September news post #2 (Patreon)

I was going to hold off on this for a few more days, but heck with it! :P I've got some news to share regarding update 0.15 and I'm going to share it!

First off in case you haven't read our first news post this month, it can be found here.
 

Update 0.15 content

So of course we're still looking at a firm October 5th release for update 0.15, we had recently released a 0.13.5 & 0.14.5 updates for public and you supporters. I've made many posts already targeted about what all that entails, but mainly it's a small update that adjusts/fixes up NTR content to remove it from Bridget & Lola's areas of content. This makes MA free of NTR content moving forward, worry not. We have plans still to keep things interesting and more focused on the diapered content.

When I mention removed NTR content, what I really mean is new writing and light fixes were made to make sense of the areas of content affected.

Anyways moving on from all that.

There's some news for how the adjusting of older content is going to end up becoming for the game. Some mentions might seem pretty concerning and feel like we're taking a step back instead of pushing forward, but our goal is to make sure the game feels more connected and paced through it's contents in a fulfilling way that keeps players interested.

(Mock up Q&A time!)

Okay I'm getting nervous... What's going on?

So it's been explained in our previous news post that for update 0.15 we're focusing our efforts back on older content. We're looking at days 1 & 2 to adjust them, fix them up. This means dialogue improved to feel more natural and less stiff, text/monologue that helps keep players in understanding the scenes taking place and some details that aren't visual. Those are the main two things in terms of adjusting/fixing old content.

Then we're also looking to expand on some existing details or scenes that feel like they should be expanded. This will be new content based on existing content, but then there will also be purely new content that helps fill in the gaps of days events.

Yeah I've heard this in the last news post, that's how the game will feel more connected? I don't quite understand still.

So here's one thing that is happening and on the surface it might sound bigger than what it really is. The whole day/date system currently in the game is being replaced with a episode system. It'll help nail the feeling in mind for players when they first play, instead of focusing too much on dates or days of when things are taking place, outside of very important key mentions within the actual text/dialogue for the game.

Think of our original plan idea, how we wanted this kind of day to day, living out your school life sort of feeling being felt. Well I think we might've put a little too much focus on the whole in your face dates and days of things happening, so then it leaves this impression that the game should have a huge amount of days and come off feeling more like those flash dating sim style simulator games. You know the ones with building stats, earning money and doing light tasks each day.

Sadly as fun as a dating sim would be, MA isn't that.

Right... So more about the episode thing?

We're looking to have about 26+ episodes in the game. (20 episodes pre route focus, 6 episodes during route focus.)

How does that work for MA? Well, once we share how exactly the existing content is being adjusted and more fine tuned, they should end up feeling like a episode with a common theme or focus taking place on some of them. Not all.

The main thing to understand to keep up with this new format, is this. Day 1 = Episode 1, Day 2 = Episode 2, etc. If you roughly think of it like this, you'll get the idea of how this is going to look.

Why episodes? Why not chapters or I don't know... Maybe add more days or just focus on dates, times, etc?

Episodes feel like the format that will best suit the game when thinking it over, really and honestly. This doesn't change things like crazy, it just helps keep the game less focused on shoving dates, times and what not into the players face and then as a side effect from doing that. It possibly enforces this thought that, day and time has to be handled very carefully and we're not saying it won't be with these changes.

But let's look at Nova's route part 1 as a example, I've had mentions that the way her route part takes place on one day with two scenario focuses. (chatting with Nova about her past and asking Rosa/Allie for help later that day.) Then it jumps to the next day at night. (dinner date, etc.) That it breaks up that feeling of dates, days and time being already pressed into players heads as being a important key thing.

So it comes off as feeling weird, like it shouldn't jump from one thing to the next like that. Which ignoring that her route part does need some fixing on that still even right now, I hope you all can kind of see what I'm talking about with time/dates, etc. Feeling like it's very important and how it locks in that sense of things feeling off when it doesn't keep to that format.

I guess? So the game won't say anything about dates or that it's certain days anymore? What about time of the days, etc?

We're going to only have mentions of certain dates, days or time if it's important to stuff going on. So for example, let's say before the festival arc. We might hear some dialogue that's along the lines of "Hey the festival is coming up soon" instead of "Hey the festival is next Monday."

While it might seem silly, we don't want too much focus and in your face mentions of holding the players hands when it comes to guiding them along on dates, times, etc. It should be that you can sit from the start of the game and play through without being reminded of said mentions consistently. But not even just that, but rather you can play the game and get lost in the story events taking place and enjoy everything that it doesn't even come to mind "Hey how much time has passed since this episode or that episode?"

One last thing, time... We go a bit odd with time focus. There's many areas of the game where it tries so hard to focus on "Hey just to remind everyone it's early in the morning! Oh and now it's later in the day, etc, etc." It doesn't need to be in your face like that, more so with backgrounds which can visually give off the impression of this.

Will we still mention times of the day if it seems important? Yes, like for example "Well it's getting late, I should get going."

Is all of this really important though? I feel like it's not even needed...

It might seem silly to some of you and that's okay, but with wishing to better up the existing content in the game that's older. We really want to ensure that the game as a whole plays out and feels connected together, when you play the game and make it from start to finish of it's story and personal character stories. You should be left with a feeling of "Wow... I want more!" (I hope <.< )

The main thing is this change of format from days/dates and focus on time all being important to being episodes should feel very fitting and not really change how the game feels too much either.

Is there anything else being changed? Are my favorite scenarios and moments in the game being removed or anything crazy?

There is going to be new content added, this is a key thing to mention. Let's take the idea that Day 1 = Episode 1 shall we?

roughly day 1 consists of the boys showing up to the academy, meeting John and introduced to some rules. They accept their fate, get split up and Brandon attends class. He then meets his sister who he hasn't seen in over 5 years and catch up, leads to her helping him out a little and hanging out at her dorm room. More expanding of her intro there and things lead to Miki coming over to study, as he meets Miki and everything slowly comes to a close for day 1.

I'll be making behind the scene posts that focus on how "Episode 1" will flow, it'll be split up into 2 or 3 parts such as "Behind the scenes: Episode 1 intro" (intro, middle and end). These will give a more in depth look at how exactly the episode will be paced and flow for it's events.

We've did a voting poll I think early last month? That asked about some possible areas to expand on for what's already existing. So we're keeping all of that in mind and we'll see some neat expanding. But there's already a rough outline of some new stuff that wasn't originally seen currently in the game.

Okay, but you didn't answer me... I have some favorite moments in the game I don't want touched!

That's understandable and we have no intentions to remove already existing moments in the game or change things completely. Do keep in mind with our goal of fixing up dialogue and some text, we're not trying to ruin anything for these existing moments in the game.

We're going to pretty much keep it how it comes across, so let's just give a small example. Let's just say Nova has a moment where she's blunt and says "I like you." but the execution is very sudden and doesn't have any real lead up to it if it's trying to be a real dramatic touching moment.

We'd most likely keep that in there, but we'd fix up dialogue leading to it to make it feel even better. Maybe she's struggling or trying to avoid mentioning it and causing confusion with Brandon? Who knows for sure with this random example. But the takeaway, we're not changing existing content to become something completely new or different to remove how stuff plays out.

Yeah well what about the whole NTR content removal?

Okay fair point... The one thing to mention here is that there's a bigger difference here between NTR content that was existing in the game vs more general content that fits with the main themes of the game.

NTR sadly was going to be 1-2% of the overall finished game, only to be seen mainly in Bridget and Lola's routes. Mainly Lola had the story that would've made more sense to have NTR in there, but it still felt like with how little of a focus there was for NTR. It comes off as being a tacked on thing to try and appeal to fans of NTR.

Which who knows, maybe there is fans who do like NTR and diapers. Perhaps they don't mind how long the game takes to get into said content, etc. But still, before repeating all this discussion time and time again. Simply put, it felt best to remove it and focus our efforts on themes that are linked more with the diaper theme of the game. (humiliation, using diapers, etc.)

Okay uh... Let's see, what about adding more diaper accidents into the game and the whole mini game feature?

So we are going to be keeping an eye on moments in the game that we can fit some more accidents in. I mean, let's be honest... You can only hold it in for so long before having to use your diaper, so it makes sense that there would be a common thing where accidents are happening er rather natural using depending on who you ask. <.<

One example of this sort of stuff is from episode 1, we'll be looking at the time when Erika and Miki are tickling each other. It's already a choice moment in the game for players currently, so what if maybe tickling Miki will cause her to wet herself just as easily? How will she react?

Of course let's assume most people tend to go number 1 more often through a given day than number 2, so seeing some messy stuff will be a bit on the less seen side. But we're also not going to make it so rare that it doesn't show up either.

The mini game part will come in the future still, we have plans for our current funding and how to handle it in a smart way. Most of our funding going into October is going to see a boost in CG art moving forward, we don't want to hire a programmer on right away and figure out. "Oh crap... They're cutting into too much of our CG art funding, but we have them here already... Now what?"

Random thought, but what about the rules of the academy and more explaining of things with that?

We do have plans to add in more moments that focus more on what we call the "Main academy storyline" this is the base story for the game, the real driving story for the game. With that said, keep in mind that it isn't the full focus to be seen from one focus to the next, etc. But we are aware that this storyline is a bit lacking right now currently and will be fitted into the game a bit better so that later in the game's episodes. It's leading to the more juicy stuff.

Said storyline will be focused on the questions of the academy, why is the school allowed to do all of this? How have they stayed out of the public's eyes? Who runs or funds the academy? Can it be shut down? etc.

So with that, we'll continue to see more expanding on rules mentioned in episode 1. There will be times where these rules are broken or things cross it's path and make sense to ask more questions on select things, do some more digging, etc.

Can we remove John from the game please? He's the fat pedophile creeper neckbeard slob, etc, etc.

I can understand why many see John as many uh... Many, many different views. I'm sure I've heard just about everything for complaints or comments about John from being a pedophile to being a cruel bastard, etc.

I can't spoil or go too deep into things, but one thing we're trying to get across in the game for John. Is that there isn't intended to be a sexual drive between the teachers/staff members of the academy and it's students. The teachers/staff still have their own rules to follow for being hired there of course.

Do some of them break these rules a little or tend to have perverted thoughts leak out from their head a little? Yes.

But they're not meant to be seen doing punishments to students that engage it as a sexual matter. (I know, I know... The old old CG art and day 5 punishment stuff from long ago with the more extreme version of said punishment.) Our ideal for how the punishments and relationship of the teachers and it's students are meant to not be a sexual fantasy for them or in this case. John spanking a girl and having them mess their diaper during it, while it can be sexual depending on how you view it. (I'll leave that up to the player) We from a dev point of view are not pushing the suggestion that he's getting off on it or anything like that.

While I'm sure some will disagree, the act of spanking for this example is in front of the class and to spark humiliation on the girl. It's to teach them a lesson about their rule breaking simple as that, will it have a effect on said girl to not break rules again? Who knows, but punishments aren't meant to be seen as a sexual thing between it's teacher/staff and students.

What about the Nurse character then? She does naughty stuff with Brandon and she's staff?

Okay, so once more. I can't go too deep or risk spoiling things, but the nurse has a clear intention that she likes guys. She seems to like Brandon a fair bit and is she breaking said rules that go against what was mentioned above?

Yes. But does that suddenly equal "Well since she does it and gets away! Why shouldn't I assume John doesn't do the same off screen with girls in private or something?"

Honestly, like any media. It's kind of up to the viewer or player on how to look at things, everyone has a different mindset and some people like to look more into or deeply into things. Sometimes digging too deep becomes something where it's simple as that. Looking too deeply into it and assuming something that might not even be intended or there in the first place.

We're all guilty of it, I can admit I do it with forms of media myself. Do I blame the creators for something I'm looking more into and trying to have more thought invoking take place? No, I know that I'm looking into or trying to see things for what they aren't or what not.

Yeah? Well I still think John is secretly doing naughty stuff with girls when no one is looking and you can't stop my thoughts on that!

That's perfectly okay, just please express that in a way that doesn't bring drama in the open comments or other areas.

We're just explaining our process and thoughts personally for how we're handling things, some spoilers to be seen in the game will bring light to John and the Nurse, among other teachers and staff. Things that feel unexplained will be explained, no loose ends for that stuff.

Can you add more choices or more open roaming into the game? It's just too linear.

We do have plans with the adjusting and changing of the format to episodes. One thing we want to do when looking at fixing up and adjusting stuff for day 1 & 2 as we turn them into episode 1 & 2 is to make choices feel more unique.

There's times where choices feel like it's simply "Oh choose this get 1 point in affection! Yay.." That's not really too exciting. But with adding choices into the game, we'll look at what is happening in day 1. Maybe when John is explaining rules and covering everything, the player might have some choices to ask further about set rules or anything related to that.

I know that's not the most exciting! You really want stuff that splits paths where say episode 2 lets the player choose to have Miki as your guide for the day or Erika? Well... Maybe we'll see something like that. :P

So let's put it simply, firstly. We want to make sure episodes feel natural with or without choices, that way even as a linear no choice kind of layout. It'll still feel interesting and keep players interest in what's taking place. Then we'll look it over again and go "Oh yeah, this area here?" Let's let the player have choices to ask John further about set rules. "John sir? What do you mean devices are monitored?" etc.

The key thing to understand here, is that we'll try to keep choices and even open up some breathing room for letting players choose "Hey I want Miki to show me around, not Erika."

Well... Consider it done! But there are limits to how crazy we can get with stuff, the game isn't meant to have a early branching off story where within 30 minutes of the game. Players get to choose 3-4 paths which lead to a whole mess of other events or stuff like that.

Can we get more sex acts earlier in the game? I like the story but expecting me to wait hours before I even see a blowjob? Come on...

We do wish to do fan service and show more sexual stuff, but we also don't want to make it suddenly feel like "Oh hey, Nova is a total slut now!".

I think this outlook is different of course among everyone, you have some people who likes adult vn's that jump right into sex or even foreplay acts within 30 minutes or less. Some dislike that and feel like it hurts the character building in a sense.

We knew from the start that MA will feature adult and sexual acts through the game, but we don't want characters to show up once and then the next time you see them, they suddenly are jumping your bones.

We'll be trying to add in some fitting stuff in the existing content that helps with fan service, but still keep it in mind that it would have to fit their character. For example, Rachel is so quiet and shy that I think expecting her to do something so early on would be out of character for her.

We'll try to play on the comedy a bit in this as well to make things feel more fitting, not saying it'll happen. But during day 2 (episode 2) when Brandon walks in on Nova changing in the locker room, what if she didn't have her bra on and it gave some brief fan service like that? Something where it feels fitting still in context of the situation and for the character. (Should be expected Nova wouldn't be like "Oh no... You saw my boobies, hehe... Well did you get a good look? Come closer." etc)

What is going to happen with affection and stats? I mean routes don't seem to have choices and you're locked into a girl's route right?

We are currently figuring out how to address affection as it's something that people like trying to build up stats for the characters and see just how crazy things could get with that.

But that's just it, once routes do begin. It seems like there isn't a real driving point focused on affection anymore. I mean you're dating someone already at that point.

One thought in mind that might happen, but we'll first try to explain more at a later date and do a voting poll to engage with all of you about the thought process. But the thought is that we could possibly remove the affection stats and in it's place, focus more on hidden variables that are linked to certain choices.

This wouldn't really change much as a little insight behind the scenes... Affection is pretty much the same as these hidden variables in the game right now. There's some unlocked scenes in the game that let's say requires 4+ affection with Nova. If you don't have 4+ affection, you miss the scene.

Now let's say instead of 4+ affection, let's do a brief example.

Recall the moment on day 6? Nova and Bridget swimming together, the player can choose who to hang out with further? Let's say if you choose to stay with Nova, it has a effect on her emotionally. It's a strong enough reaction and gives you a hidden variable instead of affection.

Then later in the game there's a moment that instead of seeing if you have 4+ affection with her. It just checks if you have that one variable from before and unlocks things.

How would this work for route unlocking? Well there would be 1 or 2 choices to make for any given girl at least. These would be called on to see if you unlock the choice to choose them for the route or not.

I know even with what I've mentioned, some of you might really like the stat building of affection. Even if just a visual feeling of "Hey, it looks like I'm growing my bond with the girl pretty well" compared to not seeing a variable that does the same thing. It's just that visually once routes do begin, you'll see that diaper icon and go "Hm.. Why is that even there anymore? If not being used?"

We could also simply turn off that gui when routes do begin to further back the idea of "Oh, that's it for stat building." But it might cause some confusion too and could be seen as a bug report. "Hey when I start the route, the diaper stat icon goes away."

Maybe we can change the affection stat screen into something more fun, fitting? What about an accident tracker instead? Each time you had a effect on certain girls where they wet or mess themselves, possibly unlocking content for doing this without feeling like it's tied to the whole dating a girl and how much certain girls like you, etc.

(Let me know in the comments or I'll be looking to do a poll on this moving forward too.)

Can you please, please spoil some more on Lola and Bridget changes to their stories?

Okay, I think I've mentioned it already and it's in 0.14.5 but there is no jump buttons directly to some of the content. (too many areas for it to jump to)

So if you choose to confess to Lola currently in the game with the mentioned update above. You'll learn that Lola is now known as being John's niece. (her dad is John's brother)

This changes things a bit for her, because first off. She isn't doing anything sexual with her Uncle John. Let's just get that out of the way first off. But without digging too deep, Lola's route will give players a different view of John and even Lola's past.

Her unique kink/fetish might be pretty clear in her route already, but she has a thing for guys who dress up as traps, a bit of a femboy interest. So without trying to dig deep into that either, if you like crossdressing femboy stuff. Look no further. :P (We're looking at Brandon's sprite for how to showcase him during these moments in a fitting way to really enforce the idea.)

Bridget?

Bridget might be a bit more shocking, first thing is first. Her backstory for how she grew up and became a famous streamer, enjoys playing video games?

Still intact, her interest in video games and all that is still around.

But...?

Bridget is undergoing a redesign.

What the hell?! But I like how she acts and looks right now!!

>.< Sorry... Please let me explain.

Given the time we're taking to do adjusting of older content and my wishes for Bridget as a character to be all that she can be... It feels like a fitting time to do her redesign. Why didn't we do it many months back when other characters had some fixes to their sprites or redesigns?

Well... We did ask everyone about it at the time and had something planned, but since she was a side character. It didn't seem too important at the time and it's only considered right now, because we're looking at adjusting old content and so it'd be the best time to do this.

Well that's just great... Let me guess, Miki is next on the redesign list too?!

<.<

Just kidding!! Just kidding! (Please don't kill me!)

Honestly, there is no plans to do any more redesigns for characters. Aside from Bridget, maybe... Small maybe. We'd see a little bit of a change for Allie. But it would be visual only, not personality wise.

Bridget is really the only character who seems like a redesign would really benefit her the greatest.

Also just to enforce the idea. <.< Miki is off limits! Same goes for any other characters aside from Bridget mainly and if we ever, ever do anything else. It is a very little change for Allie. That is the done deal.

Okay... Wait... Are you suggesting Bridget's personality is changing?! Oh my god...

>.< The truth is, yes.

The idea in mind for Bridget is that she's a chunnibyo. (Japanese term, look it up.) The brief idea is someone who thinks like a middle schooler-

<.< (hold on)

You know how back in middle school and early high school, there was that one kid or maybe even you were that kid. Who thought they were special, had hidden secret powers that make them stand out, but of course in reality not really. Imagine the kid who thought they were secretly a pyromancer, they could forge up fire from their fingertips if they so wanted! But they were too cool and held back their true powers, not wanting to waste it on such lowly scum, etc.

I guess in current day, you'd call that cringe? Cringy? Something where years later you or said person are thinking back on how they acted at the time as a delusional kid and think to themselves now. "Oh god... Remove those thoughts from my head!" (No offense if you were that kid <.< we all did silly things we don't wish to recall.)

That's kind of what we're looking at for Bridget. Think of her backstory that made her a streamer and the situation in their family at the time, she needs to have some delusional thoughts to survive her home life.

Her "Bridgeybear" persona is her delusion, she is a famous streamer and will be seen as bubbly, overly cutesy and happy, etc. But she also forms this "Chunnibyo" mindset that she's actually really good at video games and has hidden powers that make her the best gamer in the world. Of course this is all a front or aka delusion to cover up her past as well, where she would rather be delusional like this.

Rather than live in reality about her past, etc. It's a lot to take in and I can see people linking her to Miki already...

She won't feel like Miki trust me, she'll have a whole different way of standing on her own as a character.

Visually, she will keep the red hair, eye color, body type roughly even. Her hairstyle is changing to something a bit more cute and fitting, she'll have freckles and braces. She'll look both visually interesting and appealing, while fitting very well into this new personality of hers.

What... I... What about existing scenes with Bridget and how she acts in them or towards other characters like Erika? Swimming with Nova? Heather?

We'll keep these areas scenarios in mind still, not trying to change things completely. But of course we'll see Bridget interact a bit differently with these characters now.

I think I've ran out of questions... Just... Please be gentle with me. This is a lot of news to take in at once.

Sorry >.< there's a lot going on for how Messy Academy is having adjusting going on and how some aspects of stuff are changing a bit around that. But I think this is a good spot to cut it, as this is a lot of information to process and think about.

~Conclusion~

Sorry for the long post, it's a lot of information. But the one thing to note for right now is that it's been mentioned that this next update is focusing on the adjustments to days 1 & 2 or in new terms. Episode 1 & 2.

Will I go back to adding the next parts of the routes for characters for update 0.16?

I don't want to upset anyone by introducing the routes already and then sit here without giving new content that moves the game forward to it's ending. But right now at least the plan for now is that for update 0.15 (released on Oct 5th) is focused on adjusting and adding stuff to existing days 1 & 2 aka Episode 1 & 2.

Update 0.16 (roughly releases on November 4th) will most likely focus our efforts on making day 3, 4 and 5 into Episode 3, 4 and 5. Among expanding on, adding new content and what not for those areas.

Again while these areas of the game are existing and have been played already, they'll be different in dialogue, text. Not completely, but it'll feel like you've done some of the stuff before already, but with a new look to it.

Pretty much it'll feel like new content that is still worth it and the adjustments are something where we're making sure the older areas of the game are roughly 95% finished. Meaning 5% is just very very minor grammar mistakes or visual things to fix to give it that complete polished content feeling for a finished product. Meaning we won't we going back and doing major stuff to these areas of the game again.

Update 0.17? (roughly releases on December 5th) will we continue with doing day 6, 7 and 8 turned into episodes 6, 7 and 8? Well, like I said. I want to ensure the game feels polished and is a connected full experience for players. If that means we're focused only on adjustments for a few months we can do that.

But I want to also consider how everyone feels about said adjustments for content after the next two updates and see if it feels worth sticking to our guns on that until all the older existing content up to the route areas is complete or if we should toss in a month of some new route stuff moving forward at times moving forward.

Overall, we'll do polls and try to engage how everyone feels about this moving forward. We simply want to see Messy Academy as a from start to finish adventure that many fans will be able to enjoy and look back on fondly.