What a chaotic week.
Don't get me wrong, I love chaos as much as the next gremlin, but this has been a bit much. Here's the tally:
- Sunday's stream was sidetracked by allergies that flaired up so bad, I couldn't even be on camera. I truly spent the day sick, and had to cancel Sunday night as a result.
- There were two major streaming software updates that took about half a day to make sure things were still working properly. I still have a lot to learn there with the new tools and plugins.
- And then the icing on the cake is today. I have a doctor's appointment this morning that I cannot move, so I'll be streaming today from 1pm - 8pm ET, instead of our usual 9am - 5pm slot.
So...ugh is all I can say to all that. This has been a messy week for schedules and getting things done.
Still, things got done. A LOT of things as a matter of fact. And it actually sets our pace and path forward for many weeks ahead. Let's get into what happened, and what this all means.
Just a little background: I've been working very hard on a final art style for...well...everything. YouTube, member benefits, the game...everything is going to hinge on this continuous art style. It also had to meet several requirements:
- It had to be us an reflect who we are and what we do.
- It had to be simple enough for a me to learn to animate. Especially as I'm new to it.
- They had to be neon. I wanted to carry a unique look to The Rift.
As a result, I spent a lot of time on the struggle bus with this. On camera, I kept practicing skills and running character development. Off camera, I was constantly experimenting with looks to try and dial it all in. All it needed was that final look so I could establish my final processes so I could bring this universe to life.
Then this past Monday, it clicked – on my self portrait of all things. Suddenly everything I was looking for was on the screen in front of me. It wasn't perfect yet, but it was there!
Fast forward to today, and I already have my bust and the Chill Little Acorn finished. Aria's bust is also well underway (see the above picture), and will be the focus of today's stream.
So basically, it feels like I blinked and everything came together.
The Companions Comic Strip will be the first thing to watch for. My focus will be getting that up and rolling, and then immediately moving on to further character development. With so many characters crossing over between the comic and the game, I'll be able to double-down on my efforts.
As for the streams themselves, this will be THE focus on Tuesdays and Fridays, as planned. Sunday streams will remain gameplay with the Agents of Chaos in Hytale and whatever random game we choose for the evening stream.
Fam, I can not even begin to tell you how excited I am for all this. Expect a lot of art, a lot of updates, and a whole lot of progress.
See you all later today on stream. And as always, thank you for everything you all do for the community.
Love you all dearly,
Jamie