News: Patreon "Goals" Feature (Patreon)

Patreon just announced that, beginning in May, they will be retiring the "Goals" feature from creators' pages. You may be more familiar with it as the "If we reach $X, we will add X" milestone system.

While this change won't impact the development of Changeling Tale in any way, I'm sad to see it go! It was exciting to reach the milestones we set for ourselves and gave us motivation to add new features that enhance the game experience. Thanks entirely to your support, we broke through goal after goal and turned Changeling Tale from a small game project into the sweeping visual novel it is today.

The sole outstanding goal, should we reach a funding level of $8,500, is to circle back after we've completed some other romances and add one additional short ending for each of the MacLeod girls. Even after "Goals" goes away, we will honor this commitment. And just because there will be no official goals tracker going forward doesn't mean we can't create more objectives at a later date and track progress towards reaching them ourselves!

Because the history of our project's goals & rewards will be deleted when Patreon removes the feature, I'd like to use the rest of today's post to commemorate all we've achieved together since we began this page. Support for Changeling Tale surpassed all expectations, and your enthusiasm for this budding project sent it rocketing through dozens of early goals in no time at all. For posterity, here is a full list of what your incredible support has accomplished!

Goals

$250 - reached!

In-Game Art Gallery - Return to your favorite moments at the click of a button as you unlock scenes from the game!

$500 - reached!

Physical Art Book - Supporters at the $25 reward tier will receive a printed hard copy of the Changeling Art Book, featuring:

• Hi-Res scenes & assets from the game
• Changeling Tale lore
• Concept art
• Insights into the development process

$750 - reached!

Add'l Poses & Outfits - I will add more variety to the sprites poses and wardrobes to make for an even more immersive Visual Novel experience!

$1,000 - reached!

Scope Increase - If we reach this milestone I will double the scope of the main game! What lies in wait when Malcolm stumbles into the faerie world?

• New setting to explore
• 3 more Romantic Interests & Storylines added
• 3 more Transformations, including TG/TF (Male to Female)
• Dozens more illustrations

At this point I may also bring on add'l resources to help with the extra scope and roll out the game faster!

$1,250 - reached!

Soundtrack Upgrade - I will commission original music to supplement the public domain soundtrack!

$1,500 - reached!

Add'l Romantic Interest - If Malcolm plays his cards right, he might now get to know a certain canine femme more intimately...

$2,000 - reached!

Fae Village - The faerie world is full of all sorts of peculiar denizens.  Would you like to be one of them?

• If this goal is met, a new rewards tier "Fae Villager" (with limited slots) will be added.
• Backers at this level will have the opportunity to include their character in the game!

Update - All slots have been taken!

$3,000 - reached!

Easter Eggs - Are you a completionist who looks high & low for game easter eggs?  At this goal some super-secret, over-the-top easter eggs will be added just for you!

$4,000 - reached!

Limited Animated Effects - Enjoy enhanced scenery with things like flitting fireflies, watery shadows, moving fish, and flickering lights!  Eat your heart out, ILM ; )

$4,999 - reached!

Patron Funded Romantic Interest - Who do you guys think should be included in the game?  What kind of transformation themes interest you?

• If this goal is met one more Romantic Interest will be added to the game.
• We will use Patron Polls and feedback to build the character and his or her story from the ground up!

Note that depending on when this goal is met, the additional scope may impact the launch schedule.  Stay tuned for more details when we get a little closer!

$5,000 - reached!

Interactive Backgrounds - Who's in the framed pictures in the MacLeod's household?  What's the story behind that staind glass window in the church?  If we meet this goal, you'll be able to click on them to find out!  Interacting with these objects will make a popup appear with more information about them, revealing that some of Changeling Tale's secrets are hidden in plain sight...

$6,000 - reached!

Expanded Baird's Compendium - We'll make Baird's Compendium of Faerie Lore available to read in-game, and we'll periodically add new entries!  That means more lore, more art, and more TF—and patrons will vote on which legends/creatures get included!

$7,500 - reached!

Unlockable Concept Art Galleries - These include profiles, character sheets, sketches and prototype designs for each romanceable character. We'd love to share the behind-the-scenes work and art that didn't otherwise make it into the game!

$8,500 - 

New Bonus Endings - After we have completed a few more characters' story lines, we will circle back to the original romances and add one additional Short Ending for each of the MacLeod girls and Rowan Ashfield, featuring even more  transformation! Marion, Jessie, Grace and Rowan fans rejoice!