Deleted my previous critique now that I'm understanding things a bit better.
Still having an issue with scaling. I have to zoom out to even see the buttons, but then it's too hard to read the cards effectively. I have to imagine half of it is the images used, but I'm not sure. While I could probably modify the style document to better shift everything, that still doesn't solve things long term.
Maybe set certain areas to a proportion, so that things can be more easily viewed without scaling.
I'm glad the update is bringing more content. I've played through the game and $15 felt a little pricey for what I got out of it (felt more like an $8-$10 game). I'm hoping the extra content will make the $15 tag worth it, but I'll have to wait a few months to find out.
Personally, I'm hoping to see more Breast Expansion content, particularly since the demo didn't feature any. (Something you should probably explain on certain other sites the game is being advertised on. The demo is tagged fine here.)
I saw the stairs mentioned in another comment, so I won't reiterate on those. I do think more could be done to indicate the thresholds for the level bonuses in the main menu. I had little reason to use more than the pistol in most cases, with the other cases being defaulted to the Jupiter Cannon. The Minigun didn't really fire fast enough to seem worth using over the pistol. The Glue Gun felt like it was essentially a melee with extra range.
Two major annoyances I wanted to bring up. The mostly invisible enemies are... They feel kind of uncalled for. Once you know they're there, they are less of an issue. But it's still a gut punch that isn't fun to deal with. I think they and the scientists should be excluded from the spawn list in the boss level. I get why spawns need to happen there, but the invisibility and how scientists attack are both quite annoying on top of everything else that happens.
I managed to get the game to crash twice at one of the extreme sizes. The first time was in the gallery room, the other I forget. However, I haven't been able to replicate the exact conditions, unfortunately.
It may also simply be my laptop being sub-standard these days. But usually it's just lag spikes when it's trying to load something if anything is an issue.
The animations are pretty basic. I would have enjoyed the option to turn off the highly repetitive music. The "work" option... It really should just be one cycle given the overall format.
It feels like there's supposed to be a story where the choices make a difference, but I didn't feel like my choices made any difference and the pacing of work didn't help.
Honestly, the only difficulty I had was the relatively tight timing of making it "hit" her. Still quite doable, even with max Polypropelyne. Mildly frustrating nonetheless.
I think that another, interaction alternative to stopping her should be doable. Like hitting 4 or 5 levers that are scattered across the room. Would make it much easier for anyone who's going for a "zero fill" run to actually accomplish that.
So far I'm enjoying the premise. Definitely looking forward to a more complete product.
Right now, my only gripe is that "current inflation" is not the priority when using it for upgrades. Since Stored is "safe", it is rather annoying to return after 10 floors and not use up what's actually going to risk ending your run.
Other than that, nothing big I want to point out.
Definitely interested in seeing how this game shapes up.
My only big complaint is that the weapon types feel off balance. The Scythe really feels like the worst option because it gets countered by the spear (which can't be countered itself) and its extra damage potential really doesn't compensate for how the ranged option always hits for at least 1 due to disabling evasion. Being able to critically strike is at least some help though. Yes, it's got a bigger die for defense, but for the purposes of "dealing damage", it's not cutting it.
I did have an idea of adding a "Heavy" class of weapon (preferably a greatsword) that embodies the opposite of the bow. D12, cannot be countered, has higher minimum damage (1+ATK stat), but grants the enemy a bonus to their evasion roll (+2) and disables your evade option against all weapons. Making it a considerable gamble compared to the other weapons.
Definitely want to see more Boons and Banes; especially if they can be unlocked after a few runs. Permanent boosts would also be nice.
Oh, just thought of this one: Saving the name between runs. Kind of breaks the pace for starting a new run.
So I only ever found the second digit of the phone code by brute forcing after finding the other 3. Sadly, I don't want to spoil too much about it after FINALLY finding it courtesy of the hint system. But here goes.
The entrance to the room REALLY shouldn't require you to step through traps to get to it (Yes, even after the "helper mechanic"). Not to mention it's actually pretty hard to see on that particular tile set. It's also in a spot where you're pretty much NEVER going to just look.
Also, in the starting room, the Polypropeline IV will lose its glitter after first activation regardless of whether or not you used it. Maybe see if you can make sure that sparkle only removes AFTER using the entire bag. You know, in case someone went halfway before and wants the rest of it later.
It also occurs to me that another handicap option could be added, "starter implants". Basically, they give you +300, +500, or even possibly +1000 to your minimum size (up from 0). Less room for mistakes between rest rooms, and puts you on a pretty strict timer when combined with the Polypropeline IV, especially without the medipens. Although with that in mind, maybe that unlocks the code for the phone immediately?
I'm definitely excited to see more progress. Also at the prospect of "additional improvements" a certain trap promises, even though we can't reach the desired size yet.
P.S. - Already did a full run after draining the entire Polypropeline IV from the starter room.
I'm not happy that you bumped up the price again. I have already paid $9 for the 0.9.5 version after paying $7 for the base version. I can't just add $6 to make it $15. Itch requires that I pay the full $15 as a single payment. Seeing as I've already put $16 in for the same reason ($7 + $9), it's EXTREMELY difficult for me to justify doubling my investment AGAIN. This is made worse from the fact I know I told you about this issue. I can't tell if you've just ignored it or are being scummy.
I really do want to help you on this by finding bugs and issues. I really want to see the game completed. Truly. I've been keeping my eye on it when it had much less of the final stretch of content.
If you want me to help, you've gotta bring the price down to the $9 tier so you're not double dipping into my funds again. As much as I want to play this version, I refuse to do it if you're going to insist on constantly asking for more to abuse the system Itch has in place. Especially since I've told you twice now.
I can see where you picked up a lot of your inspiration from. Not a bad choice.
I had trouble finding the 2nd digit of the code to the phone. I ended up brute forcing it after finding the other 3 with no trouble.
You mentioned needing funding for art, and I wholly understand the issue. This might sound a little controversial, but this is a case where I will say "AI images are fine to use". Especially if you plan to replace it later with proper art. If you still won't, no worries. I'm only putting it out there as a means to have a placeholder for certain scenes. At least until you can get the good stuff.
Part of me wants to suggest mechanics but... I know I should hold off on them.
I sincerely hope you can get some breathing room for game development soon. Maybe find other ways around certain issues that will help expedite overall development without really increasing costs.
I've been keeping my eye on this game for a while and somehow never noticed this dev note. I kind of wish you had release the 10.X version publicly (here), even if as an alternate download to the 9.6 version.
I wholly understand the difficulties of feeling like you're being torn between different projects, especially when you're losing the drive to complete some of them.
Hopefully someone's willing to pick it up. I was really hoping to see the Breast Expansion route open up. But as it stands I don't think that's possible.
Alright, quite solid game, even for its simple premise and such.
The biggest issue I had is that the pressure from each pump was random, at least it seemed that way. I did read the tutorial, and it made no mention of anything to determine how much pressure a pump would add, so I have to assume it was indeed random.
In this particular case, I don't think there's a huge shift to the balance. Most events are already around 4 hours to begin with. The Laboratory would probably need to be limited to 4 actions though, to better represent the passage of time for looking around and making chemicals.
You're still right the, on its own it doesn't introduce content. On the other hand, Momo's farm might be closed down at night. Maybe you'll sneak in and surprise her at night for a new event. Perhaps there's a group of bandits who only roam at night to avoid the more bloated ones who would relentlessly blow you up without negotiation. Maybe the market you can access changes based on daytime/nighttime hours? Lots of potential gets opened up by having time-based events.
It's not that the early game isn't enjoyable, it's just that getting a lot of progress is extremely difficult. Especially if you still want to keep yourself fully infected for not dealing with food. And with how some success rates are calculated, the difficulty tends to ramp a little quickly.
25 daysseems a little excessive. Not impossible, but it means most of the special events are hidden. I'm lucky to make it to 20 without constant save scumming.
Also, it may help to have a more static time cycle of 4 hour increments. Takes out some of the RNG of how much time some events take.
We could have Midnight, Early Morning, Morning, Noon, Afternoon, Evening.
Midnight goes from 10 PM to 2 AM. Early Morning is 2 AM to 6 AM. Morning is 6 AM to 10 AM. Noon is 10 AM to 2 Pm. Afternoon is 2 PM to 6 PM. And Evening completes the cycle at 6 PM to 10 PM.
Each "Time Segment" takes one action, regardless of what you do. Bars are still affected normally by actions taken within that segment. Sleep doesn't even need to be changed because you can still sleep for 8 hours by doing it twice in a row.
Not bad. Definitely worth a run or two.
The only bug I noticed was the "Replay?" button not working. Everything else seemed to be in working order.
I think there should be an indicator on whether you've reached the maximum or minimum in something, such as height, breast size, etc. Perhaps when doing a sandbox run, some of these values can be set ahead of time.
Definitely would like to see this expanded upon a little. A good premise. Easy little escape room.
Would be nice to get a proper "reset" button, rather than being forced to completely quit the game and load it all up again.
Tried to play this on a lower end PC. Even on the lowest settings it couldn't handle it well.
There are only 2 glaring issues I have. First is that two of the pieces can be very difficult to find due to physics. Second is that the sand blocking the last portion is still something you can walk through, it should probably get some proper collision to prevent the player from submerging themselves in sand. Easy enough to get out, but still annoying, especially since I've found some rogue pieces in that area.
EDIT: Found a little more to explore. Trying to puzzle it out now. Although in the meanwhile, I did find a bug that might be worth correcting.
After solving the main puzzle, you can use the other two gems to boost yourself further. However, putting one gem into a spot you've already maxed out will leave the gem locked in the socket, unable to be removed.
It's an okay start. Clearly you took a lot of inspiration from Buckshot Roulette, and that's alright.
I do think that at least 2 basic skins should be included soon. Breast Inflation and Butt inflation. If nothing else, I'd be WAY more inclined to support with just basic versions of those.
Display Bug: When you get 2 energy from being inflated, they're overlapping "+1", so it's difficult to see.
Major bug: After I won the very first game, the rest of the match kept playing while the score screen did nothing. It finally went to the main menu after the match finished, and never actually did anything score-wise.
Suggestion: Allow the dealer's POV to see their own status, not just with the gauge (although that's still helpful).
The "Mad Max" cheat wasn't available on my menu.
Someone else had covered other bugs I encountered, so I won't repeat them here. My biggest complaint was that the text on the map was EXTREMELY small, and barely readable. The shop wasn't much better. Definitely should find room to increase the font a little. I didn't have a problem with Salvor dialogue, though.
I also think it'd be worth having colored borders on map icons to say "hey, you can go here". Would make them much easier to see as a whole.
In terms of the Juicer, there probably should be a way to upgrade it so it's more effective. Although I imagine that should also require a special item from the laboratory as well.
The best way I've found to juice is to meet the female bandit and successfully seduce/convince her. You'll be dropped to 0 and she'll almost certainly burst as well.
I would love to see more content around Dimorphex. Especially events that rely on having taken a certain amount before they can trigger. I also wonder if the cow milk from Momo could also have an effect of Dimorphex, even if it's weaker than actual Dimorphex (due to satisfying hunger).
Lastly, and I know this isn't for everyone, but would Futa content be possible? It might be best restricted to just the player, but it could be a neat way to expand the situations the player can get into.
Two things about "making stuff at the lab". You still need a battery for each one, which is its own gate. And because your gauges will still run with each "action", you have an increasing chance of failure even if you've made something 10 times. At least, that's how it is with the current setup. Saving up batteries will not protect you from dying due to sleep deprivation or bursting. Especially since you can't use items while in the lab.
So I would say that if we have a chance at guaranteed checks when making stuff in the lab, it would require two conditions. 1st: You've made that product at least 10 times. 2nd: Your mental fatigue is no higher than 50%. Once Mental Fatigue is past 50%, your odds of success start dropping hard. That should make the reliable production too difficult to obtain without save scumming. Sound reasonable?
Maybe it's just me, but I'd like to see a point where, if you survive long enough, certain checks are automatic successes. Especially with the lab once you've made something enough times. As for more general checks, have the stat measured against its fatigue to balance out success vs failure. Some checks, of course, should always have a chance to fail (like against the bandits).
That would probably mess with the balance a bit. But the RNG of what you encounter can already screw you over pretty quick. That's just how all Rogue games are.
Yeah, I didn't mean that. I meant more "Chance of succeeding str checks increased by..." on a stat screen. Success/failure is still pretty obvious and binary. So I don't think printing out whether it is a success is needed.
Just a simple "here are your stats and what they do". And again, while I'd prefer knowing the exact numbers of my stat bars, I understand if you don't want to give that away. I've noticed that it seems possible to get enough capacity to fully drain the blueberry woman, but it takes a LOT of work.
So far, the premise works well. I'm hoping we get more images to represent the various encounters and their results.
I noticed that stat bars are hidden when you're spending extended time in the lab, all of your bars are progressing even though the in-game time seems to not move. Being able to see those bars at all time would be useful.
I would also like it if we had more detailed stats, and what they affect. For example, we can get a starting stat bonus, but we don't really get to see what it does to our status bars even vaguely. Same with various consumables. I personally would also prefer a "hard number"mode, but I understand if you want to keep those hidden.
My personal preference is to also have "female exclusive" mode with a matching "male exclusive" option. So that all characters/encounters are either female or male. I'm not into the male side of expansion, that's all.
I do look forward to future updates and see what we get.
