Hi there Bane here,

Just a random rant about life and all of that fun stuff. First, an apology for being really awful at communicating well with everyone about everything. I find it difficult which is why I'm seeking professional help. There's no shame it getting help for whatever it is you're struggling with. If it's a world filled with monsters and you don't really know what's going to come next, you're bound to feel anxious. Alin wants me to drink, Gruff wants me to do the same thing over and over, Vincent wants me to put on a fake front. Plox wants me to lie, Rotis wants me to hate, Helle wants me to fight. This is getting a bit meta... take this is random rambling for now. There's a lot more planned and coming. I'm trying to fix myself, I really am.

I know it's april 1st and all of that so it's already difficult to take things seriously. Speaking on that, I was really tempted to do some sort of april fools joke with Blackgate. Just to switch out all the characters with beans or something random. Speaking of Blackgate, last update went well enough. I can see that people are afraid of my pace being so slow and they're right. I do have a slow pace but it's relatively steady I think? Here are some statistics so far.

Statistics:

The game contains 25,039 dialogue blocks, containing 395,561 words and
2,034,875 characters, for an average of 15.8 words and 81 characters per
block.

The game contains 580 menus, 229 images, and 13 screens.

The word count does not include coding. The average novel is around 80,000 words which means Blackgate is currently at 5 novels in length. So, why do I bring this up? I'm hitting this insecurity wall. I'm using these statistics to help pad my ego because this night I've been questioning everything. Not in like a bad way, just reflecting on the entire thing. What I can do better, what is still a pile of garbage, what I focus on next. How do I try to make this whole thing mean something to someone somewhere. I'm reaching a point in the development where I see the path to the end and it's just getting there. I'll get there. Now some inspirational words from Jerri blank. "If you're gonna reach for a star, reach for the lowest one you can." I know that there's someone out there who wants more so just know that more is coming!

Hi there Bane here,

I am getting ready to head out to Anthrocon. It should be a fun time. I'll try to get an artist alley seat for a day or so just to show off some swag and all that fun stuff. If you're going to AC make sure you drop by and say 'Hi'. I'll be looking for old friends and new friends to grab food and hang out with!

Hi there Bane here,

It has been a while since the last time I wrote a journal, better do it now. So, some awesome stuff in the works.
I will be at AC this year, throwing some swag and promoting like I should. If anyone of you are there, yell at me and say Hi!
Got some fixes for Jack's sprite and some other fun small details for the next update, besides the Malo stuff.
Laika Dosha and Echo are coming together. Laika Dosha has an artist and it is  oouna . Go say hello! On that note, Laika Dosha has a patreon page up! If you want to be involved with voting and help the project go support it at:

https://www.patreon.com/LaikaDosha

On that same note, I am now HTBH Games, which is really really strange. I never thought this would happen, but, sometimes, projects take on a life of their own.

Hi there Bane here,

I am happy to announce that the two stories that are project 'C' are "Echo" by Howly and "Laika Dosha" by Bahamut. I know it is strange that I picked two but I have reasons for picking two stories. The first is I had a difficult time deciding, so I picked both. The next reason is because I felt that each story offers something very different and I felt that they complement each other quite well. In the next few days there will be new updates on what exactly is going to happen, with sneak peaks and all sorts of other fun stuff. I hope you keep an eye on these two new projects that are now, officially, being developed.

Hi there Bane here,

So the next release will be 20Apr2015. I am hoping to get done a couple things such as completing Gruff, updating some visual menu things, new art from darkgem, edits for the library and some other stuff.

Project C
I receives a lot of great stories for project C, When the next update is released I will also release a list of the top 5 stories that I got. It might be more than 5. I want to hear what you think of them and what you want to see. I'll be throwing this stuff up on the patreon site and there may be some voting and other things to help narrow down the choice a bit more. Keep submitting stories and I am reading them until the next update is released (soft deadline).

Hi there Bane here,

So, the time has finally come.

Project 'C' has been initialized.

What is Project 'C'?
It is another visual novel created by a different team of writers, artists, composers, coders, and anything else. It will be a sister/brother project along side Blackgate.

What will the story be?
Great question... the answer to that is I don't know yet. I am looking for a writer first for this project. I know there are a bunch of writers out there. I know there are some who have stories they would like to see as a visual novel. Well, this is your chance. I want to hear your story and if I find value in your writing then it will be up for deliberation.
If you are the writer for Project 'C' then I will pay you to write and get a solid script. So it is okay if you don't have a complete story already. I am going to be putting forward funds to allow you to make it.
Being the writer for the project is a huge ordeal because not only will you be the writer but also the director. It is your vision and your story after all. But that is down the road. I am just letting you know what you're getting into if your story is the one. Anyone who has made a visual novel can tell you it is a lot more work than it seems.

So, how do you apply for Project 'C'?
The way to apply is pretty simple. You will email a synopsis of your story to blackgateprojectc[at]gmail.com . I will be reading over these submissions over the next month or so to find those that stand out. I'll let you know if you've made it to the next part of deliberation.

So, if you know of writers or of anyone that wants to start a project like this then let them know I am looking for them. That sounds very creepy but whatever.

Now for the winners of the tagline banner.
Congratulations to  kweap and  valon for coming up with just a quick banner set up. My reasoning behind picking those two were that 'hamburgers are made of beef' has been my saying for a long time so that works well. Also 'Gay wolves and other stuff' is very funny and when you're at a convention with tables upon tables of signs and stuff. If I were to see a sign that said 'Blackgate hamburgers are made of beef: gay wolves and other stuff" I would laugh at first and then find out what that meant. So, the job of the banner would then work. Get them interested with the silly sexy stuff, make them stay from the drama and depth. These two have won T-Shirts! Awesome!

Hi there Bane here,

So first off I want to say thank you to all the folks who were worried about me and responded to my last journal. My eye is still a little off and then I got the flu but now the flu is gone. The reason why I have been so quiet recently has been because I decided to have a small like media blackout. Just take a step back and remain quiet for a bit. So I can focus on myself a bit and catch up on life. Either way you'll be hearing from me a lot more now that my quiet step away is done with. Right now I am working on the next update which will be coming soon. It will have a lot of Gruff stuff, mainly his new art... but there is an issue. I have different poses and expressions for him. However, he is either naked or only wearing underwear right now. So to get the coding done I've just used those as placement. So the next update you will be hanging out with a naked gruff the entire time, but he will have different expressions and such. that way when his clothing is done it will be an easy switch out. Once again thank you all for everything and I hope you're all doing well.

Also,
What should the tagline be for Blackgate? I am having a banner done and just having the logo on it may not be enough. Should I have a tagline? Make a suggestion as a comment. If I do use a tagline and i set it up to a vote. If yours is the winner you'll win a t-shirt as a prize!

Well not a real massacre. Just my eye has iritis. Basically that means it s filling with white blood cells and could rupture or cause irreversible damage to my eye. I have eye drops now to make sure my retina stays in take and does not tear or so my eyeball doesn't rupture itself. So that is the good news! Which means I can go back to staring a screen filled with words and type. Yeah, it is really strange having your eyesight shift because of light bouncing around in strange ways. Or being able to see in blind spots because your retina is being detached, That and seeing your sight disappear from your very eyes is kinda scary. Ha, see what i did there. Eye puns. But serious, I am doing well now!

Hi there Bane here,

So I just got back from Anthro New England. It was the first time I had a booth and my second time running a panel. Also, another first, I ran a demo on several laptops and got to see first time player reactions. So let's go over just how everything went. ANE was pretty awesome and very impressive for a first time convention. My booth was alright, not the greatest. I still need a lot of stuff to make it more like WOW and grab someone's attention. But, I was able to tell people about the project and get the word out. I was right next to  tygurstar and  anthroaquatic . It was a lot of fun to be booth buddies and we bonded over some very awkward events. Tygurstar is a saint. Some awesome news, Rivercritic will be joining the Blackgate team as an editor! I am so happy about this because now the quality of writing in the project will be soooo much better. It was something that I said I wanted to work on in the polish updates and this is the first step in doing so. Be on the lookout for fewer grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and a much better experience. Next up, the panel that I ran. The attendance for the panel was far greater than what I was expecting. Which is really flattering. I got to explain what blackgate is to a new audience. We played some games (silly mind teasers) and I gave away from prizes. Then I was asked a bunch of questions, I gave out a single spoiler. However, I am not going to say what it was. The demo that I ran was also a lot of fun to do. I had a bunch of laptops and set up a play area. I had to make a linux version of Blackgate since some of the laptops I have are running linux. So expect a Linux version soon. This event stressed me out. I get really really nervous when someone plays Blackgate. So actually having to be there, answer questions, and moderate the event was stressful. I was happy to hear the phrase 'That sounds like something I would say' and 'This is hitting too close to home, this is too real right now.' These were unprompted responses and made me actually a tiny tiny tiny bit proud about the project. So now I am going to take a quick break from everything. Recharge myself and recenter my focus. I will be responding to all the comments in a couple days. Also, it is starting to get warmer out... the snow is starting to melt.

Taking this day just to shake off everything. There has just been a lot of stuff going on and I feel bad that I am unable to devote my highest quality to the project. I don't mean to make excuses, but in the winter, especially when there is snow, my drive and creativity is much harder to stir up and use. By contrast I am most active during fall. This is also why I have probably been much more quiet. I am sorry if I seem disconnected but I will reconnect soon. Especially when there is no longer 4 to 5 feet of snow... and more coming apparently. Holy moly make it stop!

Hey there Bane here,

You already know that. So I am working on the update. I want to get everything I wanted done in there. I am close to finishing but just bear with me. I should start changing my release dates to follow a two week schedule with it on mondays rather than saturdays. The reason being I am usually busy on friday and saturday which means I lose time. I'll start making this change now, when I release the update tomorrow I'll change future update releases to mondays.

Hi there Bane here,

Next update will be 07Feb2015

But you already knew that. So, just a quick run down of a couple things going on. First, there is a valentines card competition using Blackgate Characters. I will be making the top 5 designs and they will be all official. It should be a fun competition to see some hilarious cards. I feel I hit some really key things with the construction route. I added that horror element that many have yet to see. It was added earlier in this route than any of the others. Feedback has been great except for a few key things. Sometimes you can't please everyone and it's in these moments where discussions can happen. Well, that is about it. I hope you stay tuned for the next episode of Blackgate.

Just a quick update of what has been going on and what to expect for the next update. The next update will be released 24Jan2015. The construction route should be completely open for this update. Also, there will be some new stuff from darkgem. Thank you all!

PS

Manipulated...

We are coming up to the new year and there are some great things in the works. To start with, the next update will be released 10Jan2015. I'm working on getting the construction crew route completed. Once that is done then we can start working on actually making the game look, play and be what I'd consider a more inline with the final project. I'll be looking for a background artist to help with this goal. On top of that, I'm planning on creating an LLC for other projects and to help with other facets of the production. Other things being planned on worked on are some convention related events. Anthro New England is coming up in about 2 months, which is super exciting. I'll be running some panels and actually having a table there for the project. I need to make and design more t-shirts make some flyers and come up with some other swag stuff. So that is the tentative plan for the next two months or so. Things are gonna start to pick up and the updates are going to be quite extensive. Also, Happy New Year!

PS

Be...

I am the worst. I am working on the update and will release it on the 29th. I wish I had more time but i'll just push some things off until the next update. Progress is progress and things are going to kick into high gear in the new year. I have a lot of things lined up to fall like dominoes. I hope you stay with me on this bumpy ride that is Blackgate. Also, Happy holidays to everyone I missed and I want to thank all of you for all the watches, favorites, comments, tweets, forum posts, patreon support, personal comments, and everything else that I am probably missing. It truly means a lot to me. When i started all of this i never expected any of this to actually happen. I am in awe and thankful for all of the support. Just a big thank you!

Just a slight delay for the update. Will be released tomorrow since I need to finish a couple things. I am very sorry about this and hope you remain patient.

PS

And...

So, just got back from a concert. It was Motionless In White. It is not everyone's cup of tea but it was a ton of fun to jump in a mosh pit and get thrown around. Let's me harness that anger so I can spew it back out on paper. Still working away at this upcoming update. I might do something similar to what i did with the bartender route while i wait for assets to come in. I'll have an ask the construction crew so you get a sneak peak of what is going on. As for what else I have been working on, it has been a lot of night 5 stuff for the different routes.

PS

Destroy...

While I am huddled away writing, I am reaching points of the story that are the real reason I am creating this whole project. I guess, writing the things I want to say or show it partly cathartic. But, not too much since these things are still subjects that are difficult to handle. Not just by me, but by most I believe. I also don't want this project to be me preaching about these different things. That is partly why I give the choice to you. I know I would pick one thing, but is it the right decision. I guess you'll see eventually what I mean. All I want to say is, just because things seem hopeless or you have no other avenue, that isn't true. There is always another way, which may be better or worse.

PS.

To...

So, the last update introduced some things but it wasn't a large amount of content. It does bring up questions which is part of the goal. Since I am getting most of the routes down now we are starting to near the first finish line. The first of many I can assume.

The next update will be 13Dec2014
I hope to accomplish the following:
-Construction Route (initial nights)
-Plox Route
-Still not happy with Kody (something just feels off still. I need to just sit down and write several things out)

PS

Ability...

Well, now that the holiday is over. Time to get back to writing some more and finishing up the next update. I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. And if you don't celebrate the holiday, I hope you had a great end of the month thursday. I am running around responding to comments now so sorry about the delay.

PS

Your...

Never give up, never surrender. So, still writing and getting most of everything in order before I am pulled away for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the major reason I am not going all out with this next update since there is a lot of time I won't have. Damn holidays! But, things are still moving along, if you haven't seen it, check out Darkgem's Gruff sketches. They are pretty badass.

PS

With...

As I am writing for this next update, the story is now reaching the tipping point where things start to go grey. By that I mean, everything is not what it seems. This means I am unsure of what is the right story... that the differences are both the right stories. That the characters are all right in what they think or do. So, my goals are starting to come together where you try to ignore the other paths but can't and are left with a question... what is right for you. This is only the tip of the iceberg and I hope to show just how messed up the choices are. Sorry, just rambling, also a reason to put in an new PS.

PS

Concerned...

So, now that 0.8 is released and I took a little bit of a breather, time to get back up on the darkhorse and ride along. The next update will be released 29nov2014 on a saturday. I am hoping to accomplish several important things.

Jack's night 4
Kody's story changes
another police route complete (throw it up to a vote)
more artwork [jack update]
another illustration

There might be some other small things in there but nothing too huge. Well, once again thank you all so much and I hope you look forward to 0.9

PS

only...

So, 0.8 released and things have been going well. There is progress, but still much more to be done. I think I am getting better at limiting release errors, I don't know. One thing I desperately need to say is thank you to everyone. I mean, I think I say it a bunch responding to comments and questions, but I don't know if I can truly describe how thankful I am. I love reading every comment, it is like i get some sick pleasure from it. For the record, I suck at responding to favorites and watchers, but that does not mean I don't appreciate every single one. So if you just watched me or favorited something, thank you. Going forward, the project will still progress. I am thinking the next update will be the 29th of november. I don't know how large the update will be but I have definite goals I want to achieve. I want to finally finish the police routes. After that, i need to spruce up the library route (since it is missing some stuff) and piece a few things into the bartender route (looking at you Kody... and that backroom). Then... it is onto the construction route.

PS

is...