September 20th will be the five-year-anniversary of the release of VG Exiles Episode 3...  Kind of hard to believe it's been that long.  It seems like only yesterday that I was Skyping with my art director and putting together big big plans for the future.

...which sucked.  Fuck those days.

Right now I'm much more interested in finally getting VGE4 done.  I'm still hoping to have it finished by the end of the year.  No promises, though.  I have so far underestimated the level of intricate detail work I would be compelled to do and even the "simple" story scenes are turning out to be super-complicated.  That's not a bad thing, it's just a time-consuming thing.

I'm back in my classes now and have plenty of time for animating between them and my work shift.  As shitty and depressing as my last semester off was, I've decided that I must remain continuously enrolled until I meet my academic goals.  Summers, winters, everything.  I can't afford to fall back into that hole again.  So, day-by-day I chug along.  Some days are more productive than others.  At least now I'm thinking more about the projects and less about whatever little bullshit distractions I put up for myself.

I think it will also be helpful that I've already begun animating VGE5.  I'll be able to jump straight into the choreo for VGE5 as soon as VGE4 drops.  ...or maybe I'll do another FAILtality.  ...or maybe work on something entirely new.  So many choices...

I had hoped to be a bit further along with the VGE4 story scenes by this point, but I'm not gonna kick myself too hard over it.  Any progress is good progress given the last few years.  I'm just glad to finally be back in the race, even if I'm still hobbling along with a twisted ankle.

Also, SCREENSHOT!
 

Still beta.

If I could go back in time and tell my VGE2-era self that I would be doing some of my most intricate sprite work ever for a chess game between two characters in a story scene, he wouldn't believe it.  Then he'd probably go for his shotgun thinking I were an alien trying to kill him and take his place.  He's paranoid like that.

Fortunately, I would have already fled the scene whilst performing the Curly Whoop.  That's probably why I should never be granted the power of time travel.

...aaaaanywho...  back to the grind I go.

R1665