Chapter 12 Update: The Intervention (Patreon)
Content
Demo Length: 340k
Average Playthrough: 87k
Notes:
First off: it's only half of Chapter 12 (which turned out to be a BEAST of 43,000 words total), with the rest coming later this week. I reworked the intervention scene after having a therapist friend read it over and give feedback. Basically, my first draft more resembled an addiction intervention as seen on TV, where everyone gangs up and yells "WE CARE ABOUT YOU" at the target. After research and feedback, however, I've learned that mental health interventions are best done a little differently. Ideally by a professional.
Also, Nick can't stop making inappropriate jokes because he's coping with his own baggage right now, so there needed to be a more mature third party.
Originally, the intervention happened during the same night as Vengeance's party. I think I ironed out all the looping bugs that happened from taking it out, but please let me know if there any that residually remain.
Since I still want to emphasize that Button has supportive friends, however, I'm changing it so that Button still goes on the date with either their RO or chosen friend after meeting with Sohvi (who is a newly added after my friend's feedback). The date scenes will be different depending on how Button's meeting with Sohvi went, and requires a lot of new coding that I'm not quite done with yet (but should be out in a week or so). These date scenes are when most the romances fully finalize and discussions are had--basically a little interlude before shit hits the fan in the last 4th of Chapter 12 (which you can get a little sneak peak of if you keep clicking past the "Under Construction" image).
Getting feedback on the mental health intervention is important for me, since it's my way of making sure that Button has a parachute and I want to make sure that it works. Thus, it currently triggers for all Buttons. So if the game is acting like your Button is depressed, yet you have an Acceptance score of 99% and play as happy-go-lucky jokester . . . this is why. After the next update, however, this scene only occur if your "depressed" stat is over 12 (of a possible 22), and even then you have the option to tell Sohvi that she misdiagnosed your mood.
Also on my to-do list: find song quotes for Chapters 11 and 12. I've pretty much exhausted my lyrical knowledge after running out of Sound of Silence lyrics.
AND FINALLY, THE LINK:
https://dashingdon.com/play/wildelight/project-geode/mygame/