Update - Masami getting changed (Patreon)

This week's image

So this image is a failure, but I might still use it for a new card in the game. It's a failure because I wanted to create a new, more high-res version of the shot where you see Masami's silhouette behind the changing screen in the early part of PAL. I got some new room divider props, but I just couldn't get any results that were what I wanted. This one is fun, but she's obviously not obscured enough at all for her to be realistically changing in private behind there.

The release of PAL 1.2 and 1.3

The reason this update is slightly early is because I didn't want to release it in the middle of releasing a bunch of posts for the PAL updates.

I'm releasing both versions at the same time because, honestly, I want the release of 1.2 to act as a partial promotion for 1.3, generating some interest with a public release but also providing an incentive to support the Patreon campaign. This is a tactic I'll probably be using again where possible, assuming it works out. I've learned I need to always have something fairly current in the $10 tier no matter what.

Uploading four different files, each around 850 mb, was a nightmare. (That's the EXE and BLORB versions of both 1.2 and 1.3.) It usually takes most of a day to upload a build of the game. The upload speeds that I have access to here are really slow; download is fine but all the ISPs throttle upload heavily and I don't want to have to buy a much more expensive connection. Fortunately I'm actually shifting to a new ISP right now, so while it's still a slow upload I have a month in which I've got access to both connections at once and I used them simultaneously to save time on the upload. Plus I had to reupload v1.2.0 after I found a serious bug in it and I had to fix it before release.

Testing and updating PAL

This week I did a bunch of testing of PAL, which was a major project because even just playing the game can take a while (it's big - you know that) and more so for me because often I'll find something that needs fixing, so I'll have to pause my test progress and go make some changes to the game. This might involve doing some detective work to discover the source of a bug, doing a bunch of copy-paste drudgery if I find some new set of tasks needs to be created to fully implement one of the systems, or actually re-rendering pictures that I just think aren't good enough.

I do have to say that I knew the new versions of PAL wouldn't be bug-free because full testing actually takes a lot of work and I don't have time to fully test before each release. It may seem like a small thing, but it really isn't; I do partial tests frequently just to see if some new system I've implemented seems to be working, but without multiple complete tests (all the way through the game) there'll just inevitably be bugs in there somewhere. Do tell me about bugs if you find them in any of my games! I probably don't know about them and I will fix them if informed.

But despite that, the testing went pretty well, I think. I'm increasingly happy with how the updated game is looking and when all the new stuff is in there and I've polished down the rough edges I hope you agree (or will agree as more is added) that the game is significantly better with the Attack of the Nega Maids expansion. I have made substantial updates to games that were 'finished' before, but nothing that is as big or as interesting as this. I'm also not bored with this expansion (it can be boring retreading old work) and I'm happy about making an actual expansion pack, just like the games I loved in my childhood - and some these days too - would have. :) I may be a little weird but I find something inherently magical about a game I like getting an expansion pack. (If you like XCOM 2 then check out War of the Chosen, it's great. Plus I really liked Tyranny and that's just got an expansion too, although I haven't played it yet.)

Let Me Out

So this month I wanted to do a small update of LMO, but it proved to be too much of a time crunch. I will still release v0.6.0 to $5 patrons, though, so if you haven't played that yet then you're in luck! I'm sorry about the delay, I really planned to get it done but it's just proving impossible. Next month I will do an update with the content I planned to add this month and the additional stuff I was going to add next month in there too.

Holiday preparations

I love taking holidays and getting a little bit of time off (I normally work seven days a week, so even though I enjoy it it's still good to get a little time off here and there), but it does take a lot of preparation. I have to work extra hard on game development to get all my ducks in a row before I go. I'm also going to be releasing updates even while I'm gone, because these are a patron reward that I take seriously (and it's good for the site not to go dead for two weeks). I will also still try to respond to any comments, messages, emails, tweets or whatever else you send me! I just may be a little slower than usual.

Fortunately I've had a little bit of time off my day job in the lead up to the holiday. I didn't initially plan it that way, but due to circumstances beyond my control it just broke down that way. It means a temporary drop in income for a couple of weeks, which is a pity, but it does give me time to get my rather ambitious release plans for this month completed while also doing all this holiday prep, so that's a happy accident. Just so you know I'll be leaving in a few days and I'll be gone for about two weeks, but thanks to all this planning it shouldn't significantly slow down game development progress at all and I'll be doing an update release in October too (probably of Let Me Out).

What do you think? Should I make the pic into a card? Got any thoughts/questions about the game progress or my holiday schedule? Let me know in the comments!