Development update 29.01.23 (Patreon)

Hello everyone!

This week I focused on putting the scenes we already have into the Ren’py. I did it because we really want to start testing and improving Episode 2 as soon as possible. To be honest I didn’t realize how long it would take me to put it all into the code but I hope I’ll finish it next week and give it to the beta testers and proofreaders. But it’s not over yet! Joshua’s work is almost done but there’s plenty of work waiting for me still. I have to finish all of the scenes and also some of the images I left before (I was waiting to do it until the mini game was ready). Before I’ll start working on the next scenes I want to transcribe them all and see how much work is really waiting for me to do. After that I’d be able to say more about the most realistic date of the release and how much is ahead of me.

Beside that I want to remember all of you that the level of tier matters! There’s this situation going on with January's wallpaper poll and the result is equal. But it’s equal only if we’re forgetting about the tiers! Higher tiers have more votes 😄 So for example Mechanics (20$ tier) have 3 votes instead of one - Racers (50$ tier) and Champions (100$) 5 votes! That’s why if you want to have more impact on polls - you can become a higher tier Patron! By the way let me remind you about the recent polls and leave your vote if you haven’t already!

• Extra Scene Poll -  In which environment should Episode 2 Extra Scene take place? - VOTE HERE!
• January’s Wallpaper - VOTE HERE! Be quick because I want to make it tomorrow and post it 😄

Few words from Joshua: 😄

Another couple of weeks and the story dialogue is just getting the finishing touches. It’s been a lot of work to write the different scenarios for the different paths, especially in the main scene where your choice of partner changes the whole tone of the episode. Oddly enough, Episode 1 had a bit of a resurgence recently when we suddenly saw an increase in downloads. With that came a bunch of questions and concerns that I think I can address.  One feedback point from Episode 1 was that the SMS feature was over-used. That’s on me, and I’ve taken that on board. There is still some SMS exchanges in the game, mostly to ensure that the story moves along at an appropriate pace. For example, if the story needs Jake to tell Maggie something urgently, rather than try and concoct a reason for her being nearby or waiting for a time when it’s plausible they’ll interact, Jake can just send a quick (and short) text.  I have minimised the use of it though, so hopefully that will help reassure some people.  Another concern has been the timeline. The holiday season, along with a couple of events in both of our personal lives did impact it a bit, but we are confident we’re approaching the home stretch for Episode 2. The story is complete, it’s just the polish and tweaks on that end, then I’m straight into Episode 3 while Jachu finishes making the dialogue come to life with visuals, music and integrating it into Ren’py.

For me, this is a really exciting part. While I’m writing the dialogue, I’m visualising all the details and sometimes I offer suggestions on shots, scenes or other visual cues, but it’s not until I actually see it that I can see the story come together. Jachu does send hundreds of preview images to me so I can keep the look of the game in my mind when writing, which is really helpful.   So, that’s where it’s sitting right now. Things will move quickly from here on until the release of Episode 2. I can’t wait to see what our players think of the new characters, the depth of the established ones, and, of course, how Jake’s relationship with your preferred girl is progressing.  Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the game, posted on forums, reddit, and even recommended the game to their friends. Love your work!  As always, thanks again to our Patrons. It really is encouraging to know that people are interested enough in what we’re doing to invest in it.

Stay tuned!