Progress Report #127 - v36 in a few days

Hey lads!

Change of plans again. Instead of releasing v35b, I'll be releasing v36 in a few days. This won't affect Patreon/SubscribeStar users much, but itch.io and public release users will get v35a much sooner. I've put a lot of work into this update, and it would take me some time to release another one, so users on itch.io and public release would have to wait much longer (until late May) for anything new. That's why it wouldn't feel right to label it as v35b. Ye, I'll need to update my roadmap accordingly now, lol. Anyway, v36 on Patreon/SubscribeStar & 35a on itch.io both in a few days, and then public release of v35a Basic for everyone a week later (end of April). Enjoy!

Added tabs to the stats window, as you can see on the screenshot. Buff duration (with effect info) is visible now. I still need to add weekly buffs and tweak some other stuff, but I'm already pretty fed up with doing UI... :v

I'm working on a feature that lets me mix animations by overwriting some parts, which resulted in this short preview of the NTR glory hole event below, where Jane's current partner has a chance to call her while she's "working". Additionally, there's a work-in-progress feature with added shake to all cumming animations. This feature is in its early stages and reserved for EX only for now. Though it won't be visible on the majority of animations due to screen fade-ins and might not work well with all animations, especially BJs. It's optional, and I plan to finish it in v37 and include it in BA, as originally planned. But feel free to test it if you want.

https://mega.nz/folder/TzgwETCQ#NUHWYfhbKVAj76MMC94IMg

Once I release v36 I will go for some mini tutorial in the form of short events which will try to remind players on stuff they can do, existence of features, places to visit or some basic explanation of mechanics. Many people aren't even aware of Event Sheet or Glossary, so I need to do something about this.

And then there's another thing I've been planning for years - a main quest or goal for each character's backstory. As you know, Jane escaped her village and moved to The City for various reasons, which differ based on her chosen backstory. The main purpose isn't just to add locked-behind-story sex content, but to increase replayability, give each backstory more depth than just a few sentences about the past, and show how it continues to affect Jane in the present. This will also provide clear goals for Jane to chase after. Right now, Jane has to visit each place and look for 'stuff to do' there, without any clues or hints, which makes it feel like a bad RPG without any sort of main story. I wanted to make it truly open-world with a lot of freedom, and while I initially focused more on sex content due to the nature of the game, it needs a main story as much as any other game. Finishing these storylines won't trigger a game end, but I won't spoil anything (and the event sheet won't either), so you'll have to try them yourselves once they are added.

People often ask me why I keep working on various features instead of setting a solid goal and focusing on it, ignoring everything else. And I respond with, "And how many big projects developed for years do you have around that aren't making huge amounts of money?" It's simple - the majority of people would already be burned out if they were in my place. That's how I prevent myself from burning out. I'm primarily a game designer, and then a programmer. I've never been a writer or animator. I've always found inventing new features and programming game mechanics entertaining, and I believe that you prefer me to add some new feature rather than watch a movie on TV, because depending on the feature and the movie, one can be more enjoyable to do than the other. I'm a workaholic, but I can't force myself to work only on animations or writing for 8 hours straight. My workflow is basically jumping between multiple tasks all the time, it's really chaotic, but this way I can always find something that I want to do instead of slacking. I know I'm a weird fellow, but that's how I roll.

Back to work!

Cheers!