No, actually that's a SECOND one that I missed somehow. Fixed, but probably won't push a patch just for that. Will be fixed in future releases though. Thanks for the report! And glad you're enjoying the game so far!
I mean, he's roughly the same size as Mezz, just a little shorter. Using real-world measurements rather than proportions is always a bit fraught with stuff like this, but vaguely I put Mezz in the range of something like 4 feet (to the head, not to the ears). Scratch a little shorter. Officially, Mezz is about chest-height to the hyenas, the boars are a bit shorter (though Diezel is fucking massive). This flexes a bit as needed for a given scene though. But yeah, that would make the hyenas somewhere around 5/5.5 feet, Diezel even taller and WIDE. They're all a little more short and squat in proportions ("heads" high) than normal humans though, because IMHO that looks more visually appealing and cartoon-like.
Ha, no you're good! As of where we are in the story currently, no, it's strictly a friendship, though there's definitely indications Scratch wants it to be something more. As to where that will end up, you'll have to keep tuning in to find out! Same bunny time, same bunny channel. As for height, Mezz is definitely taller, by a good three to four inches. As to "height," again, mysteries may be revealed at a later date.
Oh no worries, I'm always glad to hear ideas, though obviously I have to turn down most of them. This is actually an interesting idea, and one I hadn't considered. I tend to take a chuckling, self-effacing view to the idea of merch for the games for the most part: a. Are people really THAT enthusiastic and b. Do they really want to advertise in public that they're jerkin' it to a cartoon bunny? But a poster would be...somewhat private? And fairly cheap and easy to contract production for, shipping etc, with some decent room for profit margin (sounds mercenary, but you have to understand this stuff takes time, and I'm running a business, so it has to generate at least SOME income to justify itself.)
So yeah, I actually really like that idea. That said: Time. I am currently working on the third Content Pack, and getting some IRL stuff sorted. After that I have to immediately dive into Chapter 3, giving it 150% of my time and energy because 1 was important, 2 was important, but 3 is also very important to get just right for a variety of reasons. Without even researching it I'm guessing it'll take me two to three weeks to whip up the art, and probably at least another month to get all the logistics of printing and ordering worked out. So it's probably not happening until after the initial release of 3 is out. That said, if you or others have suggestions for services to work with on this, I'll definitely archive them for reference later. Those kind of groups have a history of being unreliable, disrespectful of IP, and cutting pretty aggressively into profit, but it definitely won't hurt to get a jump on researching the options.
Exactly. The first game is very intentionally the gateway drug, something to give people a sense of what they can expect and build goodwill. I'm old as the sands of time, so I remember a time when "Shareware" was a thing. Not just demos, but a whole meaty first chunk of the game was yours to play, and it really helped build a culture and enthusiasm around those games. And I'd say that's even more important for a game like this, because there's so much dross to sift through, so much chaff to find the wheat. A LOT of games, here and elsewhere are "proof of concepts" or "early access" (in this case meaning not an ongoing project, but the barest skeleton of a game that will see several refactors before being abandoned). People are understandably hesitant to drop $10 bucks on a whim just to see. So the first game proves that, yes, I can actually finish games, and demonstrates what that looks like. And if they enjoy it, THEN they can slap down the $10 to keep going.
To be fair, I have the subscription too. But that's more of an option for extra support, and for those who want a head-start on the releases. That initial $10 purchase does indeed get you, in the case of GT, the game and soon three extra content releases, which I think is a pretty good deal. Subjective of course, and if someone buys the game and just isn't into it for whatever reason I'm usually happy to refund as long as that's not abused. But most people seem pretty happy with that, and I'm definitely big on old school "ownership" of games, rather than a lot of the nonsense that gets pulled these days.
Thanks, I definitely appreciate that. And I know, although it helps to be reminded. I'm in the comments every day, for both games, and the vast, vast majority of the comments are supportive, even when they're discussing issues with the game, or things they wish were different. I stand by what I said: people are absolutely allowed to dislike the game, in part or entirely. They're NOT allowed to be rude assholes, to me or the others here, so unfortunately I do have to hand out a ban every once it a while, but it's only been needed a handful of times.
I'm very careful to listen to feedback and not get too far up my own ass, and it's a delicate balance. If a lot of people have a problem with something, it's probably important. But if only one or two do, AND they have a history of being disruptive for no good reason, there's not much a dev can do after a certain point, nor is there much point in doing it. There are various built-in costs of doing something like this, and one of them is having to handle these kinds of situations from time to time.
But yeah, I've thought and commented frequently that I don't deserve you guys. The support has been wild, and it really helps when I'm struggling with a thorny bit of art or programming. I still can't get over the fanart. Someone made CS-themed DRINKS.
Again, different things for different people. But there are actually a LOT of games out there that are just ordinary sex, darker stuff is actually pretty rare, especially in western games. If I'm understanding you right you're basically saying "why can't this be a game where the hero can just enjoy having sex without the dark overtones?", but those overtones are the whole point. That's the kink. The drive of these games has always been to have that darker flavor, they're very much games where the bad end is the good end, ie what you as the player are actually trying to achieve. They're about sadism and masochism, though more mental than physical, and obviously not as brutal as that might imply. But if that's not your flavor, that's entirely fair.
No no, you're perfectly fine. People are free to talk about things they dislike about the game (and in fact I encourage it) as long as they're not being really shitty and rude about it, which you weren't.
"mechanically it would involve the ability to actively engage with the sex battling, rather than just being overtaken by an enemy."
I'd highly recommend you check out the sequel, GutterTrash, if you haven't already. Definitely more of that there. Though to be fair, there is SOME engagement here too, at least in terms of choosing to actively participate, go along with it, or struggle.
In terms of the rest of it I can see what you're saying, but essentially that's what the Trained end is for: he's defeated, but he THINKS he won, and continues on with further adventures, keeping the clips and conditioning. Again, I'd encourage you to play GT if you haven't to see how all this starts to mesh together.
Appreciate the thoughts though, I'm always glad when people care enough to think this stuff through and try to articulate what worked or didn't for them. I can't hit everything obviously, but I definitely take it into account.
Yeah, as I've said a lot of it should run just fine, as it's just javascript in a browser. But it DEFINITELY won't work on mobile (some of the plugins I use explicitly say so), and a variety of things may be wacky on Linux, to one degree or another, especially the io I do to read and write a few files on my own (for the data crystal, and soon for the gallery). It's fine if people want to try, just know there won't be any bug testing on, or fixes for that platform. Like using Windows 7 in 2024, it's entirely possible for a variety of cases, but unsupported.
Different flavors for different people obviously, nothing wrong with that. But yes, unfortunately what I call the "trained" ending, with him being used but escaping is essentially the "middle" ending depending on how you look at it. Pure obviously would be no captures. But I suppose middle is debatable, because maximum corruption leads to the trained end, whereas SOME corruption either leads to the ordinary victory, a temp defeat and then the ordinary victory, or a full defeat where he doesn't leave the island. Thematically though, I tend to think of the trained end or slutmode end as the middle path.
What were you looking for, more specifically though？ You don't have describe specific scenes or anything, just broadly what were you imagining as the ideal middle way? What would it look like? Obviously not going to change this game, but I can always consider ideas.
I should clarify terms just in case there's confusion here: more boar scenes (and other carry-over scenes) are planned for the THIRD GAME, or CHAPTER 3. They won't be a part of the third CONTENT PACK however. I THINK that's what you're saying, just wanted to be sure.
The scene in GT that the DataCrystal file unlocks is unlocked based on number of defeats in the first game. Low defeats mean no scene, mid means a scene, but you can fight to avoid it, high mean the scene is forced. Any ending in the first game where Mezz leaves the island will write the file with the relevant information. The other information in the file is not currently used, but will be later.
Excellent, glad that was all it was then. I have that and a few other fixes ready to go, but it's been a busy week. Hopefully should have a new patched version out before too long though. I wouldn't be in such a hurry normally, but I really should get that teleport tile out before it causes more problems for people. Thanks for the report!
The startersave is for people who have already played most of the game so they can get to the most recent content pack quickly. The DataCrystal transfers some extra information from the original game. At this time, it only unlocks one additional scene, but other information is carried over as well, and it will be used more in future chapters.
Aw thanks! Same, I definitely enjoy the oral stuff, but ironically that makes me cautious to not overdo it, so this game was actually a little dry there at first. Think it's pretty solidly supplied now though. As for mechanics, I always try to avoid being TOO samey, and the content packs especially are a good opportunity to test some stuff once I'm finished with the main game.
I actually had a bit of that "don't cum" mechanic in the first one, though it was fairly simple. I have a fairly good idea of what this last bit is going to be, but will definitely keep it in mind for future stuff.
Each game has a new villain and henchmen of a new species, yes. Though there have been, and will continue to be some recurring situations and characters as well.
Edit: Doomfurry turned off replies, so I'll simply replicate his last post, and my reply, at the bottom of this one.
Everyone has different price points, and different value expectations. If this game doesn't meet yours, you're certainly free to not buy in the future.
Indie games and studio games are not directly comparable. Small games tend to come at a premium because they can't leverage scale like large production games can. Old games are not directly comparable to new games, value decays over time. Regular games are not directly comparable to porn games, for a variety of reasons: the bespoke aspect again, among others. But also because they serve a different niche. If you're looking for fast-paced FPS action, Cruel Serenade is not going to deliver. If you're looking to get off...I mean I'm sure SOME people can use Doom 2016 for that, but most would be hard-pressed to.
If your objection is "This game isn't the most possible fun a person could have for $10!", you're probably right. There are a nearly infinite number of ways you could spend those ten dollars thanks to the internet, even if you restrict yourself to just video games. That's an impossible standard, and one I don't aim to meet. My value proposition is that there's enough content on offer to make the $10 worth-while, and at eleven scenes (many with multiple iterations), multiple smaller bits, multiple battle sex mechanics, stealth mechanics, and something like seven hours to see everything overall, I'm confident that most people will find it satisfying. There's always some subjectivity to these things of course. Personally, I couldn't get past the first few rooms of Tailbound without cheating because the difficulty spike is so rapid, and I didn't find the explicit content especially engaging, so for me it was a bit of a let-down. Obviously others have enjoyed it.
What it comes down to, however, is this: This game took a little over a year to make. With the two packs, at least a year and eight months. The price is good where it is, at least for the foreseeable future. Either the game's worth that, or it isn't worth anything.
And most people seem to be happy with that price point. But again, if the game isn't your thing, and you'd rather not buy in the future, that's fine. That's entirely your choice. As you've pointed out, there are plenty of other options out there. I make games, I put them up, and people buy them if they like what's on offer. If you don't, that's ok. If other games get you off better, play those, by all means! Just understand I never had any intention of competing with Left 4 Dead or Doom. That's not the sandbox I'm playing in.
Edit: Doomfurry turned off replies, so I'll simply replicate his last post, and my reply, here:
Doomfurry96:
That's a long winded way of saying "I already got your money, and I don't care". Here's a business tip, a majority of the people who have an issue, don't complain, I do. Your meager justification of "everyone is happy" is false. Your response to the various other options is that you don't care, and your response to a very much comparable priced game, gerne, and style is pretty much that you don't like it because you suck at video games.
Be that way then, and since you've shown your true colors, all I have further to say, is go fuck yourself.
BitshiftGames:
It's unfortunate you feel that way. I'm always glad to engage earnestly, and on the merits, that's how things improve. But it's clear from your comment history you're uninterested, or unable to discuss things in a meaningful and respectful way, and that means any further discussion genuinely would be a waste of time.
Just flavor, there's nothing down there. I wanted people to not miss the alleys, to think of them as places you could go, so when they started grabbing clients they went "Oh right, the alleys." So the bars and signs are just there to draw attention.
If that's what you're looking for, I highly recommend the "trained" end with Mahir, the one involving the charm. Consequences of that will carry over to the third game. In a more broad sense, eh, it depends. Obviously corruption does effect gameplay, in a number of ways. Certain areas, like the Center Path and Host Club aren't even options until you've "loosened" him up a bit, and the alleys have an entirely different mechanic once you're corrupted enough. As for Raspy Voice, will have to wait and see :D.
Thank you, definitely appreciate that. Skill is somewhat relative, obviously. I would say that as objectively as I can look at it though, my stuff still has a ways to go, for a variety of reasons. Not enough depth, not a strong enough sense of anatomy and posing, not enough variety in composition, barely any understanding of drapery and the physics of clothing, I could go on. But it's been good enough to work so far, and I improve bit by bit. With any luck maybe I'll finally be fairly happy with my progress by the time I hit the fifth game. I will admit I'm already far better than I ever expected to be though. There really is something to be said for just putting in the time.
Glad you're enjoying the mechanics though. Lot of imperfections there too, but I definitely think there's enough to have fun with, and I've had a lot of fun working out new stuff there. Heck of a lot of content overall too, for a $10 game. I think we're past seven hours now to see everything? Assuming no text skipping.
But yeah, you have remember you get to experience the game in the ideal way: playing through it a couple times, then setting it down. I've spend nearly two years now basically living inside GT, day after day, so I see the imperfections a bit more keenly. But I am still proud of it, and I agree with you, it has a lot to offer.
It definitely opens up some fun possibilities, and it means I don't COMPLETELY lose the ability to still do some scenes with old characters once a game ends.
There's a reason it's missing a lot: this is only the second game of FIVE, and the FIRST with that hub area. It exists a. for intro story purposes at the beginning of each game, but b. to gradually get filled in with extra stuff as we go on. That boar encounter being the first of many similar side things. To be clear I'll never have full-on elaborate side content coming off there, but there will be additional scenes and stuff going on in the hub as we move forward into the other chapters.
-No plans to make the general NPCs fancier, no. I have a limited time budget, and each walking sprite is nine different pictures I have to carefully craft (though to be fair some of them are just flipped). If you get fancier NPCs, it means you also get one, maybe two less scenes, and I assume most people would much rather have the scenes.
-The reveal on shake is just a limitation of the engine unfortunately. It's not as crisp as I'd like, but there's no way to avoid it without hacky things like transporting to a different map that's mostly empty, which would massively increase programming complexity for all the scenes, and the chances of introducing new bugs.
-Slaps really come down to taste. I did actually prep a loop (may even still be in the files), but I felt it was just too much to be used, too grating, too overpowering, and too repetitive as I'm just using a few canned sounds rather than a uh..."foley artist" giving me a more dynamic performance. A lot of this stuff is a delicate balance, I want to have some degree of sfx, but not so much that it's too much. I think what does it in ultimately is that I made the decision early on to not have these games voiced, largely for money reasons at first, but also because I wanted people to be able to imagine the voices and performances themselves, not be locked into a particular VA. But the side effect of that is that I don't really have a juicy source of moans and slaps, and if I DID it would feel out of place, at least to me.
-This would take way more enemy movement and "AI" (like, 90s "ai", just programmed rulesets) work than I'm able or willing to do. I have set up some rules in certain cases (the alley in Ent Dist I I believe) so they back off a little once one grabs you, but that's about the limit of what I can do. RPGMaker in general really isn't built for sophisticated enemy behavior, it's mostly just detect, at a certain range, move to intercept at a certain speed, trigger script. In light of all this though, the best strategy is not to be careless. Either have the resources for back-to-back fights, or don't initiate one fight too close to where another hyena might approach.
-NPCs are just flavor: they're there to give a little sense of the world. Some of their dialog DOES change: the kitsune have a number of different "barks" in the center path for example. It's not that unusual for minor NPCs in an rpg to just have one line, even in big productions. I do have different reactions in the plaza depending on what you're wearing, and I may add a bit of that to the center path as well, but we'll see. The plaza is more of an exploration, getting to know the setting type area, so I focused more on that kind of thing. Center path is really more of a "fighting your way through" area, even though the "fighting" takes another form, so there isn't as much of that exposition.
Don't mean to be down on you though, I do appreciate hearing thoughts. But in these cases, I have thought about each quite a bit as the game came together, and ended up arriving at a no for a variety of reasons.
Nah, I get what you're saying. It is a more "cozy" bad end in a way. And I wouldn't worry, that's still what I tend to gravitate toward too. Just wanted to go a little harder with Mahir.
Oh there's all kinds of goofy stuff you can get into if you think too hard about the practical reality of some of this stuff. Which I generally don't because it ruins the fun, but it is funny to consider sometimes. Like how he's somehow getting all this out of his fur each time. But this is fantasy: everyone is always horny, full of energy, perfectly in shape (or perfectly OUT of shape in just the right way), and holes are always clean, stretched and ready to go,
It's certainly more dark in a way, yes. And different people will be into different stuff, if you don't like a particular path or scene, that's alright. But I will say that for me, ALL of it is pretty dark in one way or another, which is deliberate and the core kink of it. All of actual bad ends result in Mezz ruined, enslaved and with a significantly reduced life expectancy, one way or the other.
But again, different stuff for different people. I'm sure a lot of people just aren't down for a game as dark as this period, even with the cartoony element lightening it somewhat. I just glad you do still enjoy SOME of the game (probably most of it?).
They should work fine, but it's more about position in the story. As long as the save is from before meeting Mahir the first time, it should be fine. If it's after, you're going to end up running into glitches because a few things got re-arranged.
Aw thanks! Yeah, expressions help, or hurt a lot, so I try to really nail them. I try to make the whole picture good of course, but most people aren't taking out a magnifying glass to check every little thing: it's mostly about the energy, and most of THAT is in the face.
