Post #100 Special Announcement - Maids & Masters (& Act 2)

100 posts already. Man. I guess it isn't really that big of a deal, but it feels like a milestone. 

If you've been following Maids & Masters long enough (or if you've gone back through the thread on F95) you might've heard me say that MnM was made in VX Ace instead of a newer RPGM engine because it was all I had available. You might've also heard me say that MnM would get ported over to MZ once I had that engine available. Well, that engine has been available to me for a while now. It's what I've made the demos for Love/Loss and Redemption Harem in, and it's what Love Life! REM Cycle is being made in. So why isn't MnM in MZ yet? It's complicated. I'm not going to list out a bunch of excuses though. Instead, we're going to have a special announcement.

Act 2 of Maids & Masters will be in MZ.

This means a few things. Lots of new features, like the engine having native adjustable screen size, built-in text skip and mouse support, and the wider variety of plugin support from the RPG Maker community. It also means there's a lot of work for me to do in terms of resizing images, additional playtesting to assure the game functions without the plugins it currently uses, finding new plugins to replace the features that MnM will otherwise loose and adding new features (like re-bindable keys), and so on.

So, what will happen to MnM in VX Ace? v0.8.1 goes out to Patrons this Friday, that hasn't changed. v0.9 is still planned for December. After that is 2023, when I had originally announced work on Act 2 will begin. There's a few extra stipulations on that now.

The existing VX Ace version of MnM is still missing some parts. Most notably, the Love Shack and the additional 'missable' trophies being added to Big Dick's. Once those are put in place, there will be some additional testing and fixing, and then the VX Ace version will be released as Maids & Masters: Act 1. Once that is complete, I also want to bring Arrival up to snuff. Get rid of the placeholder assets, remaster it in MZ, and make the save able to transfer properly into the main game. Somewhere in this time frame, I also want to finish REM Cycle. After all of these things are complete and released, then work on Act 2 will begin in earnest. This means it may not be until a few months into 2023 that Act 2 actually starts releasing, rather than being available right away in January. This might change and Act 2 will be available sooner than I'm anticipating, but I can't guarantee that right now.

What this doesn't mean for MnM is a "sequel." The entirety of Act 1 will still be available in the MZ version. I'm taking steps to make sure existing players don't need to completely start over and will hopefully be able to use their saves in the MZ version of the game. I don't know yet if that will actually be possible, but I am trying. Failing that, I'll at least put in some kind of time skip, so if you've already played through Act 1 you won't need to play through again unless you want to.

As one last closing note - this wouldn't be possible if it weren't for my Patrons. It's taken me a while to get to this point, but I wouldn't be here at all without that support. If you want me to keep making upgrades like this - new engines, new assets, and more - I would greatly appreciate it if you considered supporting me.

Upcoming Demo: Love Life! REM Cycle's Setting and Themes

I think I'm as close to ready to start sharing this as I'm going to get (fun fact - I actually started working on this before L/L or RH), so here's the title for my third demo project:

 

Before I get any further - Love Life's protagonist is trans. She is female, but has yet to undergo bottom surgery. If you have strong negative feelings about this, I recommend you stop reading now. I'm making games, not political statements, but I will not tolerate bigotry.

 

First, REM Cycle is going to be different than the demos for Love/Loss and Redemption Harem in that it serves as a prequel rather than what is effectively the opening sequence. The main character (who can't be renamed in the demo, but will be re-nameable in the main game) starts REM Cycle and the main game in completely different mental states. REM Cycle won't be necessary to play, but does provide some extra context, serving as the catalyst for the way the MC acts in the main game.

The entire game will take place within an all-girl cram school's campus. The cram school is post-secondary education that isn't quite college (meaning that all of the characters are over 18, but there's a uniform policy) meant to provide its students with the skill and knowledge necessary to proceed with their education at their college of choice. The classes themselves will play a fairly small role in the story, but do have a gameplay purpose in raising your stats rather than your stats being raised through combat. The horror side of things will take place in a twisted version of the campus, with some places looking like a familiar (if less friendly) version of the original, and other places becoming alien, non-euclidean nightmares.

There's a theme of duality throughout Love Life. I called it a survival horror dating sim, but those are two separate pieces that affect each other rather than a single cohesive whole. During the day, you have classes, can talk with the other girls to try to either woo or seduce them, or find other activities to improve your stats. At night, there are monsters to hide from and the consequences of your actions are made manifest. This theme is intended to follow through the setting, the mechanics, the main character, even the title itself (being both what the game is about - the MC's love life - and a suggestion to love the life you have).

REM Cycle will be a little different from the main game, though these aspects should still come through. Rather than a hard and fast day/night cycle, REM Cycle will exist in a loop, placing you somewhere between the "reality" of the day and the "dream" of the night. You'll still have a pair of love interests to chase after, but first the MC will need to come to terms with a few things.

Lastly, I'm hoping to create REM Cycle in such a way that the save will properly carry over to the main game. My demos so far are rather ambiguous in this regard; Arrival can carry over to MnM, but it shouldn't or it causes bugs. Love/Loss might be able to carry forward, but there are a few things in place that might change and make that impossible. Redemption Harem is likely to undergo some pretty serious adjustments if/when it hits full release, so people who don't want to replay the start should be able to bring the save forward, but it might upset a few things. REM Cycle saves should work without issue in the main game. Hopefully.

Maids & Masters (& Finally Implementing Long Overdue Features)

Most of v0.8.1 will effectively be v0.8's post-game. If you've played through Baleflight Manor, you know that some of the actions you did or did not take during the earlier parts of the game finally have some consequences. These consequences are not singular, and there are things to do and acknowledge now that these consequences have come to pass. They aren't exactly world-shattering story upheavals, but there's a lot to give at least a little bit of attention to.

Most of that has now been completed, meaning v0.8.1 will soon be entering testing for release on November 18th. But not before I finally put in some long overdue features.

First, the trophy hint system. There was originally going to be an event leading up to unlocking it, but after about 30 hours of building, rendering, writing, rewriting, re-rendering, and rebuilding the whole thing, it just... Didn't work. So the hint system will be in place as of v0.8.1, but it will be missing some content. I'm probably much more upset than you are at this.

There's also new content for Quinn and the library that I've been meaning to put in place for the last several updates. Books that existed outside the home Estate are now in your library, new books have been written and added to your library, and Quinn has been updated to acknowledge her personal connection to the events that transpired in and around Clannestad.

Plus a bunch of smaller updates that you'll learn about when the change log goes up. Most of it isn't too big, but it's all stuff I should've had done a long time ago, and there's at least one new thing that's just a bit of fun that I wanted to include.

I hope you appreciate the extra attention to detail. It should also give you a bit more to explore and read for those of you that enjoy my world building.

Next week I should finally be ready to share some information regarding my next demo project, the survival horror dating sim hybrid.

Maids & Masters v0.8 Public Release

v0.8 is now available to the public!

November is also looking to be a smidge busy, but not busy enough that I won't be able to include some long-overdue features in v0.8.1. 

Here's hoping I find the time to include more than just those features.

Or at least find time to work on my next demo project.

The downloads page is updated with the newest version (which you can also find on itch.io).

The changelog can be found here.

Maids & Masters (& Starting on v0.8.1)

This past week has been pretty slow going on MnM, so I unfortunately don't have a lot to share. There have been a few bugs that have been reported and fixed (special thanks to those of you who sent those reports in) but the majority of my attention has been elsewhere. More on that hopefully soon, but for now, let's talk about my plans for v0.8.1.

v0.8.1 is likely to be another fairly small update, in the same vein as v0.7.1 and v0.7.2, focusing on bringing sub-systems up to snuff (like the remainder of the pregnancy system) and seeing how many renders I can get done (since Katrina still has none). The first thing I want to try to do is get Katrina's first scene finished, since that's the only thing missing from what was meant to be included within v0.8 that I didn't have the time to do. After that will probably be whittling down the list of QoL changes.

One big piece of news that I can share now is that I've started preparing for work on Act 2 to start. There are several things that I've wanted to do or add that are limited by the system, and I'm hoping that these issues will be resolved as part of this work. There's an extra bonus I've also meant to use to celebrate the first anniversary of MnM, but I didn't have the time to work on it between getting Redemption Harem done, getting v0.8 ready, and keeping pace with the other projects I'm a part of. So, that extra bonus will likely be something I do as part of announcing Act 2.

One last bit of news, though it's really more of a reminder - v0.8 goes public this Friday. If you haven't been convinced to support me either through itch or Patreon, look forward to getting your hands on that this weekend.

I'm also hoping I'll find time to work on the next demo project during the next week so I can start talking about that. It's been a long time since I've written any horror, and since horror is where I first started writing, I'm looking forward to getting back into it.

 

I hope the spooky season has you looking forward to some horror, too.

Maids & Masters (& Following Up On v0.8)

Let's do the painful bit first: v0.8 has an encounter that will crash the game. It's in the pub after clearing the manor, and it doesn't clear correctly after defeating the enemy. If you encounter this bug, flee from combat using the Concede option. Proceeding to defeat the enemy again will cause an error, crashing the game. 

The README is also missing the walkthrough for the new section; Baleflight Manor isn't overly complicated, though. If you need to, use your Homing Stone and choose Quest Tracking; it should tell you everything you need to know.

In other news, the next demo may end up a bit delayed. I have work on other projects to do, and I don't want to end up needing to delay MnM, so it's been back-burner'd for the time being. I do still want to get at least one more done, hopefully by the end of the year, but my schedule is proving to be consistently full of all sorts of different things.

Mostly good things, though. Hopefully I'll be able to talk about those things sometime soon.

In the mean time, my attention is largely on TLotG, which will hopefully have a new release out soon. Kind of a short update this week, so I'll quit at "I'd really appreciate it if you took a look at the latest release of MnM on itch.io because for some reason this release wasn't indexed so it isn't getting any views."

Stay cultured out there. See you next Tuesday.

Maids & Masters v0.8 Release

We did it. We got there.

Hopefully there's less crunch time in my future...

This update isn't exactly what I wanted it to be, but if this was horseshoes or hand grenades, it'd be close enough to count. I'm still happy with it. I hope you are, too.

 

One thing to call out - there is apparently a bug somewhere that could stop you from getting Trophy 9. The new bookshelves in Baleflight Manor use a new scripting layout that will award you the trophy if you've encountered this bug. This scripting will be applied to more bookshelves elsewhere in a future update so that the bug is less of an issue, and an additional fix will be implemented. I just didn't have the time to get to it for this build.

I rambled enough in the End of Version message, so I'll keep the post here nice and short. Download links will be out to Patrons once uploads have finished, and up on other (paid) platforms tomorrow. Here's the changelog:

v0.8
The first interlude story release, and the second Haunt update
- Includes 3 new areas to explore, consisting of more than 50 new maps, a new trophy, and a new party member.
Added the remaining pieces of the pregnancy system, including Deirlinn’s childbirth event.
Fixed a bug that would place the player in the wrong version of their Estate yard.
Updated Kala’s chat dialogue to be different after the ground floor east wing opens.
Updated Quest Tracking to include the new interlude content.
Updated the description of Silk Dusting Rag so it is no longer cut off.
Updated Teely to send the player to the correct version of the Estate after the interlude remodel.
Updated Quest Tracking to not mention the Love Shack after obtaining the “Toy” Box.
Updated Lothario in his Estate so he’s consistent with the interlude’s events.
Updated Phoebe to have different dialogue after completing interlude events prior to the Haunt.
Updated Driving Strike to give more SP on hit.
Removed the previous End of Version message.
Various minor dialogue updates.

Maids & Masters (& 2022's Haunt Update)

Time to do the spookiest thing of all: promise a release date I might not be able to hit.

The last while has been really hectic for me. I've been trying to get things scheduled in such a way that I have enough time to work on the demo projects I want to work on, do a few extra things (like celebrate my first anniversary of being an indie dev), plan for the future (there are things I want to do with Act 2 that I'm not quite ready to talk about yet), learn new things (I've started working with DAZ3D to expand my repertoire of styles I can work with), expand my social media presence (I'm trying to be more active on Twitter, have recently started using Reddit, and have launched Maids & Masters on 3 new platforms) and still leave time for the other two projects that I'm on a team with.

As you may have noticed, that is a lot.

I'm way behind on the thing I wanted to do for MnM's first anniversary, I've barely had any time to touch DAZ3D in the past month, and I've been busy with family for most of the past two weeks on top of that. I had hoped to get a new demo out every month, but have only managed two so far, and the third may not come out until late November/early December. The anniversary project may end up getting pushed back as late as April next year, which means Act 2 may end up getting pushed that far back while I work through everything else I want to do.

 

Thankfully, past me wasn't a total idiot and managed to do current me the favor of getting a bunch of work done for MnM's second Haunt update. While it'll be a lot of work, I might actually manage getting this Haunt update out this Friday, the 14th. That way, the update will go public on the 28th, just in time for Halloween weekend.

That also gives me more time to work on the projects for the other teams I'm a part of, so there should also be a new build for TLotG out by the end of the month for Patrons, if you care about that sort of thing. Once that's done, I can go back to getting background updates done for MnM, put more of my attention into my next demo (which I think will be the dating sim/survival horror RPG thing), and get everything else a little more on track rather than this hectic juggler's scramble I've been doing for the last couple months.

So, October 14th. Wish me luck.

Maids & Masters v0.7.2 Public Release

I'm back with an announcement!

The announcement is that v0.7.2 is now available to the public.

October is gonna be a pretty cramped month for me, but things should be more or less back to normal through the rest of the year.

The downloads page is updated with the newest version (which you can also find on itch.io).

The changelog can be found here.

Maids & Masters (& Redemption Harem's Release Date & An Away Post)

Work on v0.8 - this year's Haunt update - is well underway, but things might get a little weird (and not in the spooky fun way) for it. I do have most of the maps done, and the introduction to the story is about half done already, but things are going to be pretty tight on getting it out to everyone before the end of the spooky season.

 

I want to try to get the update out to my supporters early enough in the month that it'll go free to the public in time for Halloween weekend, but I'll be out of town for the next 10 days or so for family. As far as this relates to Redemption Harem's release, I've already taken steps to make sure I can get that out to everyone this Friday. Final testing is more or less complete, and I'll be able to do more testing while I'm gone. The hard part will be fixing any bugs that are found before the build goes out to everyone.

There is one thing I wasn't quite able to figure out for this demo - I meant to have curses in the game (debuffs and the majority of withcraft used by enemies) degrade your party members as an extra drawback to bringing them with you, but as it stands, I barely got injections working on someone besides the MC, and with me being gone and needing to get to work on the Halloween update, I just don't have the time. I think it's okay for the sake of the demo, though; it lets you experiment with the rest of the systems with reduced consequences.

As far as all of this relates to Maids & Masters - things will hopefully work out and I'll be able to hit my intended release date. If I don't, things will end up being pushed back a week. If you support me on Patreon or purchase the update through Itch, you'll still get it well before Halloween. 

Being gone for this long also means there won't be a blog post next week. Redemption Harem still releases on Friday, and I'll still be online in a few places, so if you support me, you shouldn't even notice I'm gone. Then I'll be back and it'll be time to dig into this next update, get that finished, and start working on my next demo project. I've got at least two more coming; potentially a third and a fourth depending on what I can get to work.

Maids & Masters v0.7.2 Release

You thought this would be Redemption Harem, but it was me, Dio! Er... Maids & Masters!

 

Redemption Harem will be available next Friday exclusively to my Patrons, just like this release is available to them today.

This update was a little more rushed than I wanted it to be, but then, Redemption Harem has been considerably more complex than I expected it to be. Good news is that compared to Redemption Harem, setting everything up in Maids & Masters has been a cake walk.

There are a few things to be aware of, though. For the pregnancy system - the framework is there, but it still isn't totally updated yet. Game Phase 18 is the earliest your first child can enter the world, so this doesn't really matter (yet), but it can still be accessed through cheating if you know which things to change, which can be accomplished by using the in-game debug system.

For the love of all that is holy and not, do not do this. It will break your save. Any children triggered prior to this system being fully completed will prevent them from existing. I will not be able to fix this manually. You have been warned.

For the customization system, it all works as intended, but there are a number of slots that you don't have anything for right away. Attempting to change this slots won't actually change anything. Mash the Next choice all you want, it won't change.

Lastly - the love shack. The Trophy to unlock it is finally in the game (to get to it, ask Auda about your Supplies, then talk to her again and the choice will be there). However, the systems are still not fully implemented. There's still a LOT of rendering for me to do, and nearly as much writing, and this optional set of mechanics for this one thing isn't nearly as important as making sure my releases come out on time. I hope you understand my stance on that. It is something I'm working on (two scenes have actually already been rendered, and a third has been posed), but it's rather low on my list of priorities.

All of that out of the way, here's the (weirdly short) change log.

v0.7.2
Added the customization system, available after progressing into the interlude.
Added a material storage system, available after unlocking the customization system.
Added an option to purchase Trophy 18 from Auda (full functionality not yet implemented).
Added framework to prepare for children being born (full functionality not yet implemented).
Added an option to Odette to repeat her existing scene.
Added Lalita’s first scene, available after the interlude remodel.
Added Kala’s first scene, available after the interlude remodel.
Added Summer’s first scene, available after the interlude remodel.
Added Auda’s first scene, available after the interlude remodel.
Added Ivy’s first scene, available after the interlude remodel.
Fixed a bug where the player was unable to use the Homing Stone to leave Kala’s room.
Fixed a bug where the player may end up trapped in Griselda’s bedroom.
Removed Direction Fix from post-remodel Lalita - she’ll now turn to look at you.
Updated Summer’s post-remodel dialogue.
Updated Griselda so that she reappears with new dialogue after her post-remodel visit.
Various minor dialogue and event updates.