Altered the poll to make the Yes option indicative of that more clearly!
I would definitely go for the expansions! Though as someone born in 2002, the 2004 version will probably be my least favorite. There are some āwhat was life like whenā¦ā questions with the other two that simply donāt exist in 2004 version. But I think all versions will be very good and interesting!
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Hey Anna!
I hope youāll be pleasantly surprised by what is up my sleeve. Iāve got a lot in the pipeline to be implemented.
On the bright side, the project already has a vast amount of code as Iāve gone to task implementing systems. 
So hopefully a WiP will be on the horizon in good time.
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Good luck making that. You have paid expansions already planned before a demo.
Sus.
Iām planning a significantly expansive base game thatāll take several years to make. Originally, I had wanted to spread this across 3 eras of planned content, but that will significantly pad out dev time.
The point of my poll was to engage the community on their feelings before I even considered that plan. I can split the two eras up into something much more manageable over time when planning them as separate āgamesā. I marked them as expansions because they could be added onto the already existing base.
At least in terms of what my thoughts and ideas were, theyāre not any different from what a sequel would be like. Development does have to end at some point on the base project, if that makes sense.
I merely felt that I could package these additional games worth of content into the base game with a tag on it and reduced price compared to what a sequel would be.
Iām open to feedback.
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Dont talk about expansions if the base game not even started yet is all.
Hi!
This content was talked about in the original post announcing the game.
As for where the game is, Iāve got many posts out showing significant development of it and showcasing features as theyāve been built. I brought this post up to get the communityās feelings on my severing the original 1842 and 1921 Eraās of the game from the plans as theyād take too much time to make to include in the base game.
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Iām not clear from a quick look at the Tumblr post whether this is planned to be a ChoiceScript game, but if so, this is the thread for it as there is no demo:
If it is planned to be a ChoiceScript game, once you would like to share a demo please create a WIP thread with a link to to demo then.
If not, please post in the āOther Interactive Fictionā category once the game is completed. Thanks!
Hi all! Iāve had an idea for a game bouncing around for a little while but I canāt decide between Twine or Choicescript. Thought Iād post it here.
This game is a fantasy drama inspired by Spirited Away and Japanese mythology. It is character- and romance-driven, and doesnāt have a title yet.
Summary
You are the only human in the spirit world. Being there was once your only desire. It is a beautiful place full of yÅkai and kami, living in splendor under endless moonlight. It is somewhere many can only dream about reaching.
But you had to give up everything for it ā including your own freedom.
To exist in this realm, humans must live in servitude under a spirit forever, never to return to the human world. After a tense parting with your previous kami master, you have found yourself working under a new master as a geisha at a ryokan frequented by important and powerful yÅkai. Now you must navigate your life as an outsider and the strange world around you. None of it was what you had bargained for.
You are caught between two worlds and two masters. Which will you choose? Will you find a way to escape the spirit world, despite it all?
Features
- Play as male, female, or nonbinary.
- Customize your MCās appearance and personality.
- Romance one of two gender-selectable ROs.
- Choose your speciality as a geisha, each with their own advantages. (Charms boosts persuasion, performance boosts agility, debate boosts intelligenceā¦ I havenāt thought stats out too much yet to be honest)
- Choose your MCās backstory and why they are in the spirit world.
- Try to escape the spirit worldā¦ or donāt.
ROs
ååø Kazuki [f/m] ā A powerful kami and your ex-master, with whom you have a tense and complicated past. Known for deals and exchanges, they live a life of luxury surrounded by that which humans have given up to them. They are as mysterious, stoic, and unchanging as the moon ā and yet they seem strangely attached to you. Could there be room for love in their cold heart?
ę¹Æ Yu [f/m] ā The yÅkai owner of the ryokan you now work for. A mischievous and free spirit, they take a flippant, laissez-faire approach to their business. They are bright, friendly, and very affectionate while somehow still holding you at an armās length. Disliked by most yet charismatic and influential, Yu is full of contradictions. And rumor has it they used to be humanā¦ Can you discover the truth behind all their smiles?
Concerns & Notes
My concerns: I love exploring complex relationships and power dynamics. However I know this isnāt everyoneās cup of tea and Iām worried about people being offended by the only ROs being people who seem to have a lot of power over the MC. The actual power dynamics are complicated, as despite being a servant neither Yu nor Kazuki will treat the MC like one or exert power over them. But will people be open to that complexity or will they expect a weird master/servant dynamic and call it problematic? At the same time I donāt want to write perfect relationships I find boring. IDK.
Also I have no idea if this concept counts as slice-of-life, because I want to focus on the MCās job in the spirit world, their daily life, and their relationships, but there is also the dramatic undercurrent of possibly finding a way out (if the player chooses that route). This isnāt necessarily cozy slice-of-life, I guess.
I only have two ROs because this is my first game and while having 4-6 ROs seems to be popularā¦ Iād rather spare myself the pain and keep things approachable! I may add more later as characters come to me.
Iām very attached to the idea of the MC being a geisha but this doesnāt necessitate a gender-lock, because historically geisha were actually men. I plan to briefly mention this in-game because I know some may be confused and think geisha have to be women. I also hope a geisha working in a luxury ryokan makes sense, since theyād need entertainment for high-class guests.
Apologies for how much I have writtenā¦ I donāt realize how much Iāve been thinking about this game until I put all the details down and realize Iāve been a freak about it for the past few weeks lmao
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As for the audience for your ROās, you have me totally on board! I love media that explores how power affects relationships. Iām working on a project that deals with similar topics myself, hehe. But anyway, I donāt think you can fully protect yourself from people who donāt get it, or think itās problematic. But on the bright side, the audience that your work is for definitely exists! I believe that you should write what you are interested in, regardless of everyoneās reactions. You canāt please everyone, after all.
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This sounds interesting! Iāve wanted to do a story in ancient Japan and Geisha, but I havenāt gotten a good idea yet. So Iām very excited to read one.
On the Geisha note, they started out as men and then transitioned into being women. So I think itās entirely possible for there to be both in this point of time in this world. (Even if it wasnāt, this is more fantasy anyway).
For the ROs, I donāt mind complicated dynamics. Though I am curious about how youāll manage to make the two routes feel different, since theyāre kinda similar
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Very true, thank you! I probably should just get comfortable with the fact that I canāt please everyone haha
This is something Iām definitely thinking about! Iāve been mulling over about the project a lot but thereās still a ways to go with developing the two ROs. Iāve wanted to make them foils to each other with opposing backgrounds and motives, so Iām feeling that out. :]
I appreciate the responses a lot!
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I am planning A rewrite and expansion on my old WIP, to the point where it will be considered a new project.
As not to break expectations, I wanted to float my prospective paths by those few whom remember Freak: ATNL.
It was a very super-hero inspired project to which I wish to maintain the universe and characters.
I intend to retain the universe as is but take a slightly darker turn in an alternate path with the MC colloquially known as āFirstā.
For those not in the know about ye olde WIP it took on the perspective of the literally silent Protagonist from which you step into the shoes of beginning in a science lab and the events that lead you to a neon tourist City raised from the bottom of the sea filled with heroes and Villain battling for peace justice and Fame along side bitter divisions between those Born with powers (Freaks a.k.a. those whom have been born with Darwinās syndrome) and those that work for large corporations that have bought and bargained their way into superpowered status.
First was to arrive on the scene with a flash and fire, and thanks to the Ruby Shapeshifter/Villain?/buddy Silic that day came in the form of a plane crash in our neon playground.
That was the original premise and introduction without spoiling the fun details between if you havenāt played it.
My intention with Freak: Falling Awake,(working title) Is to take the current universe and characters and create a pre-apocalyptic world (things are wild but everything still works).
Without spoiling what plots I intend, there may be the option to have āoriginsā they may alter the entire course of events that have occured, in a āmirror darklyā kinda way.
Iād like to get questions if youāre worried about me changing something you loved in the original, in fact Iād like to try to maintain those aspects but reintroduce them, but its been forever and its an intimidating project. Feel free to DM me if youāve got a thread derailing question or query Iām happy to answer. I just donāt want to spoil any of you whom prefer the āJust surprise me.ā Method.
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Iām terrified of the bottom photo pikachu
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Iām not sure what the premise would be but seeing that this universe is not so dead fills me with hope of embodying an MC that was the product of a laboratory.
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Well, the main change is I would like our Experimentee to escape of their own volition as opposed to being randomly dropped out of the sky.
Also, perhaps meet some other individuals. Like some of the main cast meeting the MC inside the lab for instance. Or on their way out. An early bonding experience lol
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While falling out of the sky was fun, that sounds very fun too
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These concepts have been swimming in my head for a while, but since theyāre still pretty new, I estimate a demo of sorts for one of them will be coming out in a few months at the very least. Still, Iād really want to know which one would draw more interest!
Iād also like to say in advance that both of them automatically have the player character gender-locked to be female with the love interests mostly being male. Both, if ever completed, will be released totally for free!
- A fairly short dark fantasy where you one day wake up on the forest floor in an entirely different world with nothing to your name other than the clothes on your back andā¦the newborn twins next to you? Whereād they come from? Nevermind that. A town nearby doesnāt hesitate to take the three of you in. But itās almost as if the universe doesnāt want you to have a moment of peace, and you start to suspect that thereās more to your circumstances. That your life (and the twinsā) may be in danger. Planning to have a common route that branches off to routes mainly focusing on the 3 love interests and one ātruthā route. First demo will include said common route and one of the LIās routes. After that, the others will be released individually, with the last LI and the truth route being a double release.
- A warm, fluffy, slice-of-life retelling of Cinderella where youāre a part of your high schoolās track and field team vying to compete in a pretty important track meet that could change your future! Story and gameplay are influenced by shoujo animanga, K-drama, and the Persona series. The cast is larger and there will be much more content, so I think releasing it when itās 100% done would be better instead of slowly updating a demo now and then. There may be unrelated sequels set in the same universe retelling other fairytales in the same style.
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If you want to release it for free, you might have to do this under hobby projects. I did ask HG about releasing a fully non-commercial game once, but it was a no-go.
Fantasy is a more popular genre here, so if itās interest youāre looking for, that might be the way to go.
But these days, Iāve seen more people trying to push out slice of life WIPs, so there might be increasing interest in this genre on the forums, but I canāt say whether this applies to the Hosted Games marketplace.
Anyway, writing is tough. Pick what you enjoy writing first.