(WIP) Dance of the Night (Heart's Choice) 130K demo updated 27/8/24

Heart's Choice
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I’m delighted to announce that the sequel to Vampire’s Kiss has been commissioned through Heart’s Choice! Dance of the Night is going to be larger in scope and play length, and I can’t wait to share its epic story with you.

Play the first two chapters, set in New York and Paris, here.

Length of demo: 130,000 words
Average playthrough: 44,000 words

If this interests you, please support my Patreon.

Dance of the Night will keep all of the things readers have loved about Vampire’s Kiss (the storytelling, the worldbuilding, the writing) and focus on the parts that people wanted more from (the story feeling short and rushed, with not enough romantic moments for slow burn, more spicy scenes throughout). I’ve really listened to the comments from reviewers on this forum and elsewhere, and the development is going to focus on those parts. If Vampire’s Kiss is the first bite into this world, then Dance of the Night will be a main course that does something rather special - a love story told through centuries of romance.

I’ve included a brief synopsis of the story below to whet your appetite, but here’s a few of my favourite features.

  • A love story told over 250 years, where you can dramatically shape the course of history.
  • Spice aplenty, with romance available in all eras. Short dailiances with mortals and longer, slow-burns with vampires are all possible.
  • Vampiric intrigue and politiking on a global scale, with ruthless business deals and wicked cults, creating real choices that shape the ending.
  • The possibility of playing a character of any gender identity (including non-binary) and sexual orientation, including the ability to change gender during the story.
  • Pets! Lots of undead (and not undead) pets! Can you find and pet every single one during your vampiric existence?
  • As a prequel to Vampire’s Kiss, a few familiar faces might make some very surprising appearances…
Synopsis

You are a powerful vampire lord, a hidden puppetmaster of the mortal world who has risen to command a hidden empire across the world. Now, as the head of your house, you will face the consequences of your centuries-long struggle against the vampire Virginia Dare.

Your choices throughout your 250 year of unlife will shape not only your personal narrative, but the course of human history. Who did you love among the mortals and vampires you met across the ages? Was your empire built through business acumen, witchcraft or murder? Did America achieve independence? Did Napoleon triumph? Did you escape Titanic, or the deadly peril of a desert tomb? Did you take control of the Golden Age of Hollywood, or find yourself lost in the crowds of 1980s Berlin?

Your choices will decide who triumphs in the Dance of the Night.

ROs

Lazare d’Avout: (male) Lazare is a vampire you meet shortly before your death; a passionate, sometimes impulsive French noble who was also created by Eoin Redfern. Will you be a friend, ally, or enemy?

Fred Smith: (varies) A shapeshifter, Fred Smith is whatever they want to be. They are a flirt, a tease, and a master manipulator, willing to sell their soul for the secrets of the occult. Want to join them?

Iris: (female) A member of the fair folk, Iris belongs to the Court of the Fleur de Lis in Versailles. Not as naive or weak as she appears, Iris has a strong fascination with vampires and yearns for a different life. Can you provide it?

Wolfram: (male) Your loyal thrall and servant, Wolfram would die for you without hesitation. But do you feel the same way? And while he has aged slowly over 200 years, he has still gradually matured; is there a way to be together forever?

Virginia Dare: (female) Your arch-rival, Virginia is a brilliant and dangerous adversary. But is that the fire that will ignite the passions of your heart? And could two creatures seeking eternal glory share each other?

Confirmed settings
  • New York, 1777
  • Paris, 1815
  • California Gold Rush, 1848
  • London, 1888
  • Titanic, 1912
  • Hollywood, 1948
  • Berlin, 1989
  • Svalbard, 2024

I’m going to post updates here about the game and how things are developing, but Patreon subscribers are going to get real insights not just into the game development process, but the world, the characters and the historical events the vampires live through and influence.

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This sounds great! I played Vampire’s Kiss for the first time recently and it left me wanting more. I’ll be looking forward to this!

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It’s exciting to see that the world of Vampire’s Kiss is getting expanded on and so soon.

Making it a prequel is an interesting choice but understandable because it’s avampire game and it might be easier to make if you can draw on historical events than going forward and tutn it into science fiction.

I’m just wondering how it’ll flow together.
In media like TV or literature prequels can retcon stuff to fit the story.

I’m not through VK but this is certainly a good incentive to give it another try.
(It’s not the game’s fault I never finished it, more a real life issues.)

Good luck and good writing!

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I’m eagerly awaiting your new story, Dash!

I’m thrilled to see you posting in the forum, once again. :revolving_hearts:

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This is going to be far longer in terms of story to VK, and the decision to make it a prequel is so I can play around with one of the main appeals of being a vampire: living forever! The timeline is extended from roughly a week in VK to 250 years, with your transformation into a vampire happening during the American Revolutionary War.

Without spoiling things too much, you’re going to find yourself the head of a house of vampires, controlling their interests. This is deliberate, as you will get to travel the world and experience all the cool bits of history (and potentially change them!), while still being able to shape and grow things and see the impact of your decisions.

One of my favourite things is that you’ll get to decide one of several major projects during the game, that will radically change a real masterwork in history. Without revealing all the possible examples, you will be alive when the Statue of Liberty is sculpted… who says you can’t suggest a different design? :slight_smile:

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I LOVE alternate history stories! The possibility of changing history adds an intriguing twist to this, and timeless love is another favorite theme of mine. I enjoyed VK and am definitely looking forward to seeing how this next installment develops!

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I think It’s a great idea to get more creative breathing room and will be a lot of fun.

About the American Civil War: will there be something like a codex or a quick note? That’d be nice for me as European who has no idea of the details, if it involves historical people.
Someone who grew up in the US would probably recognize who is who but I’ll be lost. :sweat_smile:

Thanks for the swift and detailed reply!

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Any historical figures and context will be fully explained (in C1 you get a mention of ‘Gentleman Johnny’ as you step off the ship at New York, but the context comes very quickly that this is the British general John Burgoyne, and he’s about to fight a battle that will determine the future of the War of Independence).

One thing I’m very keen to do is make the story as fun for as many people as possible. History is littered with prejudices - against gender, sexuality, ethnicity, country - and that is not the story I’m telling. For instance, it doesn’t matter if you’re a man, woman or non-binary: you can still be a soldier of fortune. Choosing a gender does not lock you out of any path.

Equally, there’s a huge challenge of telling a story set in the 19th century: colonization. That’s a really ugly topic, and not one that I really want to explore in this game - it’s about the fun vampire stuff and sweeping historical romance. That said, I didn’t want to just trap the character in one place, as that struck me as boring. So the different experiences have been carefully selected to still give you some really fun historical adventures all around the world.

As it happens, your character (for reasons that are spoilers) will not be in the US during the Civil War. You’ll be somewhere much more interesting!!!

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I really appreciate that you’re making it clear in game too. I could look it up but it’s nicer if I don’t have to.

It sounds like another game I’ll like. I’m probably not a reliable beta tester but I can at least buy it once it’s done. :wink:

(Edited for typo, as usual.)

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Is there a demo?

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You mean prequel? Ah, I’m happy to say that this is started and planned earlier than I expected. It’s pretty obvious that readers of Vampire’s Kiss wanted something longer and larger in scope, and this fits the bill.

I’m curious to see how this will differ from Choice of the Vampire. Both are vampire-centric and also place a significant weight on historical events.

Also, changing gender is very rare in these stuff.

Of course, everyone loves pets.

Good luck! Looking forward to seeing where this one takes you.

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Is there a demo?

No, I’ve just started it, and also it’s not usual for Heart’s Choice to release demos until the game’s ready. This one is still a WIP. If you want to see my style, Vampire’s Kiss is available in full, and the first three chapters are available to play for free. (Although I’ve already started the first chapter of Dance of the Night, and it’s as large as those three combined).

You mean prequel? Ah, I’m happy to say that this is started and planned earlier than I expected. It’s pretty obvious that readers of Vampire’s Kiss wanted something longer and larger in scope, and this fits the bill.

I’m curious to see how this will differ from Choice of the Vampire. Both are vampire-centric and also place a significant weight on historical events.

And sure, it’s a prequel but also a sequel - there’s a bit of overlap. I don’t want to spoil Vampire’s Kiss for anyone, but the potential outcomes are so vast, varied and world-defining that a proper sequel would have been nigh-on impossible.

I suppose the main difference with Choice of the Vampire is the romance element. This is a love story, with an emphasis on that sweeping romance. It is, however, an open love story, in that there are plenty of encounters along the way with mortals and supernatural creatures if a reader wishes. This includes M/F, M/M and F/F pairings, right from the start. There is spicy-spicy even before you become a vampire.

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A week since announcement, and where are we?

Well, 20,000 words in! Which I consider pretty good progress! About a quarter of this is the opening prologue, set in the modern day, where your vampire is off to Svalbard. Why Svalbard? Well, where else would vampires hold their half-century conclaves than a place that has 24-hours of night for a full month? This is Vampire Party Town, and you’re invited. Only all is not well, because it quickly becomes apparent your summons may mean death!

It’s a fun start, and introduces you to feeding as a vampire, as well as your loyal mortal companion (and one of the love interests) Wolfram. I didn’t know what he’d be like until I started writing it, and the answer is both stoic and sassy, with dry wit. It feels like Batman romancing Alfred.

Things quickly take a turn in Chapter 1, though, which is what I’m working on at the moment. This begins with your last day as a mortal, in New York in 1777. There’s the standard character creation here, and some opportunity to get a little lay of the land before you’re plunged into the real story. Part of this first 20k is also the opportunity for (very brief) laisons of a personal nature, either with a man or a woman, in the local brothel. They aren’t developed, and have bearing on the story or romance, but allow players to RP the classic rake if they so choose.

Exclusive to the Patreon this week: New York 1777, and how I researched the colony under British occupation, including some of the unique places of that time you can visit in the game.

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Hi I was wondering something about your new book, will mc get more options for abilities? Also how old is the mc at the start of the story?

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The options for abilities are expanded, predominantly with mortal skills. You now have business acumen, pistols, swords and street/book smarts. The vampiric abilities fall largely into Fang, Form and Mind as before, although there is an extra tier of powers (which I cannot tell you about in detail for huge spoilers). This includes the reason you can change gender during the story if you wish, as well as various animal control (which works a little bit like Pet Pal, for Larian Studios fans).

The MC’s age is player-determined; you are specifically over 18, but otherwise it can be any age. The romance options’ ages vary: Fred varies (in some cases, this is player-determined), Lazare and Romana are late 20s/early 30s, Viriginia in her 40s, and Wolfram ages slowly from his 30s to his 60s depending on the era.

Edit: I keep calling Romana ‘Viktoria’. This was her name for almost all development, and changed at the last minute so there aren’ two love interests with names beginning with V.

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Interesting thank you for the feed back and I look forward to reading your story when it’s complete!

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And I can now reveal that the first pet you can obtain (in 1777) is…

:: drum roll::

A beaver!

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This game sounds so much up my alley, that I’m almost afraid to believe it will turn out as great as it seems, so my hopes don’t risk getting squashed. :sweat_smile:

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Bobr

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Indeed. Haven’t named it, yet (I might add in the ability to name pets). Although I confess I love some of the terms of endearment that were used in the 18th century. Calling an animal a ‘bacon-faced pippin’ is peak 1770s.

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