Happy New Year!
2024 was a year of learning for me. I've been making games for a long time, but I definitely don't have everything figured out, by any means. I continue to learn my own habits and ways, and how to be more efficient and productive.
Now for my yearly project round-up — checking in on the current status of projects under development!
I'm hesitant to say "I will complete MTCF this year" because I said that the last few times as well. So all I will say is that completing Canada Files remains my top priority. If I'd known making one file takes six months, I would have cut the scope back considerably — perhaps by only showing the events of Stage Six.
Despite that, I do feel that having this additional space to flesh out the world of Methods with a different tone and more complexity has been incredibly valuable for the upcoming development of Motives, and it has helped me significantly in preparing for future projects. For instance, Broken Spirits, which also features multiple mysteries — now that I know a more complex mystery takes six months to create, and a Hangouts feature with four characters takes one and a half months to write and implement, it will help me map out development for that game and adjust its scope.
Currently, I have only just started on music for File 04 — after creating the backgrounds, I decided to go right into testing to avoid more work down the line, which meant rendering and implementing all the backgrounds I'd modeled — by the time I got done with that and received feedback for the playable build it was winter holiday season.
The voice actor strike has continued on for much longer than I or probably anyone thought, as the big companies still refuse to offer basic protections against AI replacing the talented artists who already struggle to make a living. I find it ridiculous that these massive AAA companies would need to save money by using subpar AI replacements for actors — which can never truly replicate the artistry and craft that goes into acting, and has absolutely nothing to offer in terms of promoting the project (just look at all the praise and press for the new Indiana Jones game about Troy Baker's performance), or collaborating creatively with the developers, or any of the great things that real actors bring to a project. So I will continue to wait on the Steam release for Prison of Lies until the strike is over.
The Art of Methods will continue to be released in parts on my Patreon and Afdian pages next year, but as I mentioned, Canada Files remains my top priority.
My goal for 2024 was "time management", and looking back, I met my goal. I have stopped using social media except for posting my occasional updates, so no more endless scrolling for me. I downloaded an app blocker that stops me from watching YouTube all day (Refocus). I tried a new writing app that keeps track of my time spent and helps me set concrete writing goals to great success (Highland 2). I don't know if I was actually more productive overall or not — without those distractions, I would often pace around thinking for hours and hours, keep making cups of tea, worry about my finances, and stare at the ceiling. But at least I was wasting my time in a healthier way, and that's what counts!
My new goal for 2025 is "re-ignition". If you've ever worked on a long project, you know that it gets harder and harder to keep going the longer it goes on. After two years of MTCF, I am more motivated by the idea of finishing the game than I am by the idea of working on it. But I don't want it to be that way. During my lifetime, there are a finite number of projects I will be able to make. I want the journey of each project to be enjoyable, and not to be filled with regrets. So in 2025, I want to find a way to keep the flame of creativity burning reliably, so that I enjoy the process of creating even more, even during a long journey.
Until next time,
— LockedOn.
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