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!

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.

Development news.

Hey everyone! Phew, just finished the last piece of art…

There wasn't much to talk about this month, as I was busy focusing purely on drawing, and I didn't want to spoil things too much with art teasers.

Now, down to business. I can now confidently say that my friend and I are working well together, and we'll continue collaborating on future updates. He's a friend I know IRL (in real life). He's mostly responsible for the technical side, assembling the build, but also helps with other things (like text, planning, etc.), which is just what the project needed.

The Russian and English text is ready and is currently being implemented into the build, so a text-only test build isn't far off.

I've finished all the art. It took a bit longer than expected because the amount of art wasn't just "like the last update," but actually a bit more. For comparison, here's an image showing the source files (these are the bases, with various poses and variations derived from them) from the last update compared to version 0.20, and a new preview.

The combat system also got the green light, and I've given it to a couple of people to test. There was some minor feedback we can work with, but everyone seemed happy, and nobody rage-quit instantly (Alt+F4'd). So, we'll see what comes of it - it might become a unique mini-game, or perhaps a mechanic we'll use for Noemi's enemies beyond this update.

This [update development] is definitely faster than the last update, but there's room for improvement. My friend and I quickly discussed areas we can speed up development, and we'll talk about it again after the release. Plus, after this update, we'll set up a proper collaborative workspace, and hopefully, things will go even faster.

That's all for now, thanks for your attention and support. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

Development news.

Hello everyone! It's finally time to share some new development details.

The artwork is almost finished. There are just a couple of events and variations left, after which everything will be ready for work on the animations. With the help of my friend, I was able to dedicate more time to working on the visuals, so the amount of art in the update will be substantial, on par with previous updates or even more.

The working build (the build without art and text, but with the logic structured) is also almost finished; only one character's events remain.

I haven't abandoned the idea of nice lighting for the maps (and generally, more attention will be paid to map visuals starting from this update), but this time we'll try to manage without the plugin that simulates light, using simple image layers instead. This method doesn't strain performance as much, but it also noticeably transforms the maps.

On the technical side, which might reduce the number of bugs - the method for triggering events has been changed, and events in general have become more systematized and more suitable for collaborative work.

Also, the map design was handled not by me this time, but by my friend. So you'll notice a slight shift from my usual map gigantism to neater and more user-friendly locations.

Just the other day, I received the final proofread Russian text from the proofreader, and the translation itself is expected next month.

Overall, the main remaining points are finishing the artwork, animations, and assembling the final build. So, the first estimated deadline will be the end of next month.

And finally - all the previews + one new one, and an updated art piece from the previous update.

Thank you for your attention and support. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

Development news.

Yo! Sorry, it’s been a while since I last wrote—editing and proofreading the text isn’t exactly the most thrilling part of development, but it’s finally done.

--- I've given the text along for a first round of feedback. Once I get that, I’ll make the necessary changes and send it to the translator.

--- The text itself has grown by about 2,000 words.

--- Work on the art has begun. The final costume design is finished; I just need to decide on the material for her outfit—1 or 2 ?

--- We decided to move away from our own combat system and will be checking out existing solutions like Alpha ABS and similar ones.

That’s all for now. As I continue working on the art, I’ll start spoiling you with more previews and sketches. Thank you for your attention and support!

Material for outfit?