Hello everyone!
Wait... What do you mean? We are already in August!? That's ridiculous. Time has been going by way too fast for me this year. Every time I look at the calendar, I'm shocked to see how much further along we are.
I come bearing an apology this time. Because of money and time constraints, Heart Fragment Book Three will not be releasing at the end of 2023 as originally intended.
Writing could still be on track for the 2023 release, but I am officially placing a hold on that release until 2024. I cannot take on any personal debt at this time, which would be required to finish Jasper's "Style A" CGs in time. All of the other art is finished - chibis, StarxSocial, Natalia Style A & Style B, and Jasper Style B.
I am very sorry to do this. If Heart Fragment were profitable enough that I could justify taking temporary debt to get the CGs finished for a 2023 release, I absolutely would. But as it is, most months I earn around $100 off Heart Fragment sales, if I am lucky. Sometimes I don't meet the minimum payment threshold on Steam to be able to get paid at all in month for the game. $100 is not even enough to pay for even one CG, let alone what I would need to be able to pay for the full set for Jasper's route.
At this time, I won't be giving any concrete release date for Book Three except that the goal is 2024. This is for the best for me in some regards too, as I can take writing slower now - something I need to do because I am starting college classes next month. I got the amazing news that I was accepted for a grant and can now take a class that I'd otherwise not be able to take due to the financial concerns. So at least it works out in some regards.
Still, I am sorry for letting you all down. I never want to do that. I promise you that Book Three will be coming as soon as is financially possible!
If you backed Heart Fragment on Kickstarter, you will get Early Access to Book Three. This means that you'll be able to play the game as soon as the writing & programming is finished, without the Style A CGs. So for Heart Fragment's amazing backers that made this game possible (I'd be nowhere without them), playing Book Three in 2023 may still be on the table!
I've been off work for the summer holidays due to my regular job being with the school division. Because of that, I've been able to make significant progress on Book Three. Writing for Jasper's route is nearly complete, with all but the final act finished in its first draft of writing. I will need to go back and check for errors and revisions before it is playable, but with every change I make, I feel it is becoming more like my original vision for his route.
Natalia's route has been a bit more challenging and as a result, progress has been slower. I think the payoff will be rewarding, though. I've had to make a lot of changes to the original outline to fit in with the changes made in Jasper's route... but I think this is for the best because they'll help make it more immersive. These revisions have taken more time than I thought (as all creative work seems to do!) but I'm positive that her story will be more captivating and intense as a result.
In terms of the art, most of this was covered above. There's still some progress to be made with Jasper - his StarxSocial and "Style B" CGs are complete, but his "Style A" CGs are still on the back burner. The funds from Kickstarter carried me all the way here though, which is a huge accomplishment. So even though I have to put in my own money, I don't mind for the sake of seeing this story through to the end. A project like Heart Fragment is no small undertaking though, and at the moment I can't afford to put any of my funds towards this. I hope to be able to continue ASAP.
Thank you all so much for your kindness and patience!
