Two weeks is not long. But when I put the early screenshots next to the ones from 12 October, the game looks like a different one. Here are the same places on 28 September, 4 October and 12 October.
The boat on the water
All three clips show the same open water at noon. The camera starts beside the boat and turns slowly to face the bow.
The first boat threw thin white tiles on the water. By 4 October it had a patched sail, big white spray fins and a wide, light wake. Now the bow has a soft wave of foam with small sparkles, and the wake trails behind in a long, light ribbon.
Sunset, looking at the sun
All three pictures look west from the sea off the home island at a quarter past six.
Two weeks ago the sky faded to peach and the sun was only a light you could not see. A week later the stars came out early, but there was still no sun. Now the sun sits low in a glowing sky, and its light lies across the water.
The home island
The square began as a round paved circle at the foot of the big tree. Two days later it was a fountain square ringed by houses. By 12 October it is a terraced square with a fountain, cobbled lanes and storybook houses.
The beaches changed too. The sand used to end on a hard line. Now it shades into wet sand and then a thin line of foam.
The player
The player was rebuilt in Blender. The new model has a real face, ears, tabby stripes, a shirt with a fish on it, and a tail with rings. It also has a full set of animations, for walking, running, fishing, digging and more. The new model was already in by 4 October. Since then the player got a straw hat, a white shirt and overalls.
Menus and message boxes
Every screen has been through a few rounds. The windows lost their close buttons and their how-to lines, so the cards stay calm. Esc, the window’s own key, or Done closes each one.
The talk box lost its portrait, so you can see more of the island. It is a rounder box with a tilted name tag, and a thin-rimmed mood bubble floats over whoever is talking.
The journal did not exist on 28 September. By 4 October it listed goals as flat coloured bars. On 12 October it has Tasks, People, Places, Boat, Status and Unlocks. Friends show as little stamps on the tasks they belong to, and finished steps are crossed out.
Thank you for reading and for checking out the game!
