That’s super odd! I haven’t been able to reproduce it through randomtest, and inspecting the code, I’m not sure how it would happen. I’ll keep an eye out for it, though.
Ooh, good catch. Thanks!
One of the items on my to-do list is to go back through the early chapters and re-assess stat building. One thing I have done is make it so that failed stat checks increase the skill you were trying to use, so that you can improve even in ones you don’t specialize in.
It sounds like the underlying issue is that I didn’t do a good job having the choices communicate what skills would be tested with them. I’ll look at that one in particular, and would love to hear any other points where the choices weren’t clear. (That goes for you, too, @anon57188313) I’ve also updated the stats explanation page to make the skill groupings clearer (essentially “magic” and “talkin’”)
@Mei_Hiroshi and @Isabel, between the two of you, you uncovered a really sneaky bug. I can’t believe you both uncovered it, and that I was able to actually figure out what was causing it. I’ve updated the game to fix the problem.
Thanks. It’s the same root cause either way. For any technical ChoiceScript folks out there, it’s because I have a single return value I use for subroutines, and the use in one place stepped on the use in another. The new version I uploaded should fix it.
I enjoyed this far more than I expected to, honestly. It wasn’t that I was expecting not to enjoy it, but I wasn’t expecting to be drawn in quite as much as I was. My first readthrough was really just for fun, but I’ll definitely go back and see if there is anything that jumps out at me as confusing or the like.
This game is really amazing, and infinitely replayable. I’m interested in the mysteries surrounding it and I’m having fun trying to keep everything together while having like 8 projects on my plate.
Gunna be honest when I first read your post I wasn’t that intrigued “patterns are magic? Pretty lame” until two days ago I decided to give it a try.
And let me tell you…I absolutely had a blast to the point where when I saw “next chapter” after 5 I got sad. I’m really into the story, I love this direction of magic you took it’s so unique and most importantly I love the characters. I also love that overarching mystery. I also really like how obvious you made the stat checks with each choice. Thank you my small brain needed that. It’s a very fun game, I can’t say this enough, and I cannot wait for more.
Chapter 6 is now up! You know what every school story needs? An awkward holiday party! THRILL to the terror of navigating the fraught waters of a party when you’re a new faculty member! GASP as the college president gives a long-winded speech and a certain fellow faculty member[*] goofs off in a way that could get you both in trouble! TREMBLE as the new friend in your head gives running commentary about these strange Earth customs! SEE if you can manage to start dating someone at the party…IF YOU DARE.
And good news! You know the bad news you got at the end of Chapter 5? It gets worse.
I love Darcy who’s such a prick but seems to be growing a tiny minuscule bit. Im kinda wondering how Darcy views the MC, because they seem that they actually want to MC to push and compete with them and to stand on equal footing and that they would actually be upset if the MC was to say, completely drop out of academia (defiantly if they were datemates, and assume that the mc and darcy were past datemates that are slowly reconnecting after bitter feelings and held grudges in any future posts ). Darcy want’s to MC to show the same confidence and drive.
It does make me wonder how Darcy would react if they ended up meeting the MC again not as another professor but if they met in town and the MC had given up in pursuing Pattern Magic completely after a certain someones meddling, would they frown upon the mc? make remarks that they shouln’t have taken it so personally? try to pretend nothing happened? FEEL GUILTY.
idk, played the new update and Darcy continues to give me feelings
Would Darcy be jealous if the MC started dating Manisha? She kind of seemed that way haha
Darcy sets her fork on her plate with a quiet chime. “You sure know a lot about what Manisha has been up to.”
“Taylor requested that she work primarily with one faculty member, and she chose me. I didn’t think it appropriate to tell him no. I understand if Darcy is disappointed by that, which is why I’ve worked to keep her informed and solicit his help and feedback at every turn.”
i went in reading this, not really expecting anything special but wow, I’m so in love with it I need this wip in my life. Darcy is complicated lol, the moment i think he’s not that bad, he shows me that he is indeed THAT bad. I will make it my life’s work to one up him. I think its thrilling it is to try and keep your reputation and respect afloat among your peers and it’s just so natural, I didn’t think any interaction was forced or odd. I love being an advisor to gabriel, I’ll nurture the crap outta him.
Well, I most definitely didn’t expect that to happen.
This wip has become one of my favorites on this site! I really like how you managed to add a fresh twist to the age-old idea of school for magic. The character interactions are wonderful and feel really natural, and each character is wonderful and dynamic! (Manisha, my love) The plot is also really heating up. :And Dr. Blankenship popping out of a rip… this will be very interestin’ :
Darcy is complicated lol, the moment i think he’s not that bad, he shows me that he is indeed THAT bad. I will make it my life’s work to one up him. 
I think its thrilling it is to try and keep your reputation and respect afloat among your peers and it’s just so natural, I didn’t think any interaction was forced or odd. I love being an advisor to gabriel, I’ll nurture the crap outta him.