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her tears were my light - postmortem
🕑 Added 2022-09-26 19:11:22 +0000 UTChtwml releases on steam in 2 days, so i wanted to write this post while stuff is still fresh in my mind! there's a lot i already talked about in the developer commentary that i added to this version, so i'll assume you already read that and try to write new stuff i haven't mentioned before :)
HERE GOES!!
timeline + early development
this game was originally made for a 1-month game jam! back in the day i really loved doing game jams because it gave me some structure to work within (trying to come up with a small enough contained story idea, a solid deadline to aim for, etc). it helped me finish and release projects while i was still learning ren'py, which was great!!
i hadn't saved many work-in-progress images, but i found the VERY FIRST BUILD from 3/4/2016 (4 days into the jam) and took a few screenshots i wanted to share!
the UI used to be really scrunched together!! we also changed the font at some point--originally it was recommended by KyleHeren (my korean translator), but we hadn't realized the license didn't allow for use in games. it's ok to use in images though, so i kept it for the title logo! (baby dev growing pains haha)
the default button UI for ren'py used to look really different lol. i chose a cute pink and purple theme to use until i drew new assets. ren'py's UI took a lot more effort to customize in 2016....
the first build made it up to just before nil tells you her story. it looks like the second build was made one week later, and script was totally finished by then. that's also when i decided on the title--before then, the project folder was just called "timespaceyuris" haha.
i'm glad i held on to all my old builds, because i wouldn't have any memory of this stuff otherwise! all i can think of is how i finished the script REALLY quickly... it's nice when that happens, because i get to focus on the art and presentation after that, which doesn't require as much thought. drawing comes second nature to me after all these years hehe.
this was mentioned in the dev commentary, but working with emmit and lydianchord for the backgrounds and music went super smoothly!! it's thanks to them that i was able to finish the full game by the deadline without overworking myself :) i really appreciate their contributions!!
v2.0 production
coincidentally, the production period for this update turned out to be about a month as well!
for the new features, i specifically decided on the photo studio and gallery rather than any new story content, because it would require the least amount of work to translate everything.
there were a lot of reasons i didn't write new story stuff:
- my writing style has evolved quite a bit in the past 6 years
- there was no guarantee i could get all the original translators back (which would mean even more style disparity)
- i felt the story as originally told was complete, and anything extra would be better saved for a separate game (everyone asks for a sequel to this one haha)
when i realized i could make a little photo studio, i thought it would be the perfect way to give people the postgame content they wanted--new art, and little hints of what came after the true end. i wanted to draw more for it, but decided to save that for a later update (assuming people enjoy the photo studio to begin with haha, i don't know if it's the kind of thing everyone loves to play with.)
anyway it was really nice drawing these girls again!! i've drawn their witch versions a lot by now, so it was nice going back to the originals. this was my favorite composition (rough version):
i contacted a lot of people to make the translations for this release happen--out of the 10 original translators i contacted, 9 of them responded, and 7 were able to finish in time before launch! on top of this, i was able to add 4 all-new translations!!
the translation stuff turned out to be really overwhelming because of this... i honestly didn't expect everyone to come through for me ;_; it's been many years since i last contacted some of them, so i was honored they were happy to work for me again.
despite the smaller amount of text (which i thought would make things easier!), there were many little things to keep track of as each set of files was handed in. i think i would've lost my mind if not for all my tracking checklists in notion. responding to emails and making test builds in a timely manner was really a struggle toward the middle of the month when i had a bunch of real life obligations to deal with on top of all this. it was a real scramble at times x_x
the experience was a challenge, but i was able to recover my energy levels before launch and take it across the finish line! it made me really glad i decided to wait when it comes to translating treat. i think i'm going to work with an assistant from now on to help me manage these things with less burnout!
final thoughts
i've always been really proud of this game, so i'm happy to be putting it on steam.
there's something funny about making games that i've noticed... when you put something on itch.io, it doesn't get a lot of attention. there's a lot of reasons for this--smaller userbase, much less internationally accessible, and definitely not the first platform streamers or press look for hit games.
when i put htwml on google play, it became one of my farthest-reaching works EVER, currently sitting at almost 900k downloads. it felt very validating to see my game do crazy numbers like that, getting 10-20 reviews every day. and the only reason it's spread at all is because of all the people who enjoyed it and recommended it to others. htwml spreads purely because of love <3
what i'm trying to say is... for as much time i spent polishing up this version of the game to improve the experience, htwml has always been a little gem at its core. i don't know if it'll hit the level of popularity BAD END THEATER has, but i'm cheering it on. love these cosmic lesbians.
see you next time!
Comments
Blackberry Mochi
Frankly, super glad for the re-release of her tears were my light!! An excuse to replay it and let all of its themes really sink in, and, generally, just re-experiencing it....... IT'S A LOT. It's, as you said, a gem!!! It's a super nice story..... I hope that future releases on Steam treat you well!!!! Hopefully less stress with experience pff.
Yajoovya
Good to know! :) By the way, whenever I see 'Her Tears Were My Light' abbreviated to 'htwml', it reminds me of the code language 'html', and makes me think that we're talking about something much more mundane! XP
