The next release will come before The Winds of Winter

And with that bold statement out of the way...

There's not actually a whole lot to update you on, so this is an Akabur-style "proof of life post".
I've been writing basically every day, sometimes a lot sometimes not so much, but I have made steady progress and I'm still going strong.
I'm focusing on getting the Missandei side quest done first. I think I might actually release that (Missandei's entire storyline in Act 1) next, instead of waiting to have both hers and Daenerys' parts complete, so as not to let too much time pass before the next update. This might change depending on how fast I finish it.

So, I thought I might share something about the structure of the game. I'm following the three arc structure (well... doesn't every story?), focusing on Daenerys as the main character. This may seem counter-intuitive, as we play from Thalys' perspective, but I see Dany's arc as the most compelling one. She's the one that changes and suffers because of that change, she is the engine of the story: everything starts from her and ends with her. We may not spend as much time with Dany as we do in Thalys' shoes, but she is very much the protagonist.

I plan to have Act 1 focus on the main characters, while introducing other subplots that will shape the story in subsequent updates. It will feature the training of Missandei - if you didn't break her on the first day - and the beginning of Daenerys' own training.
Outside the Great Pyramid, life is slowly starting up again... but how much has changed forever after the Targaryen's meddling? Inside the pyramid, a wounded lion contemplates his life choices and is dying to ask you where whores go. You might surprise him with the right answer. Or with enough wine to stop asking, most likely.

But all that won't write itself, so back to writing for me.

(and hey, if GRRM surprises us with a flash release, I'll be a happy camper. which means I won't be, I know. I mean, he started the month by saying he wouldn't post any more on his blog to focus on "other things", then posted two weeks later talking about wild cards. FUCKING wild cards. seven hells, man. seven hells)

Titles, plans and outlining

A.k.a. "Are you still working on this?"

First off, I've been told that the current title might attract the wrong kind of attention (i.e. Dreamworks and copyright issues). So, just in case, I decided to change the title of the game.
I want to keep "dragon" in there, so basically the choice is between Dragonbinder (which I like because it's lore-friendly) and Dragon Tamer (which I like because it's easier the recognize the theme of the game). Not much of a difference, but hey, tough choice! I'll update everything with the new title as soon as I pick the best.

Next, art. The first commission is under way, done by the very talented Octomush (you can find his art here and check out his Patreon).

So, what have I done this month? Apart from babysitting sick nieces, I have started working on Day 2, while at the same time putting together a proper, extensive outline for the whole game. This means figuring out the pace, character development, when and why the important twists happen... basically, getting everything about the story on paper down to the single scene. There is still a bit to go, but the bulk of it is done. I could get away with not having such a detailed outline while writing Day 1, but now I plan on finishing the entire first act and I need to know how the story is gonna unfold past that point. This doesn't mean there isn't going to be space for some changes down the line, but the storylines themselves are pretty much set in stone.

When is the new release? I always prefer to have slow updates with big chunks of new content rather than frequent ones with a couple of new scenes, which is why I think I'll go this route for the game. It also makes sense due to the structure of the story. In other words: it might take a while.
In the meantime, I will post updates, showcase the art when I have it and maybe update the current version with images.

And I still have Pewdiepie's song playing in my head, but posting that would be repetitive, so here is a video of my cat.