That’s a shame, though I understand trying to go back and revise code that’s been used since the beginning would be a real pain. My follow up question is can MC’s not built for combat still find ways to hold their own in a fight? For example, a cyborg MC with an AI assistant, camera eyes, and knockout gas doesn’t seem like they would be much use in a direct fight. Have you already thought of ways for such a non-combat oriented character to still have ways to hold their own in forced fights? No worries if you haven’t yet, I get that the game is still in its early stages.
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Thats a important question because one of the mutants i made hade gecko hands, bats hears and bird mimicry, not the more combat oriented
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Good question! The answer is yes, you won’t be straight-up useless in fights if you picked the more tactical abilities. You’re good at hand-to-hand combat if cornered, and usually you can sneak around and use tricks like the voice mimicry to avoid rounds of combat altogether (given that you choose the smart way to do so).
You can also delegate most of the big confrontation to a more physically capable ally, or make use of any weapons you find on the scene. Generally, you’ll have to be a little craftier and a little more cautious, but you’ll have a big advantage in like stealth stuff & espionage. And when your abilities eventually upgrade you’ll definitely be able to hold your own in direct combat.
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Glad to hear that you’ve put some thought into this. I don’t expect a non-combat oriented MC to be as good in a direct fight as a combat oriented MC, obviously, but I’d think any villain should know how to hold their own in a fight lol. If you ever want any ideas for how to utilize the more non-combat oriented abilities feel free to ask. I’m sure myself and others could offer plenty of ideas lol
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I just played the update and I must say it is amazing as always😄
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Peak is back and I can’t wait to see it
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So excited to read the update and it’s amazing 
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Keeping my phone calls with Reney a secret because I like having something just between the two of us… twirls hair
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It says theres a new update?
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Yep! Second half of chapter 1 was just posted.
Small problem: Once the game reaches the end of the first half, when you click “Next Chapter” nothing happens, i assume this is some sort of bug?
Where do you reach the stop point? The game is currently an unfinished demo, so right now it ends after chapter one. If you’re having issues progressing before that, it’s a bug, otherwise it’s supposed to be that way 
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Villain Intern is the best written demo on the Choice of Games form that I have played in a while.
I have given praise to numerous recent titles in this form. But none have meant to capture me and fill me with a sense of wonder like this one has. Everything from the writing to the characters to the world building was impressive to me. From the character customization to the dialogue choices to the combat. This demo is well thought out, engaging, and doesn’t just leave me wanting more. It leaves me wanting an entire series for this world. One of the things that somehow managed to stand out most to me was how well the lore reflects the nature of a corporation that quite literally runs on crime.
There is definitely some dystopian horror within this world. The company the MC works for is a drab, uniform, totalitarian, capitalist nightmare. And I love it. This is how a professional villain would run a company for henchmen. They are mindless drones who live and breathe, literally, their work. They are paid, and at times, they have the freedom to leave. But work is around 98% of all they will ever know. And the threat of death or physical harm or something worse means that you keep your employees in line, and they quickly learn and realize the frailty of their mortal lives, but also the true cost of being truly evil.
Don’t get me wrong, the game has plenty of charm, wit, and sci-fi-slash-crime-dystopian fun to go around, and I don’t doubt that we will eventually see this world’s heroes sooner or later.
However, this is the first game out of the various titles that COG-slash-HG offer where you can be a henchman-slash-villain in training, but actually feel like it. I feel expendable. I feel replaceable. I feel like I’m in a cutthroat environment. I feel unsafe. I feel icky. I feel uncertain. I feel everything one would feel in such a predicament. I feel like a goon. I feel like a henchman. I feel like it’s do or die in the best way possible.
The game doesn’t spend too much time coddling me, but it doesn’t spend too much time kicking me down either. There’s just enough wiggle room to have a lore-friendly power fantasy while maintaining my own character’s sense of agency and place within the world.
I especially loved the customization. I chose the black professional suit with the red binary going down one sleeve. That screamed Persona 5 Joker to me, and I immediately fell in love. Coupled with the full-face black mask with animated white eyes, I named myself Mr. Null and immediately knew that I had a character I could get invested into.
It’s not that I don’t have complaints with this demo, it is simply that I don’t know what counts as a true flaw or not when thinking about what I play. Everything was tight, neat, and concise. I did not struggle whatsoever to navigate the various in-game menus such as the in-game PC that the character can use at different points. I had no problem checking my email to find the hilariously and evilly worded message that I had been sent from my new boss.
Hell, I had no problem immediately changing my character’s unseeable computer background as soon as I learned that I could. I was, however, disappointed to see that there were no cool and more creative options for that, even though this is purely a worded novel. I would like to see something that is a red line of binary code across a black screen.
I could talk all day about the character I made and who he is. Instead, I think I’ll leave it at this:
Villain Intern is a wild, creative, fun ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously but also doesn’t shit the bed with its own ideas either. Unlike other demos, Villain Intern makes me feel like I exist in a world of good and cartoonish evil.
Honestly, it’s almost enough to make a guy want to turn cape.
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This is so kind, thank you!! I’m flattered :)) !! Appreciate you taking the time to check out this demo and give me your thoughts, I really enjoyed reading your feedback!
Good to hear! I’ve been carefully plotting a (hopefully) balanced power fantasy. I like stories where you start off as a true underdog and every advancement feels earned & satisfying.
I said yesss out loud when I read this. This is a big compliment to me in particular. That’s the goal!
Also, I love seeing people get into their MC creation! Every one so far has come up with their own distinct look and concept, I’m impressed with the creativity people have brought to my own character creator LOL. My favorite part about writing interactive fiction is that the reader is like the co-writer and creative collaborator, it’s awesome how different the story can be for different imaginations. Mr. Null sounds sick- there’ll be more supersuit action for him in chapter 2!
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The demo was fun and can’t wait to see what happens next
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