Bright Oak (demo)
January Update
Hello, friends! ❤️ With the update to Burdock now finished, I'm back to Bright Oak with a vengeance! I'm grateful for all of you; the last year and change have been A Lot, but the break has been a worthwhile one, I feel. I've learned quite a bit, been exposed to new ideas and approaches, met some stellar talents, and now, I'm ready to put it all to work on my main squeeze again. ✨
Progress Report:
- Made headway on detail-coding Act II; just about wrapped on the current chapter
- Voice Actors are cast for both Sheriff John Forster and for sweet Sparrow! Not naming any names yet, but both actors can be heard in this Burdock stream and following Q+A!
- Prepped the casting call and began on the script for the voice actors
- Freshened up the game pages and trailer (RIP my "Early 2024" anticipated release 🥲)
To Do List (week+):
- Crunch some numbers
- Send out casting call for remaining roles and hold auditions
- Finish prepping voice acting script
- Continue with coding Act II
- Paint and implement missing Forster backgrounds
To Do List (month+):
- Record lines for demo, re-release demo
- (if applicable) Prep for a small crowdfunding campaign (TBD)
- (if applicable) Commission necessary art for funding rewards (might do these anyway just as fun merch)
- Line and paint missing Jasper-route backgrounds
- Keep on keepin' on with coding
To Do List (year+):
- Finish and release the whole game! There are some hurdles to get past first, not least among them the long-process Big Move, but I should have a clearer vision as to a specific timeline within the next few months.
Thank you all again for bearing with me! I look forward to sharing more with you soon—a sneak peek at Act 2 may be forthcoming in the next short while, as well. ❤️
All the best,
B.
Comments
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What kind of arts are you thinking of for merch/rewards? (just curious)
I'm very much still in flux on that, but I think it'll likely be a little different from the usual offerings, since standees and acrylic keychains don't seem like the right fit for this particular story. Ideas I'm considering at present: mid-century styled tourism posters / stickers for a handful of the main story locations; t-shirts and mugs advertising Patti's Plates (again, very retro diner in style!); stickers that look like library bookplates, heavily marked up by Sparrow; either pins or stickers with a sheriff's star that include "MAN OF THE LAW / EMBARRASSMENT TO DECENCY" in small text. ✨At least, that's what I'm working with at the moment! I'll be canvassing soon-ish once I decide on whether to run a full campaign or just do merch as a form of support. ❤️
OMG the posters would actually be so cool. Also the t-shirt/mugs that advertise Patti's Plates would be an awesome idea. You can make them look retro and at the same time like the usual kitschy tourist junk that people pick up when they travel. I literally have several of said kitsch mugs from places I have been around the US: national parks, tourist traps, etc. In this case they would be the kind of thing you find in your Aunt or Grandparent's cupboard and immediately ask, "where, and what, the hell is Patti's Plates?"
The sticker idea with the quote makes me think you could also do some sort of campaign poster for John, except that it has a dorky or unflattering photo and was clearly a joke/prank made and put up without his knowledge.
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VOTE JOHN FORSTER FOR SHEIRFF.
THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND
LOCAL HERO - MAN OF THE LAW
EMBARRASSMENT TO DECENCY
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Oh my stars, I never even thought of John campaign posters!! Will definitely try and incorporate those into the mix, too, because that's an absolute goldmine of ideas! 🤣 And yes, you've 100% nailed the feeling I'm going for with the mugs. When it comes to merch, I personally love usable inside jokes, so that's the main thing I'm going for: something lovely and useful and retro and fun that might not immediately scream "this is from a visual novel", but IYKYK, and if you don't know, it's still cool looking and fun. ✨
Then, if/when people ask where you got those (the merch) and what the place is, you get to to drag them down the rabbit hole and info dump on them. They will either think you are a nutter, or be interested and check out the game.
That's exactly the hope! I'm not chasing after making something for everyone, because that's not really possible--but I want to make it something truly special for those who do resonate with this story. ❤️The merch should be like a gateway to the Bright Oak Book Club, if I can do it right! Or at least, like, fun on its own. Fun is also good. ✨
I feel I should also add, one of the tourist-style location posters will definitely read "VISIT SCENIC DOWNTOWN BRIGHT OAK: ALL FOUR BUILDINGS!" in honor of Marybeth. ✨✨
Tourism flyers/posters 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I would love to know, though--is there any specific art or merch you'd like to see? 👀I'm pretty new to this aspect of dev, so if there's something you'd like I'd love to know so I can potentially include it, if feasible!
Yay! So excited to see you back at Bright Oak! 💞
And super excited to hear the voice you chose for darling Sparrow!
I honestly expected it to be very difficult to cast him, given how clear his voice is in my head--but I lucked out and found just the right actor. Only the best for Sparrow! ❤️
An update was just the thing to cheer me up on this dreary morning eee
Can't wait for all the new voices >u<
❤️❤️❤️ I'm looking forward to sharing them soon!
Omg there's going to be voices?? I had no idea, I'm so excited to hear them :D I hope you have a good year, and I will patiently be awaiting to play this amazing game <3
There are! ✨Working on Tell It Slant this last fall really awakened me to how much voice acting can enhance and add accessibility to projects, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the added life the actors will bring to these dear imaginary friends of mine.
Thank you for the good wishes, and I hope your year treats you kindly, too! ❤️Thank you again and again for your support!
SQUEEE!!! Super jazzed for these Bright Oak updates 🎉 manifesting this year to be an awesome year of progress for the best game release ever!
Thank you so much--this made me tear up!❤️❤️❤️ I hope it proves a fruitful year for you as well!!