Hello again, dear readers, and happy New Years' Eve to those of us living any part of our lives by the ubiquitous Gregorian Calendar!

This is a time of year when many of us reflect on the past, and make resolutions for the future. So as 2021 comes to a close, I'd like to share a small retrospective with you all, comparing scenes from the new release and the prototype side by side.

I'd also like to talk a little more about what you can expect from our next upload!

But before we get into all that, I'd like to add a gentle reminder that if you've been following our development, or had a chance to try the game for yourself, a wonderful gift that only takes a second (but is sure to elicit a smile) is to give the game a rating. 

We really appreciate constructive criticism and bug reports as well. 

You can change your rating any time as TIS evolves, but every little bit helps along the way. It makes a world of difference for visibility, and is a huge boost to our morale!

Since itch.io's feedback system can appear a little obscure, here's a direct link to rate and offer feedback on the game if you don't want your review to be public: https://yozhikisblue.itch.io/the-inverted-spire/rate?source=game

If you don't mind sharing your thoughts publicly and opening a conversation with the dev team, you can also leave a comment on our landing page here: https://yozhikisblue.itch.io/the-inverted-spire

Either or both would make us equally happy, but if you want a third option, there's also the chance to email us directly at yozhikisblue@gmail.com.

Now, without further ado, the main programme~

Let's discuss some comparison shots side-by-side

Those of you who have been following our development from the beginning will notice that the opening of The Inverted Spire has changed considerably since its conception.

In the prototype, you would immediately be greeted by our protagonist's hand, writing their final Bureau of Service journal:

That hand has since evolved into the emergent scene from a longer, and considerably more involved prologue that gives us a glimpse into the history of the goblin people, and New Order itself. 

Newer players may remember it as the painted scene below:

I made the decision to adapt our cold open because of how much bigger the world and story of TIS had become. 

Throughout our growth, I was beginning to notice an emerging theme in my own writing:

The exploration of how pervasive cultural narratives derive from and influence reality.  

TIS needed to begin with a secular, New Order adaptation of an Old Order religious creation myth to introduce players to the idea that all is not as it seems. 

This is a tale filled with unreliable narrators. No piece of information presented to the the player should be accepted as fact by default. And it is the effort to discern your own truth that is the main driving force of the game itself!

While many other scenes have received painterly updates, I wanted to focus on the character introductions during the Opening Ceremony next. Let them serve as our vehicle into gaining a little insight on how the characters have evolved (without giving too much away)~

Those of you who remember the prototype will doubtless recognize this screenshot:

I will even confess that I like the composition of the original slightly more than its follow-up, though ultimately I think both have their strengths and weaknesses:



If you look closely, you can see the motion trail of one of the new game's many subtle CG animations in the second shot. 

Both screens are intended to introduce TWO with an air of mystery. But there's a deeper story at play here. 

The way TWO enters the Ceremony is also a testament to the more intrusive coercion measures of New Order.

Sure, the rest of the cast may each have their own understanding of how their personal growth has been stifled by their environment.

They are all prisoners now.

But nobody knows what brutal measures New Order will take to ensure peace and security among its citizens better than TWO.

Once our protagonist has been shaken from their dissociative state, the next character they notice is not exactly a welcome sight:



If you're one of the players who remarked that FIVE will probably be your least favourite character (only to start having second thoughts partway through the descent as you learn more about them) you're in good company!

And not just because they've gotten a painterly glow op:



Emphasizing FIVE's focus on their own hand here is a significant detail. And if you've played through the rest of Chapter 1, you may already have an idea of why they carry so much anxiety about preserving that bodily integrity before the others.

Of course, the next character ONE notices isn't a goblin with any insecurities about their bodily integrity at all:



FOUR has been quite a divisive character among our beta readers so far. I confess their backstory has seen multiple revisions, in part because it introduces some heavy subject matter from a very fraught perspective. 

This goblin is no stranger to how complicated relationships can get when you're a closeted member of a stigmatized minority, living in a totalitarian surveillance state. They know how to strangle and compartmentalize their own emotions. And they know that sometimes, telling your version of the story doesn't help.



By this point, you may also have noted another difference between the original CGs and their new release adaptations:

The Bureau Agents accompanying our prisoners now have a more individualized appearance.

This is a calculated choice, intended as a reminder that the guards are also individual goblins. They have their own lives outside of this scene, though we may never learn more about them. We may never know what thoughts were going through their heads, or what emotions they experienced while leading these prisoners to the Spire. Will they also remember this moment for the rest of their lives? Will it revisit them in nightmares, or rear its ugly head in the midst of a moment of peace? 

After all, they didn't choose to be here either.

Or did they?

Was there some way to opt out of this assignment without dismantling their own lives? Do they make themselves believe they're doing the right thing, so they can feel better about the way things have turned out?

I suspect the Bureau Agent accompanying this particular goblin is experiencing quite a lot of cognitive dissonance in this moment:



The new release adaptation of this CG is made to emphasize just how vulnerable SEVEN can make themselves out to be. Like the rest of our cast, they are most definitely a fully-grown adult, with their own load of emotional baggage, and a history of skeletons in the closet.

But they're certainly good at projecting a different image, aren't they?



There are many different kinds of deception, and the reasons for presenting a certain front are as varied as the deceptions themselves.

How much of the mask is actually make-believe?

Can we contain poorly-integrated multitudes, each earnest in their own way?

Maybe there's nothing truly sinister about it. But that's up to the player to decide. Especially when it comes to a certain far more openly sinister member of the Expedition:



SIX is another character who has evolved significantly since their initial conception. Our beta readers have actually had quite a bit of influence on this one.  Their feedback has helped change SIX into someone more multifaceted, with a greater capacity for personal growth.

I may also have made them a little too sexy, and for that I am sorry. 

Narrator Voice: They were not sorry.

Do you want this goblin to step on you?
You can be honest. I won't judge.

Which leads us to another goblin who has (to lesser surprise) won near-universal love and approval in all the character-based feedback we've received so far (the fact that they're technically the first goblin you meet upon entering the world of TIS probably helps a little):

 
I went out my way, in the new CG, to emphasize that THREE is the living heartbeat of the Expedition.

They may spend much of their time fooling around, and their magical discipline may not seem terribly threatening, but underestimating them is a mistake you'll quickly regret.

So what are we working on now?

We've still got a lot of writing revisions and drawing ahead of us before we release Chapter 2. But in the meantime, we'd also like to give you an even more polished and self-contained version of the initial Prologue/Chapter 1 release!

Some of the things you're likely to see in the next upload include: 

• Bug fixes, including a certain hard-to-access gated scene near the end of Chapter 1 (have you found it yet?)
• Minor spelling and grammar corrections (like the big fixes, these are also likely to be an ongoing process).
• GUI adjustments that smooth out a few rough edges.
• All Glossary entries complete and up-to-date.
• A minimum of 3 new CGs at certain key scenes.
• Some minor updates/adjustments to existing CGs and their accompanying animations.
• Better sound equalization.

Some nice-to-haves we'd like to include, but may wait until later releases, depending on how much time we have available:

• An updated main menu screen, and fully-functional gallery and secrets menus with significantly updated GUI.
• Updated music and sound FX.
• New codex features.

One of our primary goals in the coming year is to improve the visibility of our project. This means investing more time into maximum polish, a solid presskit, marketing copy, and eventually, a pretty awesome trailer! 

This is not to say, of course, that we are chasing fame. TIS is a niche project by design, and we have no intention of compromising the integrity of its vision just to broaden its appeal. But exposing the game to more of the people who are our audience also makes a huge difference to the sustainability of this project, and we are here for the long haul! 

Are there are particular changes you would especially like to see for the next update of the Prologue/Chapter 1?

Please don't hesitate to let us know in the comments!

And that's a wrap for our closing dev log of 2021.

We'll be resuming some of our lore and process-related logs in the new year.  Some ideas I personally have kicking include a piece discussing the significance and inspirations behind goblin clothing in the world of the Inverted Spire, and a journal exploring our thoughts (as a team) about how romance and character relationships are depicted in games, and how that is influencing our decisions in making TIS. 

We're always happy to hear from you, so if there's any part of the process you'd like to hear about, let us know!

Happy New Year, everyone. It's been a rough few years for many of us, but I believe that's all the more reason to hold our heads high heading into the next one. Wishing you much health and happiness! 

You'll be hearing from us again very soon~