Big post after release!

Hey everyone!

Update 0.21 is out, almost a month has passed now, and hopefully many of you have already had a chance to play it (the public version is available on itch.io, in case you missed it).

This update pushed the story noticeably forward and kicked off the second general's arc. This time I decided to experiment a bit with the map and put a lot of extra time into it. I've already gotten a couple of pieces of feedback on it — especially about the map's readability. This is the first time I've put this much work into a map, so I've taken that feedback into account for future ones.

There were fewer animations in this update, since the main focus was on static images: new poses for Noemi when interacting with objects and NPCs, her movement, and her emotions. And I feel like exploring the map turned out waaaay livelier this way.

I'd really appreciate any detailed feedback on the update. And special thanks to everyone who's already shared their thoughts!

About the theme of the 0.21 H-scenes. I read the feedback about how specific they were… And honestly, I was a little worried about that, since I knew from the start what kind of theme I was playing with. I won't hide that I was going for a slight "ugh" effect here — somewhere it worked, somewhere it didn't, somewhere I overdid it. The main point of this update was to shift the tone and lead into the key event of this arc… and, well, just to experiment a bit. So I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on it.

What's next? Update 0.22 is already in development. It'll continue the second general's storyline and finally introduce us to him in person. As I've mentioned before, the focus right now is on more frequent releases. That's exactly why 0.21 turned out smaller in scale compared to, say, the Watcher update. Hopefully 0.22 won't keep you waiting long either.

Unlike the previous update, 0.22 had a clear framework from the start: the beginning of the story, the key events, and the finale. So the plan is basically ready, the foundation of the H-scenes is done, and a gameplay prototype is already in place too.

0.22 will put a stronger emphasis on H-scenes (no experiments this time). There are some small details left, which I'll +- wrap up this month, and then I'll start working on the text and the alpha build.

Since I already have a more or less finished plan, I can confidently say that I'll be splitting it into two updates — 0.22 and 0.23. So 0.23 will wrap up the second general's arc.

That's all for now. I want to give a special thank-you for your support, especially with this update. It really helps the game grow and gives me a powerful boost of motivation. Take care of yourself and your loved ones!