July Report

Hello everyone, today is the day for the July progress report.

It's been a while, although not that long.

This month, we've made relatively stable progress, but we're still a bit away from the new demo version, mainly due to a lot of content needing to be redone and redrawn.

Discord

Ci-en

In the first half of the year, I felt frustrated and down because I hit a bottleneck in game development, which delayed progress for a long time. After some self-reflection, I gained a lot of perspective.

Of course, this doesn't mean I don't intend to continue improving my skills.

The main issue is that RPG Maker's engine has its limits. If I can surpass those limits, I'd love to; if not, then I'll focus on filling the game with content. In any case, the goal is to complete the game first.

Progress

This month, I also tried to tackle the game's frame rate and optimization issues from a new perspective.

I boldly experimented with Group AI calculations, using a single AI logic to control multiple units and distribute calculations across frames to reduce CPU load. The idea was good, but in practice, it didn't go smoothly.

Each enemy unit needs to be calculated independently, and simple behavior logic doesn't seem to occupy much CPU usage... The hitboxes and hit detection of area attacks seem to take up most of the CPU usage, and these need to be calculated simultaneously... Additionally, pathfinding seems to consume a lot of resources. In the end, it seems I'll have to write a lightweight pathfinding script myself... Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

Although it didn't go smoothly, at least it gave me a chance to organize my over ten thousand lines of combat logic code, greatly reducing the possibility of bugs.

All that technical talk aside, let's discuss something more relatable.

About the Game Screen Ratio

The new screen ratio is 800x512, which is slightly larger than the previous 640x480, with enough space on the right to display Luna's illustration.

800x512 is a somewhat rare ratio; I think 1024x576 might be better.

However, even slightly expanding the screen greatly impacts game smoothness. This doesn't seem related to my code but rather due to RPG Maker's clunky handling of grids. The more grids on screen, the lower the frame rate.

Until I find a suitable solution, the game will stay at the 800x512 screen ratio.

Due to the screen ratio change, many cutscenes also need to be modified, which will take some time.

The H scenes in combat will also be redone. I always prefer this more classic style of presentation; it reminds me of many games.

I've also created a new H status interface.

(Can't show it here)

Go to Ci-en

With the new screen ratio, players can choose to have Luna's illustration always displayed on the right side.

This way, Luna's illustration will change according to the player's stealth status.

Players can also lie completely flat in the grass to avoid enemies, but if discovered...

About the Large Prison

The new prison is quite large and should be well-filled with content. I've prepared a lot of CGs and illustrations.

There are two ways to enter the prison. The first is to get caught. In the new version, enemies won't constantly try to capture you unless you do something or are in a state where you can't act (not Game Over).

The second way is to infiltrate the prison through a mission. I've added a side quest that allows Luna to infiltrate the prison... and it's possible to do so without triggering sex scenes. Players aiming for a virgin playthrough can use this method to explore the prison.

Entering the prison will allow you to obtain "nipple rings."

About Reynold's Faction War

The third general hasn't been completed yet, mainly because this part of the story involves new mechanics and a new boss fight, which require me to solve some technical issues first.

With many existing contents needing optimization and testing, the Balward storyline is currently a lower priority.

Therefore, in the next version, I will first release the faction war gameplay.

I will explain the specific content in the next progress report.

Art Style Improvement

This month, we also made some improvements to the art style, refining the way Luna's face is drawn.

Luna's illustration has been iterated once more to make her body proportions more natural.

Mysterious Merchant

At the suggestion of the illustrator, the true identity of the mysterious merchant has been officially confirmed.

The merchant will appear as a main character in the future.

About the V0.8 Demo Release Date

I can't confirm the release date yet. Unless I'm 100% sure, I won't make promises in the future.

Although my development speed is not fast, I've never thought about giving up on this project.

Thank you for all your support.