For comparison, here is the same image I posted, but with higher quality lighting. Is it worth the extra time? Personally, I think so. I can still do more to improve it, but it doesn't make me say, 'ugh' the way the first one did.

The best of intentions...

Good news is that I have made some real progress, most progress in months. Bad news is that I lost a big chunk of time to a fever with the chills and shakes. Or was is the shakes with a chill and fever?

Anyways, I'm not happy with where the current version is. I have pushed it much closer to release, but it still isn't where it needs to be.

So, excuses aside, I apologize for yet another delay, but I would much rather give you something that I am proud of than something that isn't ready.

My goal now is to finish the starting area and the first full day of gameplay, then push that out for release. For those that played the last version, you will be familiar with this - it will stop right when you leave town. I also will probably change my focus from improving the images to finishing the writing. I can then go back and add more images later.

No idea how long that it will take. Going to have a busy couple weeks, but I am still looking forward to a big chunk of free space coming up soon...

Thanks everyone.

Compromsing on Lighting?

So one of the main slowdowns I have experienced is that I have been trying to vastly improve the quality of images. I have had some success with this. However, I have also been spending tons of time on it that could go towards actual writing.

I'm experimenting with some compromises to increase the speed at which I create images. Here is an example. In this picture, I have reduced the quality of lighting a bit. The time to render the images drops to a much, much faster time when I use these settings...but does it still look ok?

Let me know what you think.

Update incoming!

Good news...I have tons of time for the next couple days, and will be focused on making real progress. Unless I completely screw something up, I *will* be pushing out an update within the next 48 hours. It will be limited, but should give a feel for what I have been working on.

Thanks again for all the support and patience. Wish me luck!

Edit: I've added a preview portrait. I've been spending waaaaay too much time redoing all of the images. Hope they are enjoyed!

A question of content...

I'm getting really close to kicking out the new version. Development has been much slower than I wanted, mostly because of how much new content I am trying to squeeze in. I also have had very little free time to work. The good news is that I am anticipating a massive increase in my available time, but that is a few months out. I want to get this version out very soon, and then use my more open schedule to make lots of progress. I need to finalize the text for a couple of encounters,  and then I will mostly be down to testing. For those that played the original systems, you will find that the new version is much shorter, but more well developed.

I have some complicated systems (under the hood), and they can be hard to test at times, but I think the end result will be worth it.

However, as I continue to plug away, I find myself considering two questions:

1) How do people feel about interactive sex scenes versus non-interactive scenes? One of my goals with the game was to create scenes that are interactive, not just cut-scenes with massive paragraphs of text. The reason for this was that I wanted the Player to have more control. I am sometimes frustrated by games that use large blocks of test to describe entire scenes because it stops being an interactive game and turns into a non-interactive story. So I have developed a system where the Player and their partner (s) take turns taking actions, with various actions having varied effects. The only other game I have seen doing anything like this is Pornarium, but it only uses it for a few scenes and it is fairly shallow overall, despite the quality of the idea.

The drawback to this is that it takes much, much longer to write, and it is more complicated to play. Instead of reading a scene that includes foreplay, intercourse, and climax, you now take different actions, with each participant taking an active turn.

How do you guys feel about this system in theory? You will have a chance to try it in practice in the new version. If people don't like it, I will scrap it and go with something more traditional.

2) How do you guys feel about dark content vs. keeping things light, even when dealing with dark content? For two examples of fantasy games, think about Corruption of Champions and Goblinboy's Gifts of Phallius series. Both are brilliant fantasy AIF games, with a similar tongue-in-cheek style, even when dealing with dark subjects such as rape. I enjoy those games immensely, but I wanted to approach darker material with a slightly more realistic viewpoint.

In the new version, your character may be subjected to things like rape, torture, or hunger. These events will have a major impact on the Player's character. Over time, the Player's character may develop or select traits that turn an awful event like being tortured into something more positive. This way, I give the Player a degree of control over how their character views the world and events. I like games that let the Player decide how they feel about things, rather than dictating it. Maybe a player likes being a victim. Maybe it is the worst thing they can imagine. Again, this adds a great deal to the writing requirements since I need to write and setup varied Player responses and actions, but I again feel it could be worth it.

How do you feel about the treatment of darker content? Would you rather keep things tongue-in-cheek or address it in a more realistic way? Do you want a high degree of control (and thus a need to make more choices) on how your character views things and reacts?

Thanks - hope to have the new version out soon (maybe this week...but no promises).

16 January 2013 Status

Hey all. Thanks for the continued feedback.

I have made some major progress, and still hope to finish the new version by the end of the month. I am still debating whether I should try to use some placeholder content or wait till everything is done.

Right now I am focused on fleshing out the early content in Ravenwood. This includes new NPCs and encounters, plus a revamp of the store and Roaring Lion Inn. I may go ahead and post it once that is done because it will showcase the new game mechanics, combat, sex, and images. However, it will leave much of the old content unchanged.

Thanks for the continued patience and support.