Here's hoping things can get back on track. I think this one is pretty good, although I think it's important to get into the mechanics and writing around player choices in True VN fashion alongside getting images generated, consistently implemented, and route progression completed. If it helps - just write anything, starting with the most basic descriptions of what is or will happen, then expand those lines into a full script.
It's coming along, but now that you can grow other characters, I think there should be some improvement on the character description dialog/passage. The stuff on the bottom should be on the top, and a bit more descriptive.
I'm so sorry that this crap has to even be a consideration for you. Please keep working on your game and content, and save it in formats that can be ported should you wish to have the game on new platforms or in new engines suited for the task.
Such a terrible move by this company won't just end at the revenue, I'm sure.
Noooottttt really. I have a place to live, now - which is definitely better than before - but owning a place and being able to call it Home? That's still a dream. I'll need to sell a LOT more games! Thanks, though!
Keep at it! Here's some suggestions based off my recent playthrough:
Several controls that hang out on the screen can be consolidated into their own screen/window popup. For example - upgrades for rooms and buildings. They don't need dedicated Panels, since the user wouldn't go to them regularly.
While managing different characters, you could introduce a left and right button (with tooltips! tooltip everything.) to go between them more easily. Panel elements will update when they're pressed.
Keyboard shortcuts to important opening and closing of screens would also very good.
If you're short on content ideas or busy with implementing systems and GUI stuff - try making small variations on stuff already there. Add a few levels of description to muscles, sizes, and similar things. Perhaps variations of existing events. Then, when things settle in - you know how to do that for brand new events and content.
It's been a long time since I've played a VN that felt like a shounen battle manga or superhero comic AND was fun, spooky, and interesting on its own terms. This one obviously has a lot of work put into it, and I appreciate that a lot!
And so it's earned the highest praise I can give a erotic game:
"It'd still be good without the erotic stuff."
Please keep refining and working on this one. The bad ends have actually kept me guessing, even if some decisions are actually completely innocuous.
As of Chapter 5 update - I'm looking forward to seeing if the player's choices will have more impact or open up. This would be a really cool game if it can be fully realized - you could work to create and improve this serum and manage some kind of resistance to this dystopian order - and your choices about who to give it to could matter.
That's a lot of work - but once all of this is cleaned up and polished and revised and implemented, it could be very interesting.
I would like to have wider distribution in the future for my next few games, but I'm really not there, yet. Right now I'm focused on development and putting my life back together. Obviously there will be a time to revisit the idea.
The game is shaping up to feel like a legit VN - I'm unsure of how relationship points will fit into any possible routes, but something to consider would be to make the various levels a player could get in each person influence the kind of dialogue each one produces along the routes.
This way, it's not just a matter of the flowchart of choices, but the experience would feel very different because the user influenced relationships outside of the route's requirements.
Any issues with downloading or purchases should be directed to Itch.io - they're in a much better position to handle/fix issues with the platform than I am.
I can understand that. I'd say less clothes, then. Clothing can be swapped out with material and color edits and you could have all new looks with them. Body customization and diversity is always better to me.
Would love more diversity in body types, as well as wider sizing options. As long as the mesh doesn't break and clothes can adjust without tearing? Better to do that customization effort now than wanting to do it later and re-adjust all the clothing and accessories.
It seems to be a working game, but needs extensive GUI/UX work. Keyboard controls, much better window/frame fitting and grouping needed. There's lots of text that does and doesn't need to be displayed. There's many controls that don't feel intuitive or streamlined for managing the amount of game that will be in the game - especially as the player progresses!
That being said, it's a very early prototype, and I'd like to see it developed further, even if it has to change platforms or foundation. Seeing as it's a "trainer" game, a lot can be said for seeking out help in the simulation, writing, and creating visuals.
I totally understand. It will be very difficult, but it is critical - absolutely worth pushing your knowledge and skills to do. Muscle level, eyes, Hair, funparts are all first starts. Perhaps integrating live DAZ-model rendering into the game is worth doing. (See: Certain TWINE/Sugarcube Projects using webgl to do this.)
Incompetency is not the same as ignorance. Games are very hard with all manner of use-cases. Players are mashing buttons, opening and closing menus - changing the state of the game and its systems as fast as they can push buttons. Something is bound to break. You just learn what gets broken and put in the guards and controls to deal with it.
For now - outside of that technology - just keep planning, structuring, and implementing pieces of variation, surprises, fun stuff, and dialogue. You have something here. Work hard, and just keep improving.
A lot of work needed to bring this into shape, but as long as pictures get more work and progress well, and if the story can take some turns and create surprises as you make choices every day? Will be interesting.
Gating some parts of progress behind progress with all three characters is not very fun - make sure to plan for the possibility that the MC wants to invest or not invest in some characters.
The menus and interface could some some work, particularly browsing photos and the phone remembering where the latest pic was located (for the MC)
for Beta 0.6: Interesting start. Still needs some state control improvements because I get some lurching, as well as a bug that causes the game to become uncontrollable.
GUI elements should be a bit more responsive. when hitting Select/OK when selecting should select that. Sounds and some visual indication should fire off to show the user it worked.
Visually, not all stat elements of characters are being displayed as they improve, including hair, eyes, and fun-parts. This is a big thing that should be finished with care.
Finally, it's very grindy, and should be balanced to play around the 30-speed, instead of the 240. Make sure to get as much content in and to introduce as much "trouble" that can be rewarding if the player solves it with each character.
So glad to see this happen. This was a novel game and concept when I first saw it, and I can't wait to see how it's matured and fleshed out into a full game! Looking forward to it!
As a note for expressions and batch exporting: This is a very powerful tool, but I'd like physical features/colors to be preserved across expressions (even with just a toggle for it). Having to define the character's already-chosen colors for iris/brow/lashes/lipcolor/etc across every expression before exporting the batch is tedious and could be automated since physical features like shape and color are usually consistent across expressions.
Looking forward to continued improvements! Work hard!
Great tool! Already enjoying it. I would love to use this for my games. I need a lot more options, though. Here's some suggestions/requests for new features/supporting stuff:
1. Body types and body diversity - I'd love to be able to further customize the body - from normal body diversity into more fantastic and extreme types and parts.
2. Fantasy clothing choices. (Specifically: Togas, Sandals, cotton and leather "adventurer" clothing.)
3. Short term - More Eye types (squarish/sharp.) More Head and Body types. The body's fundamentals are critical for all the finer outfit parts.
4. Descriptive tooltips for items - Since so many paperdoll parts can seem similar to the user, perhaps short descriptions that explain differences in qualities would be really helpful. Tooltips should be everywhere.
5. For scale adjustments and other +/- adjustments - The ability to enter value manually.
6. More basic skin color selections. don't be afraid to make that sub-window larger to accommodate. Perhaps an optional slider on each individual color to lighten and darken from that reference would be great (Sims 4 does this - it's pretty good at extending the basics)
7. Preserve eye color across expressions once set. I had to set eye color for each expression. Not sure if bug or feature.
This is impressive - considering it's done with gzDoom. I'd love to see this done standalone, maybe with modes or more gameplay elements like powerups, customization, etc.
Front Desk seems to be spawning multiple Sims for the Receptionist career. I had 5 receptionists inside the gym! This might be affected by other mods, but worth looking into.
I had a laugh - here's some improvements you could make: - Contextual lines grouped by the GUI element you press. - Perhaps some events as the game continues. Perhaps Some labels that show prices for items varying wildly upwards.
As an old Modtracker user, this instantly got me and I think it's both fun and useful. I'd love to use this in my own work somehow. Great job and keep it up!
Nice to hear about controller support! Also - do try to make a good story and narrative. Humble beginnings done with care can really grow and become novel, memorable, and very fun to engage with.
Here's looking forward to seeing more updates. Don't give up. Keep going!
I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm very thankful to everyone who has given so far, and I don't intend to let them down. I've gotten a lot of feedback, and filling in parts people find wanting.
I'm slowly commissioning artwork for the game as people pay for it, and this is not a process which is either fast or efficient. I also want to see some growth visualized in the game. (Consider: There's about 50ish pieces of art I will need for the game, which will be roughly 3000 dollars given the current rate I'm paying the artists I'm working with.)
I'll take a look at the issues you mentioned, but I could use some clarity and specifics on some of them.
Can you elaborate on transformations not being reflected in description? I was considering adding longer pieces of text that directly map to your stat, but each stat already does have short descriptors that change as you hit new milestones.
Also, combat is fairly common from exploring, although I think you might be seeing enemies run from you a bit too much, which I'm aware of and want to improve. Battles are intended to be pitched, so requests for better evasion were met with equal measure for your rivals, as well.
Great job with the PS1 filter and graphics. Really hope this gets to look and feel like MGS1. Feel free to make it your own and push the limits. Pack what you have with content and secrets!
I've noticed your game. I just wanted to offer some pointers:
Colors are important, and readability is also important. Make sure to use <<nobr>> and <<endnobr>> with <br>s to reduce whitespace in sections that hold content that may not appear to the player. As well, <<linkreplace>> and <<linkappend>> are also good tools to use to keep the game feeling like a game. Some of the screens are really hard to read, but I like the concept. I'd love to give this a longer try after some more work.
I can't say I enjoyed the idea of carrying out self-harm, but I think the game is well done. While I only played it through once, I was disturbed and horrified and saddened by the main character - all emotional responses to what was happening. I definitely would not recommend this to everyone, but it's a worthy game.
I don't know what plans or projects surround this one, but I can't help but comment on and praise the interesting concepts at work.
Thank you - it's very hard to get the help I need, but I've managed to get a little help with some things, and while the big problem remains as of now, there's some hope.
Played the demo and became very interested in the game! I do wish there was some right click functionality to exit some dialogs instead of hitting "exit", but this seems like a very neat game, and I hope it continues being developed!
Enjoying the game so far! I like the ultima-like feel to it, but I feel like there's a few room for control and quality of life improvements.
First, make sure your money is displayed on all screens where you can buy or sell things.
As well, it's hard to track what is happening in combat on the screen. This is not easy to fix with the roguelike presentation, but since you can have multiple characters fighting multiple characters - it might help to slow down the turn-by-turn action somehow.
As hunger and thirst are important, perhaps make sure every settled place has a well, perhaps some opportunities to get both rest and a meal for cheap.
The exit to each settlement should be more clearly marked on the map.
Increase quick links using the mouse - clicking to use rations for food, water for thirst, and potions for healing would be handy.
Understandable. It's easy enough for a single player family, but maybe a picker for sims like in some of the existing action options is a good way to go for some features. I'm just looking to shorten the setup time of a new save without having to play each select family in the game.
