The game is releasing on November 7th! Wishlist it on steam!
Plot Summary
You are a fifteen year veteran member of the Anomalous Interference Unit, an organization dedicated to the elimination of cultists, summoners, and anybody mad or desperate enough to contact the entities that lie beyond the void of normal space. Officially, you are dead, and your employer does not exist. Unofficially, you kill and suffer in the dark to keep the peace.
Three years ago, you suffered a catastrophic injury that forced you into an early retirement. A retirement that is cut short as a mysterious message drags you back into your old occupation, willing or not.
A conspiracy is brewing in the far reaches of the Galactic Union. One that threatens not just the stability of the confederation, but the fate of mankind itself.
Rival intelligence agencies compete for glory and funding. Local governments are puppeteered by influential megacorpations. Beings from beyond the veil are pulled into the lives of man, their whims fickle and power unimaginable. And, most personal of all, a lover from a past life has returned from the dead to hunt you down.
Features at a glance:
You play as “Whiskey-Four”, a veteran cultist hunter with a checkered past.
- Play as either a man or woman where gender affects the narrative
- Deal with the fickle cybernetics keeping your body running
- Fight against shadowy megacorporations and the local police
- Persuade, intimidate, or seduce your way through various interactions
- Choose a personal handgun from a modern machine pistol to an ancient Colt M1911
- Play in a world that reacts to your character’s appearance and physicality
- “Low sci-fi” world, focusing on realistic applications of futuristic technology
Customization
Choose from three separate face types and body types, each determining your own physical advantages and disadvantages.
For example, the youthful face will assist in seduction and persuasion, but will not do you any favors in intimidation. Having the figure of a body-builder will assist in feats of brute strength, but I would not recommend attempting to duck anything.
Additionally, hair and beard style are deliberately restrictive early on in the story. As the narrative continues and the plot and the MC develop, more styles will become available.
Stats / Dossier
I deliberately wish for this book to be almost entirely unreliant on stats. There are no personality checks, no ability checks, no roll of the dice. The success of certain interactions will depend on the customization of your character, rather than any arbitrary number.
Additionally, the stats page itself is unique. Instead of a list of attributes, it’s framed to resemble an intelligence dossier. As such, it is not unlocked until Chapter 2. Until then, the stats page is unavailable.
Romance
There are two primary romance interests, Castle and Driver, the two agents introduced early on. The relationship will likely lead with intimacy and develop into a more serious commitment. The nature of the AIU means true romantic (or even platonic) bonds are highly discouraged.
Additionally, I have plans to implement a handful of flings that can be encountered throughout the book, with varying levels of importance.
There is also the factor of a certain… somebody with an agenda to fulfill.
Changelog
September 21st, 2022. 1 part, 27,776 words. Initial upload.
October 10th, 2022. 2 parts, 56,607 words. Part 2 released.
October 30th, 2022. 3 parts, 72,124 words. Part 3 released.
November 22nd, 2022. 4 parts. 92,431 words. Part 4 released.
December 7th, 2022. 5 parts. 109,799 words. Part 5 released.
December 22nd, 2022. 6 parts. 126,990 words. Part 6 released.
January 3rd, 2023. 7 parts. 145,021 words. Part 7 released.
February 4th, 2023. 8 parts. 175,709 words. Part 8 released.
June 20th, 2024. Beta testing concluded. Demo trimmed down.
Parts
- Part 1 (Available). Contains Chapters 1-5. 29,385 words.
- Part 2 (Available). Contains Chapters 6-10. 30,534 words.
- Part 3 (Available). Contains Chapters 11-15. 15,517 words.
- Part 4 (Available). Contains Chapters 16-18. 20,431 words.
- Part 5 (Full game only). Contains Chapters 19-22. 18,256 words.
- Part 6 (Full game only). Contains Chapters 23-26. 17,858 words.
- Part 7 (Full game only). Contains Chapters 27-31. 16,939 words.
- Part 8 (Full game only). Contains Chapters 32-36. 31,895 words.
- Part 9 (Full game only). Contains Chapters 37-41. 35,937 words.
- Part 10 (Full game only). Contains Chapters 42-46. 120,409 words.
- Epilogue (Full game only). 58,961 words.
Demo link: https://dashingdon.com/go/12112
Public Alpha Wordcount: 95,867 words. 4 Parts. 18 chapters.
Full Game Wordcount: 396,122 words. 10 Parts. 46 chapters.
[details=““What about ITFO book two?””]
It’s on its way. But it may still be several months until publication, and I cannot release a demo for book two until the first one is published for spoilers sake. It will be complete, don’t worry. If necessary, I’ll run both WIPs at the same time.
[/details]
All feedback is welcome! Pacing, descriptions, typos, anything.
