I've been finding it difficult to sit down and write a blog post for a while now. Like most things we get stuck on, the problem has been not knowing where to start or what I wanted to share and communicate. So, I'll begin with what's been weighing on me the past two weeks.
I post all my daily updates on X, a platform that lets me quickly share my progress on Interferion in a concise format — some text here, a few pictures there. Every day, I see a pinned post I made on November 3, 2024, which is the first thing new visitors see on my profile. Lately, it's been feeling like a weight around my neck because I didn't achieve everything I set out to do. Here's what I had planned before the end of 2024:
- Release the amazing concept art from Jacks Works
- Get the Discord channel live
- Make the game playable on Tabletop Simulator
- Publish the short stories written by Damon Theron
- Release the music from Land of Abundance for the videos
- Finish the game manual
- Complete the 3D models for the T.A.C., weapons and hardware
What I'm struggling with right now is the feeling that I've flat-out failed. So what have I been up to? A lot of different things that I couldn't have anticipated 2 years ago.
Learning new skills: I've been diving into retopology, basic hard-surface modeling, and subdivision modeling. Why? I have high artistic standards and want the 3D models for Interferion to be the best they can be. Plus, I ran out of budget and couldn't afford a 3D modeler. It's been some of the hardest stuff I've ever had to learn, and I'm still a complete beginner.
3D printing experiments: I bought a 3D printer and started testing physical prints of the models to see what works and what doesn't before committing to a full production run.
What's left to do?
- Finish all the 3D assets
- Rig and pose the new models with their weapons and hardware
- Create new, improved renders for the website
- Produce short video renders of the new assets with the new music
- Reduce the face count of all assets so they can be imported into Tabletop Simulator
- Refactor the old codebase in Tabletop Simulator and reacquaint myself with Lua
- Continue working on the game manual
- Create a short dev video
I wish you all the best.