Hey there everyone, time for the latest developer blog update!

I’m really glad to hear that a lot of you enjoyed the recent big update featuring Cho. Your support truly means a lot to me. We faced some major challenges due to engine changes and internal redesigns, but despite the odds being against us, we managed to roll out the update successfully.

One of the really cool things I got to work on for this update, which sets our Ren’py game apart, is the interactive split view for CG images. This was showcased during the Cho retrospection events. Initially, we had plans to keep the scenes separate, but an idea sparked to incorporate both scenes into a single event to add an extra spiciness. Making it happen was a bit of a challenge; I had to dive into the engine and tap into some undocumented functions to make it work just the way we envisioned.

I must’ve gone through three or four iterations before finally stumbling upon the implementation that proved most effective for us, all the while maintaining good performance and features. If you glance at the code, it might not strike you as particularly elaborate, but devising the method of implementation posed its own challenge. You see, ordinarily textures come in standard rectangular sizes, yet we wanted for the displayables to be oddly shaped — think clouds or bubbles. This led us to the need for texture masking, and that’s where the AlphaMask feature stepped in. It was fairly straightforward, but that’s only a portion of the full story.

Next up was cracking the puzzle of exhibiting two images with a cutout, specifically for the bubble, and making them both interactive. The first idea was simple, just make a cutout, right. However, that entailed ensuring no vital elements occupied the bubble’s designated area, which would necessitate altering the artwork to accommodate. I wasn’t keen on that approach, so instead, I conjured up a zorder swap function for image tags, paired with a controller made within the screen scope. This renpythonic solution allowed us to maintain image prediction and rollback support, sans the need for extensive artwork modifications. In the end, it turned out fantastic in my opinion.

Reflecting on the update as a whole, am I satisfied with how it turned out? Yes and no. On one hand, I’m really pleased that we finally resolved the performance issues and tackled major problems like the flawed questing system and other issues. However, I can’t help but feel that we could have, or perhaps should have, added more new content. Maybe it’s just my own thoughts, though. Anyway, let’s keep moving forward.

With all of the above in the past, I can now dive into the meat of the game — the artwork. This time around, both Boppin and I are working on the drawings, while Johnny is pouring his efforts into the writing and scenarios. It’s a refreshing change, if I’m being honest. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love coding and consider myself primarily a coder. Still, it’s refreshing to switch things up from time to time and put my drawing skills to the test. I might not have natural talent, but I’m persistent. Over the past three years, I’ve taught myself how to draw, and finally, it’s starting to pay off. Having a grip on both programming and art is incredibly advantageous and it smoothens the process significantly. I understand the limits of layering, where to position elements in the scene, how they’ll interact with the code, and so on. It’s a unique perspective that I’m truly grateful for.

As you’re already aware, the current update in the making revolves around Luna. So, it’s safe to assume that both Boppin and I are busy creating various scenes centred around her character. We’re aiming to create more diverse and modular scenes, giving Johnny the freedom to fully explore his creative writing potential in the more risqué side of things.

Speaking of risqué things, if I spill any more beans about the upcoming scenes too soon, I might just tick off Johnny for letting his secrets slip. So, forgive me for holding back on the tantalizing titbits for now. What I can share with you is that the next update is diving head first into the story and steamy content, leaving the fluff behind. Expect heaps of fresh writing and art that might even make Johnny Sins blush a bit. 😊

Things are progressing smoothly, and we’re not foreseeing any bumps in the road ahead.

By the way, I hopped into Baldur’s Gate 3 shortly after its release. I’ve been eagerly awaiting that game for who knows how long, and I can confidently say it was absolutely worth the wait. If you’re a fan of both actual cheese and the kind that’s infused into writing, you’ll find yourself right in your element. The writing is incredibly diverse, and every character comes across as vibrant, each with their distinct personality and aspirations. The whole experience feels genuinely immersive. It’s been quite a while since a game has given me this much enjoyment, and chances are, Baldur’s Gate 3 might just clinch the title of my personal game of the year, or who knows, even the game of the decade. That all depends on how I feel about it once I’ve wrapped up my adventure in it.

Thanks for reading, and see you all soon!

Hello, Johnny here with another devblog.

Things have been hot here, with the summer heat and also due to the work I’m currently doing. This will be another shorter post, as we’re really busy, but I’ll do my best to make it worth your while.
Since my last devblog post, I’ve finished the improvements to Hermione’s writing and event checks. There are quite a few things I want to talk about in detail, including future ideas, but that will have to wait until my next post as it will be heavy in both words and spoilers.

For now, I’d like to tell you a few things that won’t reveal too much. I’ve added new randomized chit-chats, based on things like if Hermione is clothed or naked, or event statuses, as well as adding checks for existing chit-chats. In addition, I’ve added more writing variants, depending on the order you play certain favours on later tiers. For example, having her give you a blowjob before or after titjob. When you cum in different places for the first time, she will now also react properly.

I was delighted to see the response to the recent clothing teasers that we have released for Cho, and I’m excited to share that a couple of the less revealing ones will be included in her outfit schedule as well. So from now on, you’ll be seeing some variation, right after her introduction.

As of the time of writing, I am currently engaged in the process of posing Cho CGs. It’s going very well, and I’m happy with how they’re turning out. I’m not going into any more detail about the specifics here, of course, you’ll have to wait until it’s released, which should happen very soon. As long as you promise to eat your vegetables.

That’s it for the development portion of this week’s post, and I’ll end it by wishing you all a good day.

Since the steam sale is coming up, I thought I’d ask if you guys have any recommendations for games I should play once we’ve released the upcoming update. I mostly play story-based indie games, but I am looking for some more classic 2D top-down or side-scrolling RPG’s. I very much enjoyed Wandersong and Crosscode for example, but I don’t mind turn-based as long as it has a good story and some twist when it comes to mechanics.

I hope to finally pick up Hogwarts Legacy if it goes on sale, but I’m also looking for games where you can jump in and play for an hour or so, since I’m often too busy with work to dive into more attentive games.

Hiya,

Guess what time of the month it is? Nope, not that time! It’s time for another devblog, woohoo! Hope my last entry didn’t put you into a coma. Don’t worry, this one will be short and sweet, I promise.

So, as you already know, we’ve rolled out a pre-release update for you cool beans to help us squash those pesky bugs, while we continue adding all the juicy stuff we planned for this update. Gotta say, I was expecting a ton more issues to be reported. Either our hard work paid off, or you lot are just being sneaky and not telling us everything. Time will tell, I suppose. 😅

Speaking of adding content, the recently teased Cho CG has been implemented, and I’m currently putting the finishing touches on yet another Cho CG that has not been teased yet. It’s been a nice change of pace from dealing with all the technical stuff and fixing bugs. We might post another preview, or two, before the final release to make the wait time more bearable.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “When the heck are they gonna release this update?!” Trust me, I’m wondering the same thing! 😄 But hey, no worries. I just need to implement two more scenes and tackle a couple of bugs, and then we can start wrapping things up. It should be much quicker since all the back-end changes are already finished. And guess what? Johnny has gone bonkers with Hermione content again. There’ll be loads of new stuff to explore throughout the entire game. Cool, right?

While Johnny and I are knee-deep in the current shenanigans, Boppin is already cracking on with the next update. Talk about being ahead of the game! By the time we wrap up this one, we’ll have a treasure trove of artwork to dive into. All you Luna fans out there better get ready to party, ’cause there’s gonna be some serious Luna love coming your way.

And there you have it, folks! We’ve reached the end of this week’s devblog. Nice and snappy, just like I promised. See, I can totally deliver on my word!

Until next time, stay awesome!