Post by Declan Tribal on Feb 8, 2017 0:58:19 GMT
Hey guys. I don't normally make big posts like these anymore due to other commitments in life, but because there hasn't been any real updates regarding the Freya Crescent Shrine, I would like to post a public apology, as well as explain what's been going on the last couple of years.
As some of you are already aware, I've began work on the next iteration of the FCS since July 2014. The idea of this update was to address a number of issues that had been glossed over with V8, such as mobile compatiability. Unfortunately, the project has taken a lot longer than I had hoped. I realised that I had bitten off more than I could chew, to the extent where I had to revise the original concept, removing and adding certain features, tweaking elements, lots and lots of testing, swearing, rage-quitting etc. whilst sustaining myself with peanut butter and banana sandwiches and chai tea. As a creator and content provider, I take pride in my work. But unfortunately whenever I'm close to finishing, the OCD starts to kick in, and I feel like my current work isn't good enough, which leads me to going back to the drawing board and start again.
That's been going on for two years at least. As of writing I'm finally satisfied with the current design that I've got. But the gargantuan task of importing the site code over to the new version has been literally soul sucking, to say the least. I can only muster enough motivation to work on the site at least once or twice a month at the current rate I'm working. Not because I don't like doing it, but the sheer enormity of the task that I'd rather be doing something else than work on something dedicated to a fictional character for two years straight.
Another reason for the long silence is because I have no idea on which direction to take the shrine - There really isn't much information about Freya or the Burmecian race for that matter, and I think we've already covered as much as we could with the current version. One idea I did have in mind - and this was based on a suggestion a friend made - was to restructure the shrine and make it into an expansive encyclopedia on Burmeecian lore and history. But again, like the coding aspect, the scale of such a project is enormous, so it got shelved for now while I worked on the current version for now. I would like to revisit this idea sometime in the future. Maybe get people on the forums involved so that it does feel like a proper community project
So, there you go. I just want to publically admit that I dropped the ball and I'm not proud of that. I wanted to finish the next update last year when FF9 came out on Steam, but as you all know, nothing quite went right in 2016, for me or the shrine, or anyone else for that matter. (Thanks, Brexit!)
By the way, I have a working beta if anyone wants to take a sneak peak at the next version of the shrine - you can find it at:
test.sean-powers.com/
Any feedback, comments, criticisms, flames (okay, not that last one!) are more than welcome. I'm also planning to skin the current boards with the same layout, thanks to the recent proboards update, though that will have to wait until later. I've spent enough time on this project as it is, and I would very much like to put it to bed after working on it for so long.
As some of you are already aware, I've began work on the next iteration of the FCS since July 2014. The idea of this update was to address a number of issues that had been glossed over with V8, such as mobile compatiability. Unfortunately, the project has taken a lot longer than I had hoped. I realised that I had bitten off more than I could chew, to the extent where I had to revise the original concept, removing and adding certain features, tweaking elements, lots and lots of testing, swearing, rage-quitting etc. whilst sustaining myself with peanut butter and banana sandwiches and chai tea. As a creator and content provider, I take pride in my work. But unfortunately whenever I'm close to finishing, the OCD starts to kick in, and I feel like my current work isn't good enough, which leads me to going back to the drawing board and start again.
That's been going on for two years at least. As of writing I'm finally satisfied with the current design that I've got. But the gargantuan task of importing the site code over to the new version has been literally soul sucking, to say the least. I can only muster enough motivation to work on the site at least once or twice a month at the current rate I'm working. Not because I don't like doing it, but the sheer enormity of the task that I'd rather be doing something else than work on something dedicated to a fictional character for two years straight.
Another reason for the long silence is because I have no idea on which direction to take the shrine - There really isn't much information about Freya or the Burmecian race for that matter, and I think we've already covered as much as we could with the current version. One idea I did have in mind - and this was based on a suggestion a friend made - was to restructure the shrine and make it into an expansive encyclopedia on Burmeecian lore and history. But again, like the coding aspect, the scale of such a project is enormous, so it got shelved for now while I worked on the current version for now. I would like to revisit this idea sometime in the future. Maybe get people on the forums involved so that it does feel like a proper community project
So, there you go. I just want to publically admit that I dropped the ball and I'm not proud of that. I wanted to finish the next update last year when FF9 came out on Steam, but as you all know, nothing quite went right in 2016, for me or the shrine, or anyone else for that matter. (Thanks, Brexit!)
By the way, I have a working beta if anyone wants to take a sneak peak at the next version of the shrine - you can find it at:
test.sean-powers.com/
Any feedback, comments, criticisms, flames (okay, not that last one!) are more than welcome. I'm also planning to skin the current boards with the same layout, thanks to the recent proboards update, though that will have to wait until later. I've spent enough time on this project as it is, and I would very much like to put it to bed after working on it for so long.