Dev notes #17 - 2023-04-24

Hi everyone.

People have expressed concern about the project's status due to the absence of significant story updates, so I decided to make the update public this time. Today, I will explain the game's current condition, the theme of the next version, and the technical advancements to be incorporated in version 0.03.

First, I want to assure you that the game's development is ongoing, and I have no intention of discontinuing it. This project was conceived a while back, but I realized over time that I lacked the necessary skills and resources to execute it. Abandoning it now would be a poor decision, particularly given that this visual novel occupies a unique niche genre that is scarcely represented. More importantly, however, I genuinely enjoy creating it. I have a plethora of ideas I wish to explore, but rest assured, should I ever decide to cease development, you will know right away. No wishy-washy, "I don't know. Maybe I'll continue, maybe I won't. I don't know. I'm putting the project on pause for now."

Regarding the extended release time of the new version, a significant life event occurred a few weeks prior to the release, which brought about substantial (predominantly negative) changes in my personal and everyday life. Consequently, even the final version was somewhat pared down. I had initially planned to include a bandit encounter towards the end, where Ivi and Jex would demonstrate their combat skills. Witnessing their effortless and ruthless elimination of (albeit unsavory) people, the protagonist could draw various conclusions based on his observations, which could subsequently influence his alignment with the impending conflict. However, due to time and energy constraints, this concept remained unrealized.

I will refrain from getting into the specifics of what happened as they pertain to my family and relatives and are deeply personal. This phase persisted until mid-spring, and now, the situation is gradually stabilizing. During this period, several events transpired that profoundly impacted my life and perspective, hopefully for the better. So, if you are concerned about my well-being, rest assured that I am in good health, safe, and generally well overall.

Development time has been primarily spent on refining the script, crafting individual story scenes that could be amalgamated into a cohesive whole within the game, working with character models, and creating unique textures to reduce reliance on third-party assets. I am immensely grateful to an exceptional individual who assisted with proofreading and programming complex elements, thereby introducing the "secrets" mechanics and other quality-of-life elements. He also aids in editing posts, enabling readers to enjoy fluent English, as it is not my first language. I also extend my gratitude to those who assisted in identifying bugs and textual errors or rated and recommended the game, providing valuable feedback.

Now, onto the specifics.

"So, where is development right now?"

There are various individual scenes of differing lengths. Some already have complete dialogues with storyboards, while others only have a general script description, and vice versa. I am unable to provide an exact progress percentage, as even a fully completed script may undergo additions or deletions during its conversion to game code. I am not particularly fond of counting completed renders, as 25 frames may depict an hour's worth of story or in five minutes, you might fly through 125 frames. As demonstrated by practice, some individuals breeze through the game in mere minutes, while others prefer a more detailed read, taking time to appreciate the environments and characters. As development progresses, these aspects will be fine-tuned, and I will be able to provide an approximate date for the release.

"What will the new version be about, and what should we expect?"

This version will focus on the UMF base, the dwelling and the workplace of those combating Nox. Players will gain an insider's perspective of the base's operations, explore various locales (laboratory, residential quarters, base location), and meet operatives from FerTech – the corporation responsible for the events that led to the world's current state. Additionally, players will have the opportunity to delve into the lives of HOWL operatives and discover the main character and his comrades' hobbies and interests.

  "FerTech agents are stationed in the laboratory lobby. The company uses 'freshly' infected UMF personnel for research and the development of Nox-based technologies, occasionally leading to conflict between the corporations and the military. Players will have the opportunity to choose a side or remain neutral. Considering the events that have unfolded, perhaps it's best to remain inconspicuous and avoid attracting undue attention?"

Initially, I intended for the protagonist to remain in the infected city for an extended period alongside hybrids and other inhabitants (both friendly and not so much). This would be followed by a grand homecoming featuring an exhilarating action sequence involving an escape from the quarantine zone and, subsequently, a heartfelt reunion with Elina and the other squad members. They were under the impression that the protagonist was missing or deceased; hence, this scene would have been profoundly poignant. However, as one individual with whom I shared this concept remarked, "Before you return home, you must have a home in the first place." At this point, little was known about the base, and the protagonist's partners' character development was confined to the events of 0.01. There was an option to employ flashbacks to enhance character development. However, I am not particularly fond of this approach. In my opinion, excessive reliance on flashbacks impedes the story's progression and results in a disjointed narrative devoid of tangible development. I wish to avoid this, so I have abandoned this concept; therefore, if I resort to flashbacks, it will only be in exceptional circumstances when there is no alternative method of presenting the information.

  "A screen featuring the database located in the UMF lab. All icons are interactive and feature two views (idle and hover), and upon navigating, players will be able to uncover additional information about Nox lore and other locations/events. This is primarily a lore scene, and if you're disinterested in replaying the game, there will be an option to bypass this screen. In the future, I plan to compile a glossary or journal where notes about characters, locations, and other pertinent data will be recorded. Discovered secrets will also be accessible there."

I have also dedicated considerable time to learning how to reshape character bodies stably. For those unaware, I do all my rendering in Daz, utilizing other software to support and realize what would be impossible with Daz tools. So, in the images below, I use ZBrush to create this "erotic body horror" (and also to fix skin clipping through clothing and misplaced hair when possible). Specifically, here you can see a character whose organ parts and skeleton have been replaced with slime and tentacles, supporting an upper body that continues to function. One particular challenge was integrating the tentacles as part of the body, as they are a separate "character" that I utilized to create the tentacle wall scenery in Oneness. However, after digging around and doing some tests, I managed to combine the skeleton, the girl's body, and all the tentacles. Now, it's a complete single character for which any pose can be used without the fear of anything breaking. And it looks pretty hot, doesn't it?

  "Rendered model in Daz and within the Zbrush editor window. Some of the tentacles are too long and don't fit completely in the body, so I have to hide some parts of them. Also, I still don't know if it's possible to make a through hole in the character's body because I have some ideas for hybrids and infected where this could be used. Blender could help realize this, but more experimentation is required."

Another technical aspect I've been focusing on is the conditional generation of textures via Daz Geometry Shell, which is kind of like a second skin for the character. This was precisely what I was looking for, as symbiotes snugly hug the body, occasionally even substituting certain body parts or limbs. This was roughly my intention for Jex. However, I had to resort to a form of "symbiotic clothing," which isn't necessarily bad but deviates from my original vision. I think that, in the future, I'll do some small remaster of her appearance (especially her lower body), releasing a new version to gauge what people think of it.

Additionally, I fully utilized the tool to create these symbiotic veins, which are visible below. Essentially, it's a shell that perfectly replicates the body's shape and can be modified. By adding normal maps, you can achieve a volume effect, but in this instance, it wasn't required as this character's entire body is enveloped in Nox. Or perhaps it's merely Nox mimicking a human?

It may not look perfect, but currently, it's the sole method to add these types of "textures." Ideally, I should be using something like Substance Painter, as with this method, you have to almost randomly create a texture and then apply it to the model. However, I haven't been able to get it to function correctly with Daz models.

   "Character with and without Geometry Shell. And the map itself, which works on the simple principle of "anything white is visible, but black is not."

Another crucial narrative element will be the ability to choose the main character's worldview in relation to Nox. Essentially, this is a choice of the path the player wishes to take - either to assist Another in combating Nox by allying with humans and friendly hybrids or to align with Nox alongside the infected and loyal hybrids. This will influence how the protagonist reacts to various events, situations, and characters according to the chosen worldview until a decisive choice is made, beyond which there is no return. This is because the protagonist is not a completely blank slate that the player can manipulate like a soulless puppet. Like the rest of the characters, he has his own principles and objectives, which the player will assist in achieving in one way or another. Some individuals would instantly decide to hook up with hot slime girls, but imagine how peculiar it would appear when an individual who has been battling Nox for an extended period suddenly does a one-eighty thinking, "Oh shit, they're pretty hot. Why don't I start fucking them." Well, perhaps someone would do that, and such characters may feature in the narrative (with a logical outcome for them), but initially, the protagonist is aligned with "good." I believe it would be more intriguing to traverse the path of corruption, experiencing stages progressing from aversion and fear of Nox to love for him.

 "A pivotal scene presenting choices that will significantly influence the narrative's trajectory awaits. By this point, players will have amassed sufficient information to determine their preferred allegiance. The internal conflict within the protagonist, torn between the two sides of Nox, will persist until a definitive choice is made. While some characters may reject your decision, others can be 'persuaded' to embrace the chosen path."

The path of corruption will be accessible with the assistance of a blonde girl, who serves as the antithesis of Another. They will fulfill a role akin to the fire keepers from the Dark Souls game series. Each will offer unique information and scenes exclusive to the chosen worldview, necessitating the exploration of both paths to gain an understanding of the whole picture. It is highly probable that as the protagonist's relationship with them evolves, he will acquire unique abilities based on his chosen path. The 'levelling up' process will be executed in a more engaging, alternative manner.

Regrettably, that's all I can say at the moment. I extend my sincerest apologies for the missed deadlines, especially to my paid subscribers. I am currently in the process of sorting out everything that's been piling up for a while now, so stay tuned for further updates.

Thank you so much for your continued faith and support. It truly means the world to me that you believe in my project. Thank you for reading this far, and until next time!