Posted July 31, 2023 by Yumeiro Studio
#progress_update
Hii,
Before we dive into the description of our new game and answer frequent questions, I'd like to inform you about the plan for the new MRG version, which we will present in 14 days. I have decided to expand the new MRG version much more than originally planned, so you have something to look forward to.
Now, let's take a look at our new game, which is almost ready for release, and it's time to talk about it more. The title is still a secret, but we'd like to share some information with you. Our new game is a visual novel set in a Japanese school environment, combining romance, school life, slice of life genres, and it includes one fantasy element - a special ability that the main character will possess. His name is Kanato Amamiya.
The story begins with Kanato being an unwanted child of parents who often travel. At a young age, he moves with them to Tokyo, where he completes elementary school and enters high school. Unfortunately, a year before finishing high school, both of his parents die in a car accident. Kanato miraculously survives but is left with prominent scars all over his body, one of them hidden under his hair on his forehead. Despite being neglected by his parents, he loved them, and their death deeply affected him. Kanato becomes withdrawn after the tragedy.
His situation improves when he moves in with his mother's friend, Kanae, who practically raised him. Kanato moves into their home, where Kanae's daughter also lives. He enrolls in a local high school to complete his final year. Among his classmates are Fuka, a girl passionate about video games, Kanon, who longs to be irresistible and indispensable to others, and Sanota, who hides a serious illness and wants to live life to the fullest.
However, these are just a fraction of the characters; the current demo version features over 20 characters. Some of them are main characters, although not all of them are fully developed in the demo version. The game will primarily focus on a girl named Fuka, and we'll also get a glimpse into the stories of Sonata and Miyoko. Yes, Miyoko, that mysterious character who appeared in both MRG and the new game (as well as the runaway girl).
Unlike MRG, we have made some adjustments to the game elements, such as stats, shops, job systems, and quests, while the map traveling remains unchanged. However, you won't find leveling, talents, crafting systems, or needs like hunger and thirst in this game. We wanted this game to be primarily story-driven, so we adapted RPG elements accordingly. On the other hand, we introduce several new features, such as characters in an open world, mobile phone, and the ability to change the skin of the main characters or buy skin in shop in game.
The main feature of this game is building relationships between characters. Depending on the chosen school club and job, the characters you interact with daily will change to some extent. However, this doesn't mean that some characters will be unavailable; there will be certain limits and changes in the story. You'll be able to build a relationship with each MAIN character as you wish. Want to be friends with Fuka? Of course, enjoy spending time with her. Not interested in the e-girl? Ignore Fuka. The game won't force you to interact with her. Want to date one girl? You can do that. Want a harem and date all the girls? Yes, that's possible too. The game won't force you, but it won't prevent you from making those choices either. Of course, we don't have the team or finances to create stories and scenes for all characters in this version, but we'll gradually add these possibilities.
We are currently completing the final illustrations and animations and expect to be finished around August 4.
Game Release:
Next week, we will start creating a Patreon and Itch.io page. In the first week of August, we plan to finish integrations and testing, and in the second week of August, we will release the game. Then, in October, we plan to release another major content update, which will include a complete story line for the character named Sonata. Our game is more ambitious than MRG, evident by its content being three times larger than the current content of MRG. We plan to publish the game in four versions:
Versions 3 and 4 will be available on subscription platforms. Once the game reaches playability for 5 hours or more, we will offer it for sale on Itch.io.
We will strive to release smaller updates with new animations and illustrations at least every month, as well as story updates. Every 3-4 months, we plan to release major updates. If we manage to achieve milestones on Patreon, we will be able to work on the game full-time, allowing us to bring even more animations and content.
Thank you for your time.
Shifi