https://www.patreon.com/stormsingerstudios

Hey guys!

Here it is, Build 30. Thirty builds, and almost as many months since we started Santa Lucia. I really want to thank everyone who’s supported us, not matter how. I never thought I’d be part of a project that would have any sort of following, and much less two.

While I wanted to mark the occasion with a slew of new content, I wasn’t quite able to achieve all the lofty goals I’d set myself for this month, even though it’s not for a lack of trying! I think you guys can expect a fairly hefty update next month on the art side, hehe.

So what’s new this month, you might ask? Well, with this update comes a new sprite! While Blake has had a sprite (although just a sketch) for a while now, I’ve never been satisfied with it. With this build, we can all wave goodbye to old Blake to welcome his newer, better version. As you guys can see in the embedded images, it’s quite the difference.

And thanks to Blake, I’d like to take this opportunity to discuss the future of Santa Lucia concerning the art. Two years ago, when we started this visual novel, I wasn’t a very confident artist. Having only Homecoming under my belt and not much else, I tried my hardest to capture the essence of the characters to transcribe them into sprites. For some of them, I think I did a fairly good job on the first try, such as Bryan or Nate. Others, I’ve been tweaking and fiddling with ever since, much to some of our audience’s chagrin.

Now, two years later and that little bit wiser and experienced, I’d like to incorporate what I’ve learned into Santa Lucia. This isn’t something I’ve only started just now, mind you, as sprite updates have been common ever since we started, but I think I have the confidence to say that we’re approaching what I’d qualify as “final” versions of the sprites. I’ve been planning a few tweaks here and there to existing sprites to improve anatomy and their overall quality, but some have been needing more love and attention than others. In fact, I’ve been working on Carlos alongside Blake this month, but the amount of alternate variants and clothes the tiger has made it impossible for me to finish it in time for this update. Carlos is an odd case when it comes to the sprite tweaks: I went with the goal of editing him here and there to address criticism (as well as personal issues), but it slowly became an entire rework of his sprite. All I can say is, I’m extremely confident the vast majority of you will really enjoy what I’ve done with him. It’s still Carlos, don’t worry. I’ve included a sneak peak of a work-in-progress version, with the fully completed version coming next month.

What about CGs, I hear some of you ask? Well, I’ve also been planning on working my way back from the start to add CGs to earlier parts of the game. I’m still outlining where these CGs would appear, but even back then I already had a pretty good idea of where everything would slot in. You can expect those tweaks and reworks, as well as those extra CGs to roll out in the coming months, alongside all the normal planned content, such as brand new CGs and all new expressions.

Anyway, this is starting to get long, so I think I’ll leave it here. I want to thank you all again for your continued support! We really couldn’t do this without you all. Take care,

Devilizer

Build 30 Notes:

+ Nate Route Expanded!

+ September 19th

+ September 21st

+ September 22nd

+ September 23rd

+ 2 new songs added

+ New sprite for Bryan route side character Blake

If you're interested in checking out next month's build early, please consider supporting us! Every little bit helps!

https://www.patreon.com/stormsingerstudios

If you'd like a more direct line to us, we're usually active on our public Discord server:

https://discord.gg/WTjM3S5

We hope you enjoy the build!

~ Dzahn & Dev