Hi. It's me, Sarah. This was supposed to be a video on my YouTube channel over the recent events regarding DELTATRAVELER, but it didn't turn out well and my friends advised that I not post it. So instead, I'll instead write what I wanted to say through my YouTube community tab and the DELTATRAVELER website(s). Things with DELTATRAVELER need to change.

To preface this for the YT folks that are unaware of what we've been up to for the past year and a half, we've been working on a big quality of life update called the Refresh Update (v3.1.0), and recently we decided that we should rewrite the games story so that future events are better set up and to address issues with the current version of the game.

Earlier in the month, I got hit with another burnout, but I got really upset about it. Through this, I realized the only path forward was to restructure development and cut content from the game. Mostly optional side content, but also some things in the main game as well. This wasn't a particularly easy conclusion to come to, with a lot of emotions involved and heavy consideration to cancel the game altogether, but I don't think it's a good idea to air those thoughts out right now, if ever. I'm not even that certain this plan will stay in place, but... if there's a path forward, then what follows must happen at least.

First of all, I should say that after this post goes live, I am going to be taking an extended break from DELTATRAVELER for an indefinite amount of time. In previous breaks, they wouldn't be particularly effective because I would just be constantly thinking about the game. I'm posting this right now because I don't want to leave the game in the dark with no explanation.

Workflow changes are necessary, because at the end of the day, I'm almost the only person working on the game, with some occasional help from the team. Because there isn't really a workflow structure. Going forward, when I return to the project, I need to actually properly plan and lay out what needs to get done so that people that want to work on it can actually do it.

Along with that, we desperately need to decrease the amount of bloat around the project that isn't needed. While they're neat, they only serves to waste development time and takes away focus from the main game, as well as scaling some things back in the main game itself. First off, the arena modes are being cut. While they technically reuse fights, the entire gamemode would primarily be structured and balanced around a scoring and upgrade system (akin to DELTARUNE Chapter 3's board segments, except we came up with it before), as well as having their own stories. Plus, they have to be updated alongside the main game as it sees more development. And yes, arena MODES. There were going to be two. One for the main required fights before the LOSTCORE segment of the game, and another (Ultimate Arena Mode) for LOSTCORE enemies, hidden encounters, and murder route exclusive bosses. After the main game is COMPLETELY finished, I may consider bringing it back in a future update. I also may post some of the now scrapped tracks that were made for Ultimate Arena Mode in case I choose to not get around to the gamemodes again.

DELTATRAVELER Yellow, an April Fools joke from 2024 that was shortly announced to be heavily considered for development as a spinoff, is also being cancelled. Though, I do want to use some elements of it in the main game, so... I guess expect some light Undertale Yellow elements to appear in the game.

Then, I guess that leaves the more controversial parts, even among the team. I suppose I should mention, they would've technically been cut anyway if the game was cancelled. The one that'd be the least controversial, I think, is that Hard Mode is being removed from the game. Which might seem weird, considering it's completed in the current release of the game. But along with the main game seeing a story rewrite, Hard Mode would have to follow suit as well, which would take a lot of effort even ignoring the LOSTCORE segment. With the LOSTCORE segment accounted for, however... That area was going to be seeing a complete makeover, which would be its own nightmare to deal with. Not to mention if we change it again before we reach the LOSTCORE section in the main game itself. So I think it's just not worth the hassle. Like with arena mode, I could see myself returning to it after completing the main game, though this time as a full campaign throughout most of the areas in the main game.

That being said, I would like two show off a couple things related to the LOSTCORE segment that you would've seen in the new Hard Mode if it were to be completed.

New version of LOSTCORE.

Redesign concept for BLADEKNIGHT.

What'll probably be the most controversial cuts involves the main game itself. It's not lost on me that I didn't expect the full scope of what the project would become when I started actually wanting to tell a more compelling story. And now, I've kinda been paying the price with this pressure of an impending future of monumental, herculean tasks that would take years to create for a single section. I took a look at what the future parts of the game held, and really weighed up in my mind what I felt is still needed and necessary and what isn't. And with what I looked at, I came to the conclusion that Section 7, the part of the game based on Toontown Online and the only 3D segment in the game, really wasn't worth the huge amount of effort it would've taken to see it come to fruition.

The core idea of it was to push Toontown's cartoony aesthetic and create more animated, choreographed story scenes that I felt a lot of Toontown fan projects simply were not doing. But that ambitious idea was not supported by what the section contained, which was pretty much a lower stakes section, which some people would consider to be filler. It's a similar idea to what I have in mind for the future Zelda section in Section 4. But unlike that section, this would require a lot more effort using a property that most people playing the game either don't know about or don't care about. Plus, that ENTIRE part of the game could be undercut by the climactic boss fight that you would encounter in the intersection segment between it and the LOSTCORE section. So I think it's probably a good idea for it to be cut entirely, so that this project can feasibly see completion. I'm not opposed to integrating Toontown enemies and bosses into other sections, but I would need to figure out where they would go.

I also considered scaling down the Mario & Luigi section too, even going as far as suggesting using a less demanding game in the series to base the story off of. But not only was it unpopular among team members that seemed like they wanted to work on it, but in hindsight put several story events we came up with for the section in jeopardy. Chances are, that section won't change.

But that's it. I may create a video in the future elaborating further on what transpired to cause this to happen. If you want to be updated in the future on things, you can subscribe to this website's RSS feed (on the main page). If you care more about social media, or don't know how RSS works, we also have a Bluesky page, a Tumblr page, Game Jolt, and itch.io. The Bluesky page is usually the most active, and the Tumblr page has a (yet to be closed) ask box. Follow whichever is most convenient to you.

I will announce when I return to the project. Please do not bother me about DELTATRAVELER during this break.

- Sarah