Before we begin today’s random ramblings about game development… behold this screenshot, which is 40% final!
Awwwwyeah, that’s the stuff. That’s Justin from SleepNinja Games doing the amazeballs pixel artwork for Moopy, along with a rough of Taylor’s Funplex background. UI’s mine. (Characters are still temp art.) And for folks who don’t dig the CRT effect, don’t worry, all the pixel art will be in unlockable via our prize gallery.
Remember last week, when I was talking about achievements? I decided to go with my idea of having an unlockable image gallery, which is tied to achievements. Standard fare for visual novels, really. Ours are called “Prizes” because, well, arcade. Currently you unlock Moopy artwork at the end of chapter two, but that may change. Unlocks are also available for various romance paths and hidden endings and stuff.
Okay, so next, let’s talk the October Patreon release. (Folks reading this free blog, if you join today, you’ll get this!) My current plan is the following:
1. An “export tuneup” which fills in a few plot flags we forgot to record, and lets you set some other stuff up. It’ll also unlock a few items in the prize gallery for your completion so far, then it’ll re-export.
2. A sneak preview of the first half of chapter 04. I’ll use your data export for it, but it won’t export at the end, ’cause this is just a sneak preview.
Then for the November milestone we’ll have the rest of chapter 03, and for December the entirety of chapter 04. It’s a little wonky but this beats us going fallow for a week, yah? Plus you get to play around with your new prizes. Go ahead. You’ve earned them.
(For folks just reading the free blog, well, pixel art up there, yo! Enjoy. And more art on the way!)
Aw yiss. I am going to play the HELLS out of this. It’s like you’re making a game for just me.
Hey Twofer, you ever play VA-11 Hall-A? That was a visual novel/ cyberpunk bartender sim, that also had CRT effects. The devs were from Venezuela, so they drew upon their experience of living in a real dystopia, lol.
I LOVED that game! Preordered from itch.io based on the demo. It’s one of the inspirations for this game, definitely… the idea of a workplace comedy, where customers and staff are the characters. I’m also using music from that game as temporary music in my early AS demo builds.
So it’s gonna be like a spiritual successor but more New Retro Wave than cyberpunk? THIS PLEASES ME. Oh, that made me think of this old loop by Otaking.
https://coub.com/view/b6h8x
Lol, I can remember a lot of workplace romance in 80’s arcades, but very little of it was heterosexual. It’s no surprise that song “Looking For Trade” from Schock Treatment was set in a video arcade.
We’re aiming for a cross-decade aesthetic, blending the 80s and 90s and cyberpunk future visions. So yeah, that loop’s on the money.
As for sexuality I’ll admit we’re taking the cheap way out… every character is potentially into you regardless of the pronoun you pick at the start of the game (he, she, they). It’s our alternate history world so pansexuality isn’t anything unusual because why not.
If you want a taste of the game (bewarned we’re at 90% temp art assets) you can back the Patreon for $5. Right now we have three chapters worth of content in the demo build. You can cancel after a month if you like, or heck, just wait for the full release likely next year.