Hello mates,
It has been four months since the last Dev-Blog and now it is finally time to tell you about the challenges we have faced along this tortuous journey and what still lies ahead.
First, at present, the development of GLASSHOUSE has not yet been funded and is proceeding by volunteerism, passion and ambition. Despite this, the FLAT28 collective is more determined and united than ever. In early 2023, with our feet on the ground and our hearts in our hands, we decided to transform GLASSHOUSE into a less dilated and more intense/focused game.
We redesigned the narrative and design side in such a way as to scale back costs, ambitions, and development timelines. Looking in the mirror, being self-critical and making decisions is part of the game, a game we espouse with dedication and seriousness.
Initially envisioned as a story between the sunset of a society and an apocalyptic dawn, recent structural changes will lead GLASSHOUSE to focus on the sunset, which is the last day of a world torn apart by wars and borders. The opportunity is huge and is to be able to focus on the emotional sphere of 18 residents of an apartment building frightened by the idea that there may be no tomorrow. It is the story of those who grit their teeth and struggle against the inexorable. It is the story of us all.
Now follow us below, the seeds we planted have finally borne fruit and we can't wait to show them to you!
THE OLD CANALS
The Fiefdom of Lundonstoch is under lockdown due to atomic threat and no one is allowed to leave their homes on pain of imprisonment or death. However, in the course of the adventure, the housemates of Apartment 28 will be forced to embark on a dangerous journey that will see them traverse the underground districts of the Wynnstan quarter.
The Old Canals of Wynnstan are the roots of the neighborhood, a dreary maze of pipes and bricks within which death waits patiently. A veritable dungeon studded with hidden treasures, mysteries and past history. In 1828, during the Rifle Strike, they were used by the New Youth as a hiding place from capitalist power. Today, the canals are refuge for tramps and criminal syndicates.
This new setting is located under Dormitory 73B, the main setting of GLASSHOUSE, and is currently being greyboxed. The goal of our 3D Environment Dept. is to test a new workflow based on asset modularity, so that detailed and complex settings can be created more efficiently. Huge shout out to Simona, Andrea, Giuseppe, Marco and Camilo!
THE PLAYER'S ROOM
We have recently completed Wealdmaer's room, located inside apartment 28, the private space where you can craft items, store resources, and watch the city change, out the window.
We have created this room for you and Wealdmaer, a safe place from lies and political pitfalls. We look forward to seeing you there, sitting before the window, pondering the inexorability of life and the futility of war.
NEW UI: PORTRAITS AND DIALOGUE TAB
Over the past months, the art department has been working hard on replacing the placeholder assets in the User Interface. Giancarlo, Character Designer, has created the final character portraits, now more in line with the three-dimensional models and Key-Art.
Nino and Umberto, UI Designer and Art Director respectively, recently delivered the new dialog interface. After the playtest that took place in our Discord community, the goal was to make the design more appealing and improve text readability. As you can see, new icons and mechanics also find their way into the lower left space, but we will have to elaborate on this in the future!
THE JOURNAL
Our programmer Mav meanwhile shows us the first iterations of the Journal.
The player will have a way to consult the Journal as a quest-log or keep track of past adventures.
GLASSHOUSE is meant to be immersion first, and to avoid a simple to-do list, we decided to take inspiration from the Darkwood system. Little information, but good information.
NEW 3D MODELS
Not satisfied with the level previously achieved, we opted for a complete overhaul of the 3D models of the characters. Thanks to Valerio, Wealdmaer was completely redesigned from scratch so as to be as faithful as possible to the original concepts.
We still have much more to show you, but that is all for today. We hope you have enjoyed the news and the transparency with which we talk about our difficulties. The journey is still long, but brick by brick, we will make it if you are still with us.
Thank you all.
Giacomo Montagnoli, Game Director
FLAT28 Collective.