🌼Devlog🌼

This is such a long devlog (my bad.)

Despite the lingering snow and winter's bite, you can feel spring is just around the corner. I prefer winter, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to warmer weather and spring break.

Especially after the past week. If you follow me on Tumblr - you know I just announced I'm taking a few weeks off due to a family emergency. I just want to thank everyone for their patience, life has just been an absolute s̸̳̔ĥ̷ͅí̶͉t̴͉͌ ̸̻̃s̸̮̏h̴̢́õ̴͍w̶͖̅.

Thankfully, I managed to get a nice amount of writing done last Saturday and today. The day this is posting! We won't talk about how much of that was writing the lead up/choices for MC's bedroom (or that I've spent far too long looking through different aesthetics.( N̶o̶ I̶ d̶i̶d̶n̶'t̶ m̶a̶k̶e̶ a̶ b̶o̶a̶r̶d̶ t̶o̶ s̶h̶o̶w̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶ t̶o̶ y̶o̶u̶ l̶a̶t̶e̶r̶... n̶o̶.) We also won't talk about how I spent twenty minutes deciding if MC (Vice: Sex) should have more than two people they can have possible flings with. I say this because someone mentioned romancing Quint (no!) but I can see an MC who is on a downward spiral going that route.

Sometimes I wonder if I give too many options (especially when coding) but I prefer to have too many than too few.

Even while on break I'm going to do something, I get restless otherwise. It's much easier for me to code when I'm running on fumes than write (which I currently am). This week I just want to code. Nothing but code. Css, JavaScript, Html. I have MC's everyday/pj options to finish coding in (including booty shorts that say "all you can eat". Cam-mancers, go easy on him, please. There are no Dragon Balls in that universe.)

For the prologue and Chapter 1, coding was the most time-consuming part.

So, just as an example, you can see the word count of 2 scenes from Chapter 2 is 13,474 down below. The opening page (not scene) for Chapter 2 alone is 346 words ( 1,924 characters.) I think I’ll easily beat the 287 passages that make up the prologue and Chapter 1. That is why I'm trying to code in segments this time. I'm not sure how many IF authors input code into their word documents. I find it easier for importing.😿 

Spoiler: If you don't want to see anything from Chapter 2 then look away~

If you remember from a past devlog, players will be able to display RO items in their room. Coding that has been such a treat. Players who chose G as an ex (with Chris as the rebound) will be able to obtain a special item—one that makes their dynamic even sadder. (it's not the sweater) (G may have the angstiest route.)

 For reasons (angst) I've already wrote the beginning of Chapter 3. (it's the chapter I'm most excited for thus far.)

I just want to get Chapter 2 out and at least the first half of Chapter 3 this year. Whether that’s doable remains to be seen, but that’s where my head is at. I’m already anxious for the release, even though I’m still in the process of writing and coding. Then there’s the guilt of not having it done already, but I’m trying to shift my mindset and just be happy that I’m making progress.

I’ve edited parts in Chapter 1 when I need a little break from Chapter 2 it's helped when I get stuck on a scene.. I added new choices (yay?!). Coded the glossary which is a wip. I’ve also added some extra dialogue/choices for when players first meet Ardent and tweaked some of Isaac’s dialogue. (will jade be mentioned? who knows.)

That will all release before Chapter 2. The plan is to have all the code that Chapter 2 requires, already implemented in the game so that players won't need to start a new save. I'm not sure if that plan is foolproof but, only one way to find out. Little did I know that everyone was playing the demo from September, not the more recent version with bug fixes/grammar fixes. I thought I had updated it... but was I wrong. 🫨

Patreon/Ko-fi will get the update first. The pieces I’ve shared here so far have really helped me better understand the characters (especially M’s recent NSFW). Some of them have been on the shorter side, but that’s because most of my writing time is going toward Chapter 2 and commissions. (okay and chapter 3's intro.)

There are also bits I want to release that won’t be in the game itself—past experiences between MC and Peri (which will only be briefly mentioned in the game), as well as MC x Jade and MC x Chris. (A little villain content to get you through the day.) I also want to release some interactive NSFW snippets, that way I can get comfortable with the different directions MC can take in a scene.

(On a side note, I had a WIP idea I want to test out—I think I'll just use the general concept as an AU for now. Hint - dancer MC.)

All that to say—life is hectic, but any progress is good progress.

Here is a glimpse at the glossary. (There will be two versions. One in the main menu the other menu appears when you click on the highlighted word while playing.) (This will change before you see it, some terms edited. The alignment as well.)