#development guide

[4noki-vns]

The Art of Asset Reduction: VNConf 2024 Write-Up

This is a write-up for my Visual;Conference 2024 talk on asset reduction: presentation of scenes with reduced art labor.

I will discuss how to reduce production requirements via various methods of asset presentation and staging, walking you through case studies of existing visual novels. This talk will guide you to answer the question: How do I fulfill my project scope without asset bloat?

This is an art talk that assumes you have already scoped down your story and have created a list of scenes that you need. This is not a talk about scoping down your game's story.

You have scenes you need to make. How are you going to make them (and with style)?

Abstraction

Cut-ins

Reduce

Reuse

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I. Abstraction

I start off with abstraction as a reminder that visual novels are a combination of visual and novel (amongst other aspects)

Abstraction

Abstraction is a strong tool for bringing focus to the writing, highlighting ambiguity and setting the mood with colors.

Examples I mentioned in my talk include:

Black screen

Solid colored screen

Sky BG

Of Components

The mood-setting power of abstraction also extends to scenes with characters, especially CGs.

As again, abstraction draws focus to what you choose to emphasize: the characters.

(FLOWERS -Le volume sur ete-)

They are gay. Thank you for coming to my VNConf talk.

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You can similarly abstract characters.

(Lachesis or Atropos)

Consider representing irrelevant characters (e.g., NPCs) as silhouettes. The reader can fill in the details within the shapes themselves.

Silhouettes are especially great for crowd scenes where you want to draw focus to the main characters.

This will be a recurring theme:

What do you really need to draw?

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II. Cut-ins

One common not-quite full screen piece of art you'll see in many visual novels is the cut-in.

The cut-in typically consists of the:

Item/focus

Frame

And is often for topics such as objects or small animals, which may exist in the scene but may not be within the same frame of reference as the background and sprites.

The separate framing informs the players that the item is "separately framed."

(Who is the Red Queen?)

For example, this small bird is not huge and would not be the size of a character's head even had a sprite been on screen.

The Foreground-Backdrop Heuristic

Cut-ins make strong use of what I refer to as the "foreground-backdrop heuristic."

(Shikkoku no Sharnoth)

A general backdrop informs the reader of a broad location or scene (especially if characters are present). Then a more specific foreground (the cut-in) informs the reader of the specifics.

As the foreground cut-in is in a different frame, the pairing of the two helps create a mental model of the space in the reader's mind.

Cut-ins can be used for:

Backgrounds (mix and match foregrounds with a backdrop)

Reduced CGs

Presenting existing assets in a different frame of reference

CG variants

Try tackling your visual presentation in a layered, comic book-esque fashion with cut-ins!

Just be careful about clutter.

Whether you want to go for the layered cut-in style, the 3d stage cinematic style, or a combination of the two, make sure you have a vision before you jump in.

SD CGs

I had to make an obligatory mention of SD "super deformed" CGs in this talk, so here it is in the write up as well.

(Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Vol. 1)

SD, chibi. However you call these, they're great for playful scenes that might require more art than your classic sprite-background combination.

What SD CGs do best is that they:

Fulfill the role of a CG

Are easier to draw than fully rendered non-chibi art

Can be distributed to different artists to reduce artist workloads due to style difference

Just keep in mind that a simplified CG is still a CG and thus may lack reusability.

Consider what scenes really need a CG.

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III. Reduce

Now, consider asking yourself: "Does what a player does not see need to exist?" (mostly applicable for games with opaque UI)

Yet, what you need to draw is what you need to draw. How can you reduce the work in what you need to draw?

One option is:

Palette Limitation

You've heard of gray scale games, but don't forget about other ways of limiting your palette to reduce workload.

Dramatic, mood setting color power

Less rendering work

(Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows)

A similar idea can be applied to NPCs for a more detailed take on silhouettes.

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IV. Reuse

Lastly, please remember to be economical and reuse assets as necessary. One of the great joys of cut-in BGs, for example, is reusability.

I had to give an obligatory mention to CG variants in my talk, such as:

(Fatal Twelve)

However, overall, you never know when you'll want to use various components of your art elsewhere such as intermixing CG and sprite art.

Please keep your working layers if possible.

Other reuse examples:

UI (especially in episodic games)

Gameplay (e.g., Kogado's rhythm game)

Consider asking your programmer to work on a framework to reuse, reducing repeated code work.

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Conclusions

All in all, you can make your game.

And it doesn't need to be hellish on your budget or timeline.

If you take anything away from this talk, let it be to:

Prioritize reusable assets

Maintain aesthetic; avoid clutter

Display important scenes

Do not scope up; aim for a set goal

A scene can be presented in many stylish ways, some of which will suit your workflow better than others.

So, go on. Make your game!

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Interested in my works? Find me on itch:

And check out my newsletter:

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VNConf 2023 Talk Write-up:

#visual novel development #vnconf #visual novel #vn #vndev #development guide #devlog #game development #talk write-up #gamedev #indiedev #this talk is also a yuri visual novel recommendation (kind of) #lachesis or atropos #shiei no sona-nyl #fatal twelve #grisaia phantom trigger #shikkoku no sharnoth #flowers visual novel #who is the red queen?

[boopathi-writes]

NFT Marketplace Development: From Smart Contracts and Blockchain to UX Design and Legal Compliance

NFT Marketplace Development: From Smart Contracts and Blockchain to UX Design and Legal Compliance

According to NonFungible.com , in the first quarter of 2021 the aggregate market capitalization of large NFT projects increased by 2,100% (the market grew by 300% in all of last year). Most NFTs sell instantly, and the most well-known ones have sold for almost $70 million. Additionally, celebrities are supporting the hype around NFT by tokenizing their music, paintings, memes, short videos, logos, computer codes, and the like.

That said, the main beneficiaries of the NFT market have been websites that offer the opportunity to buy and sell NFTs as easily as possible. In this article, we will briefly explain what NFTs are and where they can be used, as well as how to develop your own NFT marketplace and what they cost.

What is NFT?

A non-fungible token, or NFT, is a digital token that acts as an electronic certificate of ownership of physical or virtual assets such as photos, videos, tweets, computer codes, etc. Each NFT is a unique, non-exchangeable and indivisible digital asset. This means that, unlike bitcoin or ether, NFTs are not identical to each other, so they cannot be traded or exchanged in an equivalent manner and cannot be used for payment  transactions.

NFTs can bring in crazy amounts of money. Some NFTs are, of course, more attractive and therefore people are willing to pay considerable sums for them, while other NFTs are sold for pennies. The principle of value creation in this market is simple: the more known (sought after) a lot is, the more expensive it is.

famous NFT :

Artist Beeple's digital collage “Every Day: The First 5,000 Days” sold at Christie's auction for an impressive $69 million.

The Twitter CEO's first tweet sold for $2.9 million.

The animated film Nyan Cat sold for $590,000 .

The CryptoKitties kitten sold for $172,000 .

How does the NFT Marketplace work?

Unlike bitcoin or ether, non-fungible tokens cannot be traded directly on conventional cryptocurrency exchanges. To buy and sell NFTs, special trading platforms are needed that allow non-tradable tokens to be issued, stored and traded. Currently, this industry is dominated by the sizable marketplaces OpenSea, Rarible, Superfarm, and Mintable.They create NFTs using specialised smart contracts that specify the fundamental properties of each token (name, immutability, indivisibility, address/number, etc.) and add a set of unique information (metadata) to each of these tokens. On the platform, non-fungible tokens can be purchased and sold at a set price or through auctions.

How do NFT market smart contracts work?

On the client side, NFT marketplaces Development work like normal online stores .The user can then use the listing to purchase NFTs or create their own token. Running an NFT is usually simple and similar to creating an eBay listing . You have to provide a name, a price, give a description and an image, photo, video, gif and the like.

Niches and applications of NFTs

Most NFTs are used to market all types of digital artwork, from digital copies of real paintings to memes. For example, on the OpenSea trading platform, you can buy, sell and transfer images, videos, gifs and music.

But fine arts are not the only area of ​​application of non-tradable tokens.They can also be used to exchange investment proposals (Spencer DINWIDDIE contract), trading cards (NBA Top Shot), game characters (CryptoKitties), real estate (Mintable), virtual worlds (Metaverses), and any other area where tokenization is possible. possession of something. The secret is to develop a market that can support the desired property.

For example, if you want to develop an NFT marketplace for trading artworks, you essentially have to create a normal online store , the server side of which must be able to release, store, sell and exchange NFTs. This is relatively simple. These platforms must be able to work with MLS and state registry databases, identify the user's location, etc.

And so with each sphere. Here are some more examples:

Online learning : These marketplaces must offer a full range of services for online learning : from selling a training course to tracking the buyer's learning progress and communicating with instructors.

Investment projects: These types of NFT markets should function like a stock market for trading securities. That is, they must offer the possibility of issuing legally legal securities with the right to ownership, dividends or participation in profits.

Safety: Non-fungible tokens can function as access keys to content, software, a database, an operating system , or an event. To sell this type of NFT, the marketplace must be as secure and trustworthy as possible and support the most popular security features on the buyer's side (Touch ID, Face ID, Eye ID, etc.).

The video games:  The sale and purchase of NFTs, which represent unique in-game assets or characters, typically take place within the game (in exchange for in-game currency) or at external online locations that ensure the secure exchange of real money for the in-game asset ( like on Steam). This implies a very close integration with the video game.

Main characteristics of the market

For the issuance of non-tradable tokens, the NFT trading platform combines the features of an online store, an auction, and a blockchain platform. Users ought to be able to produce and market their own NFT goods. Additionally, these markets typically include various features to draw in clients, keep them, and enhance their overall experience. The greatest place to start when creating your own nft marketplace with  NFT marketplace development solution  is by putting the following concepts into practice.

Showcase:This feature provides marketplace visitors with all the information they need about the item: title, price, description, preview, owner, purchase method, rating, etc. Some NFT marketplaces also provide information about the blockchain and token protocol so that users can verify the authenticity of the purchased NFT.

Search system :Make sure your users can easily find the item they are interested in. It would be a good idea to divide all assets into several categories, such as art, photography, video, domains, memes, and music, to make it easier for users to navigate the store listing. Filters also make navigation easier, especially if there are many similar articles on the platform.

Registration, login : In order to buy or sell NFTs on the platform, the user must create an account. Typically, the registration process is done through email, phone number, or social media accounts . Additionally, the user is also usually asked to provide their cryptocurrency address. If not available, the option to register is offered with links to cryptocurrency wallets such as Coinbase Wallet , Metamask, MyEtherWallet.

Create an ad: This process should be simple and not take much time. Ideally, it should be the same as on Ebay. To achieve this, you have to think about the optimal user path and implement something like the OpenSea collection manager. It helps you quickly upload an item to the site and specify token properties such as name, price, description, tags, external link, etc.

Wallet for NFTs:  Users need a wallet to send, receive and store tokens and non-exchangeable cryptocurrencies. The easiest way to do this is to provide integration with the most popular cryptocurrency wallets. The main thing is that these wallets support the NFT protocol that you need. Typically, these are wallets like Metamask, MyEtherWallet, Coinbase Wallet, and WalletConnect.

Operation history : Typically, an NFT marketplace should have a section where the user can view their trading history. This way you can see the popularity of the market, what is sold there and at what price. For example, in OpenSea the bid history includes the following data: event, item name, price, buyer, seller, date.

Reviews and ratings :It shows the visitors' liking for the lot or the seller/buyer. This information helps users rate specific counterparties and lots. An article's rating is typically expressed as a numerical score or as "likes." All logged-in users have the ability to write comments, and feedback can also be provided by counterparties on one another after a transaction has been completed.

Notifications : You can implement a push notification system to inform users about new offers in the selected category or from the selected merchant, changes in the status of a selected item, a new message, the sale of your own lot or an update to the platform. NFT trading.

Support : An important element of any market. Users can solve issues and conflicts and get answers to their queries with the assistance of the support service.The help desk can be implemented as a call center, email support, a standalone information portal, or with the help of a help bot.

Rules for non-tradable tokens

To run the blockchain-based NFT, it is necessary to use certain token standards that guarantee that the asset will act in a certain way and demonstrate how to interact with the basic functions of the asset. Currently, the most popular standards for NFT release are:

ERC721 :It is used to uniquely identify something or someone from the Ether. It supports smart contracts and offers a permitted method of transferring assets using the transferFrom method.

ERC1155  :According to the standard, identifiers represent not only a unique asset, but a class of assets. Compared with the ERC721 standard, it is much more efficient. So, if you are a game developer and you want to sell 100 sets of armor, with ERC721 you would have to specify 100 smart pins, while with ERC1155 you would only have to specify one and the number of smart pins.

BEP : The largest cryptocurrency exchange , Binance , launched a new BSC blockchain with smart contact support and compatibility with the Ethereum virtual machine (EVM) at the end of the year. And it has ERC721 and ERC1155 counterparts for NFTs – BEP-721 and BEP-1155 respectively.

Stages of developing your NFT marketplace

An NFT trading platform for buying and selling is complex software whose development is best left to a development company with relevant experience, such as Merehead.Since 2015, we have assisted businesses and individuals with fintech and blockchain projects, ranging from wallets to cryptocurrency exchanges. To do this, our company can help you create a marketplace from scratch or clone an existing platform.

Step 1: Open the project

The first step in creating an NFT marketplace is for you and the development team to examine the details of your project to evaluate its technical feasibility.

 Here you must answer the questions:

What niche will you operate in?

How exactly are you going to market the NFT?

Who is your main target audience?

What token protocol are you going to use?

What technology stack are you going to use?

What monetization model will you use?

What features do you intend to implement?

Step 2: Design and development

When all the technical requirements and development plan have been agreed upon, the development team can get to work. First, you, the business analyst and/or designers design the marketplace user interface (framework, mockups and prototypes) with a description of the user flows and platform functions. An effective architecture for the trading platform is also created.

UX/UI Design  Navigation and the appearance of the user interface are very important when developing an NFT marketplace, as the first impression, usability, and overall user experience depend on it. Therefore, make sure your site design is attractive to your audience and simple enough to be understood by anyone even remotely familiar with Amazon and Ebay.

How Do You Create Your Own NFT Market?

Smart contracts and the back end Your trading platform's whole back end runs at this level. When building it, you must also include blockchain, smart contracts, wallets, and an auction mechanism (most NFTs sell through it), in addition to the standard business logic and marketplace functions. 

NFT marketplace's backend technology stack:

Ethereum blockchain; Binance Smart Chain.

Token standards include BEP-721, BEP-1155, ERC721, and ERC1155.

Ethereum frameworks: Spring, Symfony, and Flask Smart contracts.

Java, PHP, and Python are programming languages.

MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, MS SQL, and Oracle are all SQL databases.

MongoDB, Cassandra, and DynamoDB are NoSQL databases.

Elasticsearch and Apache Solr are two search engines.

DevOps Cache: Memcached and Redis.

The entrance : This is the entirety of the trading platform's external component, which manages communication with end users. The fundamental goal of front-end development is to guarantee dependability, performance, and ease of management. Here is an illustration of a tech stack for an NFT marketplace's front end:

Web programming languages: Backbone, Ember, Angular.JS, and React.JS.

Step 3: Put your creation to the test

To make sure the platform operates properly, numerous cycles of code testing are run throughout this phase. The QA team runs a number of tests to guarantee that the project code is free of serious flaws and defects. In addition, all conceivable use scenarios of the platform are subjected to content, usability, security, reliability, and performance evaluations.

Deployment and support in Step 4

It's time to install your NFT trading platform on a server (the cloud) when the platform has been tested. Please be aware that organising your support team will come after you complete this stage. The platform's future development must also be planned to reflect consumer preferences and industry developments.

The price

The amount of features and degree of management and navigation complexity determine the cost of building an NFT marketplace. would the user be able to mint their own NFTs or would they have to purchase them all at once? On the board, will it be possible to build your own NFTs, or is it just a market for users? What remedies will be implemented during the development?  The NFT market's entry-level prices typically range from $20,000 to $80,000. The cost could exceed $300,000 if you choose to build a sizable platform that competes with OpenSea.

#blockchain #nftcommunity #nftmarketplace #technology #nft marketplace #development guide

[theambitiouswoman]

How To Become A Brand New Person ✨✨

Self Reflect:

Journal daily.

Think about past decisions and how they impacted your life.

Meditate regularly.

Create a vision board to visualize your goals.

Review your strengths and weaknesses.

Identify your core values and beliefs.

Figure out your passions and interests.

Think about your childhood dreams and aspirations.

Evaluate your current state of happiness and fulfillment.

Set Clear Goals:

Define specific career goals, like "Get promoted within two years."

Set health goals, like "Lose 20 pounds in six months."

Create financial goals such as "Save $10,000 for a vacation."

Establish personal development goals, like "Read 24 books in a year."

Set relationship goals, such as "Improve communication with my partner."

Define education goals, like "Complete a master's degree in three years."

Set travel goals, like "Visit five new countries in the next two years."

Create hobbies and interests goals, such as "Learn to play a musical instrument."

Set community or volunteer goals, like "Volunteer 100 hours this year."

Establish mindfulness or self-care goals, such as "Practice meditation daily."

Self Care:

Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.

Follow a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Prioritize getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.

Practice in relaxation techniques like deep breathing or yoga.

Take regular breaks at work to avoid burnout.

Schedule "me time" for activities you enjoy.

Limit exposure to stressors and toxic people.

Practice regular skincare and grooming routines.

Seek regular medical check-ups and screenings.

Stay hydrated by drinking enough water daily.

Personal Development:

Read a book every month from various genres.

Attend workshops or seminars on topics of interest.

Learn a new language or musical instrument.

Take online courses to acquire new skills.

Set aside time for daily reflection and self improvement.

Seek a mentor in your field for guidance.

Attend conferences and networking events.

Start a side project or hobby to expand your abilities.

Practice public speaking or communication skills.

Do creative activities like painting, writing, or photography.

Create a Support System:

Build a close knit group of friends who uplift and inspire you.

Join clubs or organizations aligned with your interests.

Connect with a mentor or life coach.

Attend family gatherings to maintain bonds.

Be open and honest in your communication with loved ones.

Seek advice from trusted colleagues or supervisors.

Attend support groups for specific challenges (e.g., addiction recovery).

Cultivate online connections through social media.

Find a therapist or counselor for emotional support.

Participate in community or volunteer activities to meet like minded people.

Change Habits:

Cut back on sugary or processed foods.

Reduce screen time and increase physical activity.

Practice gratitude by keeping a daily journal.

Manage stress through mindfulness meditation.

Limit procrastination by setting specific deadlines.

Reduce negative self-talk by practicing self-compassion.

Establish a regular exercise routine.

Create a budget and stick to it.

Develop a morning and evening routine for consistency.

Overcome Fear and Self Doubt:

Face a specific fear head-on (example: public speaking).

Challenge your negative thoughts with positive affirmations.

Seek therapy to address underlying fears or traumas.

Take small, calculated risks to build confidence.

Visualize success in challenging situations.

Surround yourself with supportive and encouraging people.

Journal about your fears and doubts to gain clarity.

Celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small.

Focus on your strengths and accomplishments.

Embrace failure as a valuable learning experience.

Embrace Change:

Relocate to a new city or country.

Switch careers or industries to pursue your passion.

Take on leadership roles in your workplace.

Volunteer for projects outside your comfort zone.

Embrace new technologies and digital tools.

Travel to unfamiliar destinations.

Start a new hobby or creative endeavor.

Change your daily routine to add variety.

Adjust your mindset to see change as an opportunity.

Seek out diverse perspectives and viewpoints.

Practice Gratitude:

Write down three things you're grateful for each day.

Express gratitude to loved ones regularly.

Create a gratitude jar and add notes of appreciation.

Reflect on the positive aspects of challenging situations.

Show gratitude by volunteering or helping others in need.

Send thank-you notes or messages to people who've helped you.

Keep a gratitude journal and review it regularly.

Share your gratitude openly during family meals or gatherings.

Focus on the present moment and appreciate the little things.

Practice gratitude even in times of adversity.

Be Patient:

Set realistic expectations for your progress.

Accept that personal growth takes time.

Focus on the journey rather than the destination.

Learn from setbacks and view them as opportunities to improve.

Celebrate small milestones along the way.

Practice self-compassion during challenging times.

Stay committed to your goals, even when progress is slow.

Keep a journal to track your personal growth.

Recognize that patience is a valuable skill in personal transformation.

Celebrate Small Wins:

Treat yourself to your favorite meal or dessert.

Reward yourself with a spa day or self-care activity.

Share your achievements with friends and loved ones.

Create a vision board to visualize your successes.

Acknowledge and congratulate yourself in a journal.

Give yourself permission to take a break and relax.

Display reminders of your accomplishments in your workspace.

Take a day off to celebrate a major milestone.

Host a small gathering to mark your achievements.

Set aside time to reflect on how far you've come.

Maintain Balance:

Set clear boundaries in your personal and work life.

Prioritize self care activities in your daily routine.

Schedule regular breaks and downtime.

Learn to say "no" when necessary to avoid overcommitment.

Evaluate your work life balance regularly.

Seek support from friends and family to avoid burnout.

Be kind to yourself and accept imperfections.

Practice mindfulness to stay present and grounded.

Revisit your priorities and adjust them as needed.

Embrace self love and self acceptance as part of your daily life.

#personal improvement #personal development #personal growth #self help #self awareness #self reflection #self improvement #level up journey #self love journey #dream girl guide #dream girl journey #dream girl tips #becoming that girl #that girl #it girl #glow up tips #glow up #clean girl #pink pilates girl #divine feminine #femininity #femme fatale #feminine journey

[honeytonedhottie]

thewizardliz's mindset⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⭐️

her conception of self ; she has high standards for herself because she knows her worth. because of that she won't settle and she doesn't let herself get walked all over.

something that liz has said in her videos before was to be okay with people misunderstanding you. dont go out of ur way to get worked up just bcuz someone sees something in a different way then u do.

her conception of self continued ; in another video she says to "make a list of tough situations that you've handled in the past and what skills you used to handle them". she has a lot of trust and belief in herself and her abilities

she often stresses the importance of prioritizing urself, ur boundaries and ur healing above all else. but you know what she doesn't stress? the opinions of others.

going about business ; liz is all about standing on business and taking ACTION for ur goals. in one of her videos she talks about "if u dont like urself, simply create a new version of urself". she says that through action, you can create the life of ur dreams.

connection with self ; liz says to not crave the compliments of others but instead, to compliment yourself. everything that u need is within you. shes a big advocate for shadow work and therapy to help understand yourself and heal on a deeper level.

she not only connects with the present self, she also connects with who she wants to be. a saying of hers is "what would the highest version of myself do". she detaches herself to things or people because they are temporary, but her relationship with self is forever.

#advice #self concept #it girl #becoming that girl #that girl #it girl energy #self love #self care #honeytonedhottie⭐️ #the wizard liz #guide #requested #mindset #personal development #personal growth #self development #self improvement #dream girl tips #dream girl #dream life #self healing #self growth #rebranding #becoming the best version #wellness girlie #healing journey #hyperfemininity #dolly #princess #mindset analysis

[plutonicbees]

to all the bart hairstyles i've loved before,,

(step 0: be silly w/ it)

#i've been drawing bart for 11 months now and this is all i have to show for it #in these past 11 months i have developed a reocurring art block where i can pretty much only draw bart? everything else sucks? #this is what came of that #bart allen #impulse #flashfam #young justice #dc comics #bart allen fanart #impulse fanart #flash fanart #dc fanart #fanart #art #my art #comic #drawing guide #artists on tumblr

[thepersonalquotes]

Thoughts create emotions, emotions create feelings and feelings create behaviour. So it’s very important that our thoughts are positive, to attract the right people, events and circumstances into our lives.

Avis J. Williams, The Psychic Mind: A Practical Guide to Psychic Development & Spiritual Growth

#Avis J. Williams #The Psychic Mind: A Practical Guide to Psychic Development & Spiritual Growth #quotes #motivation #inspiration #thepersonalquotes #literature #lit #abundance-creation #believe #cosmic-ordering #fear #focus #goal-setting #happiness #law-of-attraction #life-changing #manifestation #manifesting #millionaire-mindset #mind-body-spirit #mind-power #new-age #new-thought #opportunity #positive-attitude #positive-thinking #positive-thoughts #positivity #self-belief

[bitchy-craft]

Cat | Spiritual Animals

Hello and welcome to this post! I decided to introduce a new series to my blog: Spiritual Animals. In this series I will give information on animals via a spiritual perspective. I hope you guys like and enjoy it! Feel free to request specific animals you'd like to see!

Masterpost > Questions > Paid Readings

Felis Catus

Cats are often associated with things such as mystery, independence, intuition and observing.

When it comes to astrology, the cat is linked with the moon which is associated with; cycles, change, femininity, intuition and the subconscious. When it comes to the zodiac signs cats are often associated with Cancer, where you can think of; a nurturing nature, empathy, emotional sensitivity and tenacity.

The colours associated with the cat are things such as black and deep blue; transformation, the subconscious, wisdom, serenity, calmness and a connection to the spiritual realm.

#spirituality #spiritual #divination #spiritual animals #animals #spirit guide #spirit team #spirit animal #tarot #law of assumption #cat #spiritual awakening #spiritualgrowth #spiritual disciplines #spiritual guide #spiritual development #tarotblr #witchblr #witchcraft #astrology #astro #astroblog #astro blog #tarotoftheday #pick a card #colour magick #magick #tarot reading #loa #loassumption

[4noki-vns]

Polishing your Release: the Little Features that Could

This is a write-up for my Visual;Conference 2023 talk on polish: UX and accessibility.

I will discuss quality-of-life features and accessible design with engine-agnostic tips for implementation, walking you through case studies of existing visual novels.

This talk will guide you to answer the question: How do I give my players an improved user experience?

To create a polished visual novel is to deliver your game with both style and usability.

This talk focused on the aspect of usability and accessibility in your visual novel. How can you give your players a better user experience in terms of the following?

Core Visual Novel Experience

Accessibility

Extra QoL Features

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I. Core Visual Novel Experience

You want your player to be able to read your narrative as conveniently for them as possible. Interactive components in your game application should mostly be there to enhance the player experience whether it is part of your narrative or there to give players more control.

I briefly touched on some common components/screens found in just about every visual novel.

Quick Menu

Be easy to click and inobtrusive

Be easy to understand

Convince your players that it actually works by providing feedback to button clicks

Text based quick menus are easy to understand, but take up lots of space. Icon based quick menus can be very abstract (what do the icons mean even if seemingly "obvious?")

You may want to consider a combination of both, but if using icon based quick menus, be sure to clarify the icons such as via tooltips.

Provide feedback when the quick menu items are clicked. Most actions just bring up a screen (obvious feedback). Skip will cause rapid movement of text on screen (easy). Auto is more subtle.

What can you do?

Change the auto button to an active state vs. idle state on press

Hide the CTC and/or quick menu on auto

Change the CTC to an "auto-mode activated" CTC

Etc.

History

Provide long enough history to backread

Provide utilities (e.g., if voice acting in game, allow voice replay)

Remember that rollback and history are two different things

Save/Load

Provide context of when and where

Provide sufficient slots for all choices without requiring player overwrite (visual novel players SAVE EVERY CHOICE)

Consider feature to indicate newest save, file deletion button, save file locking

To provide context, have a visual and timestamp, but also try providing chapter names or scene descriptions.

Configs

Provide reasonable default settings (e.g., audio at 70%)

Avoid overwhelming users by categorizing options and providing reasonable support (e.g., slider vs radio)

Provide previews

Single pagers and multi-pagers are both good. Make it easy for the player to get in, change the settings to their preferred values, and get back to the game.

Additional recommendations:

CTC icons

System sound

Splash screens (especially first time setting initializations)

-

II. Accessibility

Stating the obvious: start with good design :)

Make accessibility features easily accessed and support them:

Put it into your configs screen even if it's built in if you want to support it

Test and check that it works correctly (e.g., self voicing pronunciation, text size overflow)

Provide a reasonable number of options per feature. Whatever options you explicitly provide, you should actually be supporting them.

No one’s coming after you if the built in Ren’Py accessibility toggles overflow your textbox, but it sure will be a problem if the font sizes you’re explicitly providing are broken because that’s just a bug.

Recommended accessibility features: (italics talked about in presentation explicitly)

Self voicing

Image descriptions

Text options

Photosensitivity

Screenshake

Audio captions

Graphic images filter

-

III. Extra QoL Features

Not all features are great for all games, but some quality of life features can be very useful depending on your game. Therefore, you should know your game to know how to make the player experience better.

What's the genre?

How long is it?

What's the branching structure (if any) like?

Gameplay?

In this section, I briefly tackled exploring Aoishiro (highly recommend this game, by the way) and how some of its quality of life features are useful due to the type of game it is.

Genre?

occult fantasy, Japanese mythology

Having a glossary (with "new" indicator and alphabetization to make it usable) is very useful in game genres with lots of terms!

Length?

30+ hours (according to vndb. I took way longer, so pretty long)

Fourth item down in the first box is a togglable alarm for when skip ends! (Vibration mode, sound mode, both, or silent) Longer visual novels with large trunk portions of shared text that might get new unlocked text often need lots of skipping.

Branching?

56 endings, route unlocking mechanics

Aoishiro provides a spoiler option that lets you "mark unread content as read," unlocking content that you may not have actually been able to play through, whether it's due to difficulty or just laziness.

(This is also useful for remasters or sequels that contain previous game content but are not backward compatible save file wise.)

-

Conclusions

Make life more convenient for your players by keeping in mind UX heuristics such as:

Providing feedback & status

Error prevention & control

Recognition over recall

Consistency & standards

To polish your release, you want to make its features usable, accessible, and useful for your players!

Make baseline features with usability and accessibility.

Add additional QoL features depending on your game.

I hope this talk helps you make your visual novel a better experience for your players!

#visual novel development #vnconf #visual novel #vndev #development guide #talk write-up #devlog #game development #ux #accessibility #game work game convenient game good #this talk is also a yuri visual novel recommendation (kind of) #Youtube

[ghostlyheart]

What We Do in the Shadows - 3.04 vs. 5.09

#what we do in the shadows #wwdits s5 spoilers #wwditsedit #nadja of antipaxos #laszlo cravensworth #he's her best friend!!! i wanna cry #im torn because on the one hand it's very very sweet she considers him her best friend #on the other hand sean is definitely HIS best friend #of all of the vamps laszlo probably has the most developed relationships outside the house #and I would like to see more of that for her #like with the antipaxos family but they weren't featured much #this is part of the reason why I really want them to revisit jenna or lilith. so they can explore more abt who she outside of the main grou #and of course the guide is right there. but we know how that went #maybe NEXT year will be the season of guidja (delusional) #ghostlygifs

[xoxomireya]

💄﹒➜﹒how to rebrand yourself as a blair waldorf inspired it girl﹐⇄

give people the same energy they give you.

Blair always returns the same energy to people without a second thought. Is someone being passive-aggressive to you? Act the same way with them. Is someone being nice to you? Be also nice to them!

casual clothing? what is that?

Don’t be ashamed of being overdressed, take pride in it. Spare no accessories, make your outfits interesting and don't save a piece of clothing for 'a special occasion', everyday is a special occasion.

social networking is your biggest ally.

This world is ruled by connections. Make them and eventually you’ll be surprised on how many opportunities you receive. Stay active in social circles, attend social events, make yourself known in a community such as blogging or open discussions in your work field. Participation is key.

use your time wisely.

Blair Waldorf never sits still. She manages to land the best internship, maintain a 4.0 GPA for multiple seasons, and manage a multi-million dollar company. Be productive, don’t waste your time on things that aren’t going to matter in 5 years and focus on what’s really important.

live a purposeful life.

Have a vision: know what you like, what you don’t like, your goals… Act aligned to your values and ambitions. Purpose-driven leadership is a critical factor for individual and organizational success.

strategise your way into business.

Being a scheming queen is Blair’s biggest personality trait. Be prepared for every encounter, research in detail and stay active in your industry. And most importantly, strategize like the best version of yourself would do.

fake it until you make it.

Having a confident aura is crucial. People treat you different when you are confident and you react to things differently. You’re not confident? Work on it. Fake it until you make it.

take pride in your achievements.

If you have dedicated time and resources into something, why would you not celebrate your achievements? If you keep underestimating your achievements you’re going to have to deal with low self esteem in the future which can lead to issues like looking for academic validation.

ambition is power.

Do not let anyone get in the way of your goals and ambitions. Work smarter AND harder to accomplish your objectives and dream big.

fashion is the most powerful art there is.

The way you put yourself together will absolutely change the way people view you and will make you feel more or less connected to your inner self. Do you still think that fashion isn’t important?

THINGS THAT CAN MAKE YOU FEEL A BIT MORE ALIGNED TO BLAIR:

Invest in some satin/silk bedsheets. Ever since I saw Blair’s bedroom I KNEW I needed a comfy-looking bed like hers, and now that I have satin bedsheets I feel like a princess.

Spend time dolling up. Blair Waldorf never leaves her house without looking absolutely perfect. Spending time dolling up can help you feel more aligned with yourself and can boost your self esteem.

Host an annual sleepover with your friends: A night in which you can just focus on having fun with your friends and having a sweet tradition.

Getting a Dorota might be hard, but you can still make a gourmet breakfast fit for royalty by yourself.

Just like Blair always uses Chanel N5, choose a signature scent that embodies your personal style and sense of luxury.

#blair waldorf #gossip girl #it girl #moodboard #self care #self love #self improvement #self healing #self development #guide #2024 goals #goals #mindset #that girl #girly #fashion #manifesting #vision board #divine feminine #self worth #law of assumption #law of attraction

[leafbreez]

AceAlastorWeek2024 Day 2: No Touch Tuesday

Charlie would definitely give Al air hugs whenever she can

#acealastorweek2024 #Alastor #Charlie #Charlie Morningstar #Hazbin Hotel #Hazbin Hotel Charlie #Hazbin Hotel Alastor #ace #aro #asexual #aromantic #aroace #ace pride #leaf art #i want them to develop a deeper friendship in season 2 #Alastor will definitely guide and teach her how to handle things and they'll become friends and uh oh he'll get attached >:o)

[theambitiouswoman]

Emotionally healthy people are quitters ✨

Emotionally healthy people are quitters. They make choices that align with their well being. Quitting a relationship, partnership or job that makes you unhappy is a sign of self awareness. If someone stays in something bad for too long, it's not because they're strong, but because they're afraid or have low self esteem. Being emotionally healthy means having awareness, setting boundaries, and knowing when it's time to move on from situations that no longer serve you. It's about prioritizing your mental and emotional health over sticking with something that's causing you harm or making you unhappy.

Emotionally healthy people also tend to have good communication skills. They express their feelings and needs calmly, openly and honestly. They also look for guidance and enlightenment because they understand that seeking help is a sign of strength not weakness.

They make decisions out of self love rather than attachment or fear. When you prioritize loving yourself, you make choices that align with your happiness and growth, rather than staying in situations out of comfort or insecurity.

Recognizing when you have an unhealthy attachment or that your feelings may not be conducive to your well being is important. It allows you to take a step back, evaluate the situation objectively, and make choices that are in line with your best interests.

Sometimes holding on can lead to more pain and struggle than necessary. It's a sign of emotional maturity to recognize when a situation is no longer good for you and to have the strength to let it go.

Things that are genuinely right for you should not cause you harm or emotional pain. Choosing pain is a sign of a lack of self love. Recognizing the need for change, prioritizing self love, and making healthier choices is how you begin to change your life.

Reframe your mindset from “this is hurting me because I love it” to “this is hurting me because I do not love me.”

#emotional attachment #emotional intelligence #attachment issues #self love #self healing #self development #self help #self improvement #self awareness #self care #self esteem #personal growth #personal development #personal improvement #levelupjourney #girlblogging #dream girl journey #dream girl tips #dream girl guide #self confidence #advice #relationships #healthy relationships #toxic relationship

[abby-howard]

Episode 4 spoilers ahead-- some quick anatomy illustrations I made!

Sorry the body isn’t terribly detailed, but here’s his basic anatomy in his Coolguy form! In his mid-form he’s much closer to normal tall human height, perfect for, say, resting your head on his chest UwU

Snake yawn.gif  -->

#reese kelly #scarlet hollow #monster anatomy #indie horror game #need I remind you this is one of our dateable characters #and not even the only monster #horror visual novel #indie game development #some folks were having trouble parsing the way he fits together #so I made this little guide! #I don't know if it's actually helpful #I am a terrible teacher tbh #I have run animal drawing workshops where I break down the evolution of all vertebrates to help explain how to draw animals #as you can imagine eight year olds do not benefit from this

[spiritchill]

#spiritual growth #spirituality #spiritual #spiritualism #spiritual disciplines #spiritual awakening #spiritualgrowth #spiritual development #self growth #self development #self improvement #self care #self love #spiritual memes #goddess #divinely guided #divine female #the divine masculine #divine feminine #love quote tumblr #love quote for her #love quotes #love #lovers #twin flame #witch #witchblr #witch blog #witchy #witches of tumblr

[bonefall]

the cats have bottom surgery now?!?!?!?! (i mean this in a good way)

Yes, but only for MTF surgeries, and even then we're just talking about orchiectomy (testicle removal). It would be too invasive for the cats to do hysterectomies; their best antibiotics are salt and honey and I think it's obvious why you don't want that in your pelvic cavity

Meanwhile I think I could explain how easy a cat orchiectomy is if you gave me a conker and a sharp mussel shell. I worked under a vet who could do it in 30 seconds.

(Allowing for a little bit of wiggle room in the realism of poppy seed anesthetic)

I did try to think about what the equivalent would be for top surgery, but then realized it was kinda moot anyway since cats don't really have noticable breast tissue. I do wonder if there could be jowl reductions, though, since those don't go away on their own after an orchiectomy...

But in either case, Frostpaw would be transitioning at an age where her stud jowls wouldn't have come in yet.

#It seems like in cats most of the physiological changes are in tom cats #And hormonal transition does everything you'd want going from molly to tom #Development of jowls... scent changes... even bathroom habits #Herb guide #Transition #Cat HRT #Bottom surgery

[prettygirls-grave]

restarting ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

this is mostly for myself, but i'm in dire need of a life restart. if anyone out there is feeling stuck, unmotivated, tired, or depressed, like me, this is my little guide to slowly get out of that era. if you find it useful, yay!!

slow goals- these are my "starting point" goals, because setting unrealistic expectations for myself as fallen through sooo many times.

read 20 minutes per day

practice math 2x per week

exercise every other day

meditate (manifest, or positive affirmations) every morning

do something for myself daily (journal, go for a walk, hobbies)

document life daily (upcoming series on this blog!!)

final goals- these are my big, long term goals

have my desired appearance

have a consistent and fulfilling routine

get into my desired school

enjoy life

love myself

be at peace

progress in speaking croatian/italian

month 1- healingˋ°•*⁀➷

from february-march 20th, my goal is to focus on maintaining happiness and loving myself. i will achieve this through daily affirmations, slow routines, gently implementing habits, focusing on the positive, and limiting negative media consumption. this month will be about laying the groundwork. right now, you & i aren't doing the best, but with gradual changes in our miserable routines, we'll be feeling better!!

month 2- progressingˋ°•*⁀➷

from march-april 20th, we'll be amplifying our current routines (probably will go more in depth when we get here) we'll be spending more time on our most important goals. for me, i will revise and practice math for 1 hour every day, have daily language lessons, and venture out of my comfort zone. the most important aspect of this month is consistency!

month 3- set in stoneˋ°•*⁀➷

now it's roughly april 20th! (the dates are just my personal timeline, but are flexible ofc) it's been 2 months of consistent routine, and results are showing up! this month for me will getting on the education grind- making sure i've learned everything in all subjects this year, revising, practicing, and learning more. for this month i want to grow myself in terms of knowledge.

month 4- finale!ˋ°•*⁀➷

june 20th! it's almost summer, school is nearly done, and my school's enrollment is coming up. right now, we're probably used to our routines, and we're feeling goooood! reward ourselves, but final school revision should be happening. i'll be using this month to feel fully confident in my knowledge of math, and other subject's that will be on my school's enrollment. by now we've got our summer bodies, so maybe change up your appearance!! finish this challenge strong <3

»»———— ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆————-««

for each quarter, i'll post a more in-depth guide as to what i'll be doing. this guide is obviously tailored to myself, so change it up if needed! i'll also document my "productivity" every day to hold myself accountable.

i'll also post some more detailed posts about the manifesting i'd like to do along the way, and other self development thingies.

guys i'm not a self-help girlie, but this is just my little journey attempting to exit depression. of course i'll post about my other silly little interests.

enjoy!!

#girlblog #restart #life restart #natalie portman #self development #manifesting #it girl #that girl #life restart guide #this is a girlblog #im just a girl #guide #2024 #glow up