It's quite endearing how Lotar can be so wholesome and mindful towards an altruistic MC despite being, well… himself. Like they can even be considered as best buddies even if not romanced lol I actually love their dynamic and banter.
But oooof, Malitiose though?! Sweetheart, beloved. I was aiming to do all routes but after that glimpse of his background with MC, I don’t think I could pick anyone else for now 😔🥺 since it makes the route so intriguing, so looking forward for more!
I just finished the demo, and I didn't want it to end at all. I had a feeling something was going to happen towards the end, and I was right. I cant wait to read more of it.
wanted to leave a comment. but saw this game when searching for more IF games and honestly as first I didn't download it when first spotting it, though saved it in my library. though once fallen into a pleasant addiction for IF games, I stumbled upon here once more. I was getting curious and the comment by mshen19 with their spoiler really drove me over to downloading the demo. and I fell in love with the story, the summoner and the cast. there was a bit of confusion when looking at the relations though that was cleared later when seeing color indicating which path I was going down [it really caught me off guard before being distracted by said pretty colors]
I started with Saltire's route which mostly driven by the spoiler comment. and by golly was he such an innocent bean during his route. and then after him I went for Rez next. and dear lord above that man can just sweep me off my feet any day. I don't even care of the betrayal, from what my memory hopefully recalls right, for the memories had with him just hits me right in the heart. first the flower, and then the other memory with his reaction to the summoner being injured? I was confused when getting carried off before realizing the intentions and my heart broke. even with his tough appearance, he, in my eyes, is a soft squishy bean to the summoner when on his path. first gotta just crawl further in to see it.
I went to Mirren next because made sense. and agree with mshen19 about there being more angst when coming to this man. that and I felt so attuned to the summoner's feelings when doing his path [and the memories] and when being fed by him I was mentally flipping a table for the summoner. while I am not the greatest at picturing things mentally due to aphantasia, but the emotions were strong enough to push through to get an idea.
the only routes I have not gone down yet is the snake and coyote route. I am intrigued and likely will go down them eventually.
can't lie felt bit sad with the interactions being feeling few in the first chapter, though the flashbacks for ROs push the sorrow aside with getting me excited for what you may have planned for each route. also slowed my own playthrough as I had to minimize the screen so I could glance back at the character art before melting at the radiating good looks of the cast.
I am looking forward to when the full game comes out whenever it does. I have a feeling I'll give to temptations and crawl over to your patreon if my wallet looks healthy so that I may support you and feed into seeing updates.
I really enjoy, both writing and reading, stories that are up to interpretation, so I am aware my projects might not be everyone's cup of tea. The first chapter is intended to be more of MC's backstory, with their 'actual' adventure starting from the moment they find themselves in the Void, finally able to make their own choices.
With that being said, once the game is finished, I'll accept suggestions regarding additional scenes/options. I want FMO to be as enjoyable as possible, so I am very open to the idea of expanding it once main script is fully written.
There's no ETA yet, but I am working towards finishing the remaining chapters within half a year. Patreon's help allows me to spend more time developing my games, but I still have a job outside of it, so I can't throw myself fully into the developing process. Maybe in the future I'll be lucky enough to develop games full time. For now, though, I hope the game will be worth the wait. :D
Well after going through the different routes, I certainly have started to enjoy this tea. For I always enjoy a good romance of any sort and will take a peak at your other works when I am able. As I enjoyed FMO and wish to read more of your writing. Looking back at the game, I can certainly begin to see that as it really did bring about a sense of curiosity for both the summoner and also those around them before the void.
Well right now with the demo itself, I found it very enjoyable. Though I won't lie it'll be certainly interesting to see what suggestions are made to add to your lovely story.
That's quite fine, as most important thing that comes first is you along with your health and wellbeing. Besides I find it very worthwhile to wait, that and I got a job myself now so I can understand things being slow. But whening seeing an update in the itch.io feed it both truly thrilling and exciting whether a game demo updates or reaches released. I cannot wait to see when FMO is fully released, and can only imagine it'll be an addictive play to go down each route!
This is an interesting concept. Admittedly I'm not fond of anything super dark and/or involving other wordly horror or demonic things, but I wasn't to give this a shot because I recently played Perfumare and I loved it. I will definitely update as I have gotten farther into he story, but so far I am just enjoying your talent for storytelling!
(Side note: How did you come up with the names of your characters?)
Dark fantasy is my beloved genre, and most, if not all, of my projects revolve around horror and grotesque, so I don't think they'll be your cup of tea haha. Still, thank you for giving FMO a try. :D
(It depends on the character and their role in the story. Sometimes their name has a specific purpose/meaning, like Malitiose's here. Other times, I just find a name or a word I like, and it resonates with the image of the character that I have in mind. For more 'modern' projects, I like to use names from my list. I like to write down all names and surnames I come across that I like, then I pick and choose what fits best for a specific character.)
Writing is still a 10/10 for me. Thank you for your story.
So I played through 4/5 routes and I have almost seen every option on the altruistic side of things, and even though I didn't think I was going to be able to stomach him, Lotar, ?somehow? has given me the softness. But the ultimate squishy here is MAL. ASDFGHJ. Why on earth am I leaning towards the two morally problematic characters? No clue. My two favorite tropes are enemies to lovers (bonus points if they turn soft and putty like with MC; gold star if they find themselves changing for the better whether it's intentional or not) and friends to lovers. So like kinda the vibes I'm picking up on here as far as these two are concerned? Just the feral protection and sweetness for MC that Mal has is... *chef's kiss* therefore I forgive him for being a big ole brat and down right jerk to others.
And while I'd like to strangle Lotar with his dumb ponytail for being a personal vexation and a buttwipe, the scene before getting Notre? T-T Especially because even though brief, I read that part in horror. I am often around family and picturing child harm is low key a mild trigger for me. I can read a death or misfortune but we start bringing small people into the equation and I gotta dip. Even if it's in just the passing by it's a feels bad, I wanna cry/throw up/panic/shut down all at once moment.
Mirren, is an enigma that I really want to start trying to poke at and figure out. Like, uh, sir?
And I think least of all, no matter what Saltire's route brings, Rez will be at the bottom of my list. Point blank. I vibe with the guys whole personality in the flashbacks and at the keep, but absolutely not. Not just no, but HELL NO.
I have to admit that Lotar's and Mal's popularity surprised me, haha! They are both extremely fun to write, though.
That said, I usually prefer a smaller number of ROs in my games, because that's easier for me to handle on my own, but in FMO I thought that, given their extreme, at times personalities, it would be best to give the player a wider variety to pick from, so that hopefully everyone can find a route they enjoy. The workload is much heaver because of it, but I hope it'll ultimately be worth it.
(I'm going to refer to all RO with he/him pronouns to decrease confusion when talking about them in concurrence with the protag)
You do such an amazing job at immersion. When the protag was stuck in Mastravisch's castle, I didn't realize the genuine anxiety I felt until they got freed from his oath by falling into the void and meeting Saltire and Mal. While there are more friendly characters in that castle like Rez and her old mentor, the feeling of Mastravisch's persisting oppression stays.
Speaking about Mastravisch, why am I lowkey simping for that tyrant...
I just KNOW Ren's route is going to have hella angst. The way he was getting pissed off from what Rez tells him when you're on Rez's route?? Also the way he kind of forces caretaking by feeding the protag and then wiping her mouth off to the point where he is distracted enough to not answer Mastravisch's summon immediately. I am ready for that delicious angst.
Rez is soooo football player coded (if that makes sense lol) but in the most violent way possible. The relationship between him and his men is so endearing! And when he embroiders a flower for the protag?? My heart melted. Because two of his traits are "brutally honest" and "loyal," I am super curious about why he betrayed the protag. It can't be for Mastravisch, since the tyrant needs the protag's barrier skills and Rez hates that guy anyway.
When Lotár hides the protag's view from the hanged bodies if you have the altruistic trait, whew! He's a suspicious liar but at least he's open about that. DUDE WHEN THE PROTAG PULLS HIS HAIR?? hhholy shit. UGHHH I LOVEEEE
I really enjoy the dynamic between Saltire and Mal! When I peeked at their alignments I thought they wouldn't get along at all, but now they "fight" like siblings LMAO. And speaking about Mal, I didn't think I'd like him so much?? And the history between him and the protag back when they weren't a ghost is HNNNNN no wonder he's so attuned to them! Replaying after knowing this changes so much
Saltire is so kind, which is why I played his route first. He's such a breath of fresh air compared to the guys at the castle. He has the funniest reactions to "unpure" things! And tell me why his oath to the protag sounds like wedding vows. I was twirling my hair and kicking my legs LMAO
In conclusion to my rambling: I am so in love with this story. And isn't even going into the amazing worldbuilding!
Thank you so much for your comment and for making my day, I am super glad to hear that you enjoyed FMO! (And a big thank you for using the spoiler/space lines! 💛)
I adore this game <3 But I noticed some of the choices are blocked- how do I choose the "romantic" option in the bathtub scene with Malitiose? All of the flirty responses are blocked for Lotar as well. Pls help!!
Thank you! :D To unlock Malitiose’s route, you can’t pick any romantic choices with the other ROs during the first chapter, save for Lotár’s. Similarly, if you want to pursue Lotár, you need to steer clear from Mirren’s and Rez’s heart marked options. Additionally, your alignment changes some of the romantic and non-romantic scenes, though it doesn’t lock you out of any route. Hope it helps!
Love the game, the writing's amazing! One thing I've noticed is that choosing the "romantic" choice during the bath scene with Malitiose sets his route, but also deletes a huge chunk of his accumulated relationship stat. Is that intentional? Thank you so much.
Thank you! <3 It's a bug, sorry! The stats in chapter 2 are messed up in places, but it doesn't block you from any scenes/choices in the demo, so you're not missing anything content-wise. I'll get the fix done as soon as I can, though!
Strange indeed! I'll take a look at the code, thanks for letting me know. :D
Edit: I took a gander at the code and asked for a second option from my editor, who fixed-up my stats, and I have to make it clear that there are (usually flavor choices) that don't raise or lower your stats, and there are choices that will only lower your stats (mostly for romance, but these are rather obvious). If you could detail which stat choice(s) confused you specifically, I'll have a better chance of making sure that the stats are indeed functioning correctly and the result of each choice is clear to the player.
I have also seen same weird behavior specifically from altruistic stat when player has a choice to accept Saltire without an oath or make him swear it. Choice to believe him somehow tanked altruistic stat, if I remember correctly. And later, on choosing Saltire route (to accompany him), it somehow greatly lowered his affection stat.
so before the 2.1 update, i was hellbent on Lotár without giving anyone else attention.. that's what i strive for until.. Malitiōse snatched my attention ;-; now i love both Lotár and Malitiōse and strive for BOTH of them now.
it's really funny, when i read about Malitiōse. i thought i was gonna hellbent hate him. but oh boy, i've been proven wrong. oh dear, oh god. how can the author do this to me?! so many thoughts have been thought about. and this vn will have a chokehold on me.
would buy it 100% when i have the money just for the fact that i am curious about both the world and characters and wanted to support the author. thanks so much for creating this, i greatly enjoyed it <3
Thank you! :D I am also very excited to share the full game as soon as it's done!
Ah, no, sorry. I am not planning on releasing my games on Steam right now, as they require a registration fee of US$100 for each published game + 30% revenue of said game(s). Aside from that, creating a Steam page and the approval process both take a lot of time and work, unlike here. Itch.io lets me do all that and more for basically no cost on my part, so, as a small solo dev Steam is just not a service I can comfortably afford. :)
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It's quite endearing how Lotar can be so wholesome and mindful towards an altruistic MC despite being, well… himself. Like they can even be considered as best buddies even if not romanced lol I actually love their dynamic and banter.
But oooof, Malitiose though?! Sweetheart, beloved. I was aiming to do all routes but after that glimpse of his background with MC, I don’t think I could pick anyone else for now 😔🥺 since it makes the route so intriguing, so looking forward for more!
Lotar, my magnificent, totally untrustworthy bastard. I miss you so much :(
I just finished the demo, and I didn't want it to end at all. I had a feeling something was going to happen towards the end, and I was right. I cant wait to read more of it.
romance with Mastravisch when
whimpering pathetically until the full game comes out (i am autistic and OBSESSED)
I need more of this amazing game!
i love mal so much but i despise a certain person and I hope they know who they are cough cough
screams
Mal owns my heart and soul. I'd sacrifice the world for him.
Not if Mal does it first 🤭
Such an interesting and unique concept to approach with IF, tysm for taking the time to create this and I am excited to play more.
Thank you so much for playing! 😊
wanted to leave a comment. but saw this game when searching for more IF games and honestly as first I didn't download it when first spotting it, though saved it in my library. though once fallen into a pleasant addiction for IF games, I stumbled upon here once more. I was getting curious and the comment by mshen19 with their spoiler really drove me over to downloading the demo. and I fell in love with the story, the summoner and the cast. there was a bit of confusion when looking at the relations though that was cleared later when seeing color indicating which path I was going down [it really caught me off guard before being distracted by said pretty colors]
I started with Saltire's route which mostly driven by the spoiler comment. and by golly was he such an innocent bean during his route. and then after him I went for Rez next. and dear lord above that man can just sweep me off my feet any day. I don't even care of the betrayal, from what my memory hopefully recalls right, for the memories had with him just hits me right in the heart. first the flower, and then the other memory with his reaction to the summoner being injured? I was confused when getting carried off before realizing the intentions and my heart broke. even with his tough appearance, he, in my eyes, is a soft squishy bean to the summoner when on his path. first gotta just crawl further in to see it.
I went to Mirren next because made sense. and agree with mshen19 about there being more angst when coming to this man. that and I felt so attuned to the summoner's feelings when doing his path [and the memories] and when being fed by him I was mentally flipping a table for the summoner. while I am not the greatest at picturing things mentally due to aphantasia, but the emotions were strong enough to push through to get an idea.
the only routes I have not gone down yet is the snake and coyote route. I am intrigued and likely will go down them eventually.
can't lie felt bit sad with the interactions being feeling few in the first chapter, though the flashbacks for ROs push the sorrow aside with getting me excited for what you may have planned for each route. also slowed my own playthrough as I had to minimize the screen so I could glance back at the character art before melting at the radiating good looks of the cast.
I am looking forward to when the full game comes out whenever it does. I have a feeling I'll give to temptations and crawl over to your patreon if my wallet looks healthy so that I may support you and feed into seeing updates.
Thanks for giving FMO a try! <3
I really enjoy, both writing and reading, stories that are up to interpretation, so I am aware my projects might not be everyone's cup of tea. The first chapter is intended to be more of MC's backstory, with their 'actual' adventure starting from the moment they find themselves in the Void, finally able to make their own choices.
With that being said, once the game is finished, I'll accept suggestions regarding additional scenes/options. I want FMO to be as enjoyable as possible, so I am very open to the idea of expanding it once main script is fully written.
There's no ETA yet, but I am working towards finishing the remaining chapters within half a year. Patreon's help allows me to spend more time developing my games, but I still have a job outside of it, so I can't throw myself fully into the developing process. Maybe in the future I'll be lucky enough to develop games full time. For now, though, I hope the game will be worth the wait. :D
Well after going through the different routes, I certainly have started to enjoy this tea. For I always enjoy a good romance of any sort and will take a peak at your other works when I am able. As I enjoyed FMO and wish to read more of your writing. Looking back at the game, I can certainly begin to see that as it really did bring about a sense of curiosity for both the summoner and also those around them before the void.
Well right now with the demo itself, I found it very enjoyable. Though I won't lie it'll be certainly interesting to see what suggestions are made to add to your lovely story.
That's quite fine, as most important thing that comes first is you along with your health and wellbeing. Besides I find it very worthwhile to wait, that and I got a job myself now so I can understand things being slow. But whening seeing an update in the itch.io feed it both truly thrilling and exciting whether a game demo updates or reaches released. I cannot wait to see when FMO is fully released, and can only imagine it'll be an addictive play to go down each route!
This is an interesting concept. Admittedly I'm not fond of anything super dark and/or involving other wordly horror or demonic things, but I wasn't to give this a shot because I recently played Perfumare and I loved it. I will definitely update as I have gotten farther into he story, but so far I am just enjoying your talent for storytelling!
(Side note: How did you come up with the names of your characters?)
Dark fantasy is my beloved genre, and most, if not all, of my projects revolve around horror and grotesque, so I don't think they'll be your cup of tea haha. Still, thank you for giving FMO a try. :D
(It depends on the character and their role in the story. Sometimes their name has a specific purpose/meaning, like Malitiose's here. Other times, I just find a name or a word I like, and it resonates with the image of the character that I have in mind. For more 'modern' projects, I like to use names from my list. I like to write down all names and surnames I come across that I like, then I pick and choose what fits best for a specific character.)
Writing is still a 10/10 for me. Thank you for your story.
So I played through 4/5 routes and I have almost seen every option on the altruistic side of things, and even though I didn't think I was going to be able to stomach him, Lotar, ?somehow? has given me the softness. But the ultimate squishy here is MAL. ASDFGHJ. Why on earth am I leaning towards the two morally problematic characters? No clue. My two favorite tropes are enemies to lovers (bonus points if they turn soft and putty like with MC; gold star if they find themselves changing for the better whether it's intentional or not) and friends to lovers. So like kinda the vibes I'm picking up on here as far as these two are concerned? Just the feral protection and sweetness for MC that Mal has is... *chef's kiss* therefore I forgive him for being a big ole brat and down right jerk to others.
And while I'd like to strangle Lotar with his dumb ponytail for being a personal vexation and a buttwipe, the scene before getting Notre? T-T Especially because even though brief, I read that part in horror. I am often around family and picturing child harm is low key a mild trigger for me. I can read a death or misfortune but we start bringing small people into the equation and I gotta dip. Even if it's in just the passing by it's a feels bad, I wanna cry/throw up/panic/shut down all at once moment.
Mirren, is an enigma that I really want to start trying to poke at and figure out. Like, uh, sir?
And I think least of all, no matter what Saltire's route brings, Rez will be at the bottom of my list. Point blank. I vibe with the guys whole personality in the flashbacks and at the keep, but absolutely not. Not just no, but HELL NO.
Thank you for reading! :D
I have to admit that Lotar's and Mal's popularity surprised me, haha! They are both extremely fun to write, though.
That said, I usually prefer a smaller number of ROs in my games, because that's easier for me to handle on my own, but in FMO I thought that, given their extreme, at times personalities, it would be best to give the player a wider variety to pick from, so that hopefully everyone can find a route they enjoy. The workload is much heaver because of it, but I hope it'll ultimately be worth it.
DELIGHTFUL
Thank you! 💛
THIS IS SO GOOD AHHHHH
--spoilers below--
(I'm going to refer to all RO with he/him pronouns to decrease confusion when talking about them in concurrence with the protag)
You do such an amazing job at immersion. When the protag was stuck in Mastravisch's castle, I didn't realize the genuine anxiety I felt until they got freed from his oath by falling into the void and meeting Saltire and Mal. While there are more friendly characters in that castle like Rez and her old mentor, the feeling of Mastravisch's persisting oppression stays.
Speaking about Mastravisch, why am I lowkey simping for that tyrant...
I just KNOW Ren's route is going to have hella angst. The way he was getting pissed off from what Rez tells him when you're on Rez's route?? Also the way he kind of forces caretaking by feeding the protag and then wiping her mouth off to the point where he is distracted enough to not answer Mastravisch's summon immediately. I am ready for that delicious angst.
Rez is soooo football player coded (if that makes sense lol) but in the most violent way possible. The relationship between him and his men is so endearing! And when he embroiders a flower for the protag?? My heart melted. Because two of his traits are "brutally honest" and "loyal," I am super curious about why he betrayed the protag. It can't be for Mastravisch, since the tyrant needs the protag's barrier skills and Rez hates that guy anyway.
When Lotár hides the protag's view from the hanged bodies if you have the altruistic trait, whew! He's a suspicious liar but at least he's open about that. DUDE WHEN THE PROTAG PULLS HIS HAIR?? hhholy shit. UGHHH I LOVEEEE
I really enjoy the dynamic between Saltire and Mal! When I peeked at their alignments I thought they wouldn't get along at all, but now they "fight" like siblings LMAO. And speaking about Mal, I didn't think I'd like him so much?? And the history between him and the protag back when they weren't a ghost is HNNNNN no wonder he's so attuned to them! Replaying after knowing this changes so much
Saltire is so kind, which is why I played his route first. He's such a breath of fresh air compared to the guys at the castle. He has the funniest reactions to "unpure" things! And tell me why his oath to the protag sounds like wedding vows. I was twirling my hair and kicking my legs LMAO
In conclusion to my rambling: I am so in love with this story. And isn't even going into the amazing worldbuilding!
Thank you so much for your comment and for making my day, I am super glad to hear that you enjoyed FMO! (And a big thank you for using the spoiler/space lines! 💛)
Why do I like Mal so much, they're so evil? What have you done to me? /j
Well they are evil but very honest about it? And honesty is a very attractive trait, is it not? 😉
I adore this game <3 But I noticed some of the choices are blocked- how do I choose the "romantic" option in the bathtub scene with Malitiose? All of the flirty responses are blocked for Lotar as well. Pls help!!
Thank you! :D To unlock Malitiose’s route, you can’t pick any romantic choices with the other ROs during the first chapter, save for Lotár’s. Similarly, if you want to pursue Lotár, you need to steer clear from Mirren’s and Rez’s heart marked options. Additionally, your alignment changes some of the romantic and non-romantic scenes, though it doesn’t lock you out of any route. Hope it helps!
Love the game, the writing's amazing! One thing I've noticed is that choosing the "romantic" choice during the bath scene with Malitiose sets his route, but also deletes a huge chunk of his accumulated relationship stat. Is that intentional? Thank you so much.
Thank you! <3 It's a bug, sorry! The stats in chapter 2 are messed up in places, but it doesn't block you from any scenes/choices in the demo, so you're not missing anything content-wise. I'll get the fix done as soon as I can, though!
The stat changes in chapter 2 confuses me. Sometimes, a choice that should raise my high stats lowers them instead, or does nothing at all.
Strange indeed! I'll take a look at the code, thanks for letting me know. :D
Edit: I took a gander at the code and asked for a second option from my editor, who fixed-up my stats, and I have to make it clear that there are (usually flavor choices) that don't raise or lower your stats, and there are choices that will only lower your stats (mostly for romance, but these are rather obvious). If you could detail which stat choice(s) confused you specifically, I'll have a better chance of making sure that the stats are indeed functioning correctly and the result of each choice is clear to the player.
I have also seen same weird behavior specifically from altruistic stat when player has a choice to accept Saltire without an oath or make him swear it. Choice to believe him somehow tanked altruistic stat, if I remember correctly. And later, on choosing Saltire route (to accompany him), it somehow greatly lowered his affection stat.
Yes! Thank you for specifying, that is indeed a bug. I already found the faulty code, and I am in the middle of fixing the issue. Thanks again!
so before the 2.1 update, i was hellbent on Lotár without giving anyone else attention.. that's what i strive for until.. Malitiōse snatched my attention ;-; now i love both Lotár and Malitiōse and strive for BOTH of them now.
it's really funny, when i read about Malitiōse. i thought i was gonna hellbent hate him. but oh boy, i've been proven wrong. oh dear, oh god. how can the author do this to me?! so many thoughts have been thought about. and this vn will have a chokehold on me.
would buy it 100% when i have the money just for the fact that i am curious about both the world and characters and wanted to support the author. thanks so much for creating this, i greatly enjoyed it <3
Can't wait to play the full game!!!!! Love it ;D
Also... ... steam version, plzzzz?
Thank you! :D I am also very excited to share the full game as soon as it's done!
Ah, no, sorry. I am not planning on releasing my games on Steam right now, as they require a registration fee of US$100 for each published game + 30% revenue of said game(s). Aside from that, creating a Steam page and the approval process both take a lot of time and work, unlike here. Itch.io lets me do all that and more for basically no cost on my part, so, as a small solo dev Steam is just not a service I can comfortably afford. :)