Maids & Masters (& A v0.10 Release Date)

After consulting with my lovely Patrons, I've solidified a plan. v0.10 will release to Patrons Friday, May 5th, as stated in previous posts. Scenes won't be reworked or animated - those will be coming in v0.10.1. Between today and Friday, all my attention will be on getting as many random events (like Folk and things around the Estate) implemented as possible. 

The core systems for the Folk nomads already exists (and has already been partially implemented in the most recent test build), so that'll be relatively easy to implement. The random Estate events need renders, so it's not likely I'll get very many of those implemented, but I still want to try to fit in what I can. 

 

The other thing I want to call out is the systems for Setri to be the game's third potential mother being added. This is the first of several planned things intended to reward you for regularly returning to Cumhaill. Unlocking her scene works similarly to the shop, in that you're able to return after every new progression milestone (or supply cycle, to use the in-game terminology) to get a new conversation. Each conversation increases her affection score, and once the affection threshold is met, the final conversation makes her scene available.

As for what else is coming in v0.10, you can read my State of the Remaster post on Patreon for some insight, but you'll need to wait for the changelog on Friday for details. Partially because I can't say for certain exactly what I'll manage to get done between then and now, but also because the changelog for v0.10 is longer than any other changelog has been by a wide margin. If I covered even half of it here, this would be a very long post.

 

The other change I wanted to cover is that early access on itch will no longer be pay-per-update. The price will be going up accordingly, but from v0.10 onward, early access through itch will be a single purchase, and you'll have early access for the remainder of development. Not only does this feel a lot more consumer friendly, it also allows me to do something nice for my Patrons and give out early access keys to people who have supported me enough to have effectively purchased early access anyway. I haven't looked into exactly how that infrastructure works yet, but I know it's something that can be done, and I want to show my supporters some appreciation beyond just continuing to work, even if I have to create and hand out those keys manually.

So to sum up - v0.10 comes out this Friday, May 5th for Patrons, and the changelog will go up here. Unless something goes wrong, buy-once early access will go up on itch the same day. This early access will be given to Patrons as a supporter bonus after a certain threshold. v0.10 will go public when v0.10.1 releases to Patrons/early access sometime in June.

Maids & Masters (& Completing Remaster Plugin Implementation & Rewrites)

It certainly took a lot longer than I wanted it to, but as of this weekend, all of the new plugins (including the quest log) are fully implemented. There are a few smaller, fiddly things to do, and a little more testing that needs doing (there's still at least once instance where the implementation and scripting is correct, but it still results in a bug), but this was easily the largest task to complete for the remaster, so this is a great milestone to finally be hitting.

The second largest task was reworking the dialogue, which I completed in tandem with plugin implementation. There are still a handful of events that I won't have changed at all, and nearly all of the object interactions are unchanged, but there were several events that I actively wanted to rewrite and those are all now also complete. I mentioned this in a previous post, but just to reiterate - the overall message and character beats of these events is unchanged. The changes are largely due to tone or specific wording, meant to correct either specific misinterpretations or plot inconsistencies (like Cornelius being referred to as Archibald's father in one place and his grandfather in another). Otherwise, the vast majority of updates to the dialogue has been improving clarity by simplifying or removing lines or text boxes.

The third largest task is also a doozy, though, and I haven't really started on it yet - the animations and scene reworks. Individually, the scenes are pretty easy to manage, but since there are over 50 (around 70, including the love shack scenes) of them, there's a distinct possibility that I won't get them all done in time for release on May 5th. That puts me in front of something of a dilemma.

I could delay v0.10's release, but I really don't want to. A delay would mean more time to test and bugix as well as work on animations and other new content, but it's also a slippery slope into delaying further, and I might still not complete everything that I want to complete. There are pros and cons every way you could possibly look at the situation. I'll still try to get as much done as I can, starting with the start of the game and working from there, but I think it's best to also ask my Patrons what they think on Friday, when the initial test build goes out to the Gratitude tiers.

We're officially in the home stretch, though. The animations and new content are all that's left before I move on to v0.11 and Act 2. It does seem like v0.10.1 will be necessary to catch all of the content I want the remaster to include, meaning it's still another month at least before development on Act 2 starts, but I really am chomping at the bit to get there. Hopefully you're at least a little excited to get there yourself.

Maids & Masters (& Finishing Reworking Dialogue)

With the first test build out, I've started on reworking the interlude's dialogue and finishing up implementing the quest log. 

Not much is done yet, as I took the weekend to recover. I have been consistently underestimating how much work the remaster would be and trying to work longer and harder to try to make up for it, which I've been feeling in a bad way lately. I've also had some work on Lust Element to do, which is what has taken up the majority of my working hours over the past few days. I also had some real life and business things to do - taxes, paying bills, that sort of thing. With all of that done (save for some additional work on Lust Element that needs doing), this week will be spent getting dialogue reworked/rewritten for the interlude and fixing any bugs that find their way to me.

That gives me about two weeks to get animations done in time for v0.10's release on May 5th. That's a tighter time frame than I'd like it to be, but unless I run into some issues, I should be able to get at least the majority of scenes converted for animations. I hope.

That does unfortunately mean that it's likely v0.10 won't have all of the new content I want it to, like the random Estate events. It will still have some (a few are already implemented), but it won't be as complete as I'd like it to be. Though all this really means is that there will be a v0.10.1 release with all of that content and v0.11 (and Act 2) will be one more release later. It's not what I want, but it's not terrible, and it's the best I can do without further delaying releases.

Maids & Masters (& Back To Progressing On The Remaster)

Turns out I skipped a few bits when I started working on the first Freeze event, but now those skipped parts are reworked, have the quest log implemented, and are tested, and the first freeze itself is also tested with all the new feature implementations.

That leaves the Amaira Estate, Lalita's Estate, Baleflight Manor, and the second Freeze to rework for the test build to be completely done before implementing animations and new content. Is that a ton of work for me to try to do in four days? Yes. Am I going to work 15 hour days to try to get it done anyway? Probably also yes. If it doesn't get done, it'll be because my friends saved me from myself.

I'm committed to getting a test build out this Friday regardless, though. The first test build was never going to be feature-complete, and it's a test build, so if the last hour or two of the game isn't quite fully implemented, then it is what it is. There's a lot of work that affects the entire game that's done now, though, so hopefully these sections will go fairly quickly. Renders have been reorganized and re-implemented (a requirement brought on by file path changes) and now all the scenes work (or at least the repeatable ones do; I've been doing my testing with them broken before yesterday). The common events (mostly stuff you aren't supposed to notice, like the Master's sprite staying on Master when the engine desperately wants to make it whichever Maid is in your first party slot) are all rebuilt and working, along with the new common events that handle things like being able to sell Contracts. The quest log is also completely built out, leaving implementation as the only step left there.

The biggest thing was getting certain events entirely re-written. There weren't many, but there were a handful of events (mostly involving Jenny and Viridius) that, while I think they conveyed the message and character growth I wanted, felt preachy, or were sub-par, missed an important story element, or were otherwise not as good as I wanted them to be. I'm much, much happier with those events now. There are still a couple left to go (mostly involving Bianca) that will change how a few events happen, but having seen a number of people completely misinterpret those events, they need to change. The story itself and broad events won't change, but the dialogue and context will change significantly (but hopefully subtly enough that if you're familiar with those scenes you won't really notice or care about the changes made). Past that, I just need to rip out the existing "post game" infrastructure so you can't accidentally time travel and break the game.

Then it's just the other month's worth of work I've created for myself as part of this remaster process.

Maids & Masters (& Some Non-Progress On The Remaster)

I really wanted to share the new version of the shops this week. Using plugins lets me do some pretty great things, both from QoL and design perspectives. Things like a shop interface to sell Contracts back to Emily, or use a shop interface for traders. But with people being so divided on which version of RPG Maker they want to use, not everything works in MZ because it was designed for MV. Having spent a day looking for a plugin-based solution to shops and traders weeks ago, I thought I had found exactly what I needed. Over the weekend, I spent about 10 hours trying to get it working, failing miserably, testing backup options, continuing to fail, looking for other possible plugin solutions, and finding another half-dozen ways to fail. It was not a good weekend.

However, I did ultimately find a way to get it to work. The interface isn't perfect, but it works as intended, and now at least Emily's shop has been overhauled, both to accommodate the new Estate Info screen and to allow for a little more flexibility for you, the player. Contracts can now be sold, so you don't need to worry about accidentally buying more than one of a Contract and being out that money, or over-investing and having a bunch of items you can't get rid of. All Contracts, including tools and clothing, now provide items according to the number of Contracts you've purchased. Contracts also sell for the same price they're purchased at, so you can invest heavily in new gear, get what you need, then sell all those Contracts and invest in something else. 

Or you can really be a stinker, buy one of everything, get the free gifts, then sell the Contract immediately and snicker to yourself about how clever you were about getting a free item.

There is still a little bit of work to be done with the shop so that Contracts correctly update to say "you do not currently own this" in your Estate Info (and update again if you buy the Contract again), but that's mostly a bunch of copy-pasting. I've already tested the system on one item and it works perfectly.

Other than that, quest implementation is done for the first Freeze, and I've overhauled the dialogue for the events that I was less happy with. It took a little longer than I wanted it to, but I'm much happier with where those events are now. I've also added a couple extra bits and pieces so that the Maid you're spending time with will follow you around, which is something I wanted to do for the original iteration but never figured out. Now that I know RPG Maker better, I have figured it out, making this one more feature that I'm happy is finally included.

There's only one more major hurdle left, which is making sure all of the damage formula syntax still works for skills that do things beyond "atk*4-def*2," like doing extra damage if the target has a status effect on them, or replacing one status effect with another. Here's hoping that goes smoother than overhauling the shop did.

One last quick note, since I mentioned it last week leading up to Maids & Re-Masters MZ - I'm aiming to have a test build for the real remaster out to VIPs on Patreon either this Friday or next. I'm hoping sooner rather than later, but there's still a lot to be done.

Maids & Masters (& More Progress On The Remaster)

I'm now up to the first freeze in terms of implementing the quest log and testing the base game. The quests haven't been implemented yet, but the quests have been created for the first freeze. The unfortunate part of things is that this is becoming more and more of a slog. It should only take me another week, hopefully less, to get the remaining quests created and implemented, but doing this work has felt increasingly like trying to push my way through a brick wall with my bare hands.

But I will push through. That wall is coming down, this remaster is happening, and the work will get done. It might take me longer than I'd like, but once I'm on the other side of this, I should have something to show for it. Since reworking and animating all the scenes is something I want to do in tandem, I'll probably wait to do it in hopes that I'll have something to show off this weekend in a test build.

Speaking of, I think I'll do a staggered release of the first test build of the remaster for Patrons. It'll still go out to VIPs first like normal, then go to the next tier every week. That'll let me share my work in a more meaningful and tangible way before the final build actually gets published while I finish making all the changes and additions.

If you aren't already a Patron, all the remaster polls are still open! Despite what that first paragraph might indicate, I do still want to work. I still love what I do. It just feels more like work lately. Getting to talk with you about my work is something I always enjoy, and getting to talk while I'm still building the remaster is a great time to share any thoughts you might have, even if it's just leaving your vote in those polls. If you're interested in voting or chatting in my Discord server, you can join my Patreon by clicking here.

Shilling For My Fellow Devs - Seducing The Devil

Making a quick post to help out another dev.

Their visual novel - Seducing the Devil - is due to come out on Steam soon.

 

In Seducing the Devil, you play as a 22-year-old Englishman. You've spent the past three years in a virtual relationship with Ella, an American woman. Determined to take things to the next level, you embark on a journey to meet her in person and win the approval of her family. But your decision to leave behind your friend Selina and her mother Veronica for a month doesn't sit well with them. As you navigate the challenges ahead, you begin to wonder if you've gotten yourself into a messy situation. Will you be able to make peace with Selina and Veronica and prove to Ella's family that you're worthy of their acceptance? How far are you willing to go to pursue the love of your life and build a future together? Only time will tell as you chart a course through the unknown and grapple with the difficult choices that lie ahead.

You can visit the Steam page by clicking here. It would mean a lot if you'd check out the page and wishlist the game.

If you hate or don't use Steam but still want to show them some love, here's them on itch, Patreon, Subscribestar, and Twitter.

Maids & Masters (& Progress on the Remaster)

All the data base work is finally done!

Or at least all the "encyclopedia" database work is done. I'm still building out the quest log and implementing that, and I'm sure I've missed at least some of the encyclopedia implementation, but the checklist is done, and I'm taking that win.

More good news - as expected, implementing the quest log, testing it, and reworking dialogue as I go is proving to be a much quicker process. Reworking the floor repair quest to correctly include steps for both the "skipped" version and the full version was pretty time consuming, but I was able to get all of the work for the v0.1 content done over the weekend and the v0.2 content is done today (excepting that it still needs to be tested). Based on that workflow, it should take me another two weeks or so to get the quest log fully implemented and have the entire game tested in the new engine.

Then it'll be on to the new content; all the random events and smaller additions. This is where the delays might set in, because I really don't want to release v0.10 as a "here's the remaster without any new content" just to release v0.10.1 and say "okay, now erase your save and start over again, this version has all the new content that was planned." I'm hoping I'll be able to speed through implementing the quest log faster than I have been and get started on the new content sooner. Cumhaill and the floor repair quest are a lot more event-dense than most of the rest of the game, so there's a non-zero chance that'll happen, but it's definitely too early to set a hard date. I would love to get this release done for the first weekend in April and publish it on the 1st, but the likelihood of that happening feels pretty slim right now. I suppose we'll see.

Between now and then, the final Patron poll goes up this Friday. I feel like I've gotten about as much feedback from the general public as I'm going to get, so if you want the chance to get involved and help me out with the remaster, the time is now. The polls are open to every tier, and access to my invite-only Discord server is permanent, so click here to get to my Patreon page, pick your tier, and let me know your thoughts.

Maids & Masters (& Starting The Remaster)

As glad as I am that I got all the plugin things figured out for Arrival, I am up to my eyeballs in getting all that database work done for the main game. Getting the quest log working and implemented isn't so bad, but nearly the entirety of my week has been getting all the database entries done and ready. The plugin stores information in a way that means if it isn't done when the remaster launches, I'll need to create a very elaborate system to update existing entries without erasing the other entries the plugin uses. This means if one Contract is incorrect, I have to also check all of the Maids, Locations, and Trophies, or those entries will end up erased. I really like the extra information the plugin allows me to provide, but it's... so... much... work...

The good news is that nothing else seems immediately broken. Carrying saves over from Arrival is fully tested, so there should be no combination of completion that breaks anything or otherwise prevents a save from being carried over. There's nothing inherent to any of the plugins that makes the existing game stop working as it originally worked. 

That also means that once all this database work is done, remastering the actual game will go relatively quickly. However, there's a very strong possibility that v0.10, the first remastered release, may not come in the first weekend of April like I want it to, and a smaller, though still reasonably strong possibility that I won't have as much new content injected in as I'd like there to be. This could mean further delays, or it could mean putting out a v0.10.1 and v0.10.2 (or more) before getting to Act 2's first story update, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Maids & Masters: Arrival Release

It technically only existed as a tech demo previously, making this remastered version of Arrival my first official v1.0 release.

I'm not sure how many of you care or would be interested, but in the spirit of friendly competition, the fastest clears I've gotten (based on the time attached to the save when the final save screen is presented) are 8:26 (any%) and 11:20 (100%). I'm not much for speedrunning, so I know it can be done faster. Take your time with the story the first time through, but once you've found everything, feel free to send me screen shots of faster clear times. I'll add them to my itch page so you can have bragging rights.

Anyway, I've got a couple notes. It isn't mentioned in the README, but I took some time to test game pad controls and can confirm they're fully supported. The interface for which button does what isn't the greatest, but the default controls work. Listing things as Playstation layout/Xbox layout: X/A is interact, Square/X is sprint, Circle/B is cancel, Triangle/Y opens the menu, arrows and left joystick moves you, and R1/RB hides text.

The other note is that the changelog covers changes made from the original version to the newer version. There's more to the game than just what's listed. There's more info on the important stuff in the README.

 

Here's your changelog:

 

Converted the engine from VX Ace to MZ.
- This means native mouse support, text skip, dynamic screen size, and more!
Replaced the placeholder faces and sprites for Master, Melissa, other Maids, and maps.
Replaced all of the “dev comments” with in-character comments from Master or Melissa.
Reworked nearly all of the dialogue to be more in line with the main game’s characterization.
Reworked events and switches so the save will carry over to the MZ remaster of the main game.
Reworked and re-rendered Melissa’s scene at the end, including full animations.
Added a new custom Game Over screen.
Added several new events to make exploring each room more dynamic.
Added dialogue interactions to objects to match the Estate in the main game.
Added sun shafts and dialogue interactions to match the windows in the main game.
Added better player direction to Melissa as well as more instances of Melissa.
Added a visual representation of Melissa to most of the existing exploration events.
Added affection increases for Melissa to some of the optional events that can be found.
Added a small amount of post-game content to be found after the credits roll.
Added renders to the issue of Stay Clean Quarterly in the library.
Added several plugins to support QoL changes. Check the README for more information.
Added the Trophy Codex.
Updated the garden maze so the path is “clearer” and to reset on touching the entrance.
Updated the Estate grounds to match the grounds in the main game.
Updated several maps to properly include all of their walls and borders.
Updated how the Clown Nose is obtained - it is now exclusive to Arrival.
Updated equipment and item icons to match the icons from the main game.
Removed most of the rat encounters in favor of more enemy Maid encounters.
Removed the Status (Maid Info) and Formation options from the menu.
Various other minor text, map, and event updates.

Maids & Masters (& A Release Date For Arrival Remastered)

I've said it in the last two posts, so just to get it out of the way - the remastered version of Arrival is coming out this Friday, 3/10. If you're a Mac user, good news: you get a version now, too!

I am exceedingly glad I gave myself (as well as my playtester, who has been an absolute champion in helping me out with this) as much time to playtest as I did. It's mostly little things to make sure Arrival matches the main game, but I've still been making tweaks here and there on Arrival even as I start the process of remastering the main game. Arrival has been "finished" for over a week now and yet I'm still finding things to change.

The best news, at least for me, is that Arrival gave me the opportunity to implement and test most of the plugins I'll be using in Maids & Masters. The process might've made Arrival take an extra 10 days of dev time that I really wanted to put into the main game, but it probably saved me a week's worth of testing, so I think it works out.

If you've played the original Arrival tech demo, this new version of Arrival is probably closer to a remake than it is a remaster. Nearly all of the dialogue has been rewritten, progression has been updated, there's more optional content to find, all of the placeholder stuff has been replaced with official assets from the main game, there's all the plugin features, and still more that is either different or brand new to the new version. I hope you'll have fun finding all of the differences between the original and this one.

The most important addition(s) - you'll be able to bring your save from Arrival forward to the main game now. The Clown Nose (now Trophy No. 0) can only be obtained in Arrival now, with Trophy No. 1 being a brand new item called the Trophy Codex, which will serve as a mobile version of the trophy hint system. Plus, if you get a 100% clear (I'll tell you whether you got it or not in the dev message at the end of Arrival) you get some extra stuff in addition to whatever you found in Arrival.

It's looking like it isn't possible to bring a save from VX Ace forward to MZ, so hopefully the new version of Arrival, being able to bring your save forward from that, and all the new/reworked content in the remaster will soften that blow a little.