This was a lot of fun to make.

I knew that I wanted to work more with RPG Maker VX Ace, because Cut Me Deeply showed me how much fun the engine was to use.  I also wanted to write a sappy Christmas special, the kind of romantic melodrama that might pop up on the Hallmark channel...but with my own robot-focused twist, because that's just how I operate.

I did a lot of research and immersion that fueled into the creation of the game.  Beyond Tomorrow was a movie I'd never heard of before this year, but ended up being a big influence on the game's tone (also, at least three different versions of A Christmas Carol).  The dev process was fueled by hot chocolate and lattes.  I made myself be a bit more social and merry this year, which was a big deal considering how much of a grinch I've been the past few holidays ("working long hours in retail" + "remembering how much my dad  loved the holidays" is a prime combination for grouchiness).  Actually getting out and living that holiday-cheer life helped so much to get the tone I was looking for, as pretentious as it may sound.

A lot of ME ended up in the game, as well...which wasn't planned, but I rolled with it.  The main character's family situation is the main one.  Like her, my dad died when I was seventeen.  The subplot about the sister running away with her lover is somewhat-true: my sister has gotten herself into relationships and walled herself away, but she always finds her way home.  My mom is alive and well, thank you for asking.  The main character's age and studies are the same as mine.  The Jamisons are named after my real-life grandparents who have passed on.  JM-2911 is named and personified after one of my puppet characters.  It's not fully autobiographical (which is a shame; no sweet guys in my life, robot or otherwise), but there are enough bits and pieces to make this story really personal.  I hope others sill find it relatable.

My biggest worry/fear throughout the game was whether or not it would sell.  There's a flood of RPG Maker games on the market, and a stigma attached to them.  But I really felt I had a good enough story/concept here to market.  And I'm in need of some sort of side income source, so I was hoping I was finally at the stage where I could actually make money off my work (it's not my main goal, as I will still be making free/web games, but still I am aiming for a monetary goal as I am an adult who has bills to pay).  But could I actually pull it off?  

Well, the good news is that Amethyst Hearth has sold more copies in its opening weekend than any other game I've put up for a price on itch.io!  So a HUGE thanks to everyone who took a chance on me, and I hope you all enjoy the game!

So, what's next?  Mostly, formatting/spelling correction.  I plan on going through the game and making sure all the text boxes look uniform and all the words are spelled correctly.  Not sure how long that will take me.  As a challenge to myself, I also want to write a novelization of the game.  I need to practice my writing, and I used to write novelizations of my favorite works all the time when I was younger.  A novelization of one of my games seems fun.  Once that is done, it would be added to the game; if you buy the game, you get the ebook free!  And I do have plans for Onyx to appear in another game in the Legends of Tzonac continuity...but that's a whole other project.

And that about wraps it up.  Those are my plans for Amethyst Hearth going forward.  Again, thank you for all your support and have a wonderful new year everyone!