✨Weekly Update✨
🧺 SDV Mods: 🧺
- Sweet Visuals: It’s done! This was a fun project to collaborate on. I handled most of the Nyapu portraits, though I did get help from a couple of the other artists on the team. They were even kind enough to make sure my East Scarp mod was compatible with theirs. Definitely check out their new update if you like East Scarp and want some of the seasonal portraits that weren’t included in my mod.
- Drawberry Nora: I know I already made a Nyapu-style mod for Nora a while ago, but Drawberry created their own version, and I really liked it. So I decided to collaborate with them and add Nyapu portrait options to their mod. Nora is finished, but it may take a little while for Drawberry to update their mod, so please be patient. If you’re interested, keep an eye on Drawberry’s Nexus account. I’ll be moving on to their East Scarp mods next. I just need to decide whether I want to focus on the vanilla characters or the remastered ones. Right now, I’m leaning toward the remastered versions since many of the vanilla East Scarp characters have already been covered.
- Color-Themed Craftables: I finished all of the vanilla houseplants, and I think they turned out really well. Feeling inspired to keep working on more vegetation, I also completed most of the seasonal plant retextures. I only have about two left to finish. The funny thing is that I started with very simple designs, but they became more and more complicated as I went along. This mod is still a long way from being posted online, but I’m really looking forward to finishing it someday. I also need to revisit some of my older projects and update them with the additional colors I plan to add. So many projects, so little time…
🎮 Games: 🎮
- Mega Modded SDV: Starting a new Stardew Valley save is always fun. This one has been a little slower than usual because I decided not to give myself access to a hot spring through the farm cave. That means when my character is exhausted, they have to call it a day and go to sleep. Honestly, I’m glad I made that choice because it’s encouraged me to wander around, talk to villagers, and gather forageables instead of completing everything early. I’m still in the early-game grind of gathering resources, building chests, and completing basic quests.
- Red-Themed SDV: I’ve been playing this save more slowly than usual because every time I open it, I end up wanting to create more mods for the game. I did play a few days this week so I could see some of my new color-themed retextures. I’m not going to lie, the plants look so good! I’m a huge fan of adding more foliage to Stardew Valley. Reid’s (my farmer’s kid) retextures also turned out really well. I still need to create his winter toddler outfit, though. Romancing Rafael is progressing much faster than Lance. Also, I need to correct something from a past update… I accidentally called Golden Walnuts “Golden Coconuts.” Apparently, that’s what happens when I write these blogs while half-awake in the morning. I’ve been so distracted with the mainland that all of my Ginger Island quests have been pushed to the back burner. Not to mention, I still need to grow the monster crops for Lance and spend more time exploring the Highlands.
- Core Keeper: I’ve been decorating our base as fast as my friend can bring back materials. I really need to take some screenshots and post them on Steam because I’m pretty proud of how everything is turning out. We now have both an ocean-water pool and a crystal-lake pool. I also finished the automation setup for Gleam Wood. Right now, I’m debating whether or not I want to build dedicated mob farm chambers. I still need to make an animal pen as well, though I’ve been putting it off because I think some of the newer automation features might let me care for and feed the animals automatically. I’ve just been too lazy to look up the blueprints.
- Persona 4: This week I finally rescued Kanji. He’s such a lovable delinquent. I know he’s technically not a kid, but at my age everyone starts looking younger. I’ve mostly been grinding social links and working through side quests. I have to say, the low-poly art style still looks fantastic after all these years. The team did an incredible job with this game, and it’s been a comforting one to play while I haven’t been feeling my best.
- A Little to the Left: Steam had a cozy game sale, and I had absolutely no self-control. I picked up a handful of games, and this was one of them. I made it to Chapter 2 before setting it aside for a bit. I’m not sure if I’ll go back and complete every possible puzzle solution, but we’ll see how I’m feeling this week.
- Is This Seat Taken?: This was another cute game I grabbed during the sale. I started it while I wasn’t feeling well because it seemed like a shorter experience, and it ended up being a lot of fun. Some of the levels were surprisingly challenging. There were two puzzles I eventually had to look up after spending way too long trying to solve them myself: the final stadium phase and the theater school section where everyone had a crush on someone else. Overall, I’ve really enjoyed the art style, though I do wish there was a bit more game to play. I’ll most likely finish it this week.
📖 Reading: 📖
- Mark of the Fool: I’ve been craving some high fantasy and LitRPG lately, so I dove back into one of my favorite comfort series. I just finished Book 5, where Claygon evolves, and I’m now working through the beginning of Book 6, where Alex finally reveals to the heroes that he is the Fool. This series is so good. It won’t be for everyone, but it’s definitely one of my comfort reads.
- Witch Hat Atelier: Ugh! I caught up on all of the currently published volumes. I’d been collecting them whenever they went on sale and finally sat down to read through the entire series. I was both lucky and unlucky because a new volume had just released, so I immediately picked it up. Unfortunately, Volume 14 ends on a cliffhanger, and now I have to wait months for the next installment.
- Drops of God: Have I mentioned that I really enjoy buying things on sale? This manga was one of several impulse purchases from a comic book sale. Even though I’m not much of a wine person, I figured it might appeal to me since I enjoyed Food Wars and Restaurant to Another World. Unfortunately, I just don’t care enough about wine to fully connect with the story.
- Wet Sand: I originally noticed this series because I loved the cover art. After reading a sample, I picked up the first volume since it was inexpensive. If you enjoy dramatic BL stories, this one is excellent. The character designs and artwork are gorgeous. Fair warning, though…the intimate scenes are very explicit and uncensored, which caught me off guard since I’m used to seeing those scenes covered up. Overall, I really enjoyed it, and now I have to figure out how to budget for the rest of the series.
- Cherry Blossoms After Winter: I’d read part of this manhwa before while searching for good BL stories. It’s definitely more of a slow burn, and I can understand why it has such a dedicated fanbase. Personally, I struggled with the lack of detailed backgrounds and how static some of the character poses felt. It’s still a sweet series and worth checking out if you’re a fan of softer BL romances, but it wasn’t quite for me.
- Lady Rose Wants to Be a Commoner: This was another series I’d read years ago and enjoyed, so when the first volume went on sale, I picked it up for a reread. I’m a sucker for villainess stories, so the premise still appeals to me. However, after skimming through some of the later volumes, I wasn’t nearly as impressed. The opening is strong, but the story starts to drag, and it often feels like not much is happening. That’s a shame because I really like the art style. Overall, it’s still one of the better entries in the genre.
💖 Life: 💖
Overall, this was a good week. I was up and moving around more than usual, and I used every bit of extra energy I had. I don’t know how long this stretch of good days will last, but I’m not going to question it. I’m simply going to enjoy the time I have while I’m able to move around more freely.
On a side note, my secret project is going well. I managed to sketch three more pages this week. I’m not sure how long the project will end up being, but I’m trying to keep it relatively short. Once it reaches the beta stage, I’ll start sharing some of the artwork. So far, I’m having a lot of fun with it, and I’m excited to eventually clean up some of these rough designs. First, though, I need to finish the overall story before I get too distracted polishing individual panels.
I hope summer is treating all of you well. I’m going to go get some rest now, and I’ll see you all next time. Thanks for taking the time to read!