About Witch's Heart: Unknown Past, Dorothy's Secret -Conclusion-
Some thoughts from IZ on Witch's Heart: Unknown Past, Dorothy's Secret -Conclusion-, following its completion. Only read this after you've completed the game!
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Good day, good evening, and good morning.
This is IZ. Thank you for playing the game!
I finally released it! Good job, me!
I'd like to talk about this scenario, but keep in mind this is all my personal perspective, based in my own opinions.
(If you think "that doesn't match up," please pretend as if you didn't see it.
There may be some parts that make people unhappy to see...
There are also things I hesitated on whether to write or not. As well as "What is this even about?" parts.
So this is aimed at people open to anything.)
I've rarely talked about my own feelings about the games so far, so I'm a little embarrassed to be making this space...
First of all, before I talk about this scenario, I want to say a little about all of them as a whole.
There are four conclusion scenarios, and fundamentally, I'm creating each one "aimed at the people who chose that scenario."
As such, moreso than wanting everyone to enjoy all four scenarios, my hope is that people will feel that at least one of them was a satisfying conclusion to Witch's Heart.
Because of this, each scenario is fundamentally aimed at different people, and depending on the person, there may be scenarios that don't seem to fit.
(Incidentally, if any of them doesn't "work" for you, please just think "I guess my tastes don't match IZ!"
On the other hand, if you enjoy them all, please think "Lucky me...!")
However, personally speaking, if you plan to play them all (or at least multiple), then I would like if people started with Unknown Past, Dorothy's Secret -Conclusion- and ended with Mansion Riddles, Fantasy Worlds -Conclusion-.
(I may add a note about this on the game page soon.
Granted, the games aren't done yet, so I don't know how it'll turn out, and something unexpected could always happen...)
Okay, that's enough of a preface.
Now to talk about this game.
◆About the Protagonist, Sirius Gibson
Of the four protagonists, I wrote him with a mindset of "a protagonist who experiences growth."
Also, he's the only one of the four who doesn't try to rely on the Witch's Heart. Good for him.
He's contrarian on the surface, but I suppose he's honest on the inside.
That's how I felt depicting him.
Looking at the tendencies of my test players' thoughts, I felt that people who liked his character, and who chose his scenario, were people who placed importance on "righteousness as a person."
Also, this is just what I think, but from Claire's perspective, this scenario would be the most appropriate choice.
At the point of Bonus Stage, she recognizes that Ashe and Wilardo were trying to kill her.
Also, from what Zizel tells her at the end, the three for whom Claire retaining her memories of them would have the biggest influence are Sirius, Wilardo, and Ashe.
As such, I believe her choosing Sirius may be the best option.
◆About the Scenario
Because of my thoughts described above, I wrote this scenario with a focus on "righteousness as a person."
I think there may be a lot of people who feel that it ended in an awfully refreshing way.
I had a feeling it would turn out like that too, before I wrote it.
And after finishing, I thought "this really sticks for me," "it ended cleanly."
To the point that if I'm not careful, the ones to come could feel redundant.
But of course, I will continue with developing them.
That said, it wasn't as if everyone was saved.
Some things that nothing could be done about, in the end... well, there was nothing you could do about them.
Yet it wasn't as if there was no salvation.
Out of the four scenarios, I find myself thinking of this game as Witch's Heart's true ending.
Well, but that's just me, anyway...
[TN: IZ later clarified that they meant "true ending" as in "this is probably the most proper choice," and didn't mean to reject the other conclusions.]
When I finished it, I thought "I'm sure this is probably for the best..."
This ending... I know it's really awkward to say about my own work, but I really like it... Though there are some bittersweet parts.
It was a lot of fun to write, and I was satisfied with the payoff. I like it.
Honestly, even I think this might be the cleanest ending...
However...
(This next part might contain some slightly wet-blanket remarks.)
If you don't want to have your parade rained on, please skip over the part between the dashes.
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"Just who is Witch's Heart a story for?"
Zizel asks that question in the beginning.
Who came to mind for all of you...?
Or were you just casually reading it?
(If they were just words scrolling by to you, that's fine too...!)
Come to think of it, I did something like this in the past.
That poll at the bottom of the page that said "Which scenario would you choose?"
The truth is, I myself placed a vote in that poll.
And this was not the scenario I chose. That's all I'll say.
I'm satisfied with this ending, but this scenario was not the one I picked...
Who is Witch's Heart a story for...?
Actually, there is a person who comes to mind for me when I hear this question.
There is a scenario for which I think, "if I were the player, I'd probably choose this scenario..."
However, I currently don't plan to say which one it is, and I've decided it's best not to say it for now.
If I change my mind about this matter, I may talk about it, but maybe it'd be best not to say up to the very end.
(In making Witch's Heart, I've had a lot of feelings of wanting to talk about what led to various things, but also wanting to say nothing and keep it locked up in my heart...)
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I think it'd be good if, when the game asks "who is this story for," the person who comes to mind varies between people.
I really like all nine of the main characters.
(Naturally, each player has their own values, so I'm not wishing for them to forcibly like characters.
Also, even if I personally like the characters, I don't think it's good to be blindly devoted, so I attempt to be careful when writing them.)
Well, my thoughts on the player perspective aside.
As the creator, I intend to take writing everyone's scenarios seriously.
I don't want to cut corners on any one of them.
Ultimately, I want everyone to find at least one scenario they're satisfied with...!
Well then, I think that'll do it.
Thank you for playing this game as well!
It was fun making it...
And I'll keep doing my best!
Thank you, and good job, Sirius!
"Witch's Heart: Unknown Past, Dorothy's Secret -Conclusion-"
I dedicate this story to you.
2.28.2020
BLUE★STAR / IZ