This is I think the halfway point, correct? Or close to it?
1 Like
Yup! Iâd say almost exactly halfway for what Iâve got planned!
16 Likes
Two million words is⊠a lot! One might say you have Rayyanâs level of ambition.
15 Likes
Hahaha I know. But also - as rayyan would say, âmountains are climbed one step at a time, slams won one point at a timeâ.
So⊠itâs alright. Iâve just been treating it like a episodic branching story, going one part of a chapter ~70k words each time and thatâs been working out so far!
32 Likes
Chapter 7âs final part (approx. 75k new words) Public Release is live!
Happy Valentineâs everyone <3
Play the updated demo here!
This means that the doubles championship arc is complete (and the massive ~almost 150k word chapter is fully out!)
The update is very tennis-centric, though you do get an intimate moment at night (before the semis) if thatâs what you crave. Otherwise, go hoist that doubles trophy!
If you spot any bugs, do let me know - if you donât want your saves to possibly be broken when I inevitably fix bugs, play it maybe 1-2 days later D: (sorry, I do always try to beta-test beforehand but itâs a lot of branching these days!)
Features:
-
Have dinner either with Sam or your teammates
-
Heart-to-heart conversation with your roommate (or find a way to invite someone else back to your room)
-
Play the semi-finals matchâŠ
-
Clinch the championship title if you get past your opponents in the final⊠and survive a harrowing incident involving a heckler from the stands(!!)
-
Potentially make plans with your doubles partner for next yearâŠ
Notes
-
I think the variables in startup changed (Iâm sorry!!), so unfortunately it means saves I think are broken, but please do take your time with it! I added a function to skip, though Iâm not 100% sure it works perfectly.
-
If you played it in early release, you might want to take your time to replay the new content as well (you can try the skip function!) You might also want to recheck the match passwords in Ko-fi/Patreon.
48 Likes
Helllll yesssss. Such a great valentineâs day update! I hope you continue to write more exciting chapters, itâs very rare for a sports Hg to be this good. I wish you well!
1 Like
Unfortunately, Iâm finding the latest update to be pretty bugged.
1: I just finished the winning the match against Sam and Pan in Mixed Doubles, there is a discussion about getting ready for our next match, but then in the very next scene weâre in the showers, âtrying our best to process the lossâ. The next few scenes also act as if Felix and I are apparently out of the tournament, and how weâll have to watch on from the side-lines (Iâm actually a bit confused about what round weâre supposed to have just played too, because at the end after we win it says weâre through to the semi-final, but the reporter after the previous match with the heckler said we were going to meet Sam and Pan in the semi-final).
For some reason also, the game seems to then think that I was playing in the Menâs Doubles, because it talks about how the Womenâs and Mixed Doubles tournaments are over, and Deepal and Tobin are paired together playing in the final (even though Tobin is meant to be my regular partner in Menâs Doubles).
Ultimately, my tournament ends after the match against Sam and Pan, despite the fact that Felix and I won said match.
2: The scene with the heckler is confusing. Firstly, it incorrectly warns about there being racism, despite none actually being present in this particular scene (my partner was Felix, and my MC is a white man) - the warning should have mentioned about transphobia/homophobia instead (with what was shouted to Felix).
With the way the actual scene way plays out, initially it seems to be coded correctly (with us being able to comfort Felix and/or get angry on Felixâs behalf), but then some of the later text/scenes (and the options presented to us) treat it as if we had something pretty offensive or inflammatory said to us as well (with Felix trying to comfort us), when all that the heckler called me was a âfreshman loserâ (with my MC being a straight, white, cis-gender man).
There also just generally seems to be missing text here and there in certain quotes (presumably where names are meant to be).
EDIT:
3: After winning the match against Sam and Pan (and after weâve done our post-match interview and caught up with Sam), thereâs now a later scene where we can choose to forgive Felix for something, except I have no idea what theyâre supposed to be apologising about or why we are/were angry.
3 Likes
@Hi_Hello Thank you! Really loved having you play the game and leave comments all this time, youâre a gem!
@ChairmanMeow Thanks so much for the reports!! Appreciate them so much. I actually had the chapter beta-tested by a couple people before, but based on feedback regarding the pacing and desire for the stakes to rise significantly (instead of having the âeasiestâ match be the final), I sort of rearranged things massively hence leading to some continuity errors + not being able to test certain things. So Iâm counting on you guys to help me test and sort out the kinks!
The saves are also probably broken, (PSA to everyone) so starting from 7-1 or even earlier would probably be safest, especially if youâre saying you noticed words missing (probably means the variables werenât set properly) - which I think also could be the reason why you had some of the bugs you mentioned that I couldnât fix/verify.
Iâll list out the bugs that Iâve fixed!
1: This is fixed, and I think with it, you shouldnât even be seeing the scene where youâre watching Tobin & Deepal, so I think that part should not be an issue as well. In your play through, you do have Deepal paired with Tobin in the national doubles tournament, right?
2: Yup, fixed the TW, and some of the later text/scenes, but it would be useful if you could let me know the moments if you still see them so I can fix those too!
3: Hmm this one stumps me - the code looks correct, unless your variable for Felix revealing that you hooked up with Sam mid-match is somehow coded wrongly (in this case it sounds like it should be false, but youâre getting the text for if itâs true).
8 Likes
Misgendering here for me, since my mc and Rayyan are the menâs doubles team:
Instead of trying to finish the point yourself, you see Rayyan moving up toward the net. You hit a shot thatâs fast but bounces high, dipping quickly to pull Martinez wide without giving her much time to recover.
2 Likes
How is it that when Iâm with Rayyan, Iâm sure that I donât need anyone but her (and not just romantically, but also from a tennis-doubles/sports professional perspective), but when Iâm with Sam, Iâd rather cut off both my hands than cause her grief. I already had to make a big sacrifice to break off the flirtation with GeneviĂ©ve, because honestly, I already felt like a slut from messing with 3 girls at once. I hope I can fit two: that doesnât make me a slut, just a little big-appetite.
2 Likes
Iâve been playing a lot of CTOS the past 2 days. It is so good 
There is something so satisfying about seeing numbers go up and easily winning matches. Iâve started focusing on 5 stats rather than just 4, and with one char I got all 6 stats above 30. Itâs very satisfying.
As Iâm going through it one more time, Iâll make some notes of small errors/things I notice, many of which you might be aware of already.
2-3c_endchallengematch:
When talking to Rayyan, the bold flirt always sounds a bit off. Rayyan says âYou looked good out thereâ, and MC can respond âOh, I think I looked better than ânot badââ which doesnât play well together to me. It would work if Rayyan said ânot badâ, or if MC said sth like âbetter than goodâ.
5-1a_samfridayparty:
*if (G_romantic > 25) and (Rayyan_romantic > 25)
$!{G_name} and Tobin?"
That should say âG and Rayyanâ
6-1_aftersamweekend:
âThis finel statement is delivered so bluntlyâ
should be âfinalâ
6-2b_afterfallfestival:
*if (national_doubles_partner != ââ) #${national_doubles_partner} and I start to warm to each other both on and off the court.:
*if (national_doubles_partner = âRayyanâ)
*set Rayyan_friendship %+4
*if Rayyan_commit
*set Rayyan_romantic %+4
*else
*set Tobin_friendship %+5
*if Tobin_commit
*set Tobin_romantic %+5
For this choice I think the âelseâ should be one indent to the left?
âIf thereâd been any lingering memories of Felixâs touch, Felixâs lips, all of it is erased and replaced instantaneously.â
That part comes up twice because itâs included in the choice to kiss G, and then also in the sublabel g_kiss_check. I think that applies to both g_kiss_morning_after and g_kiss_guilty?
âAnyway,â $!{G_name} raises an eyebrow at you. âYou can stay and Iâll take the mattress if you want.â
That sentence also comes up twice when choosing â#Give ${G_him} shit. âWow. You arenât even going to pretend to ask me to stay, huh?â (Joking)â and not being committed
*label G_moment_halloween_end
Here, hooking up with Felix and G doesnât have *set G_sex 1. Intentional?
7-2_doubles_tournament_sat:
In the G pov the phone call between them and MC is described even when you donât call them. I think itâs fine if that is intentional, just thought to bring it up.
"Chen swings. The ball goes flying towards ${national_doubles_partner}'s side of the court. Right after ${team_he} hits the shot, ${team_his} gaze flies to Martinez. From the confused glances they exchange before looking to ${national_doubles_partner}, it seems theyâve only just noticed whatâs going on. "
That phrasing keeps making me think itâs the double partner who âhits the shotâ which obviously doesnât make sense. Might just be me though.
7-4_final_doubles_tournament.txt
*label talk_about_future_plans
Looking forward to seeing you
*if (national_doubles_partner = âRayyanâ) and (national_doubles_partner = âTobinâ)
both again next year."
I imagine that should be âorâ instead of âandâ
The winners of the ${opp_team}'s Doubles and
*if (national_doubles_partner = âFelixâ)
${team}'s Doubles get announced as well, joining the two of you on stage.*if (not (national_doubles_partner = âFelixâ))
Mixed Doubles get announced as well, joining the two of you on stage.
This shows up with a page break between. Aka menâs Doubles and pagebreak Mixed Doubles
Aside from that, if Felix is the doubles partner there is sometimes the wrong verb form. As in âthey saysâ or similar. I think I had some wrong pronouns for G yesterday and maybe some missing words, but I didnât really see that in my last playthrough today.
One thing I found:
ââWell, will you look at that. $!{rude_chant} have ended up winning the NCAO doubles championship after all.ââ
In my game I had no rude chant apparently so it was just blank.
There were a lot of things I really adored in the update. Particularly partnering Felix and getting closer to them (very excited to see more of them). But also the choices where you can decide to fold or try to keep going. I canât quite find it right now, but the one sequence where you have to choose to keep going several times was fantastic. I loved the racket breaking as well and someone having to hold the fort.
There are many more things I enjoyed, but those are the ones off the top of my head. Fantastic writing and immersive storytelling!
2 Likes
I played a bit more yesterday. With one MC I was trying to focus on things other than tennis, so I would see new paths, but at this point I know the stat changes too well and accidentally ended up winning the tournament anyway. It did put into perspective that the game lets you fail quite a few checks, but then lets you fall back on other stats or circumstances (like double partner chemistry, or dice rolls), which I highly appreciate.
Here are some more things/errors I noticed:
loweststat
My âloweststatâ keeps changing and isnât my actual lowest stat. Two examples where I noticed below. Iâm also wondering if it makes sense to use the lowest stat here, rather then the weak_skill you pick in the beginning.
Example 1:
4-3_fridaymatchsingles
#Show ${team_him} that my ${loweststat} isn't a weakness.
shows finesse as loweststat, even though I picked agility as my weakest stat and was the lowest stat
Example 2:
7-2a_sam_doubles_qf and/or 7-3a_semi_final_sam
*selectable_if ((agility > 28) or (beast_mode)) #Lunge for it. I've brushed up on my endurance these past couple of weeks at Cargill, and the improvements show. @{tutorial_mode [[i]Agility[/i]]|}
For â*if loweststat = âenduranceââ, it tests agility instead. Additionally, my actual lowest stat is S/V
4-1_weekbeforefirstmatch
"Yeah. The whole day went by, then weeks, and I never did it." Sam sighs. "Now ${player_he}'s on the other side of the world."
â${player_he}'sâ has the wrong verb form for they/them MCs
5-3_samsunday
What if one day, ${player_he} ends up liking someone more than me?
should be âendâ for they/them pronouns
6-2a_before_fallfestival
*label call_sam_tell_news
Here, if you partner with Felix and Sam is the opposite gender, in the convo it comes up that they wonât meet on court. But then you do get to play with them in the tournament.
6-2b_afterfallfestival
"It's gutteral, primal, a sound that has existed since the dawn of man"
Should be âgutturalâ
7-2a_sam_doubles_qf and/or 7-3a_semi_final_sam
*if (((sam_relationship = "open_accepted") or (sam_commit)) and (felix_hookup_tell = "yes")) #Give Sam an apologetic look. At least I'd told ${sam_him} about it before this.
This choice doesnât show up for me, even though in this playthrough my MC is an open relationship with Sam and told them about the hookup.
"You nod. Instead, you walk out of the court with Felix. You're still trembling when you walk out of the court with Felix."
Sentence is repeated.
"I'm not sure we wnat the same things."
Should be âwantâ
7-3b_semi_final_not_sam
"The senior tries for a low, hard passing shot, but you're already moving, cutting it off in a volley that clears the net and dies in the front. Game. "
After this, thereâs a page break that shows âsf_set_1_scoreâ instead of the score or sth like âNextâ
$!{national_doubles_partner} eyes you, whistling at the grin on your face. "Damn," ${team_he} whistles low. "You're really looking forward to it, huh."
Pronoun is wrong for when Felix is the national partner.
7-4_final_doubles_tournament
"Me too," $!{G_name} breathes, and you're almost surprised by this admisison.
should be âadmissionâ
"You make shitty decisions sometimes, but sometimes you don't.As do we all."
Space inbetween the 2 sentences
"Don't worry about it," you say. "Deep breath. We're I'm alright. You're I'm alright."
Pronoun party
"Remembering the conversatio you'd had the previous night, you say"
conversation
Beyond that, I saw the ask on tumblr that talked about Felix and their actions in relation to Tobin. It motivated me to write down my own thoughts on them because I like their character a lot.
Naturally, spoilers for the whole WIP so far:
Very generally, I tend to be drawn to emotionally colder characters in IFs. A part of me always wants them to have a soft spot for the MC and a trusting, happy relationship. Both of these traits color my perspective on Felix a lot. Additionally, there isnât a lot of information about Felix in the game atm, so a lot of my thoughts are subjective interpretations.
Felix isnât an easy character to like imo. Reading about them I was interested at first, only to drop them like a hot potato. Their introduction at the cafĂ© is cold and harsh. The potential hookup at the halloween party feels bad; even degrading from a perspective of self-love and self-respect. It takes quite a bit to see softer sides to them and even then those moments are rare. I think there are quite a few if you play mixed doubles with them at the tournament and I enjoy each and every one.
The 2 best scenes for me are undoubtedly after finishing (winning?) the tournament and they wait for you outside of the shower. Guiding them through a cool handshake is so incredibly dorky and I adore it. The other scene being the alternative option where Felix told a romanced Sam about their halloween hookup and talking through it. Forgiving it and giving them another chance, Felix turning all soft and vulnerable? Absolutely fantastic.
Felix cheating on Tobin was a really interesting revelation. Along with the above scenes, I felt it made me understand their relationship a whole lot better. Before that, I was wondering why they were even a couple (and I still wonder about Tobinâs side a little). What Tobin said, along with MCâs observations, it gives the impression that Felix doesnât think the world is kind, doesnât think of themselves as a good person, and is quite affection-starved. They were drawn to Tobin for their warmth. Tobin probably experienced a lot of sweeter sides to Felix than most, but I can imagine they also saw through their bullshit for the most part and saw what was underneath (or at least, chose to believe in their good side). When Tobin breaks it to Felix that they donât love them, I could see Felix being quite heartbroken. It calls into question the relationship, their worth as a person, and their worth of love. And them cheating could come from seeking love and affection from someone else. Or a million other reasons, like wanting to break up but not knowing how, wanting to hurt Tobin, wanting to make Tobin jealous, etc. Either way, itâs messy and cheating is bad. But I understand it and I think it gives their relationship depth.
Iâm curious to hear more on how Tobin felt in the relationship, how they dealt with Felixâs harshness, how happy they were etc. I would also love to see Felixâs character interact more with the MC and see how they develop. Naturally, due to my preferences I would love to cuddle them and make them feel loved. But I do also just enjoy the character for their plot function. Like being a drama-generator as a cheating option when MC is in a committed relationship with someone else. Or offering another way to enter the doubles tournament. I also appreciate that for their plot line it makes sense that they had their heart thoroughly broken recently and do not want another relationship, especially not that has similar circumstances to their last one. And even if everything went perfectly fine and it was a great relationship, theyâd graduate and then some heartbreak would happen one way or another.
So yeah, I love their character. I would love them as a full RO, but am also immensely enjoying just what is there and am looking forward to learning more about them.
Heyo, pretty sure I noticed an error. When youâre playing the semi finals against Sam, if you win the first set and then win the next one, it defaults to 1-1 and goes to a third.
Iâve been following CT:OS for a while, and genuinely itâs my favourite WIP.
But I found an error today, while playing through the WIP. It happened while going to watch Sam, after the Saturday Doubles Match. In 7-2_doubles_tournament_sat. After Sam asks âHow did your match goâ, instead of it going to label talk_about_next_match_sam , it instead went to label finish_watching_teammates.
My character was part of the mixed double, and the match was won in two sets, if that helps.
Edit:
I found another Bug as I continued the demo. During the Sam SF match, my character won both the first and second sets yet the demo acts as though I only won the second set, pushing the game to three sets instead of ending it at two.
2 Likes
Kinda disappointed thereâs no bussines major choice
I played through the update recently, and I have to say itâs kind of weird that Sam doesnât say anything to the MC about the incident with the racist heckler. It feels like the kind of thing theyâd have strong feelings about, even if theyâre not your RO.
8 Likes