7/13 Status Update

The Carwyn Triumphant update is almost done. The next week will be used for polishing and bug fixes and then Friday the full public release will happen. As I've said before, having the Steam version or not doesn't matter for the expansion content. If you have the Steam version you can play the update on their and keep all the other Steam features, but there's nothing special in this release. All the content in the new update will also be in the free version.

This update was a lot of work in the end, but I think it turned out pretty well in the end. Next up in the expansion content schedule would be the futa Gwen stuff, but I'm going to let the game rest for a while before working on that.

The project demanding my attention right now is Netoria 2. I think it's time to seriously start work on it. I'm going to make what is essentially a demo featuring the first six levels of the game. It should be enough to get feedback and let people see the direction the game is going in. Through the pre-production process I've gathered all the resources and design notes I need to get this thing fully rolling. I'm excited to see how it all comes together.

This first chunk will establish the base character relationships and drama. The story is built around the romantic tensions and different motivations of the core four characters and the various outcomes and routes that emerge from how you play the game. Like in Netoria 1, all the relationship outcomes are determined during the gameplay, no dialogue choices or anything like that. Gropes return as an important mechanic, although that's not the only way how you play the battles influence the story. The very baseline drama is if Prince and Shah stick together or not. Then core relationships are Prince+Shah, Friend+Shah, and Vizier+Prince, all content is based off of those base outcomes.

Of course there's more moving parts than just those three relationships. For example, gender-bending elements opens new routes and possibilities. Characters also have their own POV specific routes. If you play from Friend's POV, that opens a unique route where he gets with both Shahrazad and the Vizier. If you play as Shah, that opens the possibility for a sharing route where she's in a relationship with both Prince and Friend. But these more complex outcomes come into play after the end point of the demo I'm gong to make.

One of the last barriers to art production was the pixel arts needs of the game. I think I've finally figured that out. I'm working with a new artist who hopefully will prove more reliable than the pixel artists I've had in the past. I went through a lot of options for the level graphics, but ended up deciding to use the same tile-set system I used in the first game. There were some interesting possibilities in creating a unique piece of art for each level and then importing it as the level background whole, but that didn't end up quite working out.

All three of the art previews in this post have all contained the same character, Shahrazad. Unlike the first game characters won't stick with the same art and design the whole game. The scene art shows her as her POV specific class Assassin, the character art is her genderbent form, and the pixel art is her base form at the very start of the game. Each character will change classes three times throughout the course of the game. Later in the game, those classes will be based on what routes you're on. For example, if Prince+Shah are together they will be different classes than if Shah left the Prince for Friend. Besides different art, those different classes will also change the gameplay.

Hopefully this post has given you an overview of what exactly Netoria Tactics 2. We're well past the point of ideation and brainstorming here. This is a real game that you'll be playing not too long from now. I've tried to create a design and art pipeline that will deliver the best experience I can manage/afford. Now all that's left is my actual execution of my ideas and design elements.

That's all for this week. As always, thank you for your continued support.