The Crimson Diamond Gazette #52
Welcome to the latest issue! News and fun facts inside!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Find game bugs? feedback@thecrimsondiamond.com
---------------------------------------------
Donate on PayPal!
---------------------------------------------
MEDIA
vicek83's "Plans for Adventure Game Developers for 2023" (guest spot)
Exposing Decades-old Secrets of The Colonel's Bequest (guest spot)
Adventure Game Hotspot Streaming Event Guest Spot #1
Adventure Game Hotspot Streaming Event Guest Spot #2
Current "The Crimson Diamond Demo" Speedrun World Records
The Crimson Diamond on Speedruns.com
Disaster SquadCast episode
"Talking To Women About Videogames" podcast episode part 2 of 2
"Talking To Women About Videogames" podcast episode part 1 of 2
Joystick interview (in English)
Joystick interview (in Greek)
Plans of Adventure Game Devs in 2022 (timestamped link)
IGDA Twin Cities Talk: "The Practical Magic of Pixel Art"
Steam Next Fest (Oct 2021) Developer's Let's Play of The Crimson Diamond Demo
Interviews from the Multiverse: Julia Minamata
Lockdown Con II "The Indie Games Revolution" Panel (first panel of the day)
WIRED.com's Geek's Guide to the Galaxy
Pixelles BIPOC Creator Program grant recipient
usesthis interview (interview about my hardware and software set-up)
8-bit Ninja interview about The Crimson Diamond (in German)
CAAD52 magazine article about The Crimson Diamond (in Spanish)
Cabel Sasser's Photoshop Revelation clip
HomeTeam GameDev Podcast -- Guest Julia Minamata
CityNews - Canada Showcased Through Video Games
CBC Thunder Bay - Superior Morning Radio Interview
PAX East 2020 "What's Next for Adventure Games" Panel
Adventure Games Podcast episode
Classic Adventurer, Issue 07 -- Featured
Adventure Gamers AdventureX Round-up, part II
Adventure Gamers Announcement Article
Adventure Corner Article (German)
The CGG Podcast: # 44 Third appearance, updates since April 2019!
The CGG Podcast: #20 The Crimson Diamond updates & The Colonel's Bequest
The CGG Podcast: #1 Episode featuring me discussing The Crimson Diamond
---------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
CLASSIC GAMER? JOIN CLASSIC GAMERS!
I help admin a thriving classic gaming community called the Classic Gamers Guild on Facebook. We host plenty of events during the week, as well as contests and a bunch of other great stuff. We even have a podcast and I was the first guest!
To view this issue in browser, click here
Click here for the entire DevBlog
Editor: Julia Minamata - julia@thecrimsondiamond.com
January 2023
Hello, dear readers! Happy January! Happy New Year, and Happy Year of the Rabbit! Here's the card I painted to commemorate the occasion. May your 2023 be wonderful!
Developer update: I'm currently testing the end of chapter 4 of The Crimson Diamond, after the AGS engine upgrade. That should be done soon, and then I'll be testing chapter 5, and THEN starting the last gameplay chapter! How is January halfway finished already? Argh.
Here is the process of the watercolour Dido card!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The holiday cards have been sent out! Hooray! I'll be sharing the design in next month's gazette! It's really cool to see these go out all over the world.
Thank you, Patreon supporters!
Speaking of Patreon, I've modified my tiers! I've retired the $1 tier (current patrons at the tier can continue at that tier, nothing changes -- It only means new patrons can't join at that tier) and introduced a $2.50 tier. ALL active patrons now qualify for a new benefit: Your name in the credits of The Crimson Diamond! This will default to opt-in, using your Patreon user name. If you'd like to opt-out of having your name in the credits or would like to use a different name, please message me on Patreon! Click here to go to my Patreon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Every December, adventure game Youtuber vicek83 asks indie adventure game developers about their plans for the following year! I was fortunate to be asked, and I gave the same response as I did the previous year... My plan for the new year is to launch The Crimson Diamond! I mean it, this time! I hope! Ahh... Here's the whole video, it's an awesome resource to catch up on indie devs you already know, and to learn about devs who haven't been on your radar! Also... Please wishlist The Crimson Diamond!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm super excited to report that another Twitch streamer played The Crimson Diamond demo! SaraHyde did a stellar job, check out the VOD here! You can also follow her on Twitter!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I took a couple weeks off from streaming for the holidays, but I was excited to get back to it in 2023 for this art stream! I continued working on the close-up of the fisherman, but this time focused on the background and the hand that has to be animated. I also showed a bad ending for Cruise for a Corpse, and started a new Let's Play! More on that below!
Speaking of holidays, I did a holiday stream on December 20! It featured the glorious holiday MIDI music from a Sierra electronic xmas card, some giveaways, and a special holiday backdrop with animated snow! Happy Belated Holidays!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I also finished my Let's Play of Cruise for a Corpse on the holiday stream! The game has beautiful art, but the story (particularly at the end) takes some inexplicable turns. Still, it was a lovely experience and I'm glad I got to play it!
During the holiday stream Let's Play, I tried to accuse the wrong suspect at the end of the game and I got a memory error. I tried again off-stream and the memory error didn't reappear, fortunately. So in my first stream of the new year, I wanted to show what happens when you end up with a "bad" ending! I did try accusing all of the different suspects off stream, it's basically the same ending. But for the sake of completeness, here is one example! And here's the Cruise for a Corpse LP playlist, now concluded!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
New year, new game to Let's Play! I started "Mortville Manor" (Lankhor, 1987). It's an EGA mystery adventure game, set in a house! My favourite niche sub-genre! The game uses voice synthesis and an interesting drop-down menu UI. What's particularly exciting about this game is that BrocantyGames on itch.io is working on a freeware remake of Mortville Manor, and it's nearly finished! I'm excited to try the remake. BrocantyGames has also remade another game by Lankhour, the stunning Black Sect 2!
My completed Let's Plays:
Personal Nightmare (Horrorsoft 1989) playlist
Last Half of Darkness (Softlab Software Laboratories 1989) playlist
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (LucasArts 1989) playlist
Rise of the Dragon Let's Play (Dynamix, 1990) playlist
The Sorceror's Appraisal (Yahtzee Croshaw, 2002)
Cruise for a Corpse (Delphine Software International, 1991) playlist
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speaking of holiday giveaways, here's the embroidered Crimson Diamond beanie by Fourthwall I gaveaway on stream! I'm very impressed by how the embroidery turned out. The beanie (as well as other Crimson Diamond merch ) is available on my Fourthwall store and there's other merch on my Society6 store!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CRAFT CORNER
Cross-stitching progress on the parlour! Slowly but surely!
Here's my second gazette sketch! This one was done with a Copic Multiliner SP 0.7. They're pigment ink, as well as waterproof and Copic (marker) proof. All housed in a lightweight metal body, with a refillable cartridge and replaceable nib. This sketch is of a cardboard Tetley tea canister filled with some of my craft supplies! I didn't start with a pencil sketch, because I tend to overwork pencil sketches for accuracy. I prefer to sketch directly with pens and commit to the errors and imperfections!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Beads enlarged 30x by loupe).
MINERAL TRIVIA SECTION
DID YOU KNOW: When buying gemstones, it can be helpful to research how different kinds of gemstones are graded! There is no universal system of grading, as different properties of different gemstones are desireable. For example: Lapis lazuli is graded for its intensity of colour as well as the proportions of calcite and pyrite that's present. Lapis lazuli isn't a transparent crystal, which means that one of the main methods of grading gemstones (clarity) isn't a consideration. Which brings me to...
My watermelon tourmaline beads arrived!
These watermelon tourmaline beads were graded by the vendor as AAA (though this wasn't a formally certified grading, as I'm not sure if that exists. But it can be useful when comparing items from the same vendor), due to their clarity and intensity of colour. When buying online it's important to be aware that a vendor's photos may appear enhanced, either through how the item is lit or with processing after the fact using image editing software. Here's now this exact item appeared in the vendor's photo:
It's possible that there is a type of light or lighting condition that will make these beads look that saturated in colour. Some stones will even change colour depending on the type of light that is shone on them, or the angle at which the light passes through the stone!
Alexandrite looks completely different in daylight vs incandescent light:
Source: Minerals.net
In contrast, my photos of the same item were taken using natural sunlight! I knew to temper my expectations, so I wasn't disappointed by what I received. I also left a review with one of my photos, so that other buyers might get a more accurate idea of what they can expect.
Here's the necklace I strung with my beads. I'm very pleased!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE CRIMSON DIAMOND?
Check the sidebar for links to my Patreon and PayPal! Or visit The Crimson Diamond's Steam page follow the game, and add it to your wishlist! There's a FREE playable demo too, for Windows PC and Mac! <3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading! Happy New Year and Happy Year of the Rabbit!
-- JM