Tuesday, July 15, 2014

I think I finally cracked this puzzle

It took me a while, but I finally found a decent way to implement some basic gameplay to the whole "Malena's slave ending". It took me quite some time (and a few rewrites), but now I am satisfied with it. I hope I'll be able to recycle some of the pictures and the writing I did for the previous attempts, but I am doubtful about it. On the plus side, I am quite satisfied with how things turned out. The writing might need some polish, as well as the mechanics, but overall it's sexy, and I feel like there is a decent compromise between player's agency, and your state as a slave. This will probably be improved upon once I get to the testing, but that's not going to happen for a while, so it's not something I am worried about.



I still need to write two more scenes (one to give the "slave path" some closure, and another scene for the romance if it keeps going on the "normal path"), but that should be it. Piper and Jane should be easier to write, considering they won't have those alternative paths.

I also have to report a donation this week: 30€ from C.N. (thanks a lot! By the way, I tried to contact you, but the email paypal gave me doesn't seem to work, I wanted to discuss some kind of reward with you for the donation, so let me know if you are interested and you read this!).

And this should be pretty much about it! I always feel good about myself, when I actually accomplish something in the game, funny how that works, uh? Anyway, until next time! ^_^

20 comments:

  1. I check this blog quite regularly, not because there are regular updates- but because this is a seriously fantastic game! I can't wait to see what you've come up with.

    Also, I threw in a small donation as a thank you for making this amazing game!

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    1. Thanks a lot! I sent you an e-mail, make sure you read it. :)

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  2. Does the game end when/if you get Malena's slave ending?

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    1. If I get this straight, it's the first of several possible endings.

      Also it's hopefully a sign of good things to come:
      - such as world peace
      - viable alternatives to growing energy demands
      - first lunar colonies
      - and more importantly, the grand return of the fabled
      anime review section

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    2. To anon#1: The idea is that you'll keep playing as her slave for a while, and then the game will end. It's possible to keep going without becoming her slave, though, so long as you don't always comply to her requests.

      To Anon#2: I am sure Malena's ending will be a clean source of energy, as long as we manage to convert wrist power into electricity.

      The review section never seemed like it got people's interest, and I felt like I was starting to do it half-heartedly, as the list of anime I saw dwindled, and I was forced more and more often to refer to manga, rather than anime. I really need to come up with something to substitute it with, but I don't want it to be a big maintenance project, we'll see what I can come up with.

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    3. ...as long as we manage to convert wrist power into electricity...
      A gripping theory! But are you sure you can grease all the regulatory agency palms in time to avoid any sticky situations?

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    4. "You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: those with loaded puns...

      ...and those who review anime. You review."

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    5. I guess I am not "people" anymore, since I stopped reviewing anime, then? XD

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    6. Objection: But... but the technical term 'people' does not accurately portray it's vastly inefficient use.

      Explanation: Plural form of 'organic meatbag' effortlessly rendered obsolete, given adequate supply of tibanna charged blaster packs.

      Evasion: I mean... nice human, goo-oood human...

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    7. You are not really HK-47, snap out of it! XD XD XD

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    8. Query: I am confused. Do repeated 'XD' signal a failing, frail, sub-standard, non-compartmentalized,
      organic meatbag communication protocol?

      Retraction: Did I say that out loud? I apologize, while you are a meatbag, I suppose I should not call you such.

      Continuation: For now, please excuse me. I wish to further review my pun-ishment theory and execution of said theories, and meditate upon the discretionary animated fate of a certain liquidious meatbag.

      Amendment: I find it most soothing.

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  3. Hey mate! Its me again, hope you're doing well and I hope to see you update. Also do you have a set goal for any donations you need? I'm just curious.

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    1. Hi there!

      Things are more or less the same for me, for better or for worse (I do have one or two problems on my mind, but for the most part I am good).

      I don't think I am going to update any time soon, I have a long list of things to add, and RAGS doesn't really allow old saves to be used with new versions, so I always try to add more stuff, to avoid people having to play the entire game again just for a new scene or two.

      I don't really have any set goals for the donations, I will just take whatever people feel like donating if they like the games and want to support me, and usually I offer something back as a thank you (naming a character, access to closed beta, suggesting something, the usual stuff).

      In the end, I do this as a hobby, so I don't really have big plans, I just go with the flow, for the most part. ^_^

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  4. Try hotmail instead of LJ. PayPal's a bit weird about some stuff. - C.N.

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  5. Question for the Author:

    Have you considered putting in variables that the player could change in game, similar to the traits you pick at the start? For example, allowing the player to change what clothes they wear?

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    1. Task inflation beyond belief, that. If it made no difference to anything it's feel "plastic" and pointless, so every scene would have to have a variation for each of a few outfits or outfit types and every NPC would have to have at least a little variation in dialogue and interactions based on outfits, which means your outfit could open a shortcut or close off your only route forwards and there would have to be ways to correct for that. It's a lot to add!

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    2. Basically what he said.

      A clothing system needs adequate pictures, coding and writing that are forced to go with it (if I write a sex scene that includes undressing, I'll need of course different pictures for each dress, and the descriptions will either need to be tailor suited to each dress, or I'll need to make more generic text to fit them all), and I would also need to check whenever there is an event to make sure people are wearing clothing appropriate to the situation (for example going with a bikini at a party you are trying to infiltrate shouldn't be allowed).

      It's basically one of those systems that demand a lot, but offer little in return. If the clothing works as a game mechanic, I am okay with having it in the game (as I did with my previous two games), but just as a cosmetic option, it's a bit wasteful (and it's a bit too late now, I'd have to go back and fit every single scene to this system, it's unfortunately not feasible at the moment).

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  6. Just to be sure...
    Malena path in this version ends after she proposes to you to use the sex toys right?

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    1. That's right, I am working on expanding that path, but it's not in the currently available version.

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