21 May 2024

Goodness, it feels like it's been AGES since I last posted an update here! I can scarcely believe it's only been six months; it feels like a year or more!
But don't let the radio silence on this front deceive you: I've been keeping busy, and have even more new events and updates to announce, heheheh~
(Also, hot damn, 36k total hits and 13k unique hits??)

First and foremost, this year will be the five-year anniversary for the release of my first game, Remembrance! (Once again, it feels like it's been longer than that, maybe 6-7 years, but that's neither here nor there).
In light of that milestone, I've started working on a remake of Remembrance! The script for the game has been completely rewritten from the ground up, and will feature visual novel-style full-body portraits for all of the characters during cutscenes; new maps, CGs, areas, and music; and will even be playable in-browser (if everything goes as planned)!

Secondly, I've sponsored another game jam: The Menhera VN Jam!
The jam started just this past weekend and runs all the way until July, so there's still plenty of time left. If you have any interest at all in making visual novels, I very strongly encourage you to give it a look! Once again, there will be cash prizes for the winners~

Lastly, I've been playing a TON of backgammon over these past several months.
This isn't just some casual, passing interest in the game, mind you. No, I'm at a point now where I've spent hundreds of dollars on (overpriced) theory books and over a thousand dollars on high-end game boards, one of which I always have set up and ready to play on (and which I use pretty much daily).
On top of that, I've even started putting together write-ups on backgammon theory of my own, though that's been on the back-burner in favor of the aforementioned Remembrance work, heh.
If you happen to be a fellow backgammon enthusiast, my dear reader, please don't be afraid to contact me. Don't worry, I don't bite—not unless you buy me dinner and ask me nicely first, that is, heheheh~

That's all I have to offer at the moment. It's a bit sparse on content, I know, but don't despair: I'm currently knee-deep in music production, so I'll likely have another update ready in the near future in the form of a new album~
Until then, take care!
-Kyou

Music for this update: lolratz - EVEN WHEN I DREAM
Character for this update: ???

11 November 2023

Hiya, everyone! Did you miss me~? I hope this November finds you all well, heheheh.
At long last, it's time for another Signal Tower update! Truthfully speaking, an update has been long overdue for quite some time now, but hey, better late than never.
Not that that's deterred the traffic coming here: I cannot BELIEVE I've broken 25k total hits, or that I'm nearing 10k unique hits, at that. I'm deeply flattered, truly~

As you might imagine, I have plenty of news:

1. THERA 2 is out! Downloads are available on Itch as well as here on Signal Tower.
2. The final results for VN Cup 2023 have been announced! In particular, I highly recommend Nothing Somewhere, Hopeless Junction (NSFW!), and The Strange Case of Mei Lysel Andi, heheh.
3. I've launched Signal Tower Broadcasts, a single-user Pleroma instance intended to serve as a blog of sorts.
4. I've been streaming Remembrance with my friends Tio Tanuki and no one important! You can watch the VODs on YouTube.
5. I've also started streaming on my own on Twitch occasionally.
6. As usual, I've uploaded new art, new music, and even some new nonfiction writing.

You'll notice that, rather than being labeled "THERA 2", all of the pages relating to the new release are simply labeled "THERA". Going forward, all of the various THERA installments (plus whatever tangentially relevant extra content or other stuff I decide to throw into the mix) will be combined into a single bundled THERA release package.
That way, everything will be consolidated into one place (and, by extension, one download), thus I'll be able to make as many small chapters and standalone vignettes as I want without any extra work or tedium for you to experience them, my dear readers, heheheh~
Note that this bundle does NOT include Permanence (or Remembrance, for that matter); I'm still undecided as to if or how I want to distribute it together with THERA...

That covers all the highlights for this update. I hope you like it all, heheh.
Of course, I have more things in the works. None of them are quite ready enough to show off yet; they'll have to wait until next time~
Until then, take care, and enjoy the rest of your year!
-Kyou

P.S.: If YouTube ads are giving you trouble and/or a headache, I recommend using Firefox together with uBlock Origin. With the latter, make sure you go into the extension's settings and enable "uBlock filters - Quick fixes" at the absolute least (though your best bet is just to enable every single one of the filters, then also add the OISD Big filter as well for good measure, heheh).

Music for this update: Lone - Aquamarine
Character for this update: Ann

23 May 2023

Hello hello, everyone~ It's been a while, hasn't it?
I've been IMMENSELY busy thus far this year, so rather than my old "once a month" update schedule, I've opted instead to bring things up to date here on Signal Tower only when I have something significant to share or report—and you'd better believe I've got some big news, heheheh~

Firstly, I've sponsored the Visual Novel Cup for this year, and will be serving as a judge for the submissions! There's still plenty of time left before the submission deadline, so if you've any interest in making a VN for it, I very strongly encourage you to do so. I've seen to it that the cash prizes are much, much larger this time around, after all~
Secondly, I've released a new album, titled Aimless Adventure! You can stream it on Bandcamp or listen to the tracks on the Sounds and Music page.
Lastly, I've uploaded over 20 new art pieces to the Hall of Images, including some traditional paintings!

Outside of some minor cleanup across the site, that's all I have to report for this update. I hope it was worth the wait, heheh.
Until next time, take care~
-Kyou

Music for this update: Meishi Smile - Belong
Character for this update: Kim

7 December 2022

Here we are, finally at the tail end of 2022, and all I can say is: Good riddance!
Seriously, what an awful year it's been! The few good things that have happened this year have been in spite of 2022, not because of it.
I will say, though, that I'm pleasantly surprised indeed to see that Signal Tower has shot past 11,000 total hits in the time since the last update! Thank you all very much for your interest, heheheh~

On that note, let's get down to brass tacks. The biggest piece of news I have is the release of my latest album, Lost in Dead Spaces! I did in fact manage to adhere to the original deadline I predicted in the last update, as I released the album back on Halloween, heheh.
I've also mirrored my collaborative piece, The Impermanence of Belonging, here on Signal Tower (under the "Fiction" section of my Writings page) for your localized viewing and reading pleasure.
There are also a few new entries in the Hall of Images and on the Sounds and Music page, a couple of which have been promoted to the Selected Works listing.

Permanence development is continuing in earnest, though I don't yet have any new material updates to share on that front.
Additionally, I've had the privilege to become a part of the game development team Narrative Aberrant, serving as the composer for the group, heheh. I've actually already composed a couple of tracks to that end, though, regrettably I can't share them here for now.

That's it for this update.
See you next year, heheheh~
-Kyou

Music for this update: もちうつね - おくすり飲んで寝よう
Character for this update: Jubilant

27 September 2022

Autumn is already upon us, and how quickly it's arrived.
It feels like summer is typically the most active and productive time of year for me, but nevertheless I'm hoping to have plenty to offer to you in the colder parts of 2022, too.

Although I've been keeping busy, with a few different things in the works, this month's update is relatively small.
Namely, I've added a few new entries to the Sounds and Music and Hall of Images pages, some of which I feel turned out well enough to be featured on the Selected Works page.
I also finally had a collaborative piece I made together with my friend Danielle Keller published in Feral Dove magazine: The Impermanence of Belonging
I provided the writing, while she furnished the visuals, heheh.

My current goal is to have another larger release (THERA 2, perhaps, or another album) ready sometime in October.
One way or another, please take care until next time.
-Kyou

Music for this update: Subahibi OST - 不安の立像
Character for this update: Immera (from THERA 2)

31 August 2022

Hello hello, everyone~ I hope this update finds you all well, heheh.
Another month has already come and gone, and so very quickly, at that! In stark contrast to the agonizing slowness of the first half of this year, the summer has certainly been blazing by for me.
Regardless, it is time once again for a Signal Tower update, heheheh.

Firstly, I've released a standalone album, titled Monochrome Maze Music!
Although all of the individual tracks for it are present on the Sounds and Music page (along with a couple of other new additions thereto), I strongly encourage you to listen to it on Bandcamp (using the link above) until I think up a way to assemble my albums here, heh.
You can also listen to the album on YouTube if you prefer.

Secondly, I've created a new page here on Signal Tower: The Selected Works page!
In light of the immense and ever-growing amount of content here, I felt it prudent to make a page showcasing what I feel are my best works (a portfolio of sorts, perhaps), to help ease new visitors into the Kyou System aesthetic rather than overwhelming them with everything at once, heh.

Lastly, I've added a few new sketches to the Hall of Images and a few new entries on the Media Recommendations page.
Regarding the latter, I'm still slowly but surely making my way through the Visual Novel Cup entries, and of the ones I've read since the last update, Saturn's Rising Temperature by Starbage and Walk in the Sun by Becky stand out in my mind, heheh.
Among other things, I also added recommendations for the brilliant Super Mario 64 ROM hack B3313 and the lovely manga one-shot Ensei, so please give them a look!
Until next time, take care~
-Kyou

Music for this update: Starlit - storm logic
Character for this update: ZoeyX

31 July 2022

Good lord, it's been far longer than I'd like since the last Signal Tower update! So much for updating once a month, heh.
Regardless, here we are. It's been a terribly eventful (and more than a little painful) summer for me thus far, to say the least, but things have finally actually quieted down for real this time.
And despite the longer-than-usual delay between updates, I've certainly not been sitting idle; I've quite a few new things to share with you, heheheh.

The biggest news is that I've completed and released a new visual novel, titled THERA 1! As the numbering suggests, it's the first entry in what will likely be a series of other visual novels and games in a similar vein.
I created it in no small part for the Visual Novel Cup (even though THERA 1 technically doesn't qualify, since it uses the Permanence engine, heh). If you're a fan of VNs at all, I highly encourage you to check out the other VN Cup submissions as well.
I've barely made a dent in reading through them all, but even just the few submissions I've read so far have been wonderful, heheh. Naturally, the Recommendations page has been updated accordingly.
In particular, I've especially enjoyed END OF VERSE 23,194,973,137 (created by Grey) and Tower (created by Toku).

In addition to my new VN, I've uploaded a half-dozen new entries to the Hall of Images, including a collage art piece that I will likely not be sharing on my other social media pages at this time.
Accompanying the images are a few new musical compositions as well, all of which are available on the Sounds and Music page as per usual. I'm thinking I might bundle them together and release a standalone EP on my Bandcamp page sometime soon...
I also made some corrections and additions to the External Links page, including among other things a recolored banner for Signal Tower and a link to Enesse Deforma, a page hosting some poetry written by a good friend of mine.

On top of the website additions proper, I have some other informational updates to share.
Firstly, my Patreon page is defunct. I'll continue supporting other creators using it, of course, but keeping a page for myself up to date ultimately proved untenable. For those generous souls who wish to support me, I've opened up a Ko-Fi page instead.
Secondly, I've started recording a podcast! I'm planning to create a dedicated page for it here on Signal Tower, but I didn't want to delay this update any further. Thus, in the meantime, it's available on my YouTube page (with all of the episodes bundled together into a YouTube playlist for your listening convenience, heheh).
Thirdly, Permanence is still under development, even if it's been on the backburner for a while due to various personal issues and other projects. Yes, Permanence and the THERA series will end up very closely intertwined, heh heh heh...
That's all for this update. I'll talk to you again soon, heheh.
-Kyou

Music for this update: Merky ACE - Greaze (Machine Girl Mix)
Character for this update: Hera (from THERA 1)

4 May 2022

Greetings! I bet you weren't expecting me to update again so soon, heheheh.
Things are continuing to look and move upward on my end, I'm very pleased to say! With any luck, this trend will continue...
Also, how in Lain's green Wired have both of the hit counters climbed so much (~500 total, ~200 unique) in less than two weeks?? H-hello, webcrawler swarm...?

In any case, not too long after the last update, I stumbled across a folder where I'd apparently stashed over 80 older drawings of mine. As soon as I found that, I got right to work, and the fruits of my labor can now be viewed, as usual, in the Hall of Images.
Most of them date back to 2018 and 2019; those sections in the Hall have filled out quite nicely now as a result, heheh.
I also added a few sketches that I drew shortly after the last update, along with a couple of new External Links to some rather charming art pages, so definitely give those a look!
And on top of THAT, I've added two links to the video game section of the Recommendations page: One for HEARTLOVEPOWERTEMPLE (created by the wildly talented Sofa), and one for Hitori (created by the marvelous monochrome るねつき).
Both titles are simply excellent across the board, so go play them whenever you can! (Also, please pardon the direct MEGA link for Hitori, as it isn't hosted anywhere else I could find, heh.)
See you next time, heheheh.
-Kyou

Music for this update: Moe Shop - Ghost Food
Character for this update: Beryl

24 April 2022

Hello once again! I hope this update finds you well.
This past month has been very busy for me, but mercifully, it's been considerably less stressful and difficult compared to the one before it.
Also, I'm absolutely floored that Signal Tower has somehow already gotten over 3500 hits, over 1300 of which are unique hits!
I mean, granted, probably half of that is from bot traffic (I can't say for sure, since my hit counter is a super-simple home-rolled snippet of PHP), but hey, I'll take it, heheh.

For this update, I've uploaded over a dozen new sketches and illustrations. Most of them date back to 2020, but two of them are brand new drawings from within the last few weeks!
As usual, you can see these images and all of my other such artwork, new and old alike, in the Hall of Images.
In addition to the aforementioned images, I've added one or two interesting new links to the External Links page, so be sure to visit them!
Best wishes to you all, heheh.
-Kyou

P.S.: I bought a guitar around a week ago, and I've been very much enjoying learning and playing with it, heheheh.

Music for this update: 木村カエラ - Ring A Ding Dong
Character for this update: Rook (from Permanence)

28 March 2022

My, how the time has flown; I can scarcely believe April is right around the corner. Has spring been kind to you so far?
Life has subjected me to yet another wave of emotional carpet-bombardment over this past month and change, but I'm hopefully through the worst of it at this point. At the very least, I've held together well enough to keep working on Permanence (specifically, the new battle system), plus a few other things.

Specifically, I've uploaded a couple of rather old essays, titled On Categorization by Sex and Gender and On Solitude and Loneliness, both of which I wrote while I was on something of a Montaigne kick, heheh. I've added a couple of new prose pieces as well; namely, an essay titled A Measured Response to "Blackpill" Thinking, and a vent piece titled Anguish.
In addition to the writings, I've added new entries on the Sounds and Music page, the Recommendations page, and the External Links page, so please be sure to give those a look as well.
Until next time, please take care, everyone!
-Kyou

Music for this update: Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman
Character for this update: Ashley (from Remembrance)

20 February 2022

Hello again, regulars, newcomers, and web crawlers alike! I hope this update finds all of you well.
This past month or so has been much more eventful and demanding for me than I possibly could've expected, in ways both good and bad. Indeed, things are only just now starting to settle back into a semblance of normalcy, heh.
I've been pouring the bulk of what energy I've had to spare into reigniting the development effort for Permanence, as well as trying to breathe some life back into my long-neglected Patreon page.

Nevertheless, I've finished a couple of smaller standalone pieces recently that I'd like to share with you all.
The first one is a flash fiction story titled The Solitary Soldier. Notably, it's the first complete piece of fiction that isn't related to either Remembrance or Permanence that I've written in quite some time.
The second one is an illustration of the character Lolita 108 from the novel The Pupa Woman; as with all of my other illustrations, it can be found in the Hall of Images.
I hope you enjoy them, heheh.
-Kyou

Music for this update: Kero Kero Bonito - Well Rested
Character for this update: Quentin

30 January 2022

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the new and improved homepage for the Kyou System!
I only recently learned that you could lease .systems TLDs; naturally, as soon as I found that out, I wasted no time whatsoever in securing "kyou.systems", heheh.
My first thought was simply to migrate all of the content from my old website, Monoeye Crypt, to this new URL wholesale, leaving the layout and structure and what have you intact. As I thought more about it, however, I changed my mind.

The layout for Monoeye, while serviceable, really did not lend itself well to navigation. For that matter, it was rather dull and lacking in visual flair.
I thus opted instead to redesign my website from the ground up, adding lots of previously-excluded newer and older content of mine along the way. I even cleaned up the Permanence font and turned it into a custom webfont for good measure, heh.

There's plenty to see here for newcomers and regular visitors of Monoeye alike! Feel free to browse around using the navigation bar at the top of the page.
Of particular note are the Sounds and Music and N64 ROM Hacks pages, both of which are new to Signal Tower.
Thank you for visiting. I do hope you enjoy your stay here, heheheh.
-Kyou

Music for this update: Eve Hates Me - その黒い偲びごと
Character for this update: Charlotte (from Permanence)