Alpha Preview Update (March) (Patreon)

Hi everyone, we're finally back with another alpha preview update! I wrote so much this month, between this, the short story, and the Twine port! 😮‍💨

Play the alpha here

❗️➡ Password: candyheart ⬅ ❗️

Report bugs here

View bug reports here

What's New:

• 20,000 words of new content for Chapter 4!
• More Mekduk! More Halek and Naolin! More Moonsilk! More Blade!
• New codex document for talisman meanings in your codex after Candle Day! (But maybe don't look at it, it's mostly a rough draft for the Twine version and I haven't formatted it nicely 😅)
• The ability to skip straight to Chapter 4 through the quickstart feature! I recommend making liberal use of this to see the new content!

Developer Notes:

If you've been staying abreast of my check-ins and updates over the last few weeks, you've known this update to Chapter 4 was coming! Sadly, I wasn't able to finish the full Mekduk route (these things always end up being longer than I think they'll be), but I'm proud of making a ton of headway and finally pushing past the writer's block that was preventing me from working on this chapter, especially given my long period of sickness last month! I think you can get a pretty clear idea of how the chapter's going to end from what's there now, so I can at least rest easy that we're getting closer to finally rounding off this storyline in a satisfactory way!

Notes on seeing Chapter 4's new content:

• You must fall off the cliff and encounter Mekduk to see the new content (the branch where you don't fall off the cliff at all is complete, obviously). You can set your strength to below 50 in the quickstart option or simply choose not to use your lantern in the cave. However, you do need to HAVE the lantern on your person to successfully escape later!
• You must choose to ask Mekduk to take the lachryma while you choose to try and escape on your own. The different branches from this point are very similar to each other: they mostly just impact your relationship to the Hunters/Halek and your reputation differently, as well as how many Hunters will join you later on. If you succeed, you see content similar to what's there now. If you fail, Halek (not Blade, as I've said in the past) will usually have to come and rescue you, except in a specific third scenario. I decided to make this change because I thought Halek needed more spotlight in his introductory chapter, and it just makes more sense, story-wise and timing-wise! Of course, this "failure" scenario is not written yet!
• You must pass several different stat checks to successfully escape the cave, AND you need the lantern! If you're having difficulty accomplishing this, use the quickstart feature! You can now skip straight to Chapter 4 for your convenience.

Total wordcount without code: 730,630 words

What's Next

I am most likely going to return to Chapter 7, the next part of the swamp mystery, and the next room-sharing scene (still haven't decided if it'll be Red or Chase) now that I've had a break from it to refresh myself. Having switched to Chapter 4 this path month allows me to tackle the absolute beast of Chapter 7 with renewed vigor and clarity, which I'm very excited for! And then, of course, I'll finish up the remaining Chapter 4 branches when I need yet another break in the future. It might seem like an unusual writing process, but it really helps when I'm feeling stymied or exhausted by the current chapter! So I'm looking forward to tackling Chapter 7 once again! 🌟

The Twine port is going, but going slowly. Still in the middle of Chapter 1 in terms of outright text conversion. Right now I am in the midst of massive UI brainstorming and design: the hope is that things like the day off hub (with a timer and interactive map), gambling, the quests board, and other features are going to look very shiny and fancy, but it's a slow and patient process and I'm taking my time with it so as not to rush!

Excited to get back into the saddle and keep writing full-steam ahead! Thanks everyone for your patience, kindness, well wishes, and birthday wishes this month: I appreciate you all so much and I hope you're all having a lovely day! Take care of yourself, and I hope you enjoy the new content! ❤️