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Recent Posts:     Annihilation Lurking Closer      Annihilation Final Phases      Annihilation Delay and Development     

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Annihilation Lurking Closer:

//--8/29/2024--- Aug. 29th    [Game Updates]

Well if there's one thing I'm clearly terrible at, it's estimating time and the complexity of finishing a game. After so many delays, I should have known not to be overly optimistic—and in the scramble to try to live up to my prior word, I only became more stressed and crippled with project fatigue and burnout. It's perhaps my biggest flaw, and one of the reasons why I haven't officially announced the game yet or done the typical long-lead style of marketing / buildup. In simple terms: pressure is my nemesis and the thought of revealing a still in-progress work is just a nightmare.

       While it may be financially risky and unconventional, I tend to think that a complete game launch out of nowhere holds a much higher value proposition to would-be consumers than a gradual public marathon-style completion that drags everyone endlessly along. Call it a gamble, but I know how terrible waiting for something can be, and to that end I don't want to further disappoint people with my failure to finish in a scheduled and timely manner—especially with my habit and chronic need of taking massive breaks to climb out of development burnout and programming / drawing avoidance. And while I often imagine myself as a game developer, in truth I'm just a dude.

       I can't quite be sure how many of these last weeks have been totally wasted, but I can at least say that my mind is finally refreshed again and I'm back to developing the game. Though a downside of that long recovery is that I now have to re-go over forgotten code and work to make it better.

       Additionally, while I had previously thought the programming was almost done, there are actually a few major technical things that I stupidly overlooked and still need to tackle for the game to be completed. But things are actually improving and getting closer.

       I know this isn't the update that was hoped for, but to the select few people that personally know about Annihilation—and to the unknown 55 that have already wishlisted the game on Steam—I want to apologize for the continued delay, but also to say thank you for giving me my space to silently continue working beneath the broader gaming radar. It certainly won't always be like this, and perhaps part of my slow progress is because of that very thing: the fear of success and change.

       Anyways, that's enough written words for the present time. I can't say exactly when it will be, but I do promise that the next published post will be the "One". In the meantime, stay tuned and be surprised that Annihilation is in fact coming and soon...


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Annihilation Final Phases:

//--7/3/2024--- Jul. 3rd    [Game Updates]

After seemingly forever, I can now actually post something positive—and despite the countless delays and setbacks, Annihilation is getting legitimately close to its final programming stages. It's a statement that only just last month felt impossible, but things are looking to be back on track and with some further grit I'm aiming to wrap everything up just in time for my scheduled launch at the end of July.

       I won't go into much detail here on the numerous development hurdles, but to summarize a bit of the past: the legacy engine I was using to initially build the game was suddenly shutdown by its company and I almost lost the entire project due to inexcessible program files. Words cannot describe the level of despair and sickness I felt that initial day, but thankfully a bit later I discovered a random post online that mentioned if you sever your internet connection the program can still be partially opened. And with that piece of knowledge I began the slow process of extracting my game files and learning the engine's modern successor.

       It's been a long tiring journey of building and rebuilding, coding and scraping, but things are coming together now and for basically the first time in the game's development process—outside of its initial prototype—I actually feel good about things. There's still alot to tackle art-wise, but I think with some scaling back and postponement of features, I can accomplish enough to have both a sufficient visual game experience on launch and an established foundation for the long list of updates for the game's post-release future.

       So yeah, that's the latest news on the project: in one week all programming will be done, and then in the following days so should the initial art. Then it will be a mad dash to finalize the game for Steam submission and finally a moment to prepare that Announcement Trailer, Demo, and other marketing plans. And while the journey isn't over yet, the endless wait is almost done.

       In the meantime, stay tuned and if all is successfully meme-worthy, Annihilation will soon be a popular hit...


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Annihilation Delay and Development:

//--2/29/2024--- Feb. 29th    [Game Updates]

It's been a long time since the project's first announcing blog post, so I thought I should give an update—though unfortunately it's mostly a negative one. In some ways it's kind of funny looking back at the original optimistic timeframe for completed development, though even more depressing when realizing that today was my more realistically planned launch date. And yet after so many months, Annihilation still remains undone.

       I could list a bunch of reasons why, though in reality they're all excuses and failures of fact. In truth it's just been a struggle for me to get the job done, and there's been many more days where I haven't even touched the game, let alone meaningfully worked on it. Bugs / problem-solving have certainly caused delays—let alone multiple entire-project level code scraping and restarting. But the biggest detriment simply has been fear and motivation.

       It's both embarassing and painful to admit that in type, but consistency has never been my strong-suit and pressure has always been my weakness. The initial excitement of starting a game project—one that in the past would normally be enough to last through development—quickly became overmatched by dealing with business logistics, platform technicalities, market considerations, and all other sorts of aspects both new to me and beyond the scope of prior personal game making. And as the stressors built, the progress only slowed.

       I can't give any definitive date for when the project will be finished, but I can at least say with some pride that Annihilation does officially have a store page on Steam. And while that hurdle now has been dealt with, many more are still ahead. Currently the project framework is a cluttered mess, and so I'm now starting another fresh code base and rebuild—one that will hopefully be the last and get the game smoothly to completion.

       And while programming knowledge has been a limiting factor throughout development, my art skills have been as well, to the point of perhaps being the biggest source of uncertainty for me as to whether or not I can actually make a visually appealing game that's worthy enough to sell—but that's a future George problem.

       Anyways, there's the full update. Hopefully sometime next month the project will be in a better state and I'll actually have the demo and animated announcement trailer done. But in the meantime, stay tuned...


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Annihilation Returns:

//--9/26/2023--- Sept. 26th    [Game Updates]

After nearly fourteen years, the time has officially come for GSig Games to return. A lot has changed over the years and in the broader industry, yet now more than ever there remains a gaming void waiting to be filled. And while the indie genre is fierce with competition—roguelikes in particular—none have the "trademark" GSig style nor its endless ambition.

       Originally designed as an arcade classic, the remake of Annihilation naturally imbues the roguelike genre and is perfectly poised to capture the market. While development is still a ways off, I'm hoping to make an Announcement Trailer by the end of October and wrap the game up by end of December.

       Currently, the plan is to release it first as Early Access on Itch.io for a discount, in order to give it some safe exposure and allow me to make any necessary fixes / adjustments while not having to worry about the risk of any negative reviews. Then once everything is player-sufficient and finalized, I can then officially launch it on Steam. Ideally that gap window won't be any longer than a month, but we'll see as things get closer.

       Annihilation was the first GSig game I ever made, and so it's fitting that it will also be the very first product I publically release. On one hand I'm incredibly excited, and yet as time goes on I'm honestly only getting more stressed in regards to dealing with marketing, sales, and reception. However, if nothing else, this will all at least be good practice for when I finally get to launch my book series. As certainly a game is much lower-risk / soul-crushing if it completely bombs vs novels that have consumed so much of my creative drive across all these years.

       Regardless, now is not the time to worry over such matters. First the game must be built, then I can dwell later on how it performs and is received...


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Shattered Void Draft On Hold:

//--8/30/2023--- Aug. 30th    [Writing Updates]

It's been a long time coming, though unfortunately it's another one of "those" updates. And while there has indeed been some great progress on a rewritten Shattered Void, it's become rather obvious that a pivot in focus will be required. The blunt reality is that it will still be a vast amount of time before the novel trilogy can satisfactorily be completed, and financially speaking, I can no longer risk another runway spanning years.

       For the longest time, writing has been my life's primary endeavor, and I do think it always will be. However, there are many sides to me, and there has been one long left in dorminant: game making. And with both excitement and dread, I am now venturing back to a dream long forgotten and a commercial chance of buying more time.

       GSig Games will no longer be just a faded personal memory, but soon a business and with it, a game worthy to sell. The task ahead will be challenging, but it's one I know that I will master...


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Shattered Void Draft In Progress:

//--8/25/2022--- Aug. 25th    [Writing Updates]

After thorough review and procrastination, work has now restarted on the first book of the Wars of Greuador trilogy. And while the story of Shattered Void still holds up, the fresh re-read has made it abundantly clear of just how much needs to be dramatically altered. Even Book 2 now seems like another full tower of work ahead, and not just simple prose changes. In some ways it feels like a defeat and backslide of progress, and yet on the other side it displays how much of an improvement my writing on Dread Fall truly was.

       While part of me wishes to already be back working on Book 3, there is in fact a unique satisfaction in reuniting with the world and characters at their earliest beginnings: knowing in greater context of just how much occurs with them across the full trilogy.

       Depending on how things go with Book 1, I'll either immediately jump back to Dread Fall or carry on with the task of editing Book 2. Though similarly how Book 3 requires a solidfied Shattered Void, I almost feel instinctively that Blood Storm will require a completed Book 3 in order to be a better middle. Yet regardless, its clear the road ahead is still vastly long, and the end now further off in sight...


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Dread Fall Draft On Hold:

//--7/11/2022--- Jul. 11th    [Writing Updates]

After some initial progress on Book 3, it has become quite clear that in order to both make Dread Fall the best conclusion possible and to save rework time for the trilogy in the future, I first must venture back to Shattered Void and recomplete the book that launched everything. While originally I had just planned to carry forward to ending before reverting back to it, I've found the task at present to be untenable.

       There are simply too many connections between the books that require solidification before being able to be properly tied off in finale, and furthermore in terms of mindset I cannot place myself truly at ending while knowing the actual work left is closer to midpoint. And so like just another beleaguered writer, my journey is back to start.

       Once Book 1 is fully rewritten, I will then probably go on to at least editing Blood Storm before finally being equipped enough to face the Trilogy's conclusion. It's been a long journey, and much is still ahead. But the writing is getting closer and the printing all the nearer...


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Dread Fall Draft In Progress:

//--1/12/2022--- Jan. 12th    [Writing Updates]

After much delay, work has finally begun on Book 3 of the Wars of Greuador saga. It's been so long since inception, that part of me still can't believe I've actually reached this far. Writing a novel is difficult, writing a trilogy harder, though making them truly satisfactory is the fullest challenge. While Book 2 has held up so far in mind after review, Book 1 still requires a full new draft. It's not so much that things need to be entirely changed, but rather just alter how they're presented. My prose and overall writing has improved quite comparatively, and Shattered Void now has the task to catch back up.

       This will likely be a recurring loop for all my writing. After Book 3 is completed, I'm sure Blood Storm will seem similarly inferior. And so the plan always was to write the complete Trilogy and then polish them all together to be one cohesive and memorable set of novels. Only then can I finally start the publishing process and unleash the series onto the world. Part of me is still daunted at the task, and yet I try to just stay focused on the day-to-day work as usual: one word at a time.

       Following this draft's completion, I will revert back to Book 1 and start the writing process all over again. It will be interesting for sure, challenging, frustrating, but each effort brings total completion that much closer. These books have been and will continue to be my greatest life's endeavor, and so I cannot spoil them with rushed or lacking effort. But the end approaches, and soon I will get there...


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Blood Storm Draft Completed:

//--9/9/2021--- Sept. 9th    [Writing Updates]

After many months of work and review, I can finally say that the Exploratory Draft of Blood Storm is now complete. Spanning 333 pages, it is the longest book that I have written and also I think the best. The structure and prose appear stronger, and now after initial reading I realize that Shattered Void will need at least another full draft to muster back up to its equal. But this just further proves the benefits of waiting for Trilogy completion before committing to publish Book 1.

       Currently as written, the first two books total over 500 pages which equates to 1,000 for a standard printed novel. Truthfully I hadn't expected to hit that milestone until somewhere during Book 3's writing, and it would be a lie to say that number didn't have significance in my mind. Though such thoughts are best saved until after completion as self-satisfaction is often the enemy of work and there is quite a lot that I have left.

       Following a period of rest and contemplation, I will proceed onto writing the Exploratory Draft for Book 3 titled Dread Fall. It has been many years since the first iteration of Wars of Greuador, but the novels in written actuality have taken far greater form then when I had originally imagined them. And to that end the published Trilogy will be worth the wait...


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Blood Storm Draft In Progress:

//--2/17/2021--- Feb. 17th    [Writing Updates]

It's been a long time coming, but work has finally started on Book 2 of the Wars of Greuador saga. After numerous revisions and drafts, Shattered Void has now reached the solid point where not much remains in the way of total completion beyond copy editing and the resolve to finalize the proof. Though this is not to say that Book 1 is near publication, but quite the contrary. It's likely that release will probably not be until 2022....

       Starting a Trilogy and Saga is a daunting task, and an author only gets one shot at it. Over the course of my writing career, one thing has always made itself clear: things will change and ideas shift. And while Shattered Void has survived years of pause and assessment, amounting to the greatest work I've ever achieved, I recognize that art is never perfect and interesting pieces can end up being overlooked or forgotten along the way. It is a lesson that I've learned numerous times the hard way, and one I don't plan on repeating more.

       To this end it is my intention to write at least the Exploratory and Proponent Drafts of both Books 2 & 3 before committing Shattered Void to print. In doing so, my vision for the Trilogy will be firmly cemented as well as ensure the opportunity that any necessary edits, considerations, or extra foreshadowing can be applied to the first novel without issue. As the saying goes: painting takes awhile, longer still when you're stuck in a corner waiting for it to dry...


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Old Ends, New Beginnings:

//--2/2/2021--- Feb. 2nd    [General]

There’s always something enigmatic about a new year, the passing of time, and the shifting perspectives therein. Add on top of that the looming close of a personal decade and the introspective effect is only amplified. It’s often said that age is just a number, but in reality it’s a chronicle: a spanning log of events and recollections, of choices and delays—and for too long in my own life delay has been the default.

       To say my creative journey has been rocky would be an understatement. Decisions, circumstances, and drifting focus have all contributed to this mired trail; but in having taken every wrong turn, detour, and distraction, my true aims only became more clear.

       And while under certain metrics I've progressed quite alot over the years, to the more personal and important avenues I've been completely stagnant. A prime example of such was with the original version of this website and its death, almost five years ago.

       Once the proud home for my creative endeavors, there came a digital moment when it was forced to be frozen. In initial creation, it had been built with a design template, one whose colors and styling seemed perfectly matched to my preference. But then after years of existence, the hosting company "rennovated" all of their interface options and deleted the format. Thankfully my website wasn't retroactively purged, but it meant that if I made any edit or post to it, the phantom template that held everything together would be overwritten and the website's appearance would be deformed to fit whatever "modern" design that was arbitrarily closest.

       It was maddening as I didn’t want another aesthetic, and the feeling of having my website stolen out from under me was something I would not accept. And so in defiance I refused to update it and immediately looked at other hosting platforms, but none of them had that lost template. Eventually it became apparent that there was only one option left: I would have to learn HTML code and program my own website template from the ground-up. But it was not a task I was prepared for.

       Work had grown to take significantly more of my time and after little observable progress in learning to program it, I simply stopped as life further interfered. It was a crushing defeat. The website that had sparked the greatest creative era for me— giving rise to Wars of Greuador and the early drafts for Shattered Void—now stood derelict as a snapshot in time and epitaph of former self.

       Months and even years would go by with very little creative progress, a symptom of many causes but in part from having lost their destination. Though despite it all, several more drafts of Shattered Void were eventually completed and its end drew closer in sight.

       Looking back now, it’s hard to believe that seven years have passed since first starting the book and even worse to realize much of the time was wasted. Though sometimes things have to first sit in idle before they can run, and so far for my journey it has been true. In January, I finally returned to the abandoned task of learning HTML and successfully recreated my phantom website template and even enhanced it—one page / line of code at a time. Additionally, I also purchased my freedom from the betraying platform and moved my domain to a host of more suitable element.

       It's been quite the trek so far, but still much remains to be accomplished and this renewed venture is far from over…


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