Here comes the sun...

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da!

For the past week, the team and I have been super busy finalizing this new overhauled build of the game. Creating the animations, polishing up some graphical errors, adding some extra flair wherever possible.
We want WS to show just how much work really went into making it. A big part of displaying that in a visual novel is with your graphics.
Instead of mindlessly clicking through blocks of text, we wanted to show our little story had heart involved. To give the player something else to be immersed in. We wanted them to see how beautiful this world is we created. Maybe, they'd decide to stay a little longer inside it.
Grab your blankets, cause this world sure is a cozy one.

Let the light shine through.

WS, as it was before, was pretty bland looking back on it.
The game pretty much revolved around backgrounds/text, with no added creativity thrown into the scenes.
It wasn't until I got my hands on another visual novel that I realized we needed our own visual kick.
Stuff like background animations and quirky little things going on as the player clicks through the dialogue goes a long way into making a game like this feel more polished and complete.
To help accomplish this- we brought out the sun.

Not only the sun, but we also have those animations that I touched on in the last log (that you should check out if this is your first introduction to our project) together, they make for an incredibly cozy atmosphere. Which is exactly what we wanted.
This little graphical miracle helps bring life to the art of WS.
From the backdrops themselves to breathing more life into the sprites/characters.
The whole game feels like you're trapped inside the best moments of a warm, spring day.

The art in WS has always been something we've been very proud of. This new lens flare system allows it all to be shown in its full glory.
From visiting the temple during the afternoon to having ice cream at the beach right before the sun sets. The passing days feel so much more alive than they ever did before.

Sunshine on a sparrow's wings.

All in all, the team and I truly believe that we're creating something extra special for everyone who has been following our great journey from mod creators to fully-fledged game developers.
This whole project has really tested our mettle, but I believe we're finally through the worst of it.
There were times when gray skies covered our entire team. We began to worry if we'd ever make something that we'd be proud of, and by extension, something our fans would want to play.
Well, those gray clouds are a thing of the past.
This sunny system isn't just a well needed graphical improvement.
It's also very symbolic for the team and me.
The gloomy days are all behind us, there's nothing ahead but sunshine.
And it's alright.

WIP screenshots Watashi Suzume 2021

Fly with us!

If what was said here has piqued your interest in WS, consider following the project on our social media platforms!
You can keep up to date with all the latest WS news right here!

Discord: https://discord.gg/7CGdsJc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shamrock_Dev
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChf_w6otYHGvOpKF6uL2Ipg

Thank you for reading!