Hello everyone, and welcome to a surprise Netorase Phone release.
This version doesn't add new chapters, instead focusing on bug fixes, improvements to earlier chapters, with some side content (Interludes & Squaregram).
What Happened?
Simply said, the plans I had for Chapter 59 weren't the right ones. A lot of people weren't feeling it, and it turned out I wasn't either. The focus wasn't the right one, and as much as some of you like Ashley and Tara, Laura is still the main character.
I tried pushing on, but the direction I was aiming for wasn’t the strongest fit. I tried, over the last few chapters, to experiment with new ways to make things fun and meaningful, but your feedback clearly told me I should focus on what made you enjoy Netorase Phone at first: memorable events, and a clear and visible story progression. And, above all, a focus on your girlfriend having fun with other men, and telling you all about it, while the other girls act as support characters (don't worry, I'm not going to deprive you of Ashley and Tara).
I could have held this update back to add content to it, but it also includes fixes and improvements that I didn’t want to keep people waiting on. And with the holidays, it might have been an inconvenient release date anyway. Which is why I decided to release it now, and will follow up with the next chapters once I've settled on a better plan.
What's Next?
Over the 2 or 3 days to come, I'll try to get out of my current headspace for a bit. Then, my main goal will be to think about the future of NTS Phone, and how I can improve it.
I'll try my best to make new plans for the near future, with content showing more progression. I'll decide on a meaningful Chapter 59, that will make the story progress in a better way. I'm dedicated to making NTS Phone a great game, and since this is the most prevalent complaint right now, that's what I'll focus on.
I'm sorry for the disappointment this release might create. Be assured I will do my best to make up for it with a renewed story progression in the very near future.
As usual, here's a picture of Tara to help you forgive me. Since the post will become public though, it has to be SFW, so I'll let your imagination do the rest. There are some nice NSFW ones in the update though. ;)
Here's version 0.31 update notes:
Story:
- Made various small improvements to Chapters 5 through 7.
- Adjusted the numbers of non-story pictures to account for the story soon reaching 1000 pictures. Vignette pictures now start at 2000, Interludes at 3000, SquareGram at 4000, Dre's Harem at 5000, and System at 6000.
- 3 new Interludes.
- 10 new pictures.
Functionalities:
- Made various optimization to the Pictures app.
- The Pictures app now remembers your settings between sessions.
Issues corrections:
- Corrected an issue making autosave trigger a black screen on starting the game.
- Corrected an issue making Chapter 1 unplayable.
- Corrected an issue making picture 868 unreachable.