Hi! I just completed “Jolly Good: Cake and Ale” and I’ve noticed a lack of the ability to create a save file. How do you intend to let players continue with the same character if they can’t import a saved game?
EDIT: Oh, my appologies. I didn’t notice you answered this question in the original post
Time for the monthly update!
So this is the time of year where I slow down, unfortunately. I’ve been writing a bunch over the summer, and we are at 697,000 words now, so more than Tally Ho, and about half as long as Cakes and Ale so far. I’m in the middle of Chapter Three of Tea and Scones, so obviously this is going to be a pretty long story.
The reason why it’s so long is partly because I want to give all of the romance/friendship stories room to breathe, and because I want each of the sponsors to have their own little storylines, and also because I wanted to have some significant differences in the sorts of things you get to experience depending on your position in the Noble Gases. This is where I have to pay the tax for having the end of Cakes and Ale have that sponsor choice, but I’m glad I did it.
Also making this particular chapter a bit tough to write: the openness of the structure so far has made it very possible that you have never met important characters–you could easily make it to Ch. 3 of Tea and Scones and never have met the Reverend Theobald or Chervil, and even more likely you would never have met Harlow or Haze. So I have some work to do here to make sure that every playthrough at least sees these people and knows their names and who they are (whether or not you choose to engage with them further). I don’t think chapter 3 will be especially long to play, but there’s a lot of information and exposition that needs to be in it to make every playthrough make sense.
Figuring out how to do that but also keep the chapter feeling fun and frothy and light is mainly what I’m working on.
But anyway, I am decelerating, which is a bummer, because my academic year is about to start, and I find myself having to teach a) more classes than usual, and b) more days than usual. So whereas I’ve been able to get 3000-4000 words a day written no problem over the summer, I fear that things will go much much slower during fall semester.
However, I just may have the opportunity to take sabbatical in the spring, which would mean that I wouldn’t be teaching at all January through August, which would mean excellent and rapid progress. I’ll keep you posted on that if and when it happens.
But here’s the main thing: I’m keeping it light and having fun. Feeling pressure or grindy is absolute death to the lightness of this game, like trying to make a souffle with a mortar and pestle.
Not sure if this was asked already, but how do you feel about people writing Tally Ho and/or Jolly Good fanfiction?
Doesn’t bother me in the slightest! Enjoy.
Thank you, I’m in love with Fitzie so much, it’s ridiculous.
I do so wonder, will Pilcrow ever be an available RO? There’s just something about her instantly identifiable, infallible, illuminating, illustrious, imaginative, indisputably innovative, imposingly ingenious, intelligent, insightfully intoxicating, indifference in her identity that makes her indisputably ideal.
She will not. Five ROs is already making this thing outrageously complicated, so no Pilcrow RO. However, if things fall out just the right way, there will be some events that allow you to spend some more time with her and grow a bit closer to her. Then again, I am pretty bad at guessing these things. I suppose we’ll see in time whether I manage to write that friendship/closeness path with her. I hope so.
Oh well. I do love Pilcrow, but priorities - fingers still crossed for a “look, Fitzie, I’d dearly love to get married, but this servant-employer thing? Really not working out.” route.
What is RO?
RO means romanceable option–basically any character you can get into a relationship with.
Monthly update:
Slow progress, but progress. Chapter Three is proceeding along, and I intend to have Chapter Three done by the end of October. I have one longish vignette (a dinner scene) and three short ones to go (various things you might do before turning in for the night). Then I have a few tidbits cleaning up ramifications regarding your sponsor quests in chapter 2.
I’ve been really enjoying fleshing out Harlow and his group of friends, and I’ve been trying to make sure that he’s an interesting presence even for those who did not take him as sponsor. Haze is a bit of a different story, as Haze will largely be a major presence only for those who have Haze as sponsor. But I’m ok with Haze being a little elusive like that, and, if the Steam achievements are anything to go by, Haze is the most popular sponsor!
It’s going to be tight–during the semester I have very little time to write–but I think I’ll just about make it. I can’t wait until the summer rolls around again and I’ll be able to write full time. No word yet on whether I’ll be offered sabbatical for spring, which would make a huge difference, of course.
Look, anyone that comes with a recommendation from Fitzie is a good pick, I don’t know why this was even in question. ;p
Same, tbh my MC has 0 skills or intentions to steal, but what Fitzie wants, Fitzie gets 
Skullduggery is by far my worst skill, but I’ll be damned if I’m not jumping at that hotel heist the moment Fitzie mentions it.
I can’t decide between Haze and Colonel Firesnuff to be honest.
With Firesnuff it would mean both of my mc’s would work for the same guy, albeit in different capacities, my main mc in the previous game being the apprentice (ghost) writer of the Fifi Buttercup novels now.
On the other hand with Haze my main mc of the previous game is Haze’s boyfriend who has at least partly succeeded in getting Haze to deal with his issues and Haze taking that job as a “security consultant”.
My second butler mc is involved with Valentine and is currently in the US, although that one continues to help Rory out by mail.
I would pick Haze but alas, it didn’t feel to in-character to my MCs (and I’m not too sneaky so…)
I’m pretty sure I would have negative Skullduggery if it was allowed, seeing as I sacrifice it for other stats at literally every opportunity.
aah… truly smitten… Good luck my friend, knowing Fitzie, the journey is not going to be a smooth one
True, but if wasn’t in for the bumpy ride, I feel I’d miss half the fun of Jolly Good anyway. As an example, I always leave the apartment through the window, even if my stats would let me succeed in another way - since Skullduggery is my dump stat, I always FAIL to not be noticed by the creditors leaving through the window, but running into Inspector Ambrose there is so absolutely hilarious that I can’t NOT do it.
Never fear about low skullduggery on the Haze sponsor path. It will be doable–although it may not end up successful by any reasonable measure of stealth, it will be, I hope, funny, and lead you to some interesting places.