We made another huge video update! This time we answered questions we had from our facebook and twitter.
But for us this was something more! From a creative perspective, making Fran Bow each day for 8+ hours for now over a year, leaving aside everything else, the energy and super powers begin to drain out. Before Fran Bow, we made lots of things all the time.. Short movies, animations, music videos. And even during our crowdfunding for the game we made lots of different things. It feels good to make something, from start to finish and release it. It's like letting out some steam, and returning to the main boss with refueled energy.
I had my share of this one day during the latest ludum dare, when I sent Natalia off to be with her family (which we don't do that much nowadays because of the game) and made this little game (try it out on gamejolt). It felt awesome and when she came back I was all pumped and ready to continue working, but she was still at the low energy part. So this video was a way for her to just steam it out, as you can see with the creepy part and the montage, and it didn't even take long. I think the whole video took 2 evenings to make, and now we both have full HP and can start making the game again full power!
I think when you are working on something big you need to find your let-out-steam activities that doesn't take long and refuels you.. for some it might be playing a game or going out for a while, for us i'm glad we both share the same thing.. making something else! It's like a endless loop, but it works and keeps us very productive!
We didn't know that Fran Bow would be mega huge gamewise, or we did. We had the story and all from the beginning, but just underestimated the time it would take to actually make it. And we are only 2! Natalia has written a book of lore and dialogue, drawn over 7000 sprites with her own oil-painty-style and animated each thing in 2d, stop motion style. I'm pretty happy with the core of the game engine, so my part adding the new stuff and dialogues goes very fast nowadays, and with less and less debuggning needed. Now comes the part where I have to start sound designing the final sounds and making the soundtrack, while keeping the memory and performance stable.
A couple of days ago we had one of our backers here, playtesting the game on our couch and tv, from chapter one up until the end of chapter three. It took him a bit more than 5,5 hours! That's about 60% of the game, and I was worried that the full game wouldn't last but a couple of hours. Now instead, im worried that the game will be too long.. We do keep all dialogues and cutscenes, where you are not interactive with the world, to a very extreme minimum, and always try to progress the story with gameplay instead. So this will be a long, huge game, and that's something awesome for a 2 person team. Hopefully we won't lose our minds during the process.
If we can make a handpainted, awesome and detailed world with a bloody mysterious plot and with a gametime of a AAA title for a budget of $28k, I will highfive myself! And multiplatform too, since with some license fees and modules we could very well port this to the consoles.
Yet, nobody close to me (family) seems to care at all. That's why i'm writing it all out here, because if I try to talk to my family about these issues it's like talking to a brick wall. I'd get more support by getting back to construction work again, then I would atleast have a "normal accepted job", and I guess when some say "you should follow your dreams" they mean "study to become a doctor, they make good money". I will hold my spit for when we release.
That's enough rambling, check out the video and have a great week and if you are working on something, keep it up! You will make it! We shouldn't forget the privilige we got that we actually can make games, something we all grew up with and now can be a part of! It is awesome times!
I am glad to hear you both managed to recharge your batteries, albeit through totally different ways. As to your family I wouldn't worry about that too much, you are travelling down a path by where you have made certain sacrifices in order to achieve a goal. They may not understand it but take heart from the fact that those on the net who supported your indiego campaign as well your greenlight do appreciate what it is you and Natalia are seeking to accomplish.