Hello everyone and sorry for the wait, v0.7.0 is finally here!
[27/10 Hotfix #1 Fixed some crashes during Beau's new fight + incorrect behavior on some new clothing.] [27/10 Hotfix #2 Fixed the new Russell scene incorrectly re-triggering whenever re-loading a save.][28/10 Hofix #3 Fixed broken load on one of Ikem's gym hangouts + incorrect Ferger SC behavior.][28/10 Hotfix #4 Fixed some text errors.] [28/10 Hotfix #5 Fixed some incorrect behavior after game overing in Ambushes.]
As of the previous update, the links are hosted on the early release page of the game on itch, which seems a bit more reliable than file hosting sites, so we'll keep with this going forward:
The password to the page is: "tattedup"
(Update: apparently the itch link is getting blocked in some countries, so back to file hosting mirrors we go... if the link above doesn't work for you, try this one instead:)
While you let that download we can address a few things in this post:
First, a quick note about the update
A poll - as stated in the title!
The delays and time it took to finish this update
Notes for the update - what to keep an eye out for
The tattoo parlor storyline features probably one of the most complex dialogues by far - structure-wise.
The game checks for a lot of variables such as how big you are when you come in, the order you come in, and features quite a lot of variation depending on small details.
As such, it's very possible some sequences in the tattoo parlor might behave incorrectly, such as skipping some dialogue, or playing incorrect dialogue from other branches. As always, if you run into any of these, report them to me here or anywhere else!
Aside from that, there shouldn't be any major bugs popping up anywhere else, as there weren't really any changes to major code unlike the previous update!
Side note: I'm actually quite proud of the narrative side of things in this update - especially what happens during the tattoo parlor storyline and the new chunk of Ikem's! There's even a fun little gameplay surprise that happens in one of the new scenes!
A Poll! - The Future of the Journal
I have made the decision to halt work on the Journal - at least temporarily for now. This means it doesn't include any entries on the new content and is essentially the exact same journal as in v0.6.0.
The reason for this is because of the massively increased workload required to essentially write a sypnosis for every new scene I add to the game - as well as the coding required to track and output based on all the branching. What happens next will depend on your feedback!
There are 3 main options:
A: Keep the Journal same as it is now - the workload is worth it.
B: Make the journal more like quick bullet points, or a "quest log checklist" so that people can continue to use it to remind them of where they are.
C: Remove the Journal entirely as it's unnecessary.
Which is the perfect time to bring it into a poll, you'll be able to find it at the bottom of the post, so please vote on whichever one works for you best!
Perhaps I should make more of these in the future as to various aspects of the game - the scope really has grown out of control, so the best way forward will likely be to ask for everyone's feedback regarding what they want from the game.
The delays during the development of this update
There were several delays that happened during this update. Usually I skip writing the development logs the one month before the update is ready to be released in the next one, but this one ended up being delayed twice, which is a bit worrying.
It would be great I could say this was due to how much the scope of the game has increased - which is true, the game requires far more work for the same amount of content now, the situation with the Journal is proof of that - but to be honest, a large part of it was very much because of my terrible time management.
Which is to say: these updates could definitely be coming out much faster than they are right now, or come with far more content - I just need to be better and more consistent with work on the game.
There's not really anywhere I'm going with this section, but I figured I would just address it real quick for the sake of keeping up proper communication with everyone.
With that out of the way...
Thank you for reading all the way up till here, don't forget to vote on the poll, and with that, as always, thank you for reading and supporting the project! Have fun with the update.