My goal with every competition is to try something new.

A secondary but equally important goal is to try and get the same high I got back in RPG4D.

I've learned that's no longer possible.

I haven't decided what it is yet, but I've entered every competition since RPG4D in an effort to show myself I can work just as hard as I did back then, and produce a project that garners the same attachment I had to The Twilight Realm.

Back then I worked shorter hours. Back then, I'd come home and look forward to drinking a mug of coffee and working on TTR. Back then, I'd take the occasional walk to relieve the stress and try to find some new inspiration as I mercilessly cut content.

I can't blame my lack of success on work and school though. Sure, they play a large role in it, but another is just a lack of motivation. As my skill levels rise, so do my ambitions, and ambitions are my greatest enemy. Unlike most, I'm not a victim of scope creep, but of being too ambitious to begin with.

I'll continue asking myself what it was that made RPG4D so successful and so memorable for me, because I've accepted now that I won't ever find that again.

Because of this, I'm no longer entering competitions.

Or maybe I will, and I'll just stop with the animation whoring.

What Worked?

I focused heavily on graphics this time around, with some emphasis on the platforming engine. The music turned out decent (all two tracks), and I'm content with how some things turned out, even if I didn't do it optimally.

Where Did I Fail?

At the halfway mark, it hit me that I wasn't going to be able to finish the game as I had it planned. So I started cutting content. Then I realized that I couldn't cut content while maintaining the story. So I gave up.

I lacked two things: graphics and level design skills. Music was becoming a chore for me, too. Basically all I had, and all I ever have, is a story. The rest is so debilitating that I found it was better to give up and shift my focus elsewhere, rather than continuing on a project that no longer motivated me.

In short, it's a Castlevania-esque game with minor bullet sequences. You have a stamina bar which is used to power a shot attack (was previously going to be used for time manipulation and other spells the character had in his arsenal). You also have flames, which, as they nullify the cold, increase health and stamina regeneration.

Oh, and by hitting enemies with the tip of your sword, you deal increased damage.

There is a lot of extra content in the game that won't make it into this release.

The game consists of a single short stage and a boss fight. I'll be entering this into F4D for shits and giggles.

Maybe next time I'll have learned to shoot low, even though I thought I was shooting low to begin with.