Big post after release!

Hi everyone! The 0.20 update is finally out, and many of you have already had a chance to play it.

In 0.20, I wrapped up the brothel arc. This was a major milestone since it required the highest SPL LST check outside of Mnazon’s missions.

Speaking of SPL LST, the corruption system has been redesigned. The regular LST stat was removed because having both LST and SPL LST often caused confusion. The most tedious part, the 16 H-games, has been reduced to 4, but none of the scenes were removed, only combined. I hope this makes the early game feel more dynamic. Also, before Noemi’s kidnapping, in the early game there are now 2 additional SPL LST points available. Previously, missing even a single point could snowball into being locked out of content. There should now be more room for mistakes without punishing the player so severely.

I also wanted to overhaul Midea’s progression from a technical standpoint — to make her arc independent and impossible to skip. However, after implementing this, testing revealed too many technical and logical issues, so I reverted the change.

0.20 also introduced the combat system — the core feature of this update. It took a lot of time and effort, but I hope you’re enjoying it. Please tell me what you think! I’m planning to use this system moving forward, but your feedback is much appreciated!

Some plugins were rewritten, and there’s now an improved hint feature to help with progression. During action selection, options related to new events are marked in green. For now, this applies only to 0.20 content.

During the 0.20 development I was actively searching for someone to help me with development, because it’s getting harder to lead the project all by myself. And it seems I was successful in that matter. Right now, my brother and my friend help me with it. My friend will work on the technical part: anything related to build assembly, initial location building and other details – besides, he already helped a lot with the 0.20 update. We also slightly changed the approach to how we work with the engine, the logic behind location building, events and all other small things so that it was easier for us to work on it together. My code and build before the 0.20 update for someone else was something to behold… Anyway, let’s not get into this.

During development, I was actively looking for help, as it’s becoming harder to handle the whole project alone. Fortunately, I managed to find support. My brother and a friend have joined the development. My friend will focus on the technical side — build assembly, initial location creation, and other details. He already contributed a lot to the 0.20 update. We also adjusted our workflow with the engine, as well as how we structure locations, events, and other details, so it’s easier for us to collaborate. Let’s just say the code and build I had pre-0.20 was… something special. Anyway, let’s not dive into that.

My brother will help with something I’m not great at — consistent posts and progress updates. He’ll also take part in the script and text writing. I will still be responsible for the main storyline, but I’d like him to handle thematic events like the New Year’s event, and others. With him on board, I hope to focus more on what I do best.

Since we now have a proper team, I’ll be compensating them for their work — not just thanking them. I want to take a more stable approach to development. Right now, while I’m confident in my finances and capabilities, we will focus on the main plot until the epilogue. After the story is complete, we’ll see how things look and then fill in the remaining side content: more Midea events? The Arcade? Luka? Rufina? We’ll consider each case individually, and your feedback will play a major role.

We’re also done with huge updates. From now on, a single update should not exceed around 10,000 words. 0.20 got so big because I personally struggle to stop — but now I have two “supervisors” by my side. Nine-month updates make you wait too long, they are not good for the game, or for my health — so no more of that.

We are already planning the 0.21 update, which will begin the second general’s arc — the Arms Baron, the most greedy and violent of the two generals. His arc will be similar in structure to the first general’s storyline, but less humorous and with more helpless/dark/dangerous scenarios. Noemi is going to have a very rough time getting out of them.

That’s all for now. Thank you again for your attention, support, and for sticking with this project. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones!

New folder for bug fixes!

A quick announcement about bug fixes. From now on, the download link, in addition to the folders for the Russian and English versions, will always include a new "bugfix" folder. It will be updated as bugs are found and fixed.

Test uploaded!

Hi everyone! The test build has been uploaded. Everything is ready except for the sounds for the animations. For the last couple of days, I've been sidetracked by bugs, so I had to shift my focus from the sounds to fixing errors and making final changes. I'll finish them in the next day or two and will either add the files for testing or include them directly in the release. The final part of the brothel has been added. We've changed the LST system, removing the regular LST and reducing the number of empty H-scenes. Midea's storyline is also being slightly reworked, but only on a technical level to make it unmissable. I'm currently digging into the old variables and events connected to it. It has deep roots, so it's easy to break everything, meaning A LOT of things could stop working. That's why I'm not going to rush this. If I don't finish it in time, I'll move this change to version 0.20a. If all goes well, the release should be around Tuesday or Wednesday. Big post with all details also will be soon. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy the update!z

First Test of the Early 0.20 Update Build

Hey everyone!

At the start of the month, I posted in Discord about the build’s text, but I only just wrapped up all the tests and edits. The build took way more work than expected, and I had to rework a couple of plugins. Plus, I didn’t make the whole build myself, so I had to get used to it. Ended up adding +800 lines of code. Total: 7807 lines. Updates 0.18 and 0.19 wrap up at line 4154. Like I said, it’s a lot.

The first test build (no art yet) is done and up on Discord. Same as last time, I’d love to hear your initial thoughts on how the update plays and any bugs you spot. I’m especially curious about the combat and all the balance stuff around it. If you’re up for helping with testing, DM me on Discord.

While testing’s going on, we’re quickly finishing the animations and putting together the final build.

Oh, and one last thing — a couple of new previews and the final character sprite for this update.

Thanks for reading! And thanks again for all your support. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones.