Wow, just wow this is what ive been looking for. Cant wait for future updates and release.
Just playtested this a couple of times following the ‘poet’ path. Finally managed to figure out how to get to the ‘rooftop’ scene. Looking forward to the updates that fill in the gaps still there.
One suggestion. Include an explanation for the stats in game. Most of them I think I figured out, but it would be nice to have a reference.
I have played through the poet branch a few times and I have yet to get the rooftop scene…some help please?
@vampierkid222, @Cmac93: Thanks 
@ChimeraLord: Yesterday’s poet update is back online. It seems to be working 
@SpiritWolf91: Be sure to insult your host, Nasidienus, at the first party. Right now he has only one reaction to it: lots of rage. In the final version his reaction will very depending on how badly you insult him.
@Bloodwyche: I could do something like how some of the games have an explanation at the bottom of the stats screen, or maybe a button where you click through to see more details.
Hi there! I’ve really enjoyed this game-- I used to study ancient Rome (esp. the first century, with a focus on the Neronian period) and I really like this. You’ve clearly done your homework, and I love the range of of options (both in lifestyle and romance) available to the player. There’s a sense of a big world out there to explore, which is exciting. I can’t wait to see your updates!
My only suggestion for change is in your depiction of Nero. I ran across this description in the bookkeeper path:
So many years after his death, and that name still causes fear in the city. Nero’s reign as emperor ended badly, and for a long time afterward rumours flew that he was still alive and would return, maybe to slaughter more enemies or burn down more of the city. When the current Emperor’s father took hold of the Empire, Rome breathed a collective sigh of relief. But if the Emperor is another Nero… That relief won’t last long.
Nero was actually a pretty divisive guy-- hated by some and wildly popular with others. The legend of Nero Redivivus, which you allude to, was viewed by many with hope and indeed longing, since Nero-- as strange as it seems to us today-- was considered by many to be a King Arthur figure. Many citizens actually wanted him to return, and they believed that he would save them, his loyal subjects, from all false kings: they even, in Suetonius’ words, "decorated his tomb with spring and summer flowers, and now produced his statues on the rostra in the fringed toga, and now his edicts, as if he were still alive and would shortly return and deal destruction to his enemies.” There were even multiple pretenders (or “false Neros”) who got a lot of support for their increasingly unlikely claims.
So, generally, the people who liked him were plebians and Easterners, and the people who hated him were aristocrats. I think it would be interesting if the MC was given the option of loving, loathing, or being indifferent to Nero, as kind of a litmus test for what they think of the current emperor.
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Hi, @suburbanbeatnik. I love that you brought that up–it’s great to know someone catches the various references
I’ve been using Nero in the story as a shorthand comparison of what a “bad” emperor is, since people who don’t know a lot of the history still know him as being dangerous, crazy, burning Rome, etc. etc. The game is set about 25 years after Nero’s (presumed) death, and I wanted to put the MC in the position of how someone without a lot of information might feel about, say, John F. Kennedy–if you’re under 60 you only have other people’s opinions to go on, but some people remember that time as the most significant event ever. Also, the MC was educated by someone who grew up with aristocrats who would have been unsympathetic to Nero. That’s the formula for why Nero doesn’t get a very good report in that paragraph
Otherwise, I like the suggestion, if I weren’t using him as the story’s bogey-man…
Please let me know anything else you think could be tweaked or changed or that doesn’t feel right. It’s great to have the feedback! I’m walking a line between history and Hollywood ideas of the past, but I’d rather stay on the side of the history
Ah, okay. I don’t know if you’d reconsider using Nero as the boogeyman… or possibly having maybe someone like Valerianus, Amyrillis or Hedylus say a nice word about him when the subject comes up? Or maybe the MC thinks that he or she fears Nero, but he or she has heard of people who actually like the guy (and the MC doesn’t understand why).
Or maybe… you could have the MC pass a statue of Nero where someone is garlanding it with flowers? And this would seriously weird the MC out, of course.
I only say this, because the Redivivus is such a weird, cool, obscure story, and I’d like to see it touched upon. I think it would suit the game, because you definitely have a lot of ancient Roman kookiness going on!
I like that idea. I’ll think of some extra places it could be blended in. Two sides even to Nero’s story…
Awesome, thanks! Here’s another thought. One way that this could work thematically is that the MC’s world is expanding exponentially past their initial upbringing, and they’re learning all this stuff which could make them reconsider everything. I can see this happening a little with the bookkeeper’s path in regards to slavery… but you could possibly push it farther, and make this a common thread on every path.
What do you think?
Whenever I access the tutor path now and choose how I shall treat Quintus, the following error appears:
line 150: invalid indent, expected at least one choice
@Rebelmaiden: I had a long work day today–I’ll find and fix that error now.
@suburbanbeatnik: It’s a good suggestion. I’ll be thinking about how that might be incorporated.
I was running through the Poet path again and noticed that after PC decides just how much wine they are going to drink after the game originally there was a note that there was going to be a scene between that choice and returning to the apartment. That note is now gone, has there been a change of plan
Also when chosing to take only Pavo to see the Emperor I got the following (Note this was after the rooftop scene:
line 2012: It is illegal to fall out of a *choice statement; you must *goto or *finish before the end of the indented block.
@Bloodwyche: I thought the pacing was probably OK between the wine-drinking and trying to recall the poem, and had moved some scenes around. Let me know, though, if it feels too abrupt to you. I’m not wedded to how it is now and haven’t 100% decided not to include the scene.
Found and fixed the choice/goto glitch! Cutnpaste sometimes does odd things with the line-breaks, but now I can be on the lookout for that.
This is what you should have seen instead of the error:
"Out you go," Pavo says brusquely to Hedylus, climbing inside. Hedylus gives you a hurt look, but complies. He and Valerianus watch as the litter-bearers lift you up.“Good luck,” Valerianus says, and you can practically hear the unspoken you’ll need it. “Remember to give them the right amount of scandal.” The silk curtains fall closed and hide the dusty courtyard from view.
[Next: All Roads Lead to the Emperor…]
And that’s where the “to be continued…” kicks in.
I actually do find that transition between the wine-drinking scene & trying to remember the poem rather abrupt.
Also, when testing out the tutor path and chosing to ‘Weather the storm’ I got the following message:
line 766: increasing indent not allowed, expected 2 was 4
I did a big retooling of the tutor path. And added a bunch is glitches it looks like. I’ll be able to work on it again tonight.
…bunch OF glitches. There’s even a glitch in my comment 
I blame autocorrect for everything, always.
I just wanted to say I am loving this game. I’ve done a few play-throughs the last couple of days, and I can see this being the kind of game I could play again and again and…well, you get the point. I can’t decide which path I liked the most. Oh well, I’ll just have to keep playing it until I decide!
Firstly some test stats on a combined Brothel Worker/Poet path.
Afrania Cynthia
gender: female
Age: 24
Wealth: 5235
Status: 1
Goal: fame
Piety: 49%
Dignity: 39%
Courage: 38%
Patronage: 59%
Rhetoric: 29%
Acuity: 59%
Arts: 72%
Athleticism: 48%
Vesta: 24% Venus: 76%
Bread: 38% Circuses: 62%
Still not sure how to access the Tutor path other than by completing one run. Noticed that two of the paths are not accessible by this means yet.
@Bloodwyche: To reach the tutor path (spoilers ahead, of course) –
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Go straight to Metellus’s house when you arrive in the city, or
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Clean yourself up at the Baths, then go to his house instead of hanging around listening to poetry (being clean when you get there makes everyone treat you a little better–this is being refined a bit), or
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Do the pious thing when you get to town, then go see Metellus after you’ve had some rest. Then…
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Keep in mind that Metellus is very conservative.
He’ll help you for the sake of an old friend if you look helpless and harmless.
Other than that, you just have to get there with your recommendation from your teacher.
@ErinRosado: Thanks–I’m glad you’re having fun with it! I like games with lots of diverging paths and where you can try the world again from a totally different point of view, so that’s what I’m aiming for here
@Bloodwyche: I forgot to say above…that’s an impressive Venus stat