aaryn
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DevLog: Before/After Doc Office
🕑 Added 2023-04-15 16:00:59 +0000 UTCHey all,
So it's that time again for another teaser. This one is actually kinda late as I sorta got so busy with actually doing the development that I forgot to share information about what I'd accomplished. So bad news: I was quiet; but the good news is the update is already almost done. So let's dive into the Before/After shots for the doctor office physical and beyond.
VideoDevLog Edition:
I'm terrible at marketing and pitching my own stuff, but if you're interested in more in-depth coverage of this topic, I've been working on a video series in the $20 tier. This is much more of an "extras" kind of approach and was something that people were asking for. In the video coverage, I'll narrate and walk you through the images in-real time while I look at them for the first time. This Devlog allows me more prep time and I can usually go through and proofread; the video series is uncut on purpose. For those that want some extra stories behind the shots or just wanna hear how stupid I can be when I talk about this nonsense, that's the package right there. You can find the newest companion post here .
That being said, let's jump into the images
Pic 1: This shot is from the original game and shows the process of undressing during the physical. These were tough shots for me back in the day as manipulating the clothing and stuff was pretty advanced stuff. There was much detail here and I was honestly trying to hide a lot of mistakes off-camera (which tbh, I still do). However, primarily the problem with clothing being pulled off is trying to simulate how it reacts to the body as you're dragging it off and that just didn't happen in the original.
Pic 2: Here's the replacement for the upcoming v0.05 Revamp. I'm legit in love this picture. In the revamp, we'll be seeing a lot more interaction during the undressing part. Keep in mind, this scene isn't intended to be overly sexual but there is definitely a tension. Expect an expanded set of pics during the conversation while they're undressing. In this shot, I was able to pull the shirt off camera enough to simulate it looking like it's being pulled off. There's enough shown here to be kinda sensual but enough hidden to still work with the true intention of the scene. Really simple picture but I was stoked when it came out the way I wanted so I wanted to share it.
Pic 3: In this shot from the original game, we're taking a look at the actual examination process; which had Braden sitting up on the table and a couple quick (but generic) stock poses where Dr Hodges is kinda doing whatever. My issue here is that the longer/wider shot includes too much without really having a point to it. I'm slowly starting to want a purpose to each shot in the Revamp and a wider shot should have a purpose to specifically show you more for a reason. In this shot, none of this shit was important and a lot of it was stock positions. In the Revamp, I've moved away from that.
Pic 4: Here's an example of Braden's examination we'll see in the Revamp. For the armpit fans, y'all gonna get some service this update. But in these shots, the examination is a little more physically interacting but also emotionally and expressively interactive. We'll be seeing facial changes and stuff to show that weird combination of tension and apprehension that this scene is supposed to have. The depth of field blur should also help to focus the eyes where they need to be in these scenes, allowing you to kinda mesh with where the characters are looking, focusing, or who/what is important. That's actually been a lot of fun with zooming the camera in and out or playing with the focus to try and achieve a different effect. I'll also quickly note that the physicals of both characters do have some differences in position. The original game had both characters doing exactly the same thing (which was kinda boring).
Pic 5: In this shot, we're looking at the conversation that takes place after the physical. This was from the original game and is super dark. Early on, I had a lot of problems with getting the light right with Zack's darker skin without blowing out the light on Braden's. Most of the dorm room shots in the original looked like this. I also had a problem in this particular scene with the way Zack is sitting. It didn't seem intimate the way that I really wanted to portray the importance of two guys kinda having their first semi-argument and how they deal with that.
Pic 6: Here's the replacement that we'll be seeing in the revamp for this conversation. As you can see, they're sitting much closer which is both physical and metaphorical based on the conversation. We'll be seeing many more camera angles on par with the conversations you see endgame and way more facial expressions that take you through the usual emotional rollercoaster that you'd expect from this project. This scene is also expanded and the writing is more specific about what they're trying to accomplish as well as what they were frustrated about and this time around, it's gonna look way better.
The video DevLog discussion also features 2 extra images not shown here. One focuses specifically on the changes in Zack and Braden's waiting positions within the doctor's office. There was a lot more thought put into this in contrast to the original and it was way easier to just free-style it on mic. The second set focuses on the underwear outfit change at the end of the chapter. There was a lot of changes to Braden's "drop towel" stance that we'll be seeing in the v0.05 Revamp when Braden comes back from his shower and a ton of super personal logistics of me trying to pose for that scene IRL. So if you're interested in those extra stories about the nonsense behind-the-scenes, you can check out that video post here.
Stay tuned for another DevLog in the next few days. It'll be text-based and just giving an overall report on where things are as well as a projected release date. I feel comfortable with an April release, though right now so stay tuned.
Enjoy the teasers and let me know what you think about with the changes.
Comments
Aaryn
yeah, i can definitely see that for some people. i have hard time juggling writing really more than one project and i'm pretty much the same with reading and even TV shows. I'm a comic book fan and Action Comics every month has like 3 different stories that are going in each issue and i struggle keeping all 3 of those open until the next issue but that's just me. different styles for different people :)
Sebastian
In my case, coming at is as a reader/player, one at a time works very well for me. :)
Aaryn
Straight!? is very much setup to be a more realistic story than a lot of other games within the genre. however, that's not to say that fantasy or supernatural games are bad. I've talked about this before on the discord but one thing that i love about fantasy/supernatural stories is that you can discuss controversial topics without associating them with things within our world that are controversial and it allows for a much more honest conversation about them when you use fictional people, cultures, beliefs, gods, ethnicity, it's pretty much limitless and i like that. In terms of Blayke's style, he's very different from me and we have very different approaches to work. I can't do multiple projects. i could probably juggle 2 but it depends on what they actually need but anything more than that and my fucking brain would melt, lol. but if i ever worked on more than one project at a time, there would be a good reason for it and i would be clear what my goals in doing that are. that's just my own approach. i also tend to do rollercoasters within one project so you could argue that one chapter in Straight!? could be similar to writing several different stories (i.e. comedy, love story, tragedy, etc) at the time time because the narrative is so volatile. i just run them together whereas someone else may spread each of those emotions out across multiple projects. i'd like to avoid saying one approach is better than the other overall but they could be better for one writer versus another.
Sebastian
Yeah, that's why I stopped supporting New Hope on Patreon. It was like a box of projects had been thrown up in the air and he was jumping around all over the place catching them randomly. My interest was the game - and when those sort of distractions become normal, that's when the original project is likely to get forgotten or abandoned. That, and the whole supernatural thing: so many games that I was enjoying went down that route, and I stopped supporting them in the end. That's one of the many, many things I love about Straight!? - it's a human story about humans being something they're not fantastic at: being human.
Aaryn
yeah, i kinda forgot about it mostly because i dont like working on too many things at the same time. i'd rather have one primary projects and stuff and i've sorta squashed side things over here just because i couldn't manage them very well without it impacting the big story. i am hoping that will change in the near future tho once the beginning part of the revamp is finally done. i'll be taking a second look at a lot of things that i've put on hold in the past
Sebastian
I have a number of images from Straight!?, SpaceCorps XXX and New Hope that slideshow on my desktop, and that story's amongst them, so the question crosses my mind every now and again.
Aaryn
we can see. it wasn't necessarily dead in the water. there was a big story behind that one that kinda moved jordyn to wanting to do that set in the first place. i can ask if he's interested in continuing it and see
Sebastian
That's the one
Aaryn
are you talking about the CG story that Jordyn did with Cody behind the counter?
Sebastian
Cody is a favourite (I think we can just assume that everyone likes twinks and leave it at that!). I found myself wondering the other day if your post-Straight!? content might revolve around existing characters, or be entirely new. On the subject of Cody, I'm guessing that the 'Coffee Shop' "to be continued" is a dead-in-the-water project?
Aaryn
yep, a lot of the early dorm shots were like that. i couldn't figure out lighting for shit so i just kept putting in more spotlights and more spotlights which riss-crossed and made for confusing shadows. there's actually a few shots in the original game where you can see the shadow of the camera itself on the wall (look for an annoying black square). in time, i learned more about lighting (which i still need more practice on) but the better lighting really helps in the early dorm room scenes. they looked like shit before
Aaryn
dont feel obligated. do what you think is best. i will say that my consistent response if you were to ask for my own suggestion, is that the game is actually better episodically as opposed to the binge approach. i think it's nice to be forced to take a break to consider things that need to consider before moving on to the next scene and the episodic release forces you to do that. I'll also state that the project is still in development, which means as a fan, you have a voice to toss in ideas or help shape this project through interactions with me, feedback, etc. i obviously can't implement everything but i've actually changed my own story in this a few times based on suggestions or interest by the community. For example, people got interested in Cody, who was never actually supposed to have like any role in the game at all. he was an extra on the wrestling team. people saw him in the shower in the background in a locker room shot and started talking about him so i purposely wrote him into the story more. without those voices, cody would have never existed beyond probably 3 background CGs in the entire game
Sebastian
I think I'm in love! ... Oh, no, wait: I was already in love. This revamp is going to be magical - but I really struggle with the updates, I still haven't decided whether I should play now, or wait a few years and play the whole thing in one go. Or, knowing me, five goes, but sixteen times.
MommieDammit
Now you're making me itch for the new update! I like what I'm seeing here, as the shots are cleaner and the composition is cleaner. But the one that makes the biggest impact is 4 & 5 - The Conversation. I knew there was something in-game about this scene that bothered me. It took a half dozen plays to figure out that it was the lighting. In the original, the shadows are cast wrong. The lighting source for the dorm room is overhead and above the bed. This shot puts a strong light source behind them toward the door. Remembering the layout of the room, the only light from that direction would be one weak desk lamp (Braden's) and Zack's busted-ass TV. Both being weak lights, they couldn't possibly throw that strong of a shadow. The update puts the lighting in the correct orientation, highlighting both faces and minimizing the shadow. Excellent job, Aaryn!
