Echoes of the Abyss – Devlog 1

Echoes of the Abyss – Devlog 1

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first development log for Echoes of the Abyss!

I'm excited to finally introduce this project I've been working on, and share the progress so far. Echoes of the Abyss is a sci-fi visual novel that follows Kara Voss, a daring dimension-hopping pilot who finds herself exploring the enigmatic universe known as Abyss-7. 

Abyss-7 is a place where time fractures and realities overlap, making it a dangerous yet fascinating space to explore. Kara will encounter alternate versions of herself, solve puzzles involving time manipulation, and uncover the mysteries that lie within this uncharted dimension. Let me take you through what I’ve been working on so far!

October 2, 2024 – Laying the Foundation

I started with the core concept for Echoes of the Abyss. The story centers on Kara, who pilots her ship, the Aetherwing Seraph, into Abyss-7. As she enters this strange new dimension, she quickly realizes that time and reality are unstable. The catch? Kara will meet alternate versions of herself—some friendly, others... not so much.

The gameplay is built around two key mechanics:

- Time Manipulation: Players can rewind, fast-forward, and pause time to solve puzzles and uncover hidden paths in the story.

- Perspective Switching: Players can switch between different versions of Kara from alternate timelines to unlock new story paths and solve puzzles in creative ways.

In the opening scene, Kara is isolated and cut off from Earth, with only her ship’s AI, Aeris, to guide her. The tone is set with eerie silences and strange anomalies in the fabric of space-time. I’m really excited about this setup—it builds the perfect atmosphere for the mystery and tension to come.

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October 3, 2024 – First Steps with Ren'Py

After settling on the core concept, I turned my attention to Ren'Py, the visual novel engine I’m using to bring **Echoes of the Abyss** to life. I built a basic script, which I’m calling "Ren'Py Test 1". Here’s what I included:

- A Star Wars-style scrolling intro to kick off the story and set the mysterious, sci-fi tone.

- Basic mechanics to test the core gameplay: time manipulation and perspective switching.

- Some simple puzzles to experiment with how the gauntlet mechanics will work in the game.

After that, I moved on to Phase 2, where I fleshed out the game’s opening scenario. In this scene, Kara arrives at Abyss-7 and expresses her excitement about being the first to explore this dangerous, unknown dimension. Here, I wanted players to feel her enthusiasm—she's an explorer at heart, and this is the ultimate adventure for her.

The scene also introduces player choices, allowing for deeper exploration:

1. Ask the ship about Abyss-7: The player can choose to gather more information about the dimension from Aeris.

2. Look out the viewing window: Kara gazes into the empty void of Abyss-7, which creates an eerie atmosphere.

3. Go to the captain's cabin: Players can continue the story by investigating the first anomaly, which hints at the dimension’s unstable nature.

One of the first interactive puzzles I’ve created is in the captain’s cabin. When Kara enters the cabin, players get to search through various objects: a wardrobe, the space under the bed (thankfully, no monsters there!), and an achievement case that showcases Kara’s past discoveries. The most interesting find is at the captain's desk, where Kara discovers a mysterious gauntlet hidden inside a tube.

To unlock the gauntlet, I introduced a time input puzzle. Kara must ask Aeris for the correct time when the anomaly occurred, and the player has to manually input the time to unlock the gauntlet. 

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Art & Design Progress

I’ve also made great progress with the visual side of things! Here’s what I’ve been working on:

- Kara Voss: I’ve created a full-body character portrait for Kara in her dimensional pilot uniform. She’s slim, with messy pixie-style brown hair, and her look reflects her adventurous, no-nonsense personality.

- Dark Variant: Since Kara encounters alternate versions of herself, I’ve also created an dark variant. This version has a more sinister, darker appearance and will play a key role in certain parts of the story.

- Aetherwing Seraph: I’ve finalized the design of Kara’s ship, the Aetherwing Seraph. It’s sleek, futuristic, and visually distinct, reflecting the advanced technology Kara uses to navigate through different dimensions.

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What’s Next?

Moving forward, I’ll be focusing on creating more interactive puzzles and adding depth to the core mechanics. I’m also excited to start expanding Kara’s interactions with her alternate selves—each version of Kara has a unique personality and motives, which will lead to some really interesting story developments.

That’s it for this devlog! I’ll be sure to keep you all updated on the progress of Echoes of the Abyss as it continues to evolve. Thanks for following along, and I’m looking forward to sharing more with you soon!