Game Update #30 (Patreon)

A new version of the game means a new menu image to highlight the featured characters. What do you guys think?

It's a few days past the middle of April, which means it's time for my mid-month game update. I'll jump right to the info most of you are probably looking for—the next dev build is in the very final stages of coding & testing, which means it's just around the corner.

I'm going to be smart today and not give a specific day or anything, but I'll say it's really just a matter of how quickly I can type and then go through the game again... and again... and again, hunting for bugs.

As for the rest—including the latest on the new Connor model—read on.

Script

I've kept the scripting of the hookup scenes that'll end the Club Update in the back of my mind while I work on the more pressing stuff. But now that I'm nearing the point of creating those scenes, the ideas I initially had are flooding back to me. I'm looking forward to finally getting to write them within the next few weeks—I think they're going to be really hot!

What's mostly been happening the past few weeks, though, is working on connective tissue and ripple effects I didn't anticipate before scenes were actually coded. Like the frat party, there are ways to jump between storylines at the club, and that ended up meaning I needed transitions and references to events that I hadn't previously considered. That's the fun—and I mean that both literally and sardonically—of creating a branching narrative!

Coding

This is where I'm at currently. Nothing new to report except to say using a shortkey system (think court stenographer) has continued to help so much. I have far fewer errors when I test the game since I'm making far fewer typos. I recommend looking into a system like that if you're a new/amateur coder like I am!

Testing is of course a long, tedious process due to all the various flags that need checked. One day I'll be able to get outside testers, but that day is not today...

Art

I've gotten so much done art-wise while working on everything else—primarily a lot of sprites for all the various characters. There are new CGs involving dance sequences that I can't wait to show off as well. I actually need to stop myself sometimes from deciding to add even more CGs—right now I'm settling for one last-minute CG using a placeholder so I don't get my attention pulled from the final steps of the dev build.

I also did a little bit of a redesign for one of the side characters that I shared in a past sneak peek. I'll go ahead and save that for when you play the game, but if you're into long-haired guys, you might just like his new look.

New Connor

And now we come to the new Connor model—an ongoing project that has inspired a lot of excellent feedback.

If you haven't heard yet, I'm creating a new model for Connor to match the quality level of the newer characters I made for the game. There are many reasons for this, but my biggest one is it takes so, so long to pose & light original Connor to look good. He's the first model I made for the game, and the model's edges are rough.

The early versions of the revised model that I shared got some valuable criticism that I took to heart, namely that Connor seemed too old and not as approachable. Basically, he didn't feel like Connor.

When I needed a break from working on the next dev build but still wanted to be productive, I spent time adjusting the model to bring back the youthful energy that was missing. I'm going to do a full sneak peek post relatively soon showing the current version of the model in various game CGs and as sprites so we can get a full picture of what he'd look like in-game. In the meantime, here are some headshots cropped from full body shots that'll be in that sneak peek. (The attached gallery has a bigger version of this image so you can see more detail.)

I hope the angles here give a decent idea of what all I changed when it came to softening his face and bringing back the character that was missing. But of course seeing him in many different contexts will help us all determine where the model might need some more adjustments. We've got some time before the model needs to be finalized, so nothing is set in stone yet.

Looking Ahead

After a quiet first half of April, I'm going to be doing a number of Patreon posts in the near future. The plan for the immediate future is to first release the finished dev build that includes the Isaiah and Solo paths for the Club Update, then this month's Guy Gallery, followed by the New Connor sneak peek. 

Beyond that, I'm considering how I want to do the next game version. It'll either be a third dev build or the actual full release for everyone to play. I'm leaning towards the latter so I'm able to shift focus between all the different aspects of the remaining work instead of staying linear and potentially holding myself back. But I may yet do a dev build featuring the last storyline—Asher's—and possibly a hookup scene. I'll keep you all posted.

Lastly, Self-Indulgent Nostalgia

This is only tangentially related to Freshmen, so feel free to skip! 

Today I received a package containing some Turkish copies of a book I published over a decade ago. This isn't a book that sold well at all—one of the reasons I've transitioned from traditional publishing to this project—but it was a reminder that for all the negative thoughts I may have about my writing career thus far, I did somehow manage to get books released internationally. That's not something everyone can say!

That worldwide reach continues with Freshmen, which has an audience of wonderful people like yourselves from many different countries. When I'm in the weeds working on a project, it can be easy to forget that I'm so lucky to have this project reach so many. This is the first thing I've ever self-published, and I have to say that it's been so much more rewarding than I expected. A big part of that is sharing the game and the journey with all of you.

Anyway! Enough sappiness. I'm back to coding until I need to tear myself away to sleep. I'm looking forward to sharing some fun content in the coming days!