Game Update #25 - One Year Later

Hello, friends! It's game progress report day, and also a day that marks the one year anniversary of the game's release!

Technically the anniversary was a few days ago, but details, details 😉 It's crazy how far the game has come in just a year. It started with demo featuring just a few locations, five characters, and a fantasy sequence. The game has expanded exponentially since then, and I think the writing and presentation has only gotten better as I go on.

That I've been able to come this far is entirely thanks to all of you, both newer patrons and those who've been here since the beginning. A year ago I was trapped in a day job that had sapped all life out of me, but because of how much support I've received, I was finally able to escape that place and focus on things I actually care about. Like my little VN 🙂

This project can be exhausting, but it let me get back to my roots as a creator. I can't say enough how much I appreciate all of you for helping me reach this point—I'm excited to see where the next year takes me!

With all that sappiness out of the way, let's get to the update. This post is covering where I'm at with the first dev build for the club update, and I've also got the results for the first Grind'm hookup poll. There's also a sexy and fun image waiting for you at the end. Let's get into it!

Script

The script for the first dev build covers Alex & Griffin. It's more or less done—"more or less" because I revise, cut, and add scenes as I see all the pieces come together in the game itself. Even setting aside new main character Griffin, there are a lot of side characters whose personalities I'm refining as I go, leading to some rewrites.

Something new I decided to add is some optional but interesting content involving Matt. Even though he won't actually be at the club, he still plays a role in some storylines...

Beyond this, I've also got the Asher, Isaiah, and solo path pages resting until I can get back to them. I'll share more info on those pages as we near the second dev build.

Art

The majority of the art I wanted for the first dev build is complete, and I'm happy with how things have shaped up. There are a few missing backgrounds, but those are primarily waiting for details I'll make up in Asher & Isaiah's scenes. Mostly what's missing are sprites for everyone outside of the main characters—since I only decide what expressions I need as I code, those are always saved for last. There are a few missing sprites for the main guys as well, but they're really just variations on existing images that need rendered, which is very simple to set up.

Something I decided to add as I viewed the content in-game was screens of the city itself. Up until now, I've just cut to black and had Connor narrate his walks through the city. But some of these walks take longer in the Club Update, and staring at a blank screen for awhile was kind of dull.

I still have some city screens to make, and I'm debating if I want to find some way to represent people & vehicles or just leave them as-is. But for what I have now, I like the mood the backdrops bring during the transitional scenes. They give a better sense of where Connor is existing in the moment.

Here's one of the new city backdrops, a theater that Connor walks by on his way to... well, you'll find out 😏

Coding

This is where almost all of my attention has been going lately, and it's the reason I wasn't able to complete the first dev build in January. The coding isn't complicated, there's just a lot of it. One of the reasons it takes so long are things as seemingly innocuous as having more than one character on screen. I need to fiddle with positions and transitions, especially when I have scenes of more than three people and need to cycle between characters. All this makes the club feel more lively, but it definitely slows down the process.

But it's coming along! In fact, once I finish writing this post, I'm hopping right back to coding because...

Looking Ahead

...I've set a pretty hard goal for myself to have the first dev build for the Club Update ready for Seniors & Graduates no later than a week from now. It's not guaranteed I can get there, but I'm very close. And I really want to move on to finishing the Asher, Isaiah, and solo paths, as well as the hookups.

I've got a very busy month ahead of me—and of course it has to be the shortest month of the year! I'll keep everyone posted as I chug along towards the end goal of getting out a full early access release so everyone can dive into the new content.

Grind'm - Poll Results & Second Round of Voting

Speaking of new content, the preliminary poll to choose which side character will get the first Grind'm hookup has ended, and we have our semi-finalists!

(If you're not familiar with what the Grind'm feature is, check out the info at the bottom of Game Update #24.)

I say "semi-finals" because, although I originally planned for just two polls, I've decided to break the voting up into three rounds. The preliminary free-for-all voting cut the possible guys from 19 down to 8, and I want to cut that down even further before getting to the final head-to-head. 

I'm doing two polls of four guys each with the top vote-getter from each poll moving on to the final round. These semi-final polls will end mid-month, and then the final poll will run to the end of the month. This way anyone who's a Graduate patron during February can have a hand in picking the winner.

So who are our semi-finalists? A few of these guys will be brand new to some of you, so here are some brief bios. Let's break it down by poll!

Semi-Finals Lineup #1 - Bastien vs. Blaze vs. Hugh vs. Jordi

Bastien is one of Isaiah's dance instructors. He's a world-famous French ballet dancer who's taken a hiatus from touring to share his knowledge at 21CA. Introduced at the club.

Blaze is one of the other guys in Dorm Wilde. He's here to have a good time—by which he mostly means getting suuuuper high. Introduced at the frat party.

Hugh is an actor destined to be a teen movie heartthrob. He takes himself seriously when it comes to work, but when it's time to play, he plays. Introduced at the frat party.

Jordi is another guy in Dorm Wilde. He's an enthusiastic and friendly transfer student who was originally focused on sports but now wants to act. Introduced at the club.

Semi-Finals Lineup #2 - Lachlan vs. Parker vs. Quinn vs. Trevor

Lachlan is another bartender at Atelier 54 and a friend of Griffin. He's always down to cover for Griffin if he has someone... er, something else he wants to do. Introduced at the club.

Parker is a theatrical and charismatic actor with a legendarily massive dick. Although he claims he's a supporting player, he often steals the show. Introduced at the frat party.

Quinn is also in Dorm Wilde. He's a little disheveled and quiet, often seeming lost in his thoughts. But the right guy could get him to focus on things other than studying photography. Introduced at the frat party.

Trevor is NC17's fraternal twin, a sporty and sunny version of his leather-clad, night-crawling brother. One thing they both have in common? An insatiable hunger for sex. Introduced at the club.

The full, un-cropped images and details on potential hookup scenarios are included with both polls. If you're a Graduate, head on over to Poll 1 and Poll 2 to make your choices!

Bonus Image - Jordi Working Out

Lastly, you may recall I mentioned in Game Update #24 that I'm open to commissions. I received my first one, and I've graciously been given permission to share a cropped version of the full 4k image. This was a fun scene to set up—new boy Jordi working out naked with a great view of both his impressive front and glorious back! The commissioner also got input on the design of Jordi's dick, and I must say, they did a great job 🤤

If you'd like a commission of your own, feel free to message me after reading the details at the bottom of Game Update #24!

That's what I've got this time, friends! Thank you again for a wonderful year of gay VN fun. Now, back to work for me—I've got coding to do!

- Danny