Welcome to devlog #4! This one is mainly focusing on audio! Alongside getting the game fully functional, we've been in the trenches getting the game's voice acting and audio ready for Arc 1's release. We'd like to preview some of the sounds you'll hear in the game!
Character Reveal: Harriet Colbourne
But before we jump into covering the audio, holding down the front line—it's Harriet Colbourne!
Harriet is about as rigid as it gets. She's stoic, tough, and utterly devoted to Anyta's future. To her, protecting Anyta is a mission, one where failure would be worse than death. It's debatable whether or not Harriet is even capable of relaxing—no one has seen her laugh before. However, sometimes her words carry less bravado than usual. It appears that not even the most durable suit of armor can shield the heart.
On the battlefield, Harriet serves as the premier tank in the roster. With strong bulk, further enhanced by blades, Harriet can take a lot of punishment. Her job is to maintain the enemy's attention and keep herself alive. To that end, she uses the Death Threat Command, which guarantees that the enemy will attack Harriet. Do note that Death Threat actually raises the enemy's offenses unless a Positive Mark is burned—use it with caution.
She eventually learns some other skills to help control enemies and protect allies. The game has its fair share of units devoted to defense, but no one else is committed to the role as much as Harriet.
Iterating the Sound
In preparation for future builds, we have went back in and revisited what the game sounds like. The Kickstarter demo utilized a lot of harsh, mechanical sounds for the game's UI, a remnant of earlier builds.
Certain sounds have been swapped out for more bouncy, energetic sounds, like record scratching, and in general we're approaching the audio experience of the game with a lot more intentionality this time.
A notable addition is that the game now has an announcer. Certain games use an announcer or narrator to enhance the feeling of playing it, and we're following suit with a booming, suave voice. He'll present characters, give encouragement, and commentate on other parts of the game as you play through it.
Here's a small preview of what the announcer sounds like! Just know there's a lot more examples that you'll hear in game!
Music Preview!
Our composer, dante, has been hard at work developing new music tracks for the game! Here's a preview of one of the story tracks that the game will have — used for calmer moments in the narrative.
We're very proud of how the soundtrack's developing! There's much more to come in future builds and updates!
Voice Acting Preview!
As of now, we're wrapping up voice acting sessions for Arc 1's release! In total, we estimate that we've recorded over 1500+ lines amongst the current cast. And there's more to come in the future!
We wanted to include a small preview of the results, showcasing a couple characters whose performances have yet to be shown off in their entirety so far!
Do note that the audio is not yet finalized. Aspects like volume, filters, etc. may vary from this preview and the final product.
The Arc 1 build is planned to have a significant portion of the voice acting finished. Playable characters and enemies will be voiced, with some minor exceptions that will be sorted out in future builds.
Alpha Testing is Approaching!
Voice acting was the last major addition to be included in the game before we start the alpha testing, so know that we're quickly approaching that milestone. In the meantime, we're getting some of the last features ready and making sure everything is where it needs to be.
We'll be announcing the date that we start alpha testing as well as giving directions to backers on how to access it at a later date. The next devlog will most likely focus on giving an overview of what alpha testing will be like. Tentatively, you can expect alpha testing to start in about 2 months.
As always, thanks for reading the devlog! Big things are coming, so I hope to see you again for the next update!
Thank you for your time,
-Smithy, Hybrid Fiction Games