26 May May 2023 Update
Greetings Backers!
We were able to use Golden Week to recharge and make great progress on both games. We hope you like what you see! Please let us know in the comments or on Discord!
Discord Roles
Development on the discord bot is largely completed and we plan to set it live in the next couple of weeks. Our amazing moderators let us know that Discord will soon be updating their ID naming system which will create some customer service headaches on this end. Due to the large number of backers we have decided to split this into two phases:
・Phase One: Upon launching the bot anyone who has filled out their survey and provided their Discord ID will receive their role up until the point that Discord implements the new name change system. Currently there are no specifics from Discord of when that will be other than “over the next few months”
・Phase Two: Sometime after the name change we will send out a revised survey that addresses a couple of bugs for a question involving one of the items. When this goes out anyone who doesn’t have a role and would like one will need to provide their new Discord ID in the new format at that time. We don’t have a specific date for this but most likely it will be close to the end of the year.
Survey Update
More backers have completed their survey and we were able to navigate the AppleID E-mail issue. We currently have 82% of backers that have filled out their backer survey. If you need support please reach out to the customer support team at pr@yukikaze.ltd
Penny Blood Project Diary
Good evening, everyone. Just like other nights thus far, I’m staring at my monitor, keeping my heart sharp, forcing my eyes open whenever they close, and writing these sentences with all my might.
After the last update, Golden Week passed by at mach speed, and 5/31 is now right around the corner. 5/31 is the deadline for the walkthrough version. If God exists, I’d want him to rewind back time to New Year’s, but of course that wish won’t come true, so every day I’ve been immersing myself in my work with as much concentration as possible.
Now, allow me to begin this month’s Penny Blood project report. In the past two updates, I’ve talked about our desperate struggle with the walkthrough version. We’re currently still fighting that hard fight, but it’s finally started to take form, so I’d like to release a clip of it in action for this month’s update. Hmm…but will it actually be finished in time? If they manage to edit it by tonight, it should be visible in this update, so I hope you’re excited!
Surprise Encounter clip!
As for me, ever since Golden Week ended, I’ve paused my work on the story (Don’t say “But you didn’t finish it yet!”) in order to work on additional description text for the character, monster, and image board documents, while also recompiling them. As I was doing that, I got a new idea for a last scene that I really like. Pretty funny considering how nothing came to mind when I spent all that time groaning to myself.
Kato-san finished readjusting Goliath last time, and finished Luca and Candy this time. Since we can’t change the fact that Luca is 10 years old, working on his art was really hard, but after putting it to the side for such a long time, it finally came together in the end, so she’s relieved. Candy’s coloring was the only thing that was supposed to be adjusted, but we added one last bit of adjustment to her design as well.
Hanya-san worked on the art for “Gol, the Tenebrous Knight.” The deadline was pushed up so the art would make it in time for this update, and he did his best to meet it. Gol is the ‘heaviest’ out of the seven elements, but he has his own secret just like Demna, and I’m glad the design ended up just as imagined.
Work-in-progress Gol
Watanabe-san is working on the image board for the location that will serve as the final dungeon to the Asia Arc (the first half of the game). Back when I was working on SH1, I spent a lot of time thinking about whether this location or Shanghai would be best for the fortress where the final battle with the evil sage Dehuai would take place, so I’m glad I was able to finally use this location in Penny Blood.
Lastly, Hirota-san, our sound specialist, has been working hard on adding sounds to the walkthrough version. Once his work with that calms down, I’d like to do another Creators Radio with him.
…That brings us to the end of this month’s update. The annoying rainy season is drawing near, but I hope you can all keep smiling daily without letting the muggy gloom bring you down.
Matsuzo Machida
Message from Hirota-san
Good evening. May sure went by quick! The town where I live is already getting some summer sun. How have you all been? We’re reaching the culmination of our work on the walkthrough version and working very hard every day.
When the graphics’ atmosphere and motions get better, it creates a phenomenon where the music and sound effects also start to sound like they’ve been improved. It’s also interesting how conversely, the sound can also make characters’ movements look heavier and make it seem like there have been changes made to the graphics. I’ve been working hard on production every day while enjoying this – one of the true joys of game development.
I need to do more composing work, but sometimes I’m shocked to realize I spent my whole day planning production flow, managing things, and doing other miscellaneous tasks – but that’s all important work too. It’s only thanks to that work getting done that I can create tracks that fit each scene, and it also leads to the birth of unexpected sounds.
I’m working very hard on production throughout the pressure – but there are also happy moments as well, such as when I give my allies who been working on the development with me a request from the sound POV, and they reply saying they can change the length or timing of an event – words that every sound specialist would feel blessed to hear. I feel so happy to be working on a project where the sound is treated with such importance.
We’re moving the production along while choosing what we feel to be the best decisions and trusting in our visions for how we want the game to be.
The walkthrough version is short, but contains about six different songs. In this update, I’d like to have you all listen to the monastery chapel music. This chapel is called the “beautiful corner” by the dev team. What brings Matthew to this chapel, and what sort of incident happened within it? Perhaps Director Machida will tell us more about it on the next Creators Radio.
Sacred Offerings (Gulgalta Chapel)
The work isn’t finished once I compose the tracks. It’s also very important to decide what time the music starts playing, how the music ends, and figure out the atmosphere for the sound effects that are necessary for each scene. I can’t wait for the day when you can hear this music and experience all the work I’ve put into the sound design.
I’m working very hard every day, so please keep cheering me on!