Since we're taking a break from production for three months until Jinn's exams blow over, I haven't been working on this project since the end of Otome Jam 2023. That's doing terrible things to my mental health since I'm pretty much resident workaholic (tm) but I'm powering through by working on several other projects of mine and my friends' on the side.

Anyway, that being said, I'm going to take this devlog to simply appreciate the friends I've made that I've learned a lot from, or have greatly supported me and the team (though for this devlog it's mostly me personally) to keep us motivated in grinding away at this project.

Artillerydog

Okay, so I alphabetized the usernames here BUT coincidentally too, there's no one better to kick this off with than my great friend artillerydog. Saying her username, though, is just incredibly awkward since I use her first name exclusively whenever I talk to her.

Anyway, I met her during my second TTRPG experience on discord a few years ago and she was like instantly one of my favorite artists of like all time and that hasn't changed 'til this day. She's literally the nicest funniest person I know and I fucking love her to bits. Like, I could gush all day about all her cool skills and talents and her OCs and her killer sense of humor and our anime watch parties and all the weird impromptu RP antics we shitpost all the time in DMs, but that's probably not what's relevant for this devlog that is evidently related to God's Radio Dev's current project. xD

What is related to Meteor Shower is the fact that I've been enthusiastically talking to her about Meteor Shower and its sequel way before production has even started. I'd show her character concepts, writing snippets, some jokes, and she would never fail to be so enthusiastic, supportive and encouraging. Showing her my progress and talking to her so openly about all this has always been and will continue to be one of my biggest motivators to keep going.

Like istg, girl, if you're reading this I love you fr fr, and I only want good things for you forever and I'll fight a bear for you and I'll probably die because it's a bear, but you know it's the thought that counts. xD

Degenerita

In 2020, I joined an Original Character Tournament called Pantheon. That's where I met Rita and honesty, I immediately just vibed with her energies. She always struck me as really cool, outgoing, funny, skilled, talented, and I respect her a fucking lot. Also, she's got great fucking taste.

In Pantheon, she did a round that's a visual novel and I thought that was cool. It made me wanna do another VN entry for a different OCT. So like, I know she has experience with the medium and I mentioned this in a previous devlog but she's the whole reason Meteor Shower has the three sprite poses to begin with. It's from the VN and Film Devlog, number 4. Like, this thread. This was her concept applied.

Again, to everyone who liked that specific detail of the VN, you have Rita to thank, and honestly she deserves a standing ovation!

Now she does twitch streams and you all should totally catch them! I'm totally thankful for her that she wanted to support Meteor Shower by announcing that she'd be streaming the game tomorrow and on Sunday at 20:00 JST! Totally pop in if you guys can make it if you'd like. 

No, really, give all the love and support for such a funny, talented, and hardworking bad bitch girlboss like Rita.

Jimbob

For real, Jim is such a fucking bro. He's always been so enthusiastic and supportive about this project to not just me but the whole team. It's not just the project either, we're pretty good friends with him in general and we hang out regularly. (Or at least regularly by my introverted standards).

He's credited as a beta reader in the game too, although we didn't have the chance to ask him to beta read the latest build because were were trying to make it for Otome Jam this year. Literally, I'm so happy I can gush about Taylor Swift with him too because the music in this game is heavily influenced by Taylor Swift's older music (as well as the emo shit that I listen to, yes I know what I am). 

There's no one more reliable as a good friend than Jim for just literally anything and I do wish the best for him in everything he does. The guy's been through a lot and I only really want him to thrive going forward. He's such a well-spoken guy, very smart, hilarious, and has (in my personal opinion) great taste in music.

Thanks so much, Jim, for all the personal support you've given the team, and me personally when I'm in need too. I hope my friendship is as great to you as your friendship is to me. :))

MarySueGames

Okay, so Maria is literally the first friend I ever made in the otome VN circles and I'm so so so happy and thankful that it was her.

Apart from being just an amazingly skilled, passionate, talented, and all around awesome human being, she is literally the reason I have friends with common interests in the VN dev community to begin with. It really all started when I reached out to her in Otome Jam 2022 about Impolite Society. There, I got to meet illegalileo too, whom I fondly call Janey. Later I also ended up helping her work on her Otome Jam 2023 project, Let's Misbehave, where I met even more awesome people that I hope I don't disappoint oh god like lunamakaio, florisam, leporine, elysian, and inkcaparts just to name a few.

But getting back to Maria, actually, seeing the way she organized her scripts in Impolite Society helped me tidy up my code for Meteor Shower. Though, I think if anyone were to see it, it would still look like a mess. It's just organized into folders now haha! In general, just seeing her drive, and passion, and vision for any of her works, whether it's a personal project or GUI or anything like that, I learn a lot just by watching her work. What she provides is so valuable just by existing and I'm so happy to have reached out that one day and gotten to know her.

I would love to get back to Impolite Society eventually but for now I'm going to be loud and obnoxious about supporting her current Otome Jam 2023 project, Lord of the Wings, because it's fucking awesome. Legit, like, you've probably played it because it's literally one of the most popular Otome Jam games right now but on the off chance you have not read the demo, what the fuck are you waiting for?? Go fucking read it right fucking now!!!!

MoKuzuu

Like Rita, I met Moku in Pantheon too. Actually, I fought them in Round 4 and that remains a fond memory two years into our friendship. Even now, they're one of my favorite people to talk to and joke around with. Their powerful shitposty energy is just infectious and it's always such a fucking fun time to have them around.

We made a VN for another OCT, Murder on the October Express, last year. Unfortunately, technical issues caused us to not finish all the rounds. I'm still very proud of what we made together though, so I'll link chapters one and two here.

It's just so nice to have someone who you can gush to each other about your OCs together all the time, someone to support your endeavors so enthusiastically and that you can do the same for them. It's such a valuable thing for someone like me to have people to talk about this stuff to and for them to appreciate it like Moku does. It was especially fucking hilarious too when they saw us add Luke to the character list and them rejoicing over a character with glasses finally being added to the mix. xD

On top of everything, Moku is such a hard working, skilled, and talented artist and storyteller. Not only are the vibes between us just immaculate, I also just deeply respect their drive and passion and I only hope for the best things for them as well as pray that their job doesn't kill them, instead we kill capitalism together, Moku. That's a promise.

Honestly, I'm hoping to make a proper visual novel with them in the future, they are just such a gem of a human being.

Ryukogo

So, you know, obviously all my high school friends have been very supportive but if I gushed about them all one by one, I'd take forever. Sorry guys, I had to choose just this once and Ryu was it. I hope you forgive my pasty ass. xD

Since the beginning, Ryu has been shilling the game to their other friends in different discord servers and has been so enthusiastic about their support for us that I think they deserve the special mention. I super value their opinions on my writing and their reactions to the little snippets I show them that the team worked on. They laugh at all the stupid jokes I make and they're always first in line to share our work and support us whenever we ask.

More than that, I've had the pleasure of growing up with them and seeing them change, grow, and evolve over the years as a person and as an artist. Like all the other people I've mentioned here, Ryu is a beautiful person inside and out and they're such a hardworking and skilled and talented artist. One of the greatest honors I've ever been bestowed was to compose and sing a song for their thesis film called Worry Seed.

Our history just goes a long way and they're just a wonderful human being that I've been friends with for about a decade and I hope to continue being friends with forever along with the rest of our group.