phew! all great questions!
first off, you finally convinced me to record my process in blender xP i wanted to give my models a bit of an update, so here's how i model/texture/rig low-poly hair. it's already 4x sped up, but it's kinda long so i would recommend watching it at 2x speed to get the gist haha. basically, start with sections/hair strands as planes, then > extrude > merge vertices at the end. start with big, basic shapes and then go in with details. i do hair this way to reduce the # of polygons but also keep it just detailed enough.. it's a balance i sometimes struggle with @_@ but dealing with planes this way is way easier than cubes - one less dimension to worry about.
to answer your questions:
1. EVENTUALLY there will be an objective, i plan to make this an rpg based around a storyline, etc but i'm still learning how to program so for now i'm focusing on world building, making models, etc. cause it's easier for me haha. LIKE i wanted to learn how to implement an inventory system, but then i realize i don't have items yet, so then i hop on to blender and then get distracted with that.. haha.
the game universe is shared with my comic universe, so thru my comics i'm working out the main storyline - vaguely put it's a coming of age story about a girl who finds/befriends/falls in love(?) with a demon, set in a kind of run-down/desolate-from-a-big-storm beach town, which is based off of where i grew up. xP i like stories that are character driven rather than plot, sooo i do suspect there will be side-quests/story lines centered around the cast! i still want to use my idea of music playing a role in gameplay, like improving the town/affecting residents, but one step at a time.... haha
(https://cinni.net/images/web/div/linea.gif)
2. i don't plan on the game being multiplayer, BUT that being said, i have thought about making all these scenes into a separate multiplayer project once the world is somewhat finished, just cause i like exploring virtual worlds so much and there's something that itches my dopamine brain of making my childhood neighborhood from the ground-up and living out a weird alternate universe...
(https://cinni.net/images/tumblr_inline_npqr83NOux1ry72eo_400.gif)
3. i plan on making this a stand-alone project from entrance or exit! i like the collaborative aspect of putting together virtual galleries w/ other artists, and jade's world feels so.. me, myself, and i, haha. though i'm starting to explore games as a narrative tool, so there is an overlap in my brain of games-as-part-of-my-art-practice with this project and EOE!
(https://cinni.net/images/web/div/neskaya.net_strawbdiv.gif)
4. YES driving cars is 100% a thing i want, same with riding the bus and making a bus schedule, but my coding skills are just not there yet/haven't gotten around to learning it.. :'(
(https://cinni.net/images/web/div/sugar-peach.net_dividersprout.gif)
5. i did plan for this to end up as a downloadable game, but for now i'm making demos for webGL cause i think it's more accessible to play while the world is still fairly small, but i forsee the file size getting too big to run on the browser.. haha. i say this as someone with hardly any free space, i look at some virtual worlds that require you to download a 2GB game and shriek LOL
(https://cinni.net/images/web/div/linea.gif)
6. oooh fun question! i think what i'm going to say will apply to anyone just starting out with making games, in that your first project will be a trial run as you learn the inner workings! i still feel this way with these demos, where it's easier for me to start fresh using what i learned with previous demos and start from there.
like, i would use basic player controls, but as the world/my coding developed, i wanted to do more complex things so i needed to upgrade my player controls, which then has a domino effect haha. i mess with one script and it somehow affects other things in the game i didnt suspect! like how i switched scenes. before i just copied the player prefab in each scene, then i realized if i want the player to change and have those changes carry on to other scenes, i need to re-work the whole structure! i expect to do this a few more times over :-p
if i had to start again, i would probably make a few test-games where i'm figuring out all the mechanics, but then again those mechanics will be determined based on the world, sooo i guess just be OK with starting over! as far as things i found really fun, it's the world building and seeing it come to life! silly little things like making a love attack or petting cats! hahaha. i had just finished chulip, a game all about kissing, and thought i really needed to make kissing NPC's a thing in my game, LOL. what's fun about making your own game is that you make the rules of the universe, so if you want a game centered around kissing rather than punching.. well, you can!
i had to sit on this reply for a few days, but i really appreciate the chance to share my process/thoughts >:-O so thanks!