What Comes Next? DarkRPG.

Greetings, one and all!

I've got some tantalizing screenshots and concept art to share with you all today. These are a small sneak peek at what comes after Sanctuary in Time; a new, text-based adult game in a dark RPG setting, which currently has a working title of (appropriately enough) DarkRPG. (And yes, I'll be replacing that title w/ something more appropriate down the road.)

My goal with this project, first and foremost, is to make the kind of dark, immersive text-based RPG I've long wanted to play; something gritty, grounded, (hopefully) well-written, and riddled with opportunities to make impactful choices in a morally ambiguous (and adult) landscape. But beyond that, it's also a goal of mine to take everything I've learned from 3 years of development on Sanctuary in Time and create something bigger, more ambitious, and more visually arresting. (Because, yes, this game will also have images!)

But for those players who happen to be visually impaired, fear not, because even though images will be incorporated in my next game, being able to see those images will not be essential to enjoy the experience. The game will still be largely text-based and accessible to the visually impaired, with the images simply providing an enhanced experience.

What have I been working on?

In addition to under-the-hood engine upgrades for my game design toolkit, I've also been working on creating the narrative intro for the (optional) main story of DarkRPG, and building out the character creation interface the player will encounter as part of that process.

(See the first narrative intro screen for DarkRPG in the screenshot below.)

Character Attributes

It's my goal to give players as much freedom as possible when creating their characters in DarkRPG. So, you'll be able to create an avatar that's male, female, or shades in between (with even dickgirls & femboi traps being possible).

First, you'll select a roleplaying class for your character, and then a starting gender template (of female or male). Because each class in the game has a pre-designed physical appearance, with both female and male variations. But each of these templates can then be further customized to suit your personal tastes.

(See the default male 'Savage' in the screenshot below.)

 Each customizable attribute (of which there are currently 20+) is available for both genders, with the only true, binary switch being a selection between a cock or a clitoris for your character's genital type. (Sorry, you can't have both.)

(See the default female 'Operative' in the screenshot below.)

Character Stats

I also want this game to be a stats-driven, D&D-like experience. So, in the course of creating your character, you'll also get to choose starting stats. These will affect not only your chances for performing certain actions in the world, but some of them will also affect your physical appearance as described during narrative scenes, e.g. the Strength stat actually affects the narrative description of your muscles, and the Beauty stat affects the description of your face.

(See the stat value selections below for Strength, Dexterity, Vitality, Endurance, Beauty, and Perception.)

 It's a goal of mine to make this game as highly re-playable possible, with the opportunity to create a wide range of characters for exploring its world. And I think having a wide variety of cosmetic and stat customizations will help to achieve that end.

A word of thanks

But beyond giving a status update on what I'm doing behind-the-scenes, I also want to take a moment to express my gratitude. I am truly thankful for everyone who has picked up and played Sanctuary in Time. Whether you loved it or disliked it, provided feedback or lurked quietly from the sidelines, to each and every one of you: thank you. It's a unique privilege to create something and then have people around the world engage with it. And in a way, I feel like that connects us, no matter what our distances might be.

I also want to give an extra hearty 'thank you' to everyone who has contributed financially, whether here on Patreon or elsewhere, because your continued support of my work is what makes this dream of my being a game developer a tangible reality. Every dollar truly does count, and I am extremely grateful for you all.

In conclusion

So, that's all I've got for today, but I am very excited to see what I can achieve in DarkRPG, and I hope you all are excited too. I'll do my best to keep you updated on the progress of this project and share more sneak peeks as things continue to unfold on the path ahead.

If you've got any questions or comments, feel free to reach out or share them in the comments below. But remember...

Above all else, have fun!

Max (Novus Operandi)