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[TeeGee]

The game is going to have two controllable protagonists. Here's the first one:



YANI

They say that maintenance is an easy job. Twist some knobs, pull some levers, and learn to speak about the most mundane activities as if they were arcane knowledge.
 
But what if maintenance involves a system hundreds of years old, developed by scholars and practitioners of the Faith alike? What if people go missing around it?
 
Then, you send Yani.

[TeeGee]

And second main character of the game. Galen, a doctor on a contract who was just too curious for his own good.


GALEN

Is there a more respectful and noble job than saving people’s lives? Unless you become stuck with patients with a running nose or fits of hysteria.
 
But Galen’s first professional assignment might satisfy his adventurous nature still. The symptoms are clear, but the final diagnosis might well surprise him.
 
After all, nobody taught him how to treat a patient that is a city.

[TeeGee]

First screenshots:


(click to enlarge)

[Elrinth]

Solstice back on NES was an awesome game Quite hard aswell.
Your game is looking fantastic! I love how the text flows during dialog. Really fantastic, best of luck to you!

Oh and GALEN means CRAZY in my language :D

[pluckyporcupine]

The screenshots are looking really good!

I kind of like the more stylized look of the second one. Based on Cinders, and the fact that it's the shot used for the logo, I'd guess that's the title screen?

The third one looks almost like it belongs in a different part of the world. Interested in seeing how the two settings blend together.

Is the fourth one animated, per chance? There seem to be a lot of little lighting details in it.

[TeeGee]

All four are animated. Including the aurora effect on the fourth because fuck yeah auroras!

The whole setting is based on the contrast of having a city out of One Thousand and One Nights in the middle of a subpolar wasteland, protected from the climate only by a thin techno-magical dome. Hence the third screenshot.

[TeeGee]

I haven't posted anything in a while, so there you go:



Meet Istvan. The deeply cynical informal ruler of the City. He wants this case closed fast, and he won’t take no excuses.

Fun fact: we’ve spent over an hour arguing the size of his hands.

Also, if you are interested in the game's progress, I recommend following our tumblr. I post more development screenies there.

[moi]

I Just took a look at the video and that animation style is really nice, and the graphics are somptuous, although I think the animation could do without the fading. It's probably not my type of game though.
Great character design, although a bit casual, but that goes with the audience.
And people need to shut up with their NES games.
keep it up

[TeeGee]

We finally reached the stage, where I can implement the scenes in target quality and actually play through them.



I did several tweaks to the animation system and it looks much better now. In general, it's all going pretty well and we should be able to open pre-orders soon, with the same bonuses as with Cinders (get the game sooner, cheaper, and gain access to a preview build).

[Games Inquirer]

That's some pretty amazing art, hope the story's equally good

[TeeGee]

Going through old concept arts can result in absolutely priceless finds. Like this early mockup of the case notes screen:



I totally don’t know why we didn’t go with that look .

[TeeGee]

Have you ever seen a visual novel where magical shit gets blown up?



Well, you have now.  

[TeeGee]

And here's the same explosion in gif form:

[hube]

Art pieces in this are incredible. Following.

[Yinyamina]

Your art work is beautiful.

Why do they always trust the mysterious woman??

[TeeGee]

Thanks! I'm not the author of the art (though, I've made the effect above). It's all done by my artist friend. Here's her website, if anyone's interested: http://vinegaria.com/

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

Yeah, I think so too. Though I didn't know NES Solstice was any popular.

for what it's worth i find it confusing to have two games with the same name. maybe you could add a subtitle or something? or even solstice: a visual novel

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

oh, and

Thanks! I'm not the author of the art (though I've made the effect above). It's all done by my artist friend. Here's her website, if anyone's interested: http://vinegaria.com/

don't you do the particle effects and so on? you have to at least take credit for that :p

[TeeGee]

Yeah, I think so too. Though I didn't know NES Solstice was any popular.

for what it's worth i find it confusing to have two games with the same name. maybe you could add a subtitle or something? or even solstice: a visual novel

No way in hell . I think it's unnecessary and I like short titles. I also want to get away from the term "visual novel". It's pretty confusing to anyone other than the fans of the genre and has some negative connotations. It's still easy to find the game if you google "Solstice visual novel" anyway.

Besides, that old NES Solstice already has a subtitle -- "The Quest for the Staff of Demnos" .

oh, and

Thanks! I'm not the author of the art (though I've made the effect above). It's all done by my artist friend. Here's her website, if anyone's interested: http://vinegaria.com/

don't you do the particle effects and so on? you have to at least take credit for that :p

Yeah. I make all the effects and animations.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

haha, okay, but i have had good luck with naming games in the past, are you sure you want to reject the power of a paul eres -named indie game?