THE PAST
It's been a while since the last article, a long time full of ups and downs. Mostly downs for us, especially the past couple of years. One of the reasons there hasn't been any major news on the Ultimate Edition is because I was caught in the middle of something I didn't bargain for, and it was draining me mentally, financially, and emotionally.
I still made progress during this time, but nowhere near as much as I could/should have made under better circumstances. By summer 2025 development slowed almost to a crawl, and the situation has become unbearable. Code words: sidelined, apathy, segregation, indifference, delays, resignations. The Ultimate was about to die. Every other project around it died. Everyone who was productive/supportive left.
One by one they jumped ship, and I knew my days were numbered. I also learned many things that made me realize that the project is in trouble if I don't do anything. Not only was the situation draining me, but also those who have helped me never got anything for their efforts too. Eventually I had to commission them out of my own pocket on top of everything, and that broke the bank and me. This was unsustainable.
The G String project went through a few difficult periods since 2006, but usually it was just a few rough months when I had to move or upgrade. The last 2.5 years were the first period during which I was worried it might end. I was worried not only about the Ultimate Edition dying but also about the 2020 version never getting any more updates too. Luckily the devs who cared about the project made a last-ditch effort to fix up the Steam release as best they could before they left. So thank God at least that's there in the meantime.
Without these last patches, the 2020 release was in really bad shape; some graphical errors persisted for way too long, and there were various visual glitches and random issues that were left in till today in spite of me constantly bringing them up. I apologize for this; it's not my fault. Excitement about game development in general just waned as time passed.
But I can't let three years of work on the Ultimate go down the drain. I've been at it for that long since the decision was made to stop with the small updates and just overhaul/relaunch the game.
I apologize if I don't get back to everyone; I don't have any mental capital left to spend on this. It took a toll on me, this whole process to try to rescue the game. I don't blame anyone in particular; it just didn't work out. Man plans, God laughs. No one expected things to turn out the way they did. Ultimately we should focus on creating good games, and all this other stuff just drags everything down.
In the beginning that's how it was—fun, creative, and promising—but somewhere along the way everything changed. I don't regret everything, though; the early days were fine, and everything should have stayed that way. I was actually very supportive of the whole situation in the beginning; I saw potential in it. Not anymore. I wish everyone good luck. I know others who left are also working on their own projects and are making good progress too; I hope they'll be very successful.
As for me, the lesson is...
THE PRESENT
Keep it simple. With technology moving at a breakneck speed, it is possible for an individual to do more and more alone. We can all fly solo. I learned my lesson the hard way, and I hope other devs will learn from my experience as well. Moving forward I intend to simplify and downsize everything, everything except the game's scope.
Yes, I am stubborn. I know. I am not willing to compromise because I feel the game now forms a coherent whole somehow, and taking away any part will significantly damage and diminish it. All the necessary parts are there; they just need a lot more polish. And that's what the Ultimate Edition is all about.
I still believe we can pull it off; the last few years weren't all bad. One good thing is that I have met some very talented, good people, and they will help me push this thing out. Not everyone lost interest in making games. We will deliver something! We are not giving up! We're just working under very different, much less stressful, and emotionally distressing circumstances now. In the last two months we got more done than in the previous two years.
Thank God I no longer have to run around so much and waste my time and resources just to try to make ends meet. Unless the sky falls on me, a real possibility in the world today, the game will ship. Hopefully I won't burn out; since this is such a multi-faceted, large project, I can always find something exciting to do. There are obviously things I hate dealing with, but I try to spread those out: small doses every day.
Last year I was preoccupied mostly with the early chapters, which, as always, are in the worst condition. As I progress, things will speed up because in the game's second half the chapters are shorter and more streamlined; basically, they only need another detail pass (and some more opportunity to use the sniper rifle!).
Another piece of good news is that I did not waste all these years; every day I tried to do something, even if it was a pitifully small amount. I did not waste the time, even when I had to take on jobs and do other stuff to keep the uphill battle going. And last but not least, another positive is that whatever is done, I am happy with it! The game is taking shape and is becoming what I had hoped for from the start. The bad news is this takes time...
THE FUTURE
it will take more time, but by late 2026 I hope to have some kind of endgame in mind. Maybe even a release date! Right now we're just getting used to the new pipeline, and I'm slowly starting to pick up speed with mapping.
The plan is still to overhaul the existing game and only add minimal new areas. I want to add a "pacifist path" to each map, meaning those who wish to sneak around, explore, and bypass confrontation will be able to do so. These new paths might not be initially obvious, but if found, they can help less conflict-hungry players avoid the fights. This alternate gameplay idea is partially implemented already in the Steam release, but as with everything, it is not done as well as it should be.
But no worries, the Ultimate is not just about detailing and fixing. There will be plenty of brand-new stuff too; new weapons and enemies will be added to help with variety. Every aspect of the game is being worked on: soundscapes, scripting, FX, particles, props, textures—everything. This is one of the reasons why the relaunch takes so long.
If the Ultimate Edition is received positively and there is interest, there are plans for an expansion pack, which includes about 2 hours of extra gameplay. This means, amongst other things, a water vehicle section before the KOBI shipyards, extending the Dragon Girl chapter, and visiting a destroyed T-Leg in the Smog Storm chapter. But making these new maps is at least another year or more of work; hence, they will not be included in the Ultimate relaunch. We all have waited long enough.
Later, if there is interest, trading cards, achievements, and workshop support will follow. They are being seriously considered. The Beauty Secrets lore book and the OST will also get a major update/remix after relaunch. Only on Steam, though; I am only affiliated with and support/update the OST and Beauty Secrets on Steam.
THE FAR FUTURE
Eventually I need to learn Unity and Blender. If there is a sequel to G String, it will be set in space, and it will be titled G String: Off World. It will most likely run on Unity. I have a pretty clear idea of what it should be like, maybe FPS mixed with space combat like Battlefront 2. I don't want to divulge too much yet. It's all in flux, but some parts of the story/gameplay are nailed down. It would be neat to fly some super detailed Coil Drones, D-Drones, and Rice Pods around the solar system. Let's check out the Separatist ships, the Fork Shuttles in all their glory! Why not?
But right now I haven't touched Unity yet because I need to extend my love affair with Source. I don't want to know what I'm missing. But when learning it, I want to use the learning experience to make some liminal, LSD simulator-type creepy walking simulator. Or maybe something more somber, more personal. I am not sure yet. It will be a small project for sure. Something I can do in a year or so.
I also have an idea for an open-world, chill game, kind of like My Summer Car but with a focus on the world and not the car, but this is really far into the future; who knows what happens by then with the way the world is? I am kind of scared of planning too far ahead. Let's hope we make and play all these games before something really bad goes down.
I also need to launch the music albums "Pineapple Bubble Butt" and "T.B.D." "T.B.D." has enough tracks for a release by now. The music is on YouTube, but for the album I will mix everything together into one continuous experience, much like how I did with the G String OST. I'll also make a video montage for it.
So, God willing, these are the plans. Let's make it happen. Like, share, subscribe, tweet, and tell a friend; any way to get the word out helps a lot, as I don't have any help with promotion. Links are below and everywhere, all over the web. Visit all the relevant webzones and have a great 2026! Thank you for your patience and support; some of you have been around for, like, two decades, which is crazy!
Thank you.