Happy Holidays from Advent of the Reaper!
Plus, Hospital Visits & Obsessing Over 2D Lighting
The holidays tend to be a time where there’s always more to do than there is time to do it, and this year was no exception. So of course Lucas decided to forgo those things and go down a dev rabbit hole. Let’s be honest, it feels safe and cozy down there. Especially if you can get some warm lighting going…
December DevBlog: Where Does the Time Go?
Part One: Obsessing Over 2D Lighting
My first mistake was picking up Sea of Stars. As a Game Pass game with strong callbacks to the Chrono Trigger era, I was certain I'd enjoy it.
As I relaxed into the game I realized trouble was brewing. The game is SO PRETTY. The way the lighting works with the other shader magic with very subtle glow and bloom ends up combining to paint a picture that still feels pixel perfect and retro. This was a problem because lighting is one of my favorite dev rabbit holes. Nerdery to follow, you've been warned. Read more
Part Two: Hospital Visits
(Doug notes: This section was written with Lisa's consent, encouragement, and input!) This month is more of a Game Non-update on my end, and I'm going to focus on a dev-adjacent topic: taking care of yourself, as best as you can! If you've been following Advent on social media or saw our last newsletter, you know that my wife Lisa is our amazing character designer! Lisa's always had it tough when it comes to health issues, having been hospitalized four times in last four years (three emergency visits and one planned major surgery). This month proved no exception with a nearly week-long surprise trip to the hospital. What started as a trip to an Urgent Care clinic turned into an ER trip and hospital admittance that lasted five days. Read more
From the entire Advent of the Reaper team, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season and we'll see you in 2024!
