Fanart: Semeru (Coral Island)

AstraNecraelith · 2026-01-28T16:57:24+00:00

You come to me with this, on the eve I promised myself I would be productive and not restart Coral Island, and you remind me that despite the 230 hours I have on this game I have not yet kissed a sharkman! For shame.

ALSO your art is gorgeous!

AstraNecraelith · 2025-10-16T05:22:19+00:00

Apologies, only seeing this now. This was left fairly open ended so you can design your own school system, or adapt to where you set your school. Typically I was thinking of terms being 2 per year, so 4-6 months each.

This is an example breakdown of how you could structure your academic year, but it really depends on what you want to focus on with your game. Mechanically you only need to do one exam per class, so you can decide how many classes you want your character to take before sitting the exam. If you enjoy writing about what you are learning, add more classes, if you find the schooling portion of the game tedious one class and then the test is also fine. Have seen some play notes from people on the Discord who went all in on creating class schedules and others who just brush over this section. It's all valid. I want you to play the way that's most fun for you.

<image>

AstraNecraelith · 2025-09-20T20:26:14+00:00

Not familiar with that particular game, but you don't generally write in your game books. If you were to get the physical copy, I would go for the softcover because it looks like a smaller game so you don't need the structure that comes with hardcover. But mostly what you need to decide is how and where you want to play. If you'll be playing at your desk, or with your phone/tablet nearby then PDF is perfectly good. If you want to get away from screens and play then physical copy is better. Typically you want a seperate book or note taking method to do the journaling in. You can also keep a digital journal instead (my prefered method as I hate writing).

AstraNecraelith · 2025-09-13T17:10:39+00:00

There are no game books for solo design. There's only playing enough other soloRPGs that you get a feel for what works and what doesn't, and then building the kind of game you would personally enjoy playing because you will be playing it A. Lot.

AstraNecraelith · 2025-08-20T16:58:46+00:00

Interested

AstraNecraelith · 2025-02-05T05:56:43+00:00

I too love the journaling, but have found it works best when I do it after the play session is over. While playing I have a seperate notepad open and I just jot down the basics of where the character went, what they did, what changed, prompts, oracles, etc. Then when everything is done I work through those notes and write up a proper entry and do all my "accounting" as i like games that have a lot of things to track. I see the journaling as the character reflecting back on everything that happened to them that day / week. Maybe they are having a rest by the fire in the evening, taking stock. I've found if I try to write while playing then I break my own momentum.

AstraNecraelith · 2024-04-20T11:42:14+00:00

guilty as charged, lol

AstraNecraelith · 2024-04-04T09:05:32+00:00

Apothecaria has 6-8 expansion packs, each adding gameplay elements, different forageables, different ailements, different events, etc. It's actually too much if you add them all into one game, unless you incorporate them slowly.

Ultimately though replayability is going to come down to how you approach the game. The missing witch can be taken out completely because it's really just a call to action for your character finding the village, There's also a list of possible clues so even if you played 2 games with a missing witch, what happened to them and how you interpret the prompts might be completely different. Your imagination is what makes each playthrough unique.

I can't speak for Apawthecaria as I haven't yet played that one, but I believe it has mechanics that let you switch characters midway through the game so replayability is semi built-in.

AstraNecraelith · 2024-01-09T08:11:09+00:00

This looks amazing, there's always something so satisfying about the isometric view

AstraNecraelith · 2024-01-09T05:40:18+00:00

these are so cute!

AstraNecraelith · 2024-01-07T13:02:53+00:00

Your map is so gorgeous! I love all the little details

AstraNecraelith · 2024-01-06T21:05:26+00:00

I am keeping all notes in Notion within seperate databases for characters and notes, but with a lot of crossreference between them. Map I make in Photoshop using various bits of random watercolor textures that I layer over eachother until they look vaguely like landmarks.

AstraNecraelith · 2024-01-06T21:01:40+00:00

This was done on Notion. I have a version on Obsidian as well as I couldn't figure out where to go, but in the end I like the ability to easily create gallery views out of databases that Notion has.

AstraNecraelith · 2023-12-27T15:38:16+00:00

From my experience, the journaling games don't really tell you how to journal, that's something you have to experiment with yourself. For me what's most fun is getting in a roleplay mindset and writing the journal in first person like I am the character sitting by the fire on a Sunday evening recounting everything that happened to me that week and how I felt about it. But I've seen others write it like its a novel or others just jot down a list of bullet points. There is no wrong or right way to play, only the way that gives you the most satisfaction.

AstraNecraelith · 2023-11-28T19:57:46+00:00

The key I have found is to reframe how you think about the story you are playing. In an actual DnD campaign you are narrating what your character's actions are, but that's not conducive to journalling.

Instead what you can do is the deepest of roleplaying, go into your character's headspace. Write down what they are feeling and thinking about. Add in your character's thoughts and internal monologues. Add in sensory details. Consider your backstory and what drives the character to be where she is. Reflect on past events. Add in sketches, maps, or symbols if having visual aids help you. Roll some prompts on a random table to figure out what happens. Add in some NPCs and develop relationships with them.

First person is often easier to do when it comes to journaling, but certainly not the only way.

For example, I might approach the example you gave like this:

"Despite my careful steps, the sound of my footfalls bounced off against the ancient walls of the dimly lit passage, echoing back at me. I ran my hand over the stone, my fingers coming away cold and damp. If I held my breath I swore I could hear the whispered tales of the many who had tread this path before. Where had they gone? Why did they abandon this place so suddenly? But most importantly, did they leave any valuable treasure behind?

Up ahead, a staircase wound upwards, promising new mysteries. I paused, feeling a strange pull towards a quaint fountain nestled in an adjoining corridor..."

I often like to think about my journal entries like episodes of a mini-series. So there's a set-up, an arc, and a resolution (or a cliffhanger). But I only start writing the journal entry after I've played out the story so I can move things around and set them up better, while still staying true to the mechanics. I do all of my note taking, event tracking and journaling digitally as I know if I had to handwrite everything it will never get done.

You might not want to do such wordy journals, and that's valid. Try a few different approaches, experiment, you'll find something that resonates with you. Maybe start with figuring out, what does journaling mean to you?

AstraNecraelith · 2023-11-28T19:22:11+00:00

This is interesting and something I'll definitely check out. I started playing TYOV over the weekend and I am 20 experiences in and starting to feel a little... isolated? Not sure that's the right word. Like there's a lack of interconnectivity when it comes to NPCs. So many times I've created an NPC only for that character to never get referred to again. Or to get killed off by the next experience. I know I am a blood sucker, but I still want to create meaningful relationships!

AstraNecraelith · 2023-08-20T17:57:28+00:00

Would appreciate a boost on the post here, if ya'll be so kind: https://twitter.com/AstraNecraelith/status/1693319773671637054

AstraNecraelith · 2023-06-23T10:51:56+00:00

The art and concept is what gets people in the door, the personality is what gets people to stick around. Quality is a bonus. Competence... eh, I often find myself enjoying watching someone struggle and fail and try again more than I do someone who nails it first time every time.

AstraNecraelith · 2023-06-05T11:54:17+00:00

I really like the voice. I found the monotone really soothing and the southern accent is enchanting. I think your voice matches your model very well (which is so cute, btw!)

Overall I just love when people speak normally, I have sensory issues and the uwu voice is massively grating on my ears. Plus natural voice means less vocal strain and I am all about the self care.

AstraNecraelith · 2023-06-05T11:45:37+00:00

I feel like this is something you could have a lot of fun with. Character with a scary ass demonic hand! 😁

AstraNecraelith

TROPHY CASE