These Reluctant Years (WIP) - Last updated: August 11th, 2021

[Writing_Fever]

@Sheaon13

Yeah that would help. So others don’t make the same mistake I did

All right, I added it in!

@Lowern

Will be in the future save slots?

I’m not sure I quite understand your question, unfortunately. ): I just checked, and it looks like the save slots are working for me. Maybe try switching from mobile to desktop or trying to open the demo in a different browser if you still cannot get them to function?

@Konoi

I can’t wait for the two MCs to interract more! And to see the consequences of failing the assignment
But hey, I had 2/3 tasks - it’s not THAT bad, right

Or maybe… maybe something will happen that will render it inconsequential…? Who’s to say?

@Konoi

I believe it’s because having only Pri affinity takes precedence over having Pri and corps affinity?

That sounds like it could be the case, though as far as I know the second dialogue should have triggered if you had 4 or greater squad camaraderie AND more than 50 relationship with Prudence, regardless of order in the *if block.

@Konoi

The first answer to Pri (“I was out when I ran into ${mc2_name}, here,” I explain.) doesn’t seem to alter affinities or standing or anything at all. Was it intended or not?

Yes – this option only appears if you know MC2’s name, and also functions as a sort of “neutral/normal person response” option that I try to include in every choice block. I don’t like to have those choices alter stats too much because they’re supposed to be more “neutral”.

@Konoi

A lot of the checks and affinity increases or decreases seem to be for Bel instead of Pri

Oof, not sure how I missed that! It’s fixed now, though.

@Konoi

Should be “a chance”, right?

Indeed it should!

@Konoi

It makes me think there is a code error: one of the things required for it to appear is “mc1_kind < 50”, and I guess it should be “mc1_kind > 50”

Great catch!

@Konoi

I don’t know if it’s an error or not, but considering most of the time its either more or less than 50 instead of 40, I believe it may be a typo?

Not this time! Those are pretty extreme options, and I wanted to reflect that by having them be unavailable to someone that has expressed a few traditionalist ideas in the past, but isn’t fully “RAH RAH KILL EVERYONE THAT ISN’T ME”. It’s also just about the only way to represent choices with the appropriate gravity in the requisite two-or-three-variable-per-line code.

@Konoi

Repetition with “even” appearing by the start of the sentence and around the middle.

Fixed!

@Konoi

Shouldn’t the “Try to take enough notes to satisfy the Sovereign’s order” option in MC1’s introduction, when travelling with Pri and her team, count as “mc1_mandates_fulfilled + 1”?
Sure, what MC1 did is not really structured nor good, to say the least, but it’s still something done?

I meant that more as flavor text than anything else because the choice block looked sparse with only two options, lol.

@Konoi

So he adresses MC2, but the question was asked by MC1, right?

Right! It should be corrected, now.

@Konoi

If it was intended, because decorum says she should phrase it that way or whatever, then it’s fine obviously.

“Liege” is interchangeable with “Lord/Lady”, yes.

@Konoi

“Prudence turns to face Morgan” - it referred to my MC1 by name, but the perspective was still his, so it should have been “Prudence turns to face you”.

She was supposed to be saying good-bye to MC2 in this dialogue, so I fixed the name value instead of the tense.

@Konoi

Aaaand I’m done!
That was a lot haha

Every little bit helps me improve! (:

[Lowern]

@Writing_Fever

I’m not sure I quite understand your question, unfortunately. ): I just checked, and it looks like the save slots are working for me. Maybe try switching from mobile to desktop or trying to open the demo in a different browser if you still cannot get them to function?

I mean, there are save slots but sometimes if you play another wip, that wip have the same saves, like they are sharing it?
Idk how to explain it

[Konoi]

This is something that happens when the game doesn’t have a custom name in the save plug-in I believe, or something like that? I know some authors had the issue.
But it’s weird, because this specific game never shared save slots with any other game to me?

Though, if I may add my opinion, I would love to have more save slots. I like saving on multiple slots, and quite often slot 1 doesn’t work well on my end, so that leaves only 2 slots.

[Writing_Fever]

@Lowern

I mean, there are save slots but sometimes if you play another wip, that wip have the same saves, like they are sharing it?
Idk how to explain it

That sounds like a very frustrating bug, but it’s one that I unfortunately wouldn’t have any control over. The save system that the hosting site uses is not something I can mess with or edit in any way (even if I could, it would be beyond me).

@Konoi

This is something that happens when the game doesn’t have a custom name in the save plug-in I believe, or something like that? I know some authors had the issue.

Really? That sounds like it might be plausible, though I hadn’t heard of it before now.

@Konoi

But it’s weird, because this specific game never shared save slots with any other game to me?

Me, neither. Though I usually play works in progress on mobile, so perhaps that has something to do with it? That’s really my best (and unfortunately only) guess.

[Sheaon13]

I’ve noticed that being a traditionalist with MC2 is very different from being a traditionalist with MC1. With MC1 he is very much a radical but MC2 they’re very much a traditionalist.

[LiliArch]

@Writing_Fever

The save system that the hosting site uses is not something I can mess with or edit in any way (even if I could , it would be beyond me).

Actually.

It’s this line, and you definitely do have control over it:
*sm_init mygame | 3
More accurately, the word ”mygame”; that’s the keyword for the saves; every game that used the same keyword shares saves (okay, maybe ”keyword” is not the technically correct term, but it’s the word that is the key here). You need to change it to something unique to your game (e.g. ”these-reluctant-years” or something.)

[Sheaon13]

nope, I offically give up. Nope. I got so far but then the saves… I’m gonna take a break. Because otherwise I will want to throw my computer against the wall

Edit: after the break I will very likely come back though because this is really good

[Konoi]

If I may make a suggestion, for this game or really, any other on the forums and also finished CoG/HG games, you should write down every single choice you make. That way, if you have to restart for any reason, you just have to open whatever notepad document you used for writing these choices down, and you can just fly over the entire thing up to the moment you were at, without having to actually think about what you’re doing.
I do that for all the games I play, which allows me to not only keep track and notice if new choices were added, but also to skip quickly to new content.

DashingDon can be unstable generally speaking, not to mention these are demos and changes can break saves too. And finished games don’t allow saving nor going back, so if you make a mistake you have to restart. To me, writing things down have been a life saver and something I couldn’t play without.

[Sheaon13]

that would help imensely here. I’m going to start doing that now

[Writing_Fever]

@Sheaon13

I’ve noticed that being a traditionalist with MC2 is very different from being a traditionalist with MC1. With MC1 he is very much a radical but MC2 they’re very much a traditionalist.

Do you mean that the “traditionalist” responses are notably different between MC1 and MC2’s introductions? That’s because the definition of “traditionalism” changes somewhat depending on which background an MC is coming from.

@LiliArch

You need to change it to something unique to your game (e.g. ”these-reluctant-years” or something.)

Call me superstitious, but I don’t think I’m going to mess with this if it’s all the same to everyone else… I’m afraid I’ll jinx something by changing it up.

@Sheaon13

nope, I offically give up. Nope. I got so far but then the saves… I’m gonna take a break. Because otherwise I will want to throw my computer against the wall

Were you having the same problem with saves “crossing over” as the other user? I’m afraid I don’t understand. ):

@Sheaon13

Edit: after the break I will very likely come back though because this is really good

Thank you!

@Konoi

I do that for all the games I play, which allows me to not only keep track and notice if new choices were added, but also to skip quickly to new content.

I’ve tried to avoid the slog of choosing the same options every time a work in progress updates by including a quick-start option in my games once the story proper gets going. Like I say in-game, though, the game is not designed around this feature, it will not be included in the final product, and it could very possibly break certain parts. This might be a good thing to do if you want to avoid how finicky the quick-start option can be.

@Konoi

not to mention these are demos and changes can break saves too.

There is unfortunately little I can do about new updates “breaking” one’s save files. I tend to update every chapter or so, which is looking like it will be once per month for this particular story-game, so I would say to anticipate some more “breakage” in the future. I’m sorry it happens, but it’s out of my control. ):

@Sheaon13

that would help imensely here. I’m going to start doing that now

I’m glad you’ve found a favorable work-around! (:

[Konoi]

Don’t worry about all the save issues, I don’t mind that much considering I replay from start with each update anyway
So even if saves break that won’t change much for me, and I don’t use quick start options either so eh

[Sheaon13]

yeah, what konoi said don’t worry too much about the saves. It’s still the same thing that was happening before with the stats. And I was just thinking it was cool how cultures differed with the traditionalist vs radical view. That was what was up with that comment.

[Writing_Fever]

@Konoi

I replay from start with each update anyway

I’m usually the same way when I do a play-through, but some people like to skip right to the new content, so I include the option just so everyone can play the way they want to. (:

@Sheaon13

yeah, what konoi said don’t worry too much about the saves. It’s still the same thing that was happening before with the stats.

Darn! I hope the issue somehow fixes itself, then.

@Sheaon13

And I was just thinking it was cool how cultures differed with the traditionalist vs radical view. That was what was up with that comment.

Oh, I see. Thank you!

[Miles_D]

i really enjoyed the effort you put forward to create differences in how trans people and women are treated in this. i know not everyone enjoys reading that and would prefer to avoid it, but i found it to be a nice change of pace

[Writing_Fever]

This is the first time Miles_D has posted — let’s welcome them to our community!

Firstly, welcome! (:

@Miles_D

i really enjoyed the effort you put forward to create differences in how trans people and women are treated in this. i know not everyone enjoys reading that and would prefer to avoid it, but i found it to be a nice change of pace

Thank you! I never like to shy away from realities (however dismissive some people may be of them) in my writing. Especially in a story-game like this, where Society explicitly treats people differently (badly) based on one’s gender, class, and sexuality.

---

EDIT:
The supplementary lore series “Travelogue of a Faithful Woman” just concluded over on my Patreon page. It is sort of a personal log/epistolary format about a Mainlander woman who travels to the Colonies as a missionary. She encounters all of the unique peoples that live there, and ends up learning much more than she ever expected from them.

The next lore series (lasting all of May) will be about the Heroic religious minority. They’ve been mentioned a few times in-text and in this thread, but never really from the perspective of a “good citizen of the Sovereignty”, so to speak. If that sounds like something you would be interested in following/reading, then please consider becoming a patron. You can also just join at the end of the month if you would rather not wait for the story to be accessible serially.

[lynx]

I’ve played through the demo a few times now and I love it, especially the worldbuilding and dialogue between characters. I wanted to point out a small error I found in the newest update:

In the hideout

“You’ve doubtlessly noticed the new face in our midst. Hey, would you mind stepping forward?” he continues. Eirikr takes a few steps toward Freeman and Belvidere so they can see her better.

I think the bolded word should be “him”, as Eirikr/MC2 was selected to have he/him pronouns.

[Sheaon13]

I had the same problem only with my MC2 having they/them pronouns and referring to them as her like you.

[Writing_Fever]

@lynx

I’ve played through the demo a few times now and I love it, especially the worldbuilding and dialogue between characters.

Thank you! (:

@lynx

I wanted to point out a small error I found in the newest update:

@lynx

I think the bolded word should be “him”, as Eirikr/MC2 was selected to have he/him pronouns.

Fixed! It will go into effect in the next update.

@Sheaon13

I had the same problem only with my MC2 having they/them pronouns and referring to them as her like you.

Would you happen to remember where this happened (other than the example quoted by lynx)?

[Writing_Fever]

There is a new update available for the members of my Patreon page! This update will be accessible by the public one week from today. In the update, I’ve completed chapter 2 (including romance interactions between MC2 and other characters), fixed some spelling/grammar and continuity errors, and written some 45,000 more words.

There are also weekly developer insights that I’ve started doing and new lore/supplementary content that I’m adding constantly, so if that sounds like something you would be interested in, consider becoming a patron!

[Sheaon13]

it’s the same place where it Lynx had it.