chaostexture

[chaostexture]

As I write this, we are 13 hours away from the end of our first funding campaign. I say first because this will most certainly not be the last.

To say that the last two months have been draining would be the understatement of the year. I had no idea what running a funding campaign for a microscopic visual novel would be like, but it still somehow managed to defy my expectations.

So, let's wrap. I want to talk (vent) about the campaign — what are some good things we did, what are some things I'd like to avoid doing in the future? If I can help another small indie developer out with this, then that's the cherry on top.

PART I: THE GOOD THINGS

I want to start by focusing on what we did right. To start, at the time of writing, we raised a total (before IGG's split) of $390. I am so very grateful for every cent, especially when I consider it's $390 less that I have to pull out of my paychecks to make this thing happen.

I think making the campaign flex funding was one of the best decisions I could've made here. In no reality were we going to actually raise $10,000 in our first campaign. So, while we don't have enough to actually make the full game right now, we have enough to get the ball rolling and make *something,* which is a lot better than nothing.

I also must thank the few creators who took the time to make content based on the demo. It was very fun to see other people play. I do wish there were more, but I'll take what I can get right now.

PART II: THE BAD THINGS

I have to admit, because this series is so important to me, I have always had a problem accepting that very few others care about it. So, because I can honestly say we have a fantastic product with brilliant art and a compelling storyline, it hurt knowing that very few others seemed to agree.

In all reality, I know it's less that they disagree and more that they have no idea we exist. This is valid. Where I struggle is knowing how to efficiently let them know we exist without spending my weight in gold in ad revenue, which isn't even guaranteed to work.

All this to say ... we had a total of 17 downloads of the free demo. I would scream to the heavens that we had a free demo, and yet I still had people telling me they had no idea we had a demo. I don't want to think the worst of people but at some point I have to ask if it's my communication skills or their lack of attention span.

I also think we had no business trying to raise $10,000 on our first campaign. I mean, sure — there are some creators who can pull that off, but I have never been one of them. It doesn't make sense that would change now. I should've made the goal closer to $500 or $1000, because then it'd at least look like it was closer to success.

ALSO — the spam. THE SPAM. I never imagined how thick the spam would be; how many people I would have to block on FB to the point where I now second guess myself any time the Chaos Texture page gets a direct message. It could be someone genuinely wondering how we're doing. It's more than likely, however, a spammer.

In any case, if you were to ask me if I would do this again I would laugh and tell you 'no.' It's not worth the mental anguish, the stress and the constant, unending self doubt. I almost burned bridges that I didn't mean to burn during these two months, and it was all because I got in my own head and let doubt persevere. No. I may open up a Patreon for the studio, but ... the next time I'll even consider doing a crowdfunding campaign via KickStarter or IndieGoGo is when we have an established fanbase, and even then I'll be cautious.

In any case, stay tuned for future development updates as they're made.

Sincerely,

James David Herd Creative Director || Chaos Texture

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IKKiCON 2023 POST-MORTEM!

Hello, all! It's been a minute! We are still hard at work on The Intermine Legacy: I am the Darkness, so we don't have a whole lot to update y'all on, but stay tuned for more info as the first half of 2023 tick, tick, ticks away!

In the meantime, though, I wanted to write about our first con experience as Chaos Texture. I went to IKKiCON 2023 in Round Rock, TX for what's probably the seventh straight year I've gone. I was a featured panelist / guest, and as such I was able to promote both pixcelation and Chaos Texture at my table and panels!

It was very exciting debuting the first teaser trailer for The Intermine Legacy: I am the Darkness in front of most of my panels, and we were able to expose the game to a ton of people! It was also really neat being able to do a brief call with @notyoursleepywitch at my table, where attendees could pick her brain about various topics including art and streaming!

I am hoping to have a playable build of the full game at next year's con, so if we met at any point, I look forward to seeing what you think about the story I've been baking for fifteen years. Big thanks to IKKiCON for hosting us. Here's to 2024's event!!

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All Good Things ...

... must come to an end. At least for now. Intermine Sundays was a very fun and very successful campaign! I am thankful for each and every one of the new followers we've received in our quest for 100.

character art: @notyoursleepywitch

But, let's tone down the sentimentality and introduce Tony Moreno. I really dig Tony — he's a character wholly unlike any of the others in this set in the sense that he knows what he wants from life. Good food, good drinks, and good games are his treasures, and he's not particularly willing to part with them quite yet.

But, somehow, Tony has found himself working under Cecil Masters, which has created a potentially lethal problem for him. He's willing to put up with that problem, however, so long as it allows him to keep up his current lifestyle. One thing is clear to Tony — he's gonna need an extra shot or two (espresso, vodka, or tequila ... it doesn't matter) to make it through this day with his life intact.

In other news, we've reached 100 followers on Twitter! It's a small milestone, but it's huge for us! I look forward to the next one, which is 250! So, if you are reading this and like what you see, why not jump over to the bird app and follow us? We also exist on Facebook and Instagram, if you prefer those platforms!

To celebrate this milestone, our art director has created this lovely celebratory artwork featuring one of our leads, Joseph! We'll also be sharing an exclusive piece of artwork from the game via our socials either tonight (1/8/23) or tomorrow (1/9/23), so look out for that!

ALSO, a reminder: I (pixcelation) will be at IKKiCON the weekend of January 20 to January 22, and I'll be bringing Chaos Texture / The Intermine Legacy stickers to give to random visitors to my booth! I will also be unveiling the teaser trailer for the game at said booth, so stay on the lookout for that!

I get the feeling that things are going to be happening very quickly from here on, and I look forward to the rollercoaster. It may be a minute before our next dev update, that said, but we look forward to the next one. In the meantime, stay gold!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's so exciting to say that we're finally in the year when The Intermine Legacy: I am the Darkness will finally (truly) begin. It's also the second-to-last edition of Intermine Sundays (at least for now, until we're funded ... *clenches fists to the point of cutting off circulation*

I'm cool. I'm cool.

character art: @notyoursleepywitch

Cecil is a morally ambiguous character that challenges me with not just making him the most objectively awful human being, but also with making him sympathetic in spite of that awfulness. It's been this way since we were making the audio dramas, and it continues to be this way now. That being said, he's *very* fun to write for.

Cecil is Bradley's father, but as stated in Bradley's profile, their relationship is stilted. Cecil was effectively raised to reject any and all emotions that might get in the way of scientific progress, which has made him ... not ... the best father. But, he's tried his best with his daughter (and Bradley's little sister) to be at least a decent dad. But, that only goes so far when you consider that Maria has gone missing somewhere in the facility by unknown forces hell-bent on revenge.

ALSO — this is just a reminder, but in addition to the final character reveal next Sunday, we'll be debuting our first teaser trailer on Friday, January 20 at IKKiCON! It will be made public on our YouTube channel shortly thereafter, so be sure to subscribe! We will have more gameplay videos and other content as development continues!

I hope your new year is filled with goodness! I look forward to sharing more information about the game as we approach our funding date!

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I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday weekend! It's the final stretch of 2022, but the Intermine train never stops! We have yet another character to showcase; this time it's Bradley Masters.

character art: @notyoursleepywitch

Bradley is the eldest child of Cecil Masters, the self-proclaimed founder of Intermine Laboratories. He's never had a particularly good relationship with his father, as Cecil blamed Bradley for a tragedy in their mutual past. But, he's been the silent, obedient son ... until the day he meets Joseph McPherson, whose brain holds the smoking gun that will force Cecil to reveal a series of dark, hidden truths.

I won't lie — Bradley is a character who has changed significantly in the years since he was created. I am proud of his development, and I think you'll all like where his arc takes him. See more of Bradley in The Intermine Legacy: I am the Darkness, the debut VN from Chaos Texture.

There are two more weeks left of Intermine Sundays, and two more characters left to reveal (for now). On January 20, we will upload the first teaser trailer for the game in preparation for IKKiCON, where I (pixcelation) will have a booth, so if you'll be in attendance, I would love for y'all to keep an eye out. I will also be playing the trailer at the beginning of each of my panels. For more information on IKKiCON, you can check out their website.

I hope y'all enjoy the last week of the year, and look forward to the next Intermine Sunday on New Years Day!

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It's a little late, but here's our weekly update!

We finally revealed the new look for series regular Eric Eastwick! I have always liked writing for this little guy because not only does he have such a rich backstory, but the overall character arc he's about to go on is ... let's just say you're all not ready for this one.

character art: @notyoursleepywitch

Fun Fact: In the original iteration of the audio drama version of The Intermine Legacy, not only did Eric have several actors, but one of them (his aged up appearance) was Yuri Lowenthal! I have my doubts that we'd be able to move that mountain twice, but that's OK!

I hope you all enjoy Eric in The Intermine Legacy: I am the Darkness! And, if by some chance you find yourself pacing back and forth, worried that you'll miss a new development update, this next piece of news is just what the doctor ordered!

We have a website! It's nothing too fancy, but it's going to become the main priority when making significant updates, so be sure to bookmark it and check back regularly! Also, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and here on Tumblr!

In the meantime, we hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and we look forward to revealing a brand new character this Sunday (on Christmas Day, no less)! Let's GO!

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It's that time once again, friends! It's #IntermineSunday!

I hope your week has been filled with the ultimate satisfaction. This time around we're highlighting William McKinley, who, yes ... shares a name with the 25th president of the U.S., but that's entirely accidental and extraordinarily coincidental.

I think of all the characters who have lived in my head for the last 12-13 years, this one is the one with the most ... personality. I have come up with the craziest scenarios to put him into, and at the end of the day, despite knowing all of the horrible things he's done, I still can't help but feel empathy for his situation. I hope you do, as well.

art by: @notyoursleepywitch

Follow Chaos Texture here on Tumblr, on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to be present next Sunday when we highlight another character! Until then, everyone have a great week!

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Hello, all! Yesterday, we started showcasing the lead characters from The Intermine Legacy: I am the Darkness via Twitter and Facebook. In the first installment, we introduced a character whose perspective will carry much of the story, Joseph McPherson.

art by @notyoursleepywitch

We will post a new character next Sunday! Stay Tuned!

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Hello, all!

It's an honor to be here and to chat about a project we (chaos texture) are working on. I hope to have more to share — including *actual* screenshots — in the new year.

Introducing — The Intermine Legacy: I am the Darkness

At some point in the future we aim to launch a crowdfunding campaign to help fund the first arc of the series; there will be more than one arc, yes, but we feel the best course of action would be to focus on one thing at a time. I have enough material to work with that we could easily make this series one that lasts for a decade. More on that later, but just know that things are progressing at a steady pace.

ABOUT THE INTERMINE LEGACY

It all began with Intermine Laboratories. In the subterranean depths of the "last beacon of hope for humanity," Joseph McPherson wakes from cryogenic stasis, his last memory being one of total betrayal.

In no time at all, he is dragged into an arcane conflict that has been boiling since the dawn of time. And, despite himself, he will soon be taught that some things ... are best left in the dark.

I mentioned this earlier, but as this is a story I have been developing since 2010-ish, there's ... a lot of story here. So, if all goes well, I hope you're ready for everything we've got planned.

If you'd like to follow us here, we'll try to update as frequently as we can. But, we'll also be updating on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

In the meantime, we can't wait to show you more,

James David Herd Creative Director; Chaos Texture