DevLog: Before/After Doc Office (Patreon)

Hey all,

So it's that time again for another teaser. This one is actually kinda late as I sorta got so busy with actually doing the development that I forgot to share information about what I'd accomplished. So bad news: I was quiet; but the good news is the update is already almost done. So let's dive into the Before/After shots for the doctor office physical and beyond.

VideoDevLog Edition:

I'm terrible at marketing and pitching my own stuff, but if you're interested in more in-depth coverage of this topic, I've been working on a video series in the $20 tier. This is much more of an "extras" kind of approach and was something that people were asking for. In the video coverage, I'll narrate and walk you through the images in-real time while I look at them for the first time. This Devlog allows me more prep time and I can usually go through and proofread; the video series is uncut on purpose. For those that want some extra stories behind the shots or just wanna hear how stupid I can be when I talk about this nonsense, that's the package right there. You can find the newest companion post here .

That being said, let's jump into the images

Pic 1: This shot is from the original game and shows the process of undressing during the physical. These were tough shots for me back in the day as manipulating the clothing and stuff was pretty advanced stuff. There was much detail here and I was honestly trying to hide a lot of mistakes off-camera (which tbh, I still do). However, primarily the problem with clothing being pulled off is trying to simulate how it reacts to the body as you're dragging it off and that just didn't happen in the original.

Pic 2: Here's the replacement for the upcoming v0.05 Revamp. I'm legit in love this picture. In the revamp, we'll be seeing a lot more interaction during the undressing part. Keep in mind, this scene isn't intended to be overly sexual but there is definitely a tension. Expect an expanded set of pics during the conversation while they're undressing. In this shot, I was able to pull the shirt off camera enough to simulate it looking like it's being pulled off. There's enough shown here to be kinda sensual but enough hidden to still work with the true intention of the scene. Really simple picture but I was stoked when it came out the way I wanted so I wanted to share it.

Pic 3: In this shot from the original game, we're taking a look at the actual examination process; which had Braden sitting up on the table and a couple quick (but generic) stock poses where Dr Hodges is kinda doing whatever. My issue here is that the longer/wider shot includes too much without really having a point to it. I'm slowly starting to want a purpose to each shot in the Revamp and a wider shot should have a purpose to specifically show you more for a reason. In this shot, none of this shit was important and a lot of it was stock positions. In the Revamp, I've moved away from that. 

Pic 4: Here's an example of Braden's examination we'll see in the Revamp. For the armpit fans, y'all gonna get some service this update. But in these shots, the examination is a little more physically interacting but also emotionally and expressively interactive. We'll be seeing facial changes and stuff to show that weird combination of tension and apprehension that this scene is supposed to have. The depth of field blur should also help to focus the eyes where they need to be in these scenes, allowing you to kinda mesh with where the characters are looking, focusing, or who/what is important. That's actually been a lot of fun with zooming the camera in and out or playing with the focus to try and achieve a different effect. I'll also quickly note that the physicals of both characters do have some differences in position. The original game had both characters doing exactly the same thing (which was kinda boring). 

Pic 5:  In this shot, we're looking at the conversation that takes place after the physical. This was from the original game and is super dark. Early on, I had a lot of problems with getting the light right with Zack's darker skin without blowing out the light on Braden's. Most of the dorm room shots in the original looked like this. I also had a problem in this particular scene with the way Zack is sitting. It didn't seem intimate the way that I really wanted to portray the importance of two guys kinda having their first semi-argument and how they deal with that. 

Pic 6: Here's the replacement that we'll be seeing in the revamp for this conversation. As you can see, they're sitting much closer which is both physical and metaphorical based on the conversation. We'll be seeing many more camera angles on par with the conversations you see endgame and way more facial expressions that take you through the usual emotional rollercoaster that you'd expect from this project. This scene is also expanded and the writing is more specific about what they're trying to accomplish as well as what they were frustrated about and this time around, it's gonna look way better.

The video DevLog discussion also features 2 extra images not shown here. One focuses specifically on the changes in Zack and Braden's waiting positions within the doctor's office. There was a lot more thought put into this in contrast to the original and it was way easier to just free-style it on mic. The second set focuses on the underwear outfit change at the end of the chapter. There was a lot of changes to Braden's "drop towel" stance that we'll be seeing in the  v0.05 Revamp when Braden comes back from his shower and a ton of super personal logistics of me trying to pose for that scene IRL. So if you're interested in those extra stories about the nonsense behind-the-scenes, you can check out that video post here. 

Stay tuned for another DevLog in the next few days. It'll be text-based and just giving an overall report on where things are as well as a projected release date. I feel comfortable with an April release, though right now so stay tuned. 

Enjoy the teasers and let me know what you think about with the changes.