Roadmap v0.14-v0.17 Hazelnut Latte


It's been a while since we updated our Roadmap, and with all the changes to v0.13 we announced, I figured we should explain what is happening in the future in detail.

We Are Moving to Unity!

We have debated doing this for quite some time, but we finally decided to pull the trigger and start the process of making the switch. So why do that?
We use Renpy to make our game. Renpy is an excellent game engine for visual novels. As Hazelnut Latte has grown, it has become more than just the short 7k-word visual novel it started out as. It has branching paths, an interactable environment, a map to travel, a phone to use, a laptop with games, and so much more that we want to do.
Every time we have implemented a crazy new system (and by me, I mean asking our lead programmer, Noba), it has been forcing a limited visual novel game engine to do wild things. Things it's not necessarily built to do. Noba has done an insanely commendable job, but for many reasons, we are leaving Renpy behind.
Unity allows us to make things easier and better. It is an engine built for implementing minigames, menus, and weird systems, including a visual novel. It is much easier for a versatile game engine to include a visual novel element than for a rigid visual novel engine to include other elements.
This means that whenever we want to expand the game or do something funky, we can, and it won't have us busting our balls.
It also means security. Renpy is an easily breakable engine, and many people on certain unsavoury sites have broken into our past builds and found things we'd rather they didn't, amongst other things. The game being in Unity will give us more security from the Jack Sparrows of the world.

Will this cause delays?

We sure hope not! Our plan for v0.13 and v0.14 is to have it on Renpy. We will not implement anything new during this time. Just the story, lewd scenes, and new locations so the story can happen. No weird systems or anything. 
Noba and I will continue working on the game as usual. Our new programmer will port Hazelnut Latte to Unity with Noba. They will work on that in the background while the game continues to get updates. Once v0.15 hits, it will be the whole game so far and the new update on a brand-new engine. 

Will my saves transfer to the Unity build?

Of course not.

Will it be available for Android?

Of course!

Will it be available for iPhone?

Of course not.

The Roadmap

v0.14 will end Episode 6 and include the final scenes for that Episode!
There are new scenes with Robbie, Hazel, and potentially Jeze. We will also have a new Hookup character! Similar to Dave, they will not be romanceable, but they will be lewdable.
v0.15 will be when the game switches to Unity and the first update of Episode 7. We have paced it out, so there are two dates per update, with at least one being lewdable. Maki and Tay are obviously nowhere close to getting frisky with Isaac, so they have none. Jeze doesn't have one for (hopefully) understandable reasons. v0.17 will be the end of Episode 7.
I will give more specifics on certain systems the closer we get to these builds being worked on.
I hope you all understand this update and the change to the way Hazelnut Latte is being made. We want to do it without slowing down and improve the game immensely for the future.
Thank you so much. I am always open to feedback, and I appreciate your support. Stay Rad Out There!