My typical end of month update: we have officially crossed the threshold for an acceptable contest entry! 103,000 words written and coded. But still a good bit of work before the story is done, and plenty to fine-tune even after that. January will be a busy month, but I am ready for the challenge and looking forward to seeing how everything comes out for CoG in the new year.
Edit: I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has played NPT up to this point. Your bug reports and feedback have been absolutely invaluable. But I am kinda shifting from just “Hey, here’s my story” to actual beta test mode in this last month, so I will be asking any who are willing to assist to provide some needed information. First on the docket is stats. If anybody plays through the demo, I would LOVE if you could post what your stats are once you reach the beginning of each chapter. Please also include which MC you chose and who was in your party. I want to make sure I am balancing the success threshold properly for later game choices as I start working on the big Solus confrontation, the flight of the Toaster, and the endings. Helpful souls will be forever commemorated in the credits upon release, to be summarily ignored or quickly scrolled through by literally dozens of readers.
Ok, just got a flash of genius…
At the end of the game, if you have a high insanity score:
Insanity circuits overloaded.
Please insert 25 cents to continue.
Here's a link to my Patreon:
(actual link, totally breaking the 4th wall, Deadpool style)
Hmmm. I’ll be writing some of the endings this weekend, and while I may not go that route (it’s funny, but I don’t have a Patreon), that does give me an idea. I already intended to have a special ending for those who roll high Insanity. But an ending to an Insanity run should be suitably crazy itself, no?
I know that it’s too much to include an option when Solus is telling you what she wants where you can retort “It doesn’t matter what you want!” and promptly kick her in the stomach and deliver a Stone Cold Stunner. But the temptation is strong nonetheless.
Chapter 7 is done. Endings are in coding at the moment, and a couple of other little additions. If anyone wants to playtest and report about things they found, such as stat imbalances, typos, and literally any other feedback you can think of, it’s definitely appreciated.
Well, that will be for some time. But I will leave the demo up wheel I am still fine-tuning things. Awesome reader @sljzz found some bugs, which I have busted in this version. And once my break ends next week I intend to add some more achievements, and maybe lengthen a spot or two. The length is at 139,700 or so, and I cannot fathom why I would not write a few hundred more words to get over 140k. I hope to do as much work as possible now so that when the contest ends it won’t take more than a couple more months to be fully ready for release. Might be this year, might not. Hoping it is, though.
Oh, I forgot to be specific: the art is from my longtime friend and collaborator Jack Uzcategui. He is available for commissions if anyone is interested.
This game is so much fun! Really enjoying the humour. Kind of reminds me of a cross between Terry Pratchet and Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Got to say, I am struggling to make any serious decisions in this game, since the weird ones are just way too tempting. (My insanity score is so high right now, I’m amazed my character hasn’t been committed.)
Thanks! Never actually read any Pratchet, is he the Wheel of Time or Discworld guy? Feel like I remember him in conjunction with some big series. Adams is definitely an influence for me.
As for being committed…well, let’s just say there are three hidden endings available to high Insanity characters who meet certain thresholds and make certain choices. You will definitely know them when you get to them, and not just because each is an achievement.
To be a smidge more specific and slightly spoiler-y: You can’t side with Solus by sparing her, and you also can’t succeed in stopping the attack. In the former instance her influence protects you, and in the latter you’re a hero, and heroes get to be crazy and nobody says boo about it. But if you fail, and you have high Insanity, and you make a certain very dangerous and ill-advised choice near the end of the game (and if you’re playing heavy into Insanity you probably will), then you will get your choice of three distinct and bizarre endings. I am pondering having it as an option on the good playthrough path, though. Otherwise no one might ever see them.