★ Visual Improvements
1. Improved Bunny and Pig firework effects.
2. Added a beautiful new firework night.
3. Added a lovely outer ring around the island during the daytime.
★ Feature Improvements
1. The Storybook now has an index, so you can jump directly to any chapter.
2. Time Slowdown can now be set to slower speeds such as 0.2x and 0.3x.
This update only contains visual and feature changes. There is no new story or new letters. Existing players don't need to open the game for this update.
I originally planned to finish the new story for this update, but I wasn't happy with the wooden block character story I was working on, so I cancelled it and will remake it.
The Rest Is Just Casual Chatting~~
★ New Players
There are still very few new players, and most of them only play for a short time.
At first, looking at the data made me a little sad. Some new players closed the game within ten minutes. Most others left after around 30–40 minutes, which is still quite short.
Based on achievement statistics, about half of the new players have no interest in the Storybook at all. They only play the idle-game portion.
So I deleted the Storybook.
Nobody plays it anyway, so I won't update it anymore.
Hahahaha... Just kidding. ( ´▽` )ﾉ
It's okay if not many people play it. It feels a little like making a special story just for a small group of people. That's kind of a special experience too.
Data can also mean very different things depending on how you look at it. The sample size is so small that tiny differences can look enormous. For example, one player becoming two players means a 100% increase.
I feel that the players attracted by sales may not be the type of players this game is really meant for. I probably won't discount it as heavily next time.
The good news is that after adding the Storybook, the overall playtime of existing players has increased. My guess is that if the game reaches the right kind of players, they can have a really happy time with it.
★ Changes to Unlocks
It turns out that some players don't read the Storybook, while I really wanted to show off some of the visual effects I made.
So I changed some things that previously required story progress to unlock. They are now unlocked directly.
★ The Island's Outer Ring
I also added a new visual effect: during the daytime, there is now a ring of cubes around the outside of the island. If you look down, you can see it.
I thought about several different versions. Maybe the Earth could be visible below, or maybe I could add more land around the island with trees and distant scenery.
But none of those looked quite right. They didn't fit the current art style.
After trying several things, I came up with the cube edge.
It looks cute, and it also means the little bunnies who are afraid of heights don't have to worry about falling into the endless void when they look down.
The cube shader turned out pretty cute too, with flowers, circles, and little squares.
★ The Wooden Block Character Story Was Cancelled
I originally wanted to invite the wooden block character to the island.
I tried several versions, but the story never felt like it belonged on the island, so I decided to drop it.
It's a little sad, considering all the animation work and the wooden shader I spent so much time making...
The new firework scene was originally supposed to happen when the wooden block character left. I even drew some related illustrations.
But the whole thing really didn't fit, so I had to let it go.
I've read about directors who filmed huge amounts of material and then cut almost all of it during the later stages of production. It always sounded like such a waste.
Now I understand why.
Sometimes you only realize after finishing something that it doesn't fit the overall work. Something can be locally great without being right for the whole picture.
★ Fireworks
I spent a lot of time making the fireworks.
The fireworks spiral upward as they launch, which looks really pretty. I happily watched them for a long time. The falling sparks from the new fireworks can also reflect on the water. It looks beautiful.
You know... these are some pretty strange creative priorities.
Normally, I should probably hurry up and write the next chapter so the game has more content.
I don't know what my brain is doing. Sometimes I want to draw. Sometimes I suddenly become completely obsessed with designing fireworks. Sometimes I only want to write stories.
So... I just work on whatever I feel like working on. No plan whatsoever.
★ Creating
I really love creating things because reality can be painful and boring.
Daily chores have very little beauty in them, and endless pointless communication can be both boring and frustrating. Creating is different.
When I draw something while I'm happy, I can look at it again when I'm unhappy and think, Oh... this is nice. That world is beautiful. That's probably why I love creating things.
I hope I can eventually support myself through art, so I can keep creating forever.
★ One Last Question
I have two little questions. Please answer with your first reaction—that would be incredibly helpful.
1. Of the visitors who have come to the island, is there one you remember particularly well?
It's completely fine to say you don't remember anyone. That answer is helpful too.
2. Is there one or two bunny letters that you still remember?
Anything that comes to mind is welcome.
I'm trying to figure out what I should write more of next.
Thank you for reading~