012 : Epithet

Welcome new and old!

Since the 27th, we've...

• Landed on the name for the epic.

• Concluded stylistic experimentation/exploration.

• Started studying composition and iterating on character designs.

• Refined the mechanics of the fragments well as the game concept.

What have we learned?

How will we move forward?

Let's see!

Refinement

In order of least to most consequential...

I'll keep this one brief. Around this time of the year, I always end up revisiting the philosophical heart of this whole project to improve its concepts. Fortunately, it wasn't a large, sweeping overhaul or it would've greatly slowed down the development of "the epic."

On another note, restructuring the game mechanics reminded me it would be better to draft a solid pen and paper system before creating a video game. Perhaps it shall be the next project after "the epic?"

Iterations

In other words, we're back to drawing.

Time was more spent on studying composition than character design. The latter shall likely be the focus this week.

Two sketches.

A "gaseous" elemental (left) and "liquid" elemental (right).

There are two other elements not featured here that I'm still thinking about ("plasma/light" and "solid"). More effort and attention to detail can push the clearness of gas and liquid forward, but I couldn't be bothered and left it alone for now.

There's a good chance I'll reuse these compositions, especially since my approach to "the epic" will be to draw the same pieces over and over to get to the heart of what I'm trying to communicate with it and then to pick the best one(s) that fall out of that process.

Experiments

And not the secret, moderately illegal kind.

I've been trying to advance a previous style, but it turns out it all roads led back to that previous style.

Here's a sketch; a sense of what the illustrations will look like.

All other offshoots were either too difficult to control or just ended up being vulnerable to collapsing back into this style. I didn't want to return to the typical "smooth brush" style either, because I've come to appreciate having texture in my work.

Sometimes "advancement" just means getting better at executing the thing you're able to control.

The Name

So that we don't just keep calling it "the epic."

"The Meridian Holy."

Sounds gentle and grand at the same time.

Did you know "meridian" used to mean midday? And that midday "noon" used to mean the ninth hour from sunrise, the ninth hour of daylight? I didn't. The numerological thing is secondary, though.

The other disconnected layers of meaning in the name include: "circles passing through the poles of a sphere", "point of highest/fullest development before decline", "destination for a religious/spiritual journey", "someone or something set apart as divine".

These meanings will find unity together. And we'll both discover what the result of that will be for ourselves!

That's all I have for you today.

Next update on the 9th, barring emergencies.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Until then,

👋