Devlog: The Deep Music Creation System

I’m excited to showcase the core loop of Rising Sound. My goal is to move beyond simple progress bars and offer a realistic simulation of an artist's creative journey—from the initial spark of inspiration to the strategic release of an Anniversary Deluxe edition.

Currently, I am focusing on the logic and depth of these systems before finalizing the UI design.

🎛️ What You Can Do

• Master the Production Pipeline: Shape each track through five distinct phases: Pre‑production, Production, Mix, Revision, and the final Decision. Watch your progress bars fill as quality increases based on your skills and choices.
• Build the Perfect Release: Use the Tracklist Builder to tick included songs and reorder them via drag‑and‑drop (featuring snapping and target guides). Instantly monitor total duration and per-song timing to ensure your LP or EP is valid.
• Pioneer New Micro‑Genres: This is a living world. If you are the first to release a specific Primary + Secondary genre combo, you earn the "Pioneer" tag and a permanent hype/reputation boost.
  • Watch out: NPCs are also competing. They actively explore new combos. If an NPC releases it first, they get the glory, and you become a follower.
• Total Creative Control: Convert tracks to Demos or Outtakes instantly. Anything excluded from a release automatically becomes an Outtake for future use.
• Strategic Theming: Choose specific themes for songs and projects. Themes affect previews and expected plays based on their affinity with your chosen genre and audience.
• Weekly Management: Read your week at a glance with colored Manager KPIs, direct “Run with ROI” actions, and a Timeline with event chips and impacts.

🎚️ The Production Phases

Every hit song goes through a journey. Manage your energy wisely:

1. Pre‑production: Define the soul of the track. Pick genres, label, form, duration, and a Theme. Defines the baseline quality.
2. Production: Choose instruments and collaborators to raise quality. Duration depends on your skills and studio level. Warning: Stress penalties apply.
3. Mix: Select your mixing level (Basic, Advanced, Expert) to trigger chain bonuses.
4. Revision (The Trade-off):
   • 1st Pass: High quality boost.
   • 2nd Pass: Medium boost.
   • 3rd+ Pass: Diminishing returns with a risk of "Over-producing" (ruining) the track.
   • Cost: Each revision increases Stress (+8) and Fatigue (+5). Do you polish to perfection or save energy for the next song?
5. Decision: Launch, Vault, or Keep Unreleased. Review platform previews, theme affinity, and contract rules before committing.

🧠 Smart Systems Behind The Scenes

• Living Market Trends: Theme–Genre affinity boosts your plays, but the market shifts weekly. A popular theme gains traction when published but decays over time. Staying on the same theme may saturate the audience, while mid‑affinity themes can shine if they are currently trending.
• Themes Library: Choose from a vast array of themes including Love, Depression, Rebellion, City Life, Mental Health, War, Peace, Nostalgia, and many more to define your lyrical identity.
• Outtakes with Purpose:
  • Fillers: Toggle “Use Outtakes as Fillers” to meet label minimums without wasting your best tracks (at the cost of reduced plays).
  • B-Sides / Rarities: Build a specialized project from your vault. These get reduced plays overall but provide a significantly higher Hype Boost when your popularity is low—perfect for a comeback.

💿 Special Releases

• Anniversary Editions: Clone a classic album into a celebratory release with special exceptions to frequency penalties.
• Rarities Collections: A quick “Publish Rarities” button appears when you have enough material. The system intelligently suggests a parent project (listing those with the most outtakes first) and auto-names the release with the in-game year.

✨ Why It Feels Good

• Transparent: No hidden math. You always see why a release is Valid/Invalid, why a track failed, and what changes impact your results.
• Fast Iteration: Drag‑and‑drop snapping, quick demo/outtake toggles, and clear color-coded theme chips make management satisfying, not tedious.
• True Freedom: You control the narrative. Decide what makes the cut, battle NPCs for innovation rights, and evolve your discography with Deluxe and Anniversary eras.

💬 Tell Me What You Think

I need your feedback to balance the simulation:

1. Do the Theme Options and affinity mechanics feel right for the genres you play?
2. Is the Tracklist Builder giving you enough control to plan complex albums?
3. Should B‑Sides and Fillers have more specific rules or rewards?
4. What other tools would you add for editing, sorting, or transferring songs?