Our Red String Chapter 9 BETA release!
Added 2021-10-29 11:51:50 +0000 UTCThis is the Beta for Chapter 9, Lust and Power! I went over the reported bugs and did some additional proofreading, but a final, thorough one is still required. I've also made a few changes and tweaks to both art and writing taking into account your input after the Alpha release (especially about some expressions that came out kinda silly in some drawings!)
This chapter took longer than I wanted and expected for several reasons. Working on each chapter of ORS is becoming really complex and difficult, but I knew that much going in. This game is becoming a big, ambitious project and it would be impossible for me to pull this off on my own: I have to thank my team and community, as always, for selflessly helping me deliver this game time and time again. Special thanks to Lara and BloodyMares, who really helped me check the chapter to make it consistent and playable.
As is always the case, it's hard for me to judge the quality of the update, especially after having been working on it for so long. I've tried my best to move the plot forward and include some long-awaited scenes, and I can't help but push the quality of the art even further. I think the upgrade is very noticeable when you compare illustrations from the first few chapters with the current one.
To give you some stats about this chapter, the code ended up being 20.785 lines long and there are 101 full screen new illustrations (!), with plenty of variations. Sadly, I haven't been able to include the new OST tracks I commissioned, since the musician is still working on them...
Some new features have been implemented, like a scene gallery many of you were asking about, and some UI and game optimization. Now the images are in .webp format, which has reduced the download size of the game considerably. An Android port is coming soon too, finally.
Anyway, I hope you find this chapter enjoyable and worth the wait. It has been really frustrating and draining for me not being able to publish sooner, and I know it's really inconvenient and frustrating for you guys too. All I can say is I'll keep trying to make a game I'm satisfied with, as fast as I can, but taking as much time as I need while cutting as few corners as possible. It's up to you to judge if what I create it's worth your while!
As always, I'm eager to read your opinions and comments both here in the comments and in our Discord server!
Comments
Very happy with this chapter! You are the best at what you do and are one of only a few artists/writers that actively make me wish I could go into a coma and wake up when the story is complete! Thanks so much Eva!
Blaster177
2021-11-07 05:01:40 +0000 UTCPlayed a little further - I saw one thing that broke my immersion (small SPOILER ahead). I did not notice this in one of Evas two games before but might have overlooked it. Wonder what you think about it: I saw an Ahegao-Face (extreme, manga-like O-Face) and a great, wet explosion by one character of the game (you know what I mean if you saw it). I know, it's scene is supposed to be extreme, but it feels like the facial expression and the fluids are not belonging into the setting of the game and are to exaggerated. It looks just too mangaesque where everything else in the games could at least remotely be real. It also feels a little bit like seeing a pornstar perform or a cosplayer perform, but not like seeing real emotions. Maybe a little(!) less would have been more. Everything else up to this scene was perfect in every detail, though. The "final" picture of this scene (with the ahegao) came a little quickly for my taste. It could have been split into two scenes, but the way it goes now is fine, too and maybe even due to my path in the game.
Dennis
2021-11-07 00:22:31 +0000 UTC
