...Hope Dies...

In the Spring of this year, I came to the conclusion that I have failed in the creation of Fading Away. I've not wanted to write this post, but neither have I wanted to leave the game page as permanently "in-development."

There isn't really much to say in this regard, other than that I was in over my head with what I wished to accomplish in this project. The main reasons can be summarized in a few brief points:

• Skill - Even though my experience with coding and game development prior to this project did exist, that didn't change the fact that my skills were atrocious. As a result, whenever there was a corner to be cut, I did so because I knew that attempting to do it properly would only result in a poor outcome. I'm bad at coding, I'm bad at artwork, I'm bad at writing, I'm bad at music. Unfortunately, there isn't really any way around that for one single person, so I looked for help. That brings me to the next point...
• Help - Reaching out for help on the project fetched me exactly that; help. For those who joined the project, I am eternally grateful that such a decision was made. However, ultimately, things happen and people left. The reasons are their own, but I was largely left in the dark whenever someone would stop responding to my messages or leave the development discord server. I don't really blame them for leaving, to be honest. In the end, this was a passion project of mine, and as such, if another person isn't as passionate about it as I am, there is little incentive to remain on board, aside from payment. Speaking of which...
• Resources - In short, I could not pay people for their work. All I could promise was "revshare," and even today, I feel bad that I can't give back to those people who invested their time and effort on the project. The case was simple. If I had the money, I would pay people outright to build this game. I briefly attempted joining other game projects to earn some additional income to put towards creating this game, but even small projects were enough to remind me of that first point I mentioned...I lack the skills for game development.

Now, what does this mean? In plain terms, this project is on "indefinite hiatus." I say that because I truly want to bring this game to life. I love Leanen's story, and I have ever since I first conceptualized it. Creation of stories is my passion, and this was one that I wished to share with the world. 

I am going to leave this page up, and I hope to come back to it with the ability to bring the game truly to life. 

Make no mistake, this does not mean that I am quitting creation. I don't wish to sound presumptuous, especially considering how no one really cares about this game or my work, but I did want to at least mention this point...

I am still creating things. However, for the bulk of this year, that has been in the form of literature. During the development of Fading Away, I put writing on the side so I could devote my energy towards this project, but once I started a new project, it was a deeply satisfying feeling. In March, I wrote a novella called A Stirring at the Ridge, You can click that link to read the novella in its entirety, because unlike this game, I was actually able to finish that one, thankfully. It feels weird to advertise my other work on a "hiatus" post, but at the same time, it'd feel weird not to. So...If you're (for whatever reason) interested in learning what Þérge looks like 150 years after the events of Fading Away, give it a read!

The reason I mention my writing works is because I want for this post to at least have some kind of uplifting news. I enjoy what I make, and I want to share it with the world. For now, that will be my literature. Hopefully in the future when I am able to do so, games will be added to the list of things I can offer. Of course...That means that Fading Away will only be all the better when that day finally comes.