Celebrating the one year anniversary of Anna: The Series Test! A huge thank you to everyone!
Crazy to think that The Series Test has been on sale for one whole year! Honestly the time has flown by, and I'm ever so grateful to everyone single one of you who has played or shown interest in the game. It's even crazier to think that this started for as a hobby to pass the lockdown isolation and now we're here. One year on.... Wow.
As always, a sidenote first. In all truthfulness this anniversary sorta crept up on me, and I've been working so hard on getting phase four ready that I didn't have any time to do anything special to celebrate. So unfortunately, no anniversary update. :( This announcement is more going to be a big thank you and a few insights to the test and how it was nearly completely different.
A side-sidenote, as a thank you to everyone who has offered advice, feedback, been active in the discussions and announcements. Plus backed me on patreon. In the next update I'm going to include a thank you wall with all your names on it! (If you don't mind, obviously) I want to give back where I can and this seems doable. :)
Going to put the stuff about the journey here first and update news at the bottom, so scroll down if you just after that. :)
Anyway, guess I'll begin with how mad it is that we've come this far from where The Series test started. I apologize for only having one major update in the last year, but due to how winding this game is, and it being set in stages kinda helps, it seems ideal to update with each phase. We're now three phases down with two more left! The next update will be end of phase 4, then the last update should be phase 5 with all the endings tying every up. Achievements will also be hopefully integrated with phase 5!
This last year has been a journey for me and taught me a lot about game creation, like the do's and don'ts. Like I learned not to render everything as a PNG and at the same time learned to listen to my gut. Also learned a hell of a lot more about the software I'm using allowing the renders to get better with each phase out.
On that note: This phase I've gone back and re-worked the town intro and rendered everything again using the skills I've picked up over the last year. So next update, when you enter The Series Test again, everything should look much crisper.
Now we're a year deep into the Series Test, I dread to imagine what it would feel like without the sadistic yet loveable Dr Alleyne running the show, truth is though, she nearly wasn't there at all.
During the first draft of the Series Test and all the way up to the start, Alleyne didn't exist, neither did Aer-dula.
The original plan was to never reveal who you, the volunteer, were until the ending phase, yet during the town intro I needed a set of legs to render so I created Alleyne. (Go back and watch the town intro, those are Alei's legs.) And then when I needed someone to introduce the test I already had Alei so she took the role.
Kinda like dating Alleyne, that was never meant to happen, yet to counter Cherry's loveable sweet dating route, I wanted something darker. so in come Alleyne again... But She was also you, and I needed to correct that which gave us Aer-dula, you, the Volunteer.
After that while writing the story I wanted to give these woman more of a backstory like the replicas had, problem was I had the replicas stories already written through my books. These women were blank sheets and had endless opportunities and it was a blast to give them the backstory they have.
Giving the Xiao's a past and a future, turned the Series Test from a straight shot to the finish to this convoluted love story. After all if you've travelled that route then you know why they are in Series Shores. For love.
I dropped so many hints about the Xiao's relationship in phase 2, before it was reveled in phase 3. From writing on their clothes, to slipped sayings, and if the Chinese was translated there was dead give away there. One player actually pointed out their relationship before phase 3 revealed it. And to honour that, Alei actually makes a comment in her route, (Phase 3, 2nd home visit, about how this player already sussed it ages ago.)
If anyone has any suspicions about where things are going, Let me here them! Get it right and I'd love to include you in the game. :) There's already loads of hints in phase 3 about phase 4.
Not only with the Xiao's but true routes were never going to be a thing either. It ended when it ended, on each replicas single path, but their backstory gave me the opportunity to bring in the real people who these replicas are based off, which in turn, gave me the chance to make secret endings. The true routes. A way to see the actually people you learning about... Take Aiko for example, A few people have mentioned to me about her backstory and how sad it is, well the true routes give you chance to meet the actual women they happened to. See how close she is to her replica.
Likewise with dating Cherry, that was an off the cuff decision which worked wonders. Same as dating Aiko, or Freya, all being spur of the moment ideas. Talking about spur of the moment ideas, this phase I've had ideas where you can possible get a secret romance ending with Kiyomi and also a secret ending where Aiko and Cherry end up together... I'm intrigued to see how they play out.
So yeah, that's kinda why these updates take so long because when I get ideas like that I'm just like 'Yes! Do it, this can work as a story!' I mean, imagine what The Test would feel like if you couldn't date Alleyne? If you couldn't romance Cherry? Or if there wasn't varying endings where you could go off the rails?! Oh, Fantasy mode! That wasn't going to be a thing either, once again spur of the moment and now... Yeah. :)
So thank you to everyone who has stuck by and waited patiently while I just go nuts on every idea which comes to my mind. All in all, it bettered the Series Test for everyone. :) :)
Lastly for the rundown on a years work. Some player choices and feedback given by the community!
When people contact me via email, or in the discussions, I always ask about their choices, favourites and route on their first playthrough. So here's a few rough statistics based on those responses.
- The most liked replica appears to be: Alma
- Who got voted out first the most: Aiko
- Whose stayed in the longest, who most have kept until now: Freya
- Romance route most taken: Alleyne
- First true route uncovered: Freya
- Likely to be final candidate: Freya
Poor Cherry and Kiyomi didn't get much love. Not to say they weren't loveable, just beaten by choices. Although Freya seems to be the runaway winner. Feel any different? I'd love to hear!!
Okay, Finally update on phase 4!
Phase 4 is deep in development and we're getting there. Not going to over estimate my abilities, but I am making progress. So far Kiyomi's route, Freya's route and Aiko's route have all been completed leaving only Cherry and Alma left to do. Once those have been completed it'll be moving on this the true routes. Which, given once taken they are only two way pathed, shouldn't take as long to complete.
This month I've also gone back and re-rendered the entire opening sequence to make it loo more crisp and smooth. Below I'm going to upload some screenshots of the before and after.
Plus a start has been made on the Xiao Trials! A new mode which can be played from the get go. Hopefully it'll be ready for a phase 4 release, if not just after. This time you get to play as Alleyne herself and see how the randomness and madness controls her. Pictures of that below too.
As with each update there will be a new main menu, and also a thank you/shout out screen will be incorporated. (As mentioned above.) Lastly there will hopefully, hopefully hopefully, be guide implemented into the game stating which each checkmark is and how to get it.
So yeah... Phase 4 is getting there, below I'll upload a screenshot of Kiyomi's and Freya's routes plus everything else. Thank you for being here a whole year, volunteers!!!
