04/08/2024 Patreon Devlog

Hello everyone! Time for this week's update!

Let's get into it.

Summary

• A ton of small script fixes (mostly minor wording fixes and/or changes)

• Got MC's expressions set up on the menus for the first episode

• Set up the Chapter recaps

  • Quirk of the recap screen is that Wil has to be referred to neutrally

• Set up a scoring spreadsheet and did all the scoring through chapters 1-5

• Did multiple test plays of this section.

• Worked on the fiddly To Do list

  • Revamped sprite positioning in Chapter One

  • Staged the music cues for Chapter Two

  • Staged sprite positions for Chapter Two

  • Staged Raif and Yren's eye colours through Chapter Two

• Finally finished Yren's play test

• Started Raif's play test

• Additional UI screens (courtesy of Windchimes deciphering my sleepy directions late at night)

  • Re-cap screen

  • Ending list screen

  • Bonus Scene screen

  • Some other minor UI tweaks

Art 

New BG artwork! New BG sketch!

Other

This week I made a lot of small fixes in the script. I don't count this as writing per se, even though I guess it kind of is. Most of it was find/replace type stuff. I also made edits and corrections based on Yren's playthrough - which I finished.

I've started on playtesting Raif.

I worked on some features like in-game achievements, and a few other new UI screens were set up as well. I also was trying to wrangle the self-voicing to be able to say at least some of the names with greater accuracy.

As I said, I worked on the recap screen and realised that because it's accessible from the main menu and before you launch the game, this means that the screen can't access persistent data from game saves. Which means Wil has to use "they/them" and only gets referred to as "MC."

I'm not sure yet if there's a way around this but that is how it is for the time being.

Beyond that, I coded the sprite positioning through chapter two, the BG changes, music cues, and SFX.

I also set up the choice scoring spreadsheet that I mention and did all the scoring up through Chapter 5. I had to make some script additions/fixes around the route selection since I hadn't fully accounted for what happens if you choose to spend the route selection scene with someone you have a quite low affinity with. Each scene needed one additional variation through there.

I also verified the hows of getting into the no LI version of the story (short though it may be) as well as the different ways to get on someone's route if you have the correct affinity level.

So yeah! I think I got a fair amount done this week!

In terms of things still needing to be implemented before the game is ready for the beta release of the first episode to Patreon:

• CGs for Ch 2

• Sprite expression coding

• Flowchart implementation

• Affinity indicators

• Cim's sprite

• Skin colour slider for MC

• Gallery

• Writing a couple more bonus scenes (HAHA. See. There was secretly more writing. LoL)

And probably a few other small things I'm forgetting.

Upcoming Week

In the upcoming week, my focus will be on Raif's playtest and probably getting some of the art squared away finally.

I have ⅕ CGs complete. Kav's first CG won't be until Chapter 3 (and it's actually complete already) so there are only 5 needed for chapter 2.

I am not sure I have the mental fortitude to tackle sprite expressions just yet. I'm going to have to psych myself up for that journey. 

I know last week I promised a Q&A/FAQ is coming and the only reason it hasn't gone up is that...it's so long that I'm trying to decide how to post and how to break it up.

Rofl.

One day I'll learn to answer questions succinctly.

TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY. ╰(°▽°)╯

See you all next week!