Weekly Update!
SDV Mods:
I barely got any retextures done this week…more on that in the “Life” section below. I really wanted to work on Kids for School, Lumen, and Mineral Town, but I just didn’t get around to any of them this time. I am also working on a torch and path color mod, though those are still in their very early stages. Hopefully, next week I’ll be able to work on more of the NPC mods I really enjoy working on.
- Baldur Village: I finished Alfira, Lae’zel, and Astarion bases this week. Lae’zel was definitely the easiest of the three, and I think she turned out really cute. Now… Alfira and Astarion… don’t get me started. Alfira’s base was really difficult. I know her hair is supposed to drape over her shoulders, but after all the recoloring and detailing, I was completely burnt out, so her hair is just in the back for now. Astarion. Astrarion. Astarion. OMG! This man has so many portraits. It took me ages to dig through the code and figure out what each of the 40+ expressions was meant to represent. There were even a few I couldn’t find at all, so I had to guess based on the original image. Also… blood is so hard to draw, and several of his portraits have so much of it! Overall, though, I think he turned out very handsome. He still has other portraits to go before he’s fully done.
- Coal Farm: I finished Ashida base! I think I mentioned last week that her binocular pose was a nightmare to draw, but her spring outfit turned out great in my opinion. I moved her mermaid pendant to the front of her outfit— I think it looks better there. I honestly wasn’t sure what was going on behind her head, so I had to do the original mod a little bit. I thought it might be a bun, but the sprite showed something in her hair, so I made my best guess based on all the information I could find and included a decorative bun cover for her hair.
- Foliage: I finished the Pine and Oak tree spring versions this week. I’m almost done with the Maple tree. I just need to finish its green rain version. I did some research on real-life trees for reference, which is why the maple tree is yellow. There’s a Sugar Maple that turns a yellowish-white when it flowers in spring, and I really loved how it looked. I’ve wanted to work on plant retextures for a while now, so I’m really happy I finally had time to start.
Games:
- SDV: Another friend of mine picked up Stardew Valley. (Another convert!) We’re playing vanilla for now, but I’m hoping to convince her to try modding in the future. However, that doesn’t mean I am not enjoying our time— makes me appreciate the original.
- Core Keeper: I’ve been playing this with my friend during our weekly sessions. This week, helped her beat the Hydras, explore The Passage, and complete the full Miner Armor set. Next week, we might tackle either the final boss or some extra endgame bosses, depending on what she wants to do.
- Ender Lilies: My hubby and I were looking for another game to play together, and we ended up picking this one up. It’s a good Metroidvania with a gorgeous 2D art style. The combat isn’t too hard thanks to clear enemy telegraphs, and the story is dark but interesting. We just got the Giant Hammer skill, and oof, that boss was hard.
Reading:
Nettle and Bone: I barely read this week, but I picked this one up from my local library after seeing it on a cozy fantasy list. I went in blind and… I’m questioning the “cozy” label. It’s very dark, with themes of cannibalism, death, and necromancy. That said, the writing and descriptions are stunning, so I’m willing to give it a fair shot.
Life:
This was a rough week for me. Usually, I deal with one major symptom from my disability at a time, but this week it felt like they all decided to party together. One flare-up after another kept me either bedridden or unable to work most of the week. I pushed myself to work whenever I felt well enough, and I even figured out how to do some pixel art on my phone! Doing art on my phone is limited, but it’s been a great way to pass the time when I’m sick and can’t move my wrist or fingers very well. I’m glad I was still able to get some retexturing done, even though I now need to catch up on other projects.
Take care, everyone. See you next week!