Posted May 06, 2022 by acacGames
Hi All,
I wanted to give a quick update.
Last week, I was working on the desktop 0.2 version of the game. I wanted to release it at the same time as the web version, but it had some issues. I've uploaded them on itch now, though. Hopefully they're bug free, or at least as bug free as the web version. It does have the issue where if you have 2 obligations for the same slot, the lesser obligation shows, instead of the greater one. That's something I plan to work on next week.
Next week, I plan to investigate the bug mentioned above. I also want to implement some further UI and game balance changes that you all have suggested. Thanks!
In the more medium term, here are my plans in order of importance (first being most important):
Morning Scenes: I have a strong feeling that the gameplay is in a good place, but the erotica is falling far behind. To fix that, the thing I want to do the soonest is write some morning scenes, where workers at a station will comment on the main character's out, or maybe even harass her. I think this will really complement the outfit parts that were unlocked.
Personnel and VIP transport scenes: Similar to above, I also want to add some unwanted attention for the main character, when she moves personnel and VIPs. This will not only add some new scenes, but also address some imbalance between the load types. I actually have some obligations planned for this stuff, but...that's a looong way off...
Writing in general: I also need to review how I do the writing. I was originally quite excited to make what I call "dynamic scenes". The idea is that the scenes are composed of a few random pieces, and the pieces could reflect things like what obligations the main character has, or what she is wearing, etc. But, this is turning out to be quite complicated, and hard to make cohesive. I can keep going with it, because I think static scenes will get boring quick in a long game like this. But, I also get a feeling that dynamic scenes feel quite shallow. I also think that as the mechanical, UI and balance issues are sorted out, I'll have more time then to focus on writing.
Art: I reached out to Mutant Prawn, and we are in talks to make new Doll Art. The Doll Art was one of the first things we made, but a lot has changed with the UI and layout of the game since then. So, maybe we can redo and polish some of the art. I can't really promise anything yet, but this is something I'm keen on. This does mean that the morning scenes will have to be redone after this effort. But that's fine, the previous morning scenes can be like practice for me.
Dress Up/Down: This is something I'm quite keen on, but I think it'll be fairly complex. I should definitely do this after any possible Doll Art revamp. Basically, the player would have to dress up/down the main character when she leaves her aircraft in the morning, goes to the cargo bay or leaves the station in the evening, and before she goes to sleep. This would be quick or even skipped when she has no obligations in the morning. But later in the game, as she accumulates more obligations, it'll definitely cost her and the player more time to deliver her side of the bargain.
Lastly, I have a question for you all:
Dynamic Scenes: What do you guys think of them? These are the scenes like in the erotic scenes, where the messages are kind of shuffled around. Do you like that the scenes are pretty short? Does it feel bland? Is it worth shuffling the messages around, to add some variety in such a long game? I could potentially add new messages that get unlocked as the game progresses, too. Or, do you think this isn't really worthwhile, and it would be better to spend the time to make simple but more scenes?
Cheers!