done up until I had to step back to prepare for the next semester. It's not gonna look much different from the outside (Honestly, I'm worried some people might even think I downgraded because there's gonna be a lot more placeholder assets in there) but the code is far more robust and far less prone to snapping in half in fifty different ways

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Oh, yeah, it's also UNDERTALE's 10th anniversary, ain't it?

REMINISCING

As you might be able to imagine, this game is kinda special to me. So, I felt it fitting to just reminisce a tiny bit on my own memories regarding the game. It's really the least I can do right now.

Undertale was the first videogame I can recall that made me cry. Like most people, I fell in love with the characters and the story. What really stood out to me was how many story threads were tied directly into the gameplay mechanics, and how neatly they were connected, too! But I think what really sold it for me was that it gave me the determination to finally break out of my shell and MAKE things publicly.

There's a reason Undyne's my favorite Undertale character by a country mile. If you've ever wondered why I kept her around all these years for Versotale and crafted the latest narrative so as to make her essential for the story, that's why. Undyne never gives up. She doesn't let anything stop her, she always does everything with 100% of her power, no holding back. And it's not just for bombastic stuff, either. She has hobbies like piano, she enjoys spending time with her friends, and she will stop at NOTHING if it means trying to bring the best out of those she knows. She's arguably the most passionate character in Undertale. It's a right damn shame that it took me so many years to connect to her character. That passion she has for everything is so very motivating. Yeah, she's a fictional fish monster, but just seeing how she views life and everything she does did light a fire under me for how I should view life and what I do in real life. Now, that fire definitely needs to be stoked; I'm admittedly very rarely firing on all cylinders. But the fact that the fire is there at all is a very stark contrast to how I used to go about things.

When I was but a wee lad, I always wanted to be a writer and/or artist but never had the courage to show anything publicly or make any meaningful headway because I was scared of being mocked by online communities or by friends and family (In hindsight, those were ridiculous fears, my friends and family all know of this fan project and have given me nothing but unwavering support.) Undertale was such an amazing game, but then I found out how it was developed. Knowing that someone could make a piece of media so profoundly impactful almost entirely on their own gave me genuine determination to make things that other people could experience. I ain't a perfect writer, I certainly ain't a perfect artist (It took me five years after I got a drawing tablet before I finally worked up the courage to learn how to use it and to stop handicapping myself by drawing with a mouse). But knowing Undertale was a predominantly solo project, coupled with that fire lit under me, inspired me to just put stuff out in the world, even if it isn't the stellar shining beacon of perfection.

Something happened a few years ago that the characters of Asriel and Chara really helped me internalize. I will not go into detail, as it is personal. The point is, even after so many years, the characters Toby Fox has created continue to shine in my life and inspire my actions.

Versotale is my ultimate love letter to Undertale and Deltarune, and like how it is a reflection of those two worlds, it also is a reflection of how the games have influenced me and my life. Which is why I have such a strong desire to eventually get the story I have planned out into the public.

I know this wasn't a particularly extravagant or exciting post, sorry for that! But I wanted to share these thoughts in honor of 10 years of Undertale!

See ya hopefully relatively soon! Or... y'know, as soon as I start gettng proper free time again. And enjoy this anniversary day!