Chapter 19 is here!

Changelog

• Chapter 19 added, which has about 75k words and lots of variations.
• Argos' sprites have been redone.
• Minor typos and bug fixes.
• Removed the ranking at the end of the game.

Now, before you get scared with that word count, keep in mind that Chapter 19 changes a lot depending on your choices. Namely, there's a lot of Argos content accounting for your choices involving him, and there are scenes that change quite significantly if you have certain characters recruited, like Khenbish or Themba. A single playthrough won't have you going over all those 75k words we added.

Let's take a look at the Argos' sprite rework, and for this part I'll let nanoff do the talking.

Argos was one of the first sprites I made for the game, and while I think out of the whole cast Luke is the one in most dire need of a rework (argos did get some tweaks for 0.5), considering how much this update centers on Nikos I think he should get the honor first.

My art style has changed a lot in the last 4 years and while I tried to remain faithful to the original sprites, I did make some changes here and there. Some are non-negotiable, but others like increasing the shading under the pelt to make him look more sinister, or making his arms a little less muscular, I may tweak for the next build if people feel like it affects the presentation of the character significantly, so I'm eager to listen to your feedback.

About the rankings... Originally we designed them to work in tandem with the polls we used to do. The ranking let us collect some data on how people were playing the game, how they were treating Asterion, and that helped with fine tuning the game. We decided to make it fun and entertaining with the Metal Gear Solid-esque rankings, as opposed to a more straightforward and boring "You scored X points, please input that on the form."

However, we later saw that some people got a bit obsessed with the ranking or what it could mean, why they didn't get a perfect score, that sort of stuff. That's not how we want people to approach the game so we decided to remove the ranking at the end of the game. But it's fine, we don't need to collect that kind of data at this point in time.

What about Build 0.8?

Up next is Chapter 20, which is a whole build revolving around the MC's time with Asterion. Writing and editing is reasonably advanced, but we thought it'd be good to wait and see the reaction to Chapter 19 before finishing it up. It's also a pretty big chunk of content, too. As a result we aren't too far off from having the next build ready to be coded, but it's still gonna take some time and we can't say how much just yet.

That said, we've been cooking some stuff that might help you pass the time...

Sex Drive

In case you didn't check our last DevLog, I've been working on a little side project with Eddio and earlier this week we started a closed Beta in Eddio's Patreon. You can find all the details by clicking the link but here's the gist of it:

• Sex Drive is a collection of interactive erotic stories about truckers. It comes with a beautiful custom UI, original music by Eymon, art for each and every story and a system allowing you to toggle kinks on and off, so you can tailor it to your specific tastes.
• We're planning at least 10 stories for it, 2 of which are available in the demo.
• This project will be paid, and the price tag will be around 10USD.
• You get access to the Beta by pledging 10USD or higher (Radiant or Beacon tiers). By doing so you gain access to the full game too, so you shouldn't worry about buying it.
• If you pledge 25USD or more (Beacon) you'll get early access to story drafts and the chance to offer your comments and suggestions.
• The demo should be made public around early to mid November.

Again, you can find more information on Eddio's Patreon about it.

And another project...

That’s right, we have more stuff cooking. We’ll be ready to unveil it in the next few weeks. For now, I’d like to talk about how we’ve been developing this one, as it’s a bit of an experiment.

You know me, MinoAnon, mainly for my role as a writer in Minotaur Hotel. But a while back we released a project called Orc Breeding, where I was more of an editor figure working to package Nemo0690’s writing, and I’ve helped other developers here and there with some guidance. The truth is that I’m no stranger to playing a supportive role on a project.

This new project, which we are about to announce, follows that trend. This time I’ll be playing a role akin to a publisher, if we’re thinking of game development terms, or a very involved editor from a book publisher. That is to say, though I am not in the trenches making the content myself, I am involved in a number of other ways, I’m invested in this project, and I’m extremely proud of how it’s coming along. It’s a damn good story, with soul, passion and sincerity poured into it. It meets my standard of quality, and I guarantee it has heart.

Most importantly, it’s an utterly devilish tale. And now I’ll let the boys reveal the shortest glimpse of it:

Hector has nothing but fond memories of Rannai. The mischievous yet friendly people, the stories they told, the fertile forest east of town, the mist that heralded every sunrise. But above all he remembers Cadgan, a wolf a bit younger and smaller than himself, yet so much braver.
After nine years, Hector returns to find the town transformed by the new duke's reign, and a Cadgan that has grown into a mountain of a man. As he works as a healer and reignites a passion long forgotten, Hector notices something in the air.
The trees' roots stir with his every step.

Stay tuned for more news. They are coming very soon.