What I have learned:
Of course, I could fill a phone book with all of the little technical details I learned through this process such as lighting, camera work, layout, etc. but there were a couple of over-arching things that I think are the most valuable lessons:
1. Try to plan out the story all the way through before releasing anything.
Originally, I made things up as I went along which resulted in a demo that did not seem coherent or well structured. The final version was a total re-write of the script that helped tighten up the entire experience. I am much happier with the end result.
2. Don't release anything until you are certain that it is the quality you want.
As I stated above, the demo was not a true reflection of the final product which caused many people to pass on playing the final version. They thought they knew what to expect. Also, the sites and magazines didn't mention the final version as much as they did the demo because they thought it was "old news". I really don't like the fact that ModDB shows the release of the first demo as the release date of the full mod on the profile page. This leads many people to incorrectly think that the date of the demo release is the actual full release. When I released the final version, I had several messages such as "I thought this was already out" which just emphasizes my point.
The Future
So, what's in store for TMF? Will there be a sequel? If there i s, will be for Crysis?
This part is pretty sketchy at the moment as I am toying with a couple of ideas.
I can tell you this:
1. I am writing a story for a sequel.
2. It will be a mod for Crysis 2.
3. Tara will return as will Phoenix and a few other characters.
4. When I have media to share, I will create a new mod profile on ModDB.
Please stay tuned for more announcements in the Not-Too-Distant future!
