I’ve started testing, but after beginning a major rework of the level design, the effectiveness of the test has been cut in half. I think it’s because of my regrets over the prologue’s level design, which I never had a chance to fix—I couldn’t just let it go this time. I’m not sure if players will actually like the changes, but I had to make them. I initially planned to finish the build by the end of December, but it looks like I’ll miss that deadline. I should have started the background work in November, but I haven’t even begun yet. Nothing is going as planned. I’m trying to focus only on what I can do and just work on making a solid build, but it’s not easy. The levels I designed earlier this year had too much vertical overlap compared to later sections, making it hard to distinguish them on the world map. So I started spreading them out, which naturally led to the need for more connecting spaces. I couldn’t ignore how these areas would play, so I had to address them too. As a result, there’s nothing to share on social media this week, so I’m just posting a development update on the blog.
The first feedback from the first test feels like a bit of a turning point. It’s not that everything is decided at this point, but usually, when the initial feedback is something like “it’s okay” or “not bad,” it means that the game needs significant effort to bring it up to a good level. For the prologue, the feedback was something like “frustrating but playable,” and despite putting in a lot of effort, the final outcome wasn’t great. This time, however, I received “it was incredibly fun,” so I’m hoping it turns out better than last time. Hopefully. It was truly uplifting feedback during a tough time.
There’s no way I can stop making the game I want to make, and there’s no other opportunity to do so, and time is running out. Based on my experience so far, working alone seems to suit me best. Still, there are times when it’s so tough that I almost want to quit, but ironically, what keeps me going isn’t people—it’s the game itself. Fame and money are important, and it’d be nice to have them, but right now, having the opportunity to find more people who enjoy the game I loved creating feels more valuable to me. I need to make it properly first and then try to find them.