Hello!
Sona: Age of Fur has finally released! It's on dtrpg as a pdf for $12 - but I'm going to make it pay-what-you-want through the weekend, meaning if you just want to download and check it out for free, that's totally cool!
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/491433/sona-age-of-fur?affiliate_id=676072I'm not super competent with message boards but I have some images and stuff I want to discuss about the game.
The first thing, and the biggest deal in many people's eyes is the art. I want to be totally clear, I do not consider myself an artist and I do not accept commissions of any kind. I dabble in painting but I'm barely competent. This game is something I've made (almost) entirely on my own, with some good suggestions and support from a friend or two. I had no budget whatsoever and my personal attempts at art would have eventually gotten lazy and rushed, even if they started strong. I know this because that's what happened when I tried. I'm a writer by inclination and I have a lot more I want to write, I couldn't spend another three years becoming an illustrator. SO. I made rough sketches or used stock art, which I had a program retexture and relight so that there was a unified, cohesive "look" to the art. I think it was very successful, however I know that any use of upscaling or inking that isn't human-performed leads to cries of "AI slop". As I mention in the foreward of the book, I have done the best I can within my means. If any use of computer-assisted graphics is too much, even if it was primarily masking and shading, then I can only admit that this product crossed that line and apologize if you're disappointed.
I'm going to try and attach a couple of my own sketches and how they eventually transformed into finished art here, so you can get a sense of what I'm saying.
The attached images are a pair of my very rough sketches of a wanaglan and a burrower. The third image is one where I used an automated system to clean up the lines, shade, and get rid of my various mistakes and smudges for the burrower. The fourth is the final image of the wanaglan after a LOT of this kind of processing and an overlay that involved an actual picture of a parakeet.
I hope it's clear that the spirit of the images are my own creations but that I needed assistance to illustrate a 140 pg rulebook. I just wanted to get this out here so interested parties will know that I'm being upfront and honest as I can.
Much love to everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read this, even if you think I'm a dirty little trash boy for using a computer to make my worm-monster look less like I made it while drinking cocoa.
