We’re back with a new update and right before Halloween. This finally kicks off things starting to get into what I call high gear. Branches starting to diverge, stats being used and with it, the actual possibility of the MC no longer having their handheld and the risk of actually failing something(I’d recommend building magic or command skills, currently.)
So what actually happens in this update exactly? The potential for the mc to become a hero, characters getting expanded on and the feeling of getting somewhere. Finally reaching the new area where things are about to get more interesting and less linear. Including more expanded on the route to recruit the demon of passive aggressive rage, though not possible quite yet.(As well as making it an option to fight him regardless of motive, because I felt it may make things too obnoxious if it’s left to some highly specific things the player wouldn’t think of.)
I have made the deliberate inclusion of a skip button so players familiar with things, can just jump ahead after the first chapter and which is also for my connivence to make play testing a lot more bearable. I’m pleased to report that this should function just fine, lest the script goblins want to mess with me again.
So what’s next on the agenda? First, I feel a name change will come soon, since I don’t think this project can really be compared to the original anymore and should be given a certain identity of it’s own. Aside from that, the current plan is: Killing an unkillable monster. The Kumiho and demon finally getting more of a chance to do stuff. The MC’s in universe counterpart making an appearance. Cat girl ninjas. The chance to have your followers bond with each other and move away from generally being apathetic about the other’s existence. It will be a lot, so it most likely will focus on one thing.
On a small note, there is now a discord link where things relating to the game or whatever else, can be had. No obligation to anybody to join it, though it’s became a recent trend by authors to have them and that seems like a thing to do.
Link is here:
https://dashingdon.com/play/hex/hcf-redux/mygame/
Current Trigger Warnings
Explicit violence, blood, sexually suggestive themes, bugs
My personal current criticisms with the current version
I also decided on making a small segment here so people better understand where exactly my head is at and what I feel are the biggest problems currently:
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It seems to run on a little too long between choices in some areas. Entertaining for a first read, maybe. Will get annoying on multiple playthroughs, especially where it feels more or less the same from other routes. Doing my best to make them feel unique, though it’s not always doable.
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How exactly should things progress with so much starting to divide?
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I should look at earlier scenes and think of how to improve the writing in some areas.
Explaining some of my decisions
Just as a small segment to explain things that I don’t agree with, this mostly relates to a discussion I had with someone I know. The idea was that the MC should be left in a single form to cement the narrative better…which I had to tell them that I just didn’t agree with at all. If I had to pick something to be the main draw of the game, it’s purely the fact that the mc is actually able to change form in game. If you take away that bit, it doesn’t actually add that much more depth. It removes the elements it has that actually somewhat distinguish it due to the ability to do that. Which makes a rare case where I will actually reject the advice someone gave me.
Following that, morality systems. I just don’t see how it would really work in a good or evil sense. As pretentious as I might come across, it detracts from the narrative. It just doesn’t make sense, since so much of the point is a blue and orange morality. It has little to do with good or evil actions. Virtually the whole point is the subjection of how an otherwordly being might view creatures that exist with that kind of system, but doesn’t have any concept or understanding itself. To turn it into an entirely black and white situation…it just wouldn’t work. Even the arguably Big Good character of the game doesn’t operate on the kind of logic that a human would have with actions. To label the actions as such, in my mind, just defeats the entire purpose.
