So it's not official yet, but...

As you know, the game was split into two stories to avoid going insane, so that there's a story with the new party, and another with the "old gang".

The writer started writing the common introduction and then the story with the new characters. However for various reasons he's quite behind. I decided to have another writer work on the "old gang story". This because otherwise the whole thing (old+new party stories) would probably be finished in 2020 or something (I'm serious, not joking!).

It's a bit too far away

I don't know which one of the two stories will be done first, but at least now there are two things going in parallel, which is surely better than before! Since they take place in two separate continents and the characters are all different, I don't think there will be any problem. I'll also follow it myself directly since I want to put some lore in it (as you can imagine there are some interesting places/characters from SOTW which could appear...).

So it's not official yet, but...

As you know, the game was split into two stories to avoid going insane, so that there's a story with the new party, and another with the "old gang".

The writer started writing the common introduction and then the story with the new characters. However for various reasons he's quite behind. I decided to have another writer work on the "old gang story". This because otherwise the whole thing (old+new party stories) would probably be finished in 2020 or something (I'm serious, not joking!).

It's a bit too far away

I don't know which one of the two stories will be done first, but at least now there are two things going in parallel, which is surely better than before! Since they take place in two separate continents and the characters are all different, I don't think there will be any problem. I'll also follow it myself directly since I want to put some lore in it (as you can imagine there are some interesting places/characters from SOTW which could appear...).

How long does it take to make one of your games from start to finish? And how many games do you usually work on at the same time? I am very much looking forward to Loren 2 btw.

This is a good news. What I wanted to ask is about how are the parts going to be split? I thought at first that it is going to be like an expansion in witch part 1 ends with "to be continued" and part 2 continues from there but based on what you are saying now that doesn't seem to be case, so is it going to be something a long the lines of 2 different routes, like one part picks up from one possible ending while the other ones pick up from another or such as in PS where story gets split in 2 different routes right at beginning?

Also if you don't mind saying witch writer is working on witch part as in what other titles of yours did witch of those 2 writers worked on?

How long does it take to make one of your games from start to finish? And how many games do you usually work on at the same time? I am very much looking forward to Loren 2 btw.

That's really a hard question to answer. Obviously dating sims are the fastest to make, and RPGs the slowest but I think in general depends mainly on how my collaborators work. If you take PSCD, making that game in 1 year was a sort of miracle: the writer wrote over 200k words (and of good quality too), artist (despite the complaints) was super reliable and fast, and even Anima who coded the card game was faster than usual. I did my job as always

I could say VERY in general: about 5-6 months for a dating sim and 10-12 months for a RPG, but it can vary a lot based on how people quickly work.

such as in PS where story gets split in 2 different routes right at beginning?

Yes, there's a common intro. Then a "key event" which I won't say since is a spoiler, which forces the characters to split. In that moment the player can choose who to join and are two parallel plots. They could have been two separate games, one after the other, but that could have been even more problematic (what if PC romanced one of the new characters?! etc) so to avoid madness we decided to go this way

Also if you don't mind saying witch writer is working on witch part as in what other titles of yours did witch of those 2 writers worked on?

Roommates' writer is working in the main intro+the new characters game. Roger Steel/Undead Lily writer will work on the "old team" story. I picked him since he knows Loren very well and he's one of the most reliable writers I know, so even if he has two games to finish writing the story (but they're both at good point) I'm sure he could finish all the story next year.

Sooooooo! Today writer emailed me saying he wrote the "The End".

I'm not sure if he wrote also everything between the beginning and that sentence

Jokes apart, it's only the main story, so all the romance/camp talk/sidequests are still missing, but it's still a milestone. Still need to read it, and don't get too excited because still doesn't mean it will be out next year (the new framework is still being made, and I think I want to do PS2 first anyway), but it's a good news nonetheless

...and don't get too excited because still doesn't mean it will be out next year

(Mock-whiny voice) Jaaaaaaaaaaack! Why do you do this to us--give us just a hint of this finally happening and then shoot us down??? Waaaaaaaaah!



Seriously, though: When's the approx. latest it will be out? The original was second only to SOTW in terms of my faves so far from you guys, and so I'm DYIN to see this happen!!!!!!!

Latest? it could be out even in 2020 for what I know. I don't know

OK jokes apart, I really cannot know. The best I can do is list the games that SHOULD come out, in which order:

QoT (obviously, since is in beta since months)

Never Forget Me

Amber's Magic Shop

Planet Stronghold 2

...

at this point, IF the writer has done the remaning stuff, could be Loren 2. But I might finish some other games if are more advanced. So as you can see there's still a bit to wait

I think I want to do PS2 first anyway

Not that I don't appreciate Loren, just been waiting a lot longer for PS2. Plus if it comes between Amber and Loren 2, you have a nice variety in settings instead of releasing a batch of Aravorn games in a row.

Yes makes sense to release the game in the order they were originally announced. PS2 was supposed to be out shortly after the 1st (out in 2011!). While Loren was out at end of 2012 including the DLC. I'm doing QoT now which was announced in 2011 and Amber as well

You said we will meet characters from SOTW, please tell me we will meet Rowinda, she was my favourite, seriously now, I think Rowinda was everyones's favourite character from SOTW, I even tried to cheat the game to win the battle against Jul and make sure she lives because I thought she won't , but who can condamn me for that? She was lovely and I really hope she will summon a vulcano in Loren 2 at least

Haha she's my favorite character too! The story of the party that goes to Zoltar isn't written yet, but when it starts I'll make sure that Rowinda shows up somehow

Haha she's my favorite character too! The story of the party that goes to Zoltar isn't written yet, but when it starts I'll make sure that Rowinda shows up somehow

Will you make something like she went to sail the seas again and she found that magical island of youth and was never seen before, at least if her character won't be seen any more I wish she has a happy ending.

So, any update on a possible release date? I just replayed Seasons of the Wolf once more and am so hyped for Loren 2!!! :D

Hehe no sorry. I am really behind with many games, but I'm going to push this year to have the story finished at least. Even when the story is done, just scripting it is going to take 2-3 months (since will be very long).

I am going to have another writer work on the "old gang" story at same time as the other is working on the "new gang", to speed things up

Honestly, I'd like a happy ending, too, for a change. >.>



Namely with a lesbian relationship, and here's the reason why--speaking as a lesbian... it's actually a more rare in media from literature, movies, music, and yes even video games for lesbians to have a happy ending than a tragic one. It's a vastly more common of a phenomenon within movies and literature especially for lesbian characters' relationship (though slightly less so (not by much) in the case of male gay characters) to suddenly end tragically whether through break-up, circumstance or death. More often than not within literature it's a tragic death. But, I mean, even Loren 1 ending for Elenor and Loren ends in tragedy, by its end the world is saved and everyone can go home and become family men/women and yet abruptly Loren is challenged and dies. And my reaction as gay woman hoping at last for a happy ending is this:

http://i.imgur.com/4gFBdWS.gif" style="max-width:100%">



And I'm like, "Again? AGAIN?!", because it's such a commonality within gay literature/movies for the two women's relationship to end in this manner that it's become a cliche.



This isn't just an observation on my part, in fact, it's observation made by many film and literature critics and researchers that have noticed this as a common trend and theme that has gone on for literal ages even into our current modern, and in many cases disturbingly so. A lot of times when I bring this up, I'll get some hipster telling me that a (paraphrasing) "tragic ending is more unique" to which I always counter, "If that's what's most common, how is it then more unique?". Or they'll tell me that things ending in tragedy is more "interesting". To which I often have to explain to them that when 95% (that's not an exact figure but not much of an exaggerated one) of the media that portrays your sexuality consistently ends terribly for those characters whom share it--how "interesting" it is wanes severely to being "not interesting at all" over the years of your life after seeing it time and again because they being the vast majority (to enormous extents) of options available to you for viewing.



And I know I got all super serious pants here with all of that, but I'm just saying the more "unique" and "interesting" route for a gay relationship, especially a lesbian one... would be for it to be a happy ending, because they are so RARE within gay literature, films, and even games (though in the case of games it's not as bad (not even close to being as bad)). Anyway...



So coming full circle, I'm just hoping for a happy ending for a change... T_T

Hmm... I agree with what you say, but this is a thread about Loren 2 release date are you sure you didn't mean to post this somewhere else?

But, I mean, even Loren 1 ending for Elenor and Loren ends in tragedy, by its end the world is saved and everyone can go home and become family men/women and yet abruptly Loren is challenged and dies.

Wasn't the original MF Saren ending similar though?* I mean I get your point overall, but in the case you get a tragic ending regardless of the main character's gender, I think that's done more for the story than for slighting homosexual relationships.

Show Spoiler

* Disclaimer, I haven't actually played the original Saren route, but if you had to sacrifice one of your characters like with Elenor and you chose yourself, I assume it'd also end badly for your relationship?

No, Kharlene's talking about the epilogue. If you finish the game with Saren/Loren, you get an ending about how they got married and had a son. If you finish the game with Saren/Elenor, you get an ending about Loren dying in a duel. Very different feel.

Ahh OK that. Well it wasn't done on purpose obviously, the gender didn't matter at all!

Imagine the poor writer who has to write 12+ romance epilogues, trying to make them a bit differently, doesn't want to have them all with a happy ending. But I'll keep an eye on this in future games. I remember after some "bad epilogues" in Roommates, there was revolt in forum so we changed many of them.

If people wants ONLY happy epilogues for the romance endings, well I'll give that to them, no problem

Wouldn't this make the game boring and strongly reduce the motivation for replay?



I found the end of Loren/Elenor fitting. The game stated that there are two ways for an amazon / queen to die: Step down for her daugther or be killed. So Loren was granted an honorable death in the world of the amazons. It is the way of life she wanted to live.

They had the same discussion with Mass Effect 3. Everything lies in ruins and Shepard dies. Well, if the Milky Way would not have survivved on it's last breath, the whole story about the reapers attacking and eradicating all live would have not been credible.

If thepeople only accept happy endings with their character, I can understand from a business point of view to supply them with it. But it will also limit the writer's freedom for the story. Thus I think you should make the happy ending either very hard to reach or sell it as an "upgrade" for those, who cannot get along with a "not-so-snuggly"-ending.