Methods: The Detective Competition
Release XXII.5 // Chapters 1, 2, 4, 9 & 11 Revisions
Release XXII.5 is here!
Release XXII.5 contains new backgrounds and 3 new CGs. Here's the full list of revisions:
- Updated Chapters 1, 9 & 11 with new "Floor One" backgrounds
- Updated Chapter 3 with new "Floor Two" backgrounds
- New Coles sprite
- Redrew 2 old CGs to reflect changes
- New "Noman" CG for Chapter 36
- Updated Chapter 4's mystery to no longer contain evidence bag for consistency with other mysteries
- Updated Chapter 4's evidence to 3D instead of a 2D drawing for consistency with other mysteries
- New music track "Chase"
- Updated the "Suspects" screen to have a hint button
- Finally updated the demo to reflect the latest version
As I think I mentioned, I first started making this visual novel in 2015, and I kept the old four-year-old backgrounds in there when I released it, in the interest of pushing forward with adding new content instead of getting stuck revising old content. But now that there are 55 chapters completed (wow!), it was definitely time for an upgrade. I'm also itching to revise Chapter 2, but that will have to wait until my next round of revisions.
The backgrounds I replaced had a bunch of old, outdated character designs to make it look more populated, and the new backgrounds are noticeably empty, which is a bit strange, especially when Hackett mentions how crowded it is. I have an idea for a way to add in a crowd of detectives, but that's a big revision as it will require re-rendering many backgrounds.
The old character designs were actually ripped from the cover I made for the novel version. I still reference it when I'm creating the character designs, and for the first time, here's what it looked like!
Top to bottom, left to right: Ether, Greg, The Fifth, Clark, Sess, Ens, Lewis, Loomy, George, Kane, Mellie, Asper, Jenter, Mackle, Chalk, Noose, Tronen, Raptor, Rustle, Woes, Noman, Caprice, Honor, Slakes, Jillian, Ashdown, White, Porter, 772, Roel, Nell, Mouse, Romgan, Red July, Coles, Hackett.
Yes, it's a bit embarrassing to share this because I was clearly rushing through all the designs, which is something I don't have to do now. However, I think it goes to show how far the project has come.
Next week, Stage Four begins, and with it, a new story arc...
— LockedOn.
Comments
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This is cool, one of the reasons I get so psyched when I see an update from you is that getting the methodology behind how Methods gets made is fascinating to me, from a gamedev perspective, and just 'cause it's neat. On that note, it was really interesting seeing the spread of players fave' mysteries.
I nearly missed out on it because real life, but, it's crazy to see how much a certain mystery'll have it's followers.
On thate note, it's cool seeing some of the original designs for the cast; I like the old cover a lot (feels like a superflat album cover), but I feel like you really ended up pushing your designs for what we've got so far. And I mean the most important details, like Detective Asper and his powerful floral print, have remained intact, so all's well!
(And 772 keeping the same energy throughout feels kinda right, if you ask me!)
I've got a little to take care of, but I'll proooobably update this with some thoughts later. And on that note, good to see you back in action so quickly; I would've taken longer off, aha, but my method is - sleeps in, doesn't solve the mystery, doesn't pass go, process repeats. Bahahaha!
Thanks! I've always liked behind the scenes myself. I'm planning to go deeper with behind the scenes content sometime soon!
If I took a longer break, I'm afraid I would completely stop, so it's better to keep on trucking, as they say.