Good afternoon. Today I have for you an update with a bit of a smorgasbord of stuff. As lightly mentioned last time, some reconfiguring had broken the behaviour of vantawhite, maid and robo items. That's been fixed.
Grabby enemies A lot of enemies grab you to apply bondage. That interaction has been changed somewhat to usually give the player some agency. Grab range on enemies has been decreased in most cases, so they need to get closer to actually grab. It's now possible to escape most enemies if they grab you, simply by running away. as long as you're not slowed by any bondage. Slapping enemies has a chance to stun them, which forces them to release their grasp if they're currently grabbing you. Escaping an enemy's grasp by these two means is debuffed if you're wearing any items that affect 'grabability', which at the moment is only the pony harness.
Speaking of item stats, items can now have a sound effect that plays when you move, which at the moment is only on the pony boots.
Lootboxes previously would, when giving you an item, always place it on your body. They now instead place it into your inventory 80% of the time. In the paid version of the game that you have access to here, lootboxes can contain the four pony items.
Pony items I want to at some point add some theatrics around the concept of a ponygirl role like the maid role. but for now they're only available in this paid version of TBOE as a random lootbox drop. Much like the maid garb, each has unique behaviour and deadlocks when worn.
Pony boots are hard to balance in, and will cause you to trip up if you get into fights The pony bridle may manifest a bitgag and blinders if you misbehave The pony harness makes it significantly easier for enemies to grab you and apply more bondage Pony gloves awaken and control your hands to put on any other pony items the moment you acquire them
Bugfixes Item sprites should no longer appear on the player model when failing to equip an item Enemies return to idle animation when they stop chasing the player Wardrobe UI should appear at the correct position. Dunno if that was wrong in any public build but it was really weird for me for a moment there Fixed issue where the DDR minigame was expecting the second rather than the next arrow Save files sometimes ended up with negative billions of HP. Those now have max HP when loaded
Today I have for you an update which adds two notable things: curses and costumed enemies Each floor has a chance to be inflicted with a Binding of Isaac-style curse, which could hide the map or your stamina; and last week's spectres have also been made into a floor curse. What's more, most enemies will wear costumes during the halloween months of october and november. Bolas guys dress up as cowboys, wardens dress up as frankenstein's monsters, etc.
Small warning: Due to the downstream effects of changing game engine version, some items' functionality doesn't work in 0007b.
Good morrow, today I have for you a spooky feature, Spectres. During the months of October and November, each floor will have a chance to spawn one spectre, an enemy which is invisible until it gets close and which can pass through walls. The ghostly spectral restraints they apply are immediately deadlocked, but have a good chance to be unlocked as you progress, eventually to disappear without a trace.
Good midday everyone. Today have for you a preview image of some ponygirl stuff. I am still mulling over the exact functionality of these items and the role of the pony. I would like a task that is particular to the ponygirl role, and which is helped along by every pony item worn, much like the maid gear. The task would probably be one of logistics, of bringing crates or barrels or people from one place to another. And I would have this sequence lead up to another ending much like how the maid items do. My thinking for these items is that the bridle would have its gag and blinders appear or disappear based on certain circumstances. Perhaps doing a task would dispel them, but slapping an enemy or opening a lootbox would cause them to appear as punishment. The boots on the other hand are unstable, and so perhaps would have a low % chance to trip the wearer up at any time. Or perhaps only when they slap an enemy or do something else that might unbalance someone. Who knows, ears are open to any thoughts n ideas. I'll intend to make a general body harness and hoof gloves as well for four total ponygirl items. Thanks for your continued interest! (～￣▽￣)～
Good tuesday to you. Today I have for you more talk of the "secret editor".
I have been doing further work in making the item-making part of this tool usable by people who don't have the knowledge bestowed unto them by having made the damn thing. As well as adding blocks to e.g. trip the wearer up, force them to move, give them new items, etc. And bugfixing. Gadzooks there were a lot of bugs in this thing, and probably still are.
The attached image, for instance, is a test item that every time you hit an enemy while wearing it, has a 50% chance to lock itself and a 50% chance to unlock itself.
In the near future I shall hope to produce an update with more items in order to both test these systems, and to add something of immediate appeal to the game.
One of the things that I often think about is how this kind of subscription-funded game development incentivises a kind of endless development process that involves adding a bunch of meaningless tat. I think that rather dooms games like Yandere Simulator, which are meant to have limited content and a defined end point. But for a roguelike such as TBOE it might not be a problem if I keep adding stuff to it ad infinitum. I think it's worth getting the temperature of the room on the matter: are you fine with development going on for an arbitrarily long time or do you think it's better to work toward a concrete end point?
Good tuesday to you. Today I have for you an update that includes a couple previously mentioned features: Tentacles, when you remove them, have a good chance to move to a different part of the body instead of actually being removed. Lootboxes, also, will now also drop a platter of comsumables. A lot of backend aspects are in the process of being improved at the moment so this build might be somewhat unstable, especially in the case of the secret editor.
Good evening. Recently I have addressed the long standing problem of lootboxes being rather shitty in TBOE. Previously they would free you of an item if you were wearing one, or put a usually beneficial item on you otherwise. Now they have a chance to give you an item even if it could remove one, and they shall always drop consumables. Those consumables may on rare occasion be slimy tentacle monsters.
Good afternoon. today I have for you an update to the "secret editor". Which if you hadn't noticed is a tool in-game with which you can make your own items and rooms.
For a while in the past, it has been secret because it has been a bit too shitty and unexplained for public use, and so too will that be the case for a bit of the future. I'm aiming to rectify that by making things a bit more understandable, reliable and intuitive. Which should also benefit my own work on TBOE since I have long been using these editors to make the actual content.
As part of these overhauls I'm trying out a sort of 'events and blocks' approach to item behaviour. That's what you see in the screenshot, is the next little bit of item behaviour I intend to add, making it so that when you remove tentacles they have a good chance of moving to another slot instead of actually being removed. The illusion of which is created by equipping a different tentacle item on the player.
These kinds of improvement should allow faster development of content by me once they're done, but means that less than usual will be made until then. With the additional upshot of mods also being much more feasible to make afterward.
You awaken trapped in a small room, door locked. By the door is a screen announcing: In order to leave, you must choose and wear three of the listed items. Given that, which three of the nine do you take?
Good morning. Today I have for you a new hazard: Occasional tentacle monsters will appear throughout the dungeon and cling if possible to Eliza as she passes by. Partly I have made this in order to test out the new feature of animated items. Behold, as the tentacle creatures continue to writhe and squirm as long as they are worn! Perhaps there will be other uses for these animated items in future (✿◡‿◡)
Good afternoon. two main changes today: - The Robozone now intermittently features tape guys. As you might expect, they use tape to bind you, which has this new removal minigame that you see before you. - You can now gather Money much like other consumables. It is found dropped on the floor like any other, but also drops from defeated enemies. Money has but one purpose at the moment: to buy the Deadkey pieces that you need to unlock deadlocked items.
Good evening. I have further updates for you today.
Item buttons and tooltips (as shown in the screenshot above) have some explanatory text
More UI elements are controllable with keyboard, so you no longer have to use the mouse to change options or take off items
Main menu has some music now, and little doodles in the background
Endings have updated drawings, lightly animated
Dialogue has a portrait image now
Some bugs fixed, as usual
As usual, this secret subscriber-only version has access to cheats activated with F3 in game, to spawn in or remove items as you please. Thank you for your interest!
I've spoken much of this ongoing rework of the character and item art. Here you will find a delivery of... most of it. Some of the wardrobe items are not yet redrawn, neither are the ending slates.
The Janitor items have also been changed into Maid items.
As you know, I am currently in the process of redrawing the big Eliza portrait, and all the items in the game to match. For whatever reason I have decided that the new item sprites will be more refined and detailed than the previous ones. This will take more time than expected which is a con, but results in higher quality which is a pro. I am also inclined to, while I'm redrawing items, take the Janitor archetype and switch it out for a functionally similar but aesthetically more appealing Maid archetype. Either in two weeks, or possibly only one, it'll all be prepared and ready to play. In the meantime, here's some of the fresh new item sprites.
As part of the art update I have been making a fair number of sketches of Eliza, working out the details of her visual design. here's one o them with some of the changes annotated. lemme know what you think through any medium, if there are additional changes you would like or if some of this you would want reverted. my ears are as open as they've ever been.
Today I have for you some improvements to presentation. More little animations here and there , and sound effects. For instance, the Recruiter now has a global ominous sound effect. What's more, the game has more of that immersive sketchbook theming to make it look ever more like something I drew quickly with a pen. Updated character portrait isn't in yet, that's still going to be a while since it'll likely require redrawing every item in the game to fit the new model.
Over the next month or so I intend to improve the visual presentation of TBOE. Primarily that involves replacing the character portrait with a better drawing, and therefore probably also redoing the drawings for every item since the old sprites are unlikely to fit the new model. The above sketch is part of the process to nail down Eliza's design for this redo.
While I'm at it I'm taking the opportunity to improve the sketchbook kind of theming throughout the game. Personally I find that visual style very pleasant and nostalgic since I used to do a lot of pen-based drawing. Flipping the page when going from one menu to another, and this fancy new main menu that looks a lot more like it's drawn in an actual sketchbook.
Behold, for the solution to all issues of laziness is here! As long as they are specifically issues relating to not running for long enough. The Running Gag will, once configured and worn, force its wearer to run at the speed they've agreed to, for the duration they've agreed to, or be starved of oxygen until they pass out. There are many options to tweak and twiddle in order to customise the wearer's experience to exactly what is desired.
Hello again. Today's upd8 includes a couple minor points as usual.
Dead key pieces used to be handed to you for free when you win a run. That's basically still the case, but you have to do the terrible task of talking to Jean in the living room and asking for help in order to get them.
If you find yourself wearing the entire janitor ensemble, then your shoes will walk you over to any available Permalocker. it will be fairly difficult for you to get away from it. You know what you must do.
As usual, when this upd8 goes public, the general public won't have access to the cheat console nor multiple save files.
I made a game in this recent DID Games jam! Check it out!
You have one simple goal: To build and launch a missile whose technology will force all people on earth to submit to bondage via explosion! Unfortunately this noble goal is being frustrated by an endless swarm of those who call themselves heroes, trying their darndest to apprehend you nonlethally. Incapacitate them with your patented bondage-bombs, build your ICBM, and bind the entire Earth to your whims!
Today I have for you some more stuff for the janitor archetype. Most notably, an associated ending. Once all five articles of janitor gear have been equipped, then Permalockers throughout the dungeon can be activated to forever seal poor Eliza into this gear. The splash screen has placeholder art for now, since I'll be re-doing a lot of the character art somewhat soon.
Hello, today I have for you some opportunities to slave away for the cult's benefit! Here's how it works:
If you linger too long on one floor, a Recruiter (shown above) will arrive. This enemy will chase you wherever you are and pass between rooms to get you. If it catches you, it will place upon you a piece of Janitor gear, with the same deadlock seal that locks your control suit. It will also free you from all other basic restraints, since if you've lingered so long on one floor it's probably because you're tied up somewhat nastily.
Once you have any Janitor gear equipped, you will be able to clean up the detritus that is sprinkled around the floor. Some gear will give you advantages or disadvantages in the associated minigame of broom-collection - for instance the janitor gloves will allow you to slap in the minigame as you would in reality - but beware, for these items also have effects in the world too. Aforementioned janitor gloves will prevent you from removing any other janitor gear for instance.
In the nearish future I expect I will add things like penalties for not doing the cleaning, more rewards for completing it, and an ending for this archetype. Then, after some other stuff, I'd use the foundation build for this archetype to make the next, which since y'all voted ponygirl is probably going to be that!
This week I have been working on your subservience! The dungeon will have occasional detritus building up within it. Dirt and grime. If you are placed into the gear of the Janitor, then you will be able and 'encouraged' to go and clean it up. The idea is that rewards are available to those who do this cleaning and win the associated minigame, including more Janitor gear! Acquiring all pieces will make a 'bad ending' available in which poor Eliza is forever trapped in the bondage dungeon, on endless cleaning duty.
The longer plan is to use this as a formula to build other slave archetypes: sets of bondage which will be acquired through obeying - sometimes reluctantly - the whims of the cult, and which lead to a particular ending. Examples would be Maid (janitor but harder), Ponygirl (logistics), and Cognitor (drone-like thing whose purpose is to stand still and do calculations)
Exactly what's done at the moment
I want there to be five pieces of this set. I've made the art for all of them.
I've made the Janitor Collar functional, it beeps at you if there's something to be cleaned on that floor. It will also heal you if you clean something successfully, or punish you if you fail at the cleaning minigame. The punishment might be bondage. It also makes enemies non-hostile since they now recognise you as a member of the cult already, although traps will still activate.
I have made half of the Janitor Visor's functionality, it currently slightly blocks vision and provides an on-screen indicator to the nearest cleaning that needs doing. I would like it to block vision more and 'help' players to laser-focus on cleaning.
I've also made the cleaning minigame. It's the most complex minigame in the game for sure.
After that
And now my ears open, the archetype that will be made after the Janitor is still up in the air. So I ask of you what you'd like to see in that regard.
You can win! There's an NPC at home from whomst you can claim victory if you become fully freed. The endings you have achieved (currently only the one) are visible on the save select screen.
The UI has been improved! As mentioned in another article, all the buttons and icons were spread haphazardly about the screen, as though they had been scattered by a hobo in the midst of an epileptic fit. It should all be more organised now.
Bugfixes! As usual, some outstanding issues have been completely destroyed to death. Most notably, the invisible wall bug is (probably) dead and buried, and in the past the game would crash when triggering Compliance Cuffs. No longer.
Cartography! As is standard in roguelikes, Eliza will produce a map of the floor as you force her to explore. The Universal Standard Videogame Map Button, Tab, will allow you to take a closer look.
As usual, with the patreon version, you can hit F3 to summon any item or object from the debug menu. Righto, I'll bring you more upd8s in an integer number of weeks. Daent awaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy...
All those buttons and indicators were getting a bit cramped and irritating. Whenever the next upd8 arrives it'll have the things shuffled around in this more appealing manner.
Hey, do folks keep escaping your territory? Or disguising themselves? Simply slap a Teleport Suit on them and you'll be able to instantly recall them whenever you please! Bring back naughty runaways! Summon people to do tasks for you! Teleport them to troll them! The possibilities are endless, as long as they involve teleporting. The garish shiny orange (other colours available) will clearly mark the wearer as a subordinate whose words are not to be trusted. Please don't forget the password to the cuffs, or our technicians will be largely unable to help open the suit.
Note of admin: I've been making art on average every other day since the start of the year. I'm going to stop producing images so frequently and instead pour more of my mental bandwidth into game development for now.
You now have the opportunity to influence the fate of this fresh new slave! In this first stage you can describe the appearance and functionality of any collar that you want to force her to wear, or pick one of the examples in the image. At some point I'll pick a particularly entertaining suggestion or the most popular example, and we'll see how she reacts to being forced into it!
If you bring a submissive shopping, it is important to equip them with the proper restraints so that they behave properly before the public's scrutinous eye. And it's a great bonus if said restraints can 'help' them to carry the goods that you intend to buy of course.
