Update 23

tl:dr - Detailed progress update for PAL, thinking about an LMI expansion.

Today's image:

Okay, slight spoiler - this is from the first phase of the Iku sex scene.  There's follow-up images as the bandaids come off. Getting this one right actually took a lot of work - there are a bunch of older versions in my files, and even after I got the kitchen set sorted out I had to do a lot of tinkering with lighting and stuff to make Iku in particular look right.

Programming:

Though I didn't actually plan to do this yet, I went ahead and started coding up the love scenes and adding them to the game. It was just something I could start doing right away to make some real progress. While this is all pretty straight-forward work for me, it involves picking voice lines, editing them, inserting a bunch of html tags into the text, adding images and in some cases I actually go and make an image because I feel it's needed at the time. It's real work, but it feels like a formality - like the part of cooking where you just start throwing all the ingredients you've chopped up into the pot.

I also did some work on other programming stuff; I'm now working on the combat system, and I plan to continue on that. It was a fairly productive week.

Images:

I made some more images this week - mostly Iku ones, (including the one above) but also some other stuff. I like to be able to do pictures sometimes as the progress is appreciably quick, and I can see it in front of me. Plus I enjoy the images myself.

Progress on PAL:

I had another request for detailed percentages on my progress, so here it is. I've made probably less apparent progress on the visuals than you might have expected, although some of that is because I've raised my standards recently and I've been reworking some of the older images.

The biggest progress has been in programming, so I've added some much more detailed info there than I had last time.

Visual:

- character design (100%)

- plot/sub-plot images (40%)

- sex scenes (45%) 

- animations (20%) - I actually don't know how many of these I will make; they are a luxury, so this number could be higher.

Text:

- planning (100%)

- writing (93%)

- editing (80%)

Programming:
- plot (40%)
- combat (15%)
- flirting system (70%)
- side puzzles (0%)
- daily housework (100%)
- shopping/items (5%)
- sex scenes (0%)
- night service (90%)

- wake-ups (100%)
- map and environments (35%)

Sound:

- voice casting (100%) - I *may* have to recast Masami, as I haven't heard from the actress for a while.

- script writing (100%)

- voice recording (85%) - I have Rio, Kimiko, Fumi, Ai and Hiroshi and more done; I need Masami and some of Iku.

- voice editing (15%) - I do this as I enter the lines into the game.

- background music (90%) - I've mostly picked out the tunes, but I haven't inserted all of them yet.

Should I expand Let Me In?

An idea I've been kicking around is to do an expanded edition of Let Me In. This would involve adding a timer (maybe 200 turns? I don't know, that would need testing), and if you run out of time without getting one of the original endings then you'll get one of four new endings, based on how high your trust and arousal are:
- low trust, low arousal (fail)
- high trust, low arousal (a bit of sex)
- low trust, high arousal (a bit more sex)
- high trust, high arousal (lotsa sex)
I haven't quite worked out what the final of those endings should be, since I already completed what I felt was the 'canon' ending with ending #4.

I think this would improve the game, making the special endings a little more challenging but the game as a whole easier and more satisfying, since you'll get an ending one way or another. Also it'd have more content to discover. The thing is it would take some more of my time again, re-gearing the game a little, making new graphics, getting people to test it and writing new content. All this would distract me from PAL for a little bit.

What do you think? Is this a good idea? I'm personally ambivalent about it. If I do it, I'd like to do it this year, but maybe I should just keep moving and make new stuff? If you have an opinion then drop it in the comments, or email it to me at: bbben.aif@gmail.com