Thrallworks Update #2 - Projecting Hard (Patreon)

Hey ho all, time for another update!

Updatan

Work continues apace on the game, I'd say I'm around 2/3 days from updating all the systems of the various scenes together so they can flow together cohesively, so look forward to that. For a screenshot of what I consider to be one of the more major changes:

This menu screen replaces the previous Control Settings screen from the original prep-menu. As the development's gone on its become more clear what's necessary and what would be cool, so I've taken options out that would be difficult to make compelling, time-wise content for, and arranged new options that will be more impactful as a whole. Though these options here are only marginally used/useful in the course of this demo, they will have a big impact come the 'Instruction' part of the game.

So yeah. Menus. Yay. I guess that's not as interesting as the piece of art I kicked us off with!

Project Files

This is something I flirted with a bit with the Thrallopedia entries, but *really* wanted an excuse to dig into for the game. See, one of the things I was very aware of was that...well, not everyone is going to know who she is, and in some cases the content of the routes will only make sense (or the best choices only apparent) when you know what her deal is. So in that regard, you can understand the need for something like this that can fill the gaps in player knowledge.

It also has allowed me to show some information off that I couldn't previously regarding relatively meaningless data-serials, and more importantly hint at some of the aspects of education.

See I've always disliked trainer games that focus on just a narrow band of stats. 'Obedience' and 'Acceptance' are....fine indicators of how cool she is with going along with stuff and progressing into the Thrallworks world, but those two stats don't suddenly equate to her being a wonderful dancer, do they? Hell they don't even tell you anything about her mental development; they are nebulous in a way that renders them useless for the practical ideas of training.

So instead, we have a list of things she is to learn to be good at and for you to educate her in. You may note that they are all 'To be determined' right now because these are not skills in which you will be able to see pre-scored as you roll through the cycles and she gains aptitiude, no, much like in a proper course, you need to assign some time to test her in mock-exams to get your projected grade for her.

The actual lessons and how they work I have some ideas on but would prefer to have some visuals on-hand to show y'all, so I guess I gotta leave them for another update- though I will by necessity have to touch on them in my $10 update tomorrow. Suffice to say that the lesson 'scenes' will be punchier than these more expansive orientations, and where the flow of instruction and teaching kinda happens between them as its own mechanic.

Anyway, that's all the big news I've got to talk about right now regarding thrallworks; most-all the time's been used to update rather than art, but all that means is there's going to be some more of that for the next update-

-$5 Fear Route?

Ah yes, and the fear route for you guys!

I've actually got a more bug-hunted version in the full release than the one I'm going to link- like I'm aware of one specific missing art asset code that needs correcting in this version that I have done in the 'Full Demo' version, but hey. Small niggles.

Here it is!

The password to access is: SheIsObservingClosely

As ever, any big buggos do speak up on the discord, always nice to see folks there- or leave a comment below!

See y'all again here in another fortnight, until then I encourage basking in all the content to come betwixt the then and the now. More drones, ponies, prolly a state of the union, and more sketch-stuff!

Enjoy!