Progress Report #5 - Combat, Effects, Crafting, Animations, Images, Mistresses for v0.3, v0.4 Move

Welcome back to another progress report. It's a long one. This will be either the last one, or second to last one before releasing v0.2. Today I want to show how in spite of this being a lewd eroge game, we're trying to make the combat involving, and want no two Gladiatrices battle environments to feel the same.

The character design for the celt (now named Maeve) was done in a haste, simply to have an extra Mistress to show off at the end of v.0.1 - to just show that we had more in the works. We're trying to consider very carefully how we approach character design - we want each Mistress to be visually and personally intriguing, along with **satisfying** ;)

Maeve was drawn simply as a cross between a celtic huntress, and a sort of quick bladeswoman. While this does make her and Edela (based off of a female Varangian Guard) seem somewhat generic compared to what we have planned - (the "Black Rose" decided by the last poll winner of 'French Duelist' coming next should really be spectacular)

It did not at all stop us from trying to make her have a creative visual style. The icons you see above play a key part of beating her in each fight.

You'll need to predict her attacks, and must ensure that you don't let her or her spirit animal become too voracious - lest you be caught off guard from one of her lewd pounces.

The Golden Cougar you see at the end will play both a part of her combat, stacking your victories, and even crafting. Perform well and you'll earn a token for each Mistress you beat.

Will you be her predator, her prey, or eventually, her pet? Find out about the first two this time, then the latter in an expansion if it's wanted :^)

It is our first battle we've made, so please leave us all of your feedback in discord as we prepare to start on v.0.3 right after.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of the 10-15 images we promised each version, we've now gone overboard and v0.2 will include about 35 unique pictures of Maeve (and a bit of Daisy). Most of these have been done in the past two weeks, as we realized what we want to get out of our first 'real' version. 

I'm commissioning help from an additional artist for more extraneous doodads like these icons, and now for special effects for Maeve's attacks.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite all of this, I have moved over 10,000 KM from home, and am still yet to settle into my new place, staying in a variety of destinations more suited for a travel blog than a progress report - so I'll save the details, and just say that it *may* make us have to push back the release date one week.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, the poll for the Mistress of v0.4 will come right after we release v0.2. We've loved hearing your ideas, and will already be including two that we've heard repeated many times both from private messages, and in the f95zone thread - an ebony Mistress is wanted, and a muscle growth Mistress is wanted. I think I have some solid ideas for them both, and will elaborate more with the coming poll.

In addition to these two the previous options will be making a return, along with two or three more. Be creative and just let us know what you'd like to see! Part of the fun of developing this game for us is trying to make things fit.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading this report, and we're very much looking forward to hearing your reaction to v0.2 - Maeve.