Poll: Development Focus for 0.7

Hello! I'll try to make this quick. I'm still working on the upcoming February update, but in the meantime it's time to start narrowing down which roadmap item(s) I'll knock off for the next major update.

As you know if you've been here a while, major updates are usually worked on over a few months, while smaller monthly updates are developed in parallel so that we don't go too long between updates.

I have a few major contenders in mind for the 0.7 update. There are a lot of things in the game that currently end where roadmap items should begin. For example, being caught streaking by campus security doesn't do much because crime and punishment isn't in... failing all your classes doesn't do much because academic consequences aren't in... there's a whole winter holiday with no snow because seasons and weather aren't in yet... you get the idea. Finishing one of these major systems would tie up some loose ends.

So, let me sum up these poll entries and give you an idea of what might be scoped into them.

• Weather and seasons: Add seasons and weather patterns, and events related to weather and temperature. Clothes would be more of a consideration, and you'd want jackets if you're outdoors on cold days and lighter clothing on hot days. New seasonal events along the lines of Harvest Eve and Renewal Festival: homecoming, something Valentine's-like for spring. I'd be tempted to also scope in the campus lake location, since how it changes seasonally will be a big part of it.

• Crime and punishment and consequences: Get in trouble with campus administration and maybe even the cops in town! The campus security guard and the resident advisor would become more regular characters, and you'd probably meet somebody from campus administration too. Failing classes or being unable to make your weekly payments could result in suspension or expulsion, requiring you to live somewhere else and work your way back in.

• School advancement: Progress from college freshman instead of essentially reliving the same year. Advance the courses within your major and pick new electives. Each year, senior students are out (some may become townies) and new freshmen are generated. The only iffy thing is what happens post graduation — while you could live in town, I'm not sure there's that much to do with college no longer in the picture.

• Background NPC simulation: This is a new item just added to the roadmap, since its importance has become clear. NPCs should have their own sort of progression and gain skills and inclinations over time, especially if you interact with them a lot. They should form their own dynamic relationships and have a bit more going on amongst themselves. I think this would make for a more interesting backdrop for what the player does, and provide more fodder for events.

• Something storyline-focused: All of the above options are mostly systems, though they would come with a lot of events too, while most of the other roadmap items are basically pure storyline or career. I'm thinking of the Greek houses, campus clubs and events, the delivery boy/girl career, the strip club, the student tutor storyline... would you prefer to see one of these? If this looks like a popular option, we'll drill down with another poll to see which of these storylines is preferred.

The scope of these options is somewhat tentative. Several of them are combining more than one roadmap item, which is pretty ambitious! Even with monthly updates coming out, I don't like major updates to take forever, so once it's looking like we have a winner, I'll outline and plan the scope in more detail. This is just to give me an idea of what the community prefers at this point.

You can select more than one option, so if you're torn between two, just pick them both! Every option here will remain on the roadmap, we're only deciding what's prioritized for this particular update.