@No_This_Is_Patrick Yes, Valeria is a potential RO. She’s a no-nonsense, task-oriented person. Not exactly reserved, but more like someone who can’t be bothered with small talk. She isn’t unfriendly, just very focused and can also be rather straightforward at times.
Like the MC, she’s a royal protector. While your duty lies with Princess Emilia, Valeria is assigned to guard Prince Eric. You and Valeria have attended combat classes together, though most of your interactions have been strictly battle-related or situational. She rarely engages in casual conversation unless there’s a clear purpose.
That said, deep down, she does trust your combat skills and recognises you as someone capable. Later in the story, Valeria will face a personal challenge and I believe that moment could become the window of opportunity where your relationship with her deepens through shared understanding.
@nuna Thank you! It’s really exciting to know the setting and characters are resonating with you. I’ve been putting a lot of thought into the relationship dynamics, so hearing that the nuance with Eric stood out is incredibly encouraging. The relationship side of the story is still evolving, and I’m working hard to do it justice.
And wow, finally, someone noticed the shadow stuff! You’ve got sharp instincts. You’re absolutely right that it’s more of a symptom than the root issue… but I’ll leave it at that for now and let the upcoming updates reveal more. I’m really happy you caught onto that!
Just a heads-up that I am still ploughing on with Chapter 2. As the story continues to unfold at its own steady rhythm, I would really appreciate it if you are willing to share a screenshot here of your final stat distribution (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Willpower, and Charisma) at the end of your playthrough.
Knowing how players build their characters will help me better balance the upcoming challenges and choices in Chapter 2, hopefully making the story more engaging for everyone.
@David_Thrall Thank you! I really appreciate you sending in your build! A balanced approach like that gives me a clearer idea of the kind of thresholds to set.
@Sakura_Higanbana28 Great question! The current ROs are Prince Eric, Princess Emilia, Bart, Dominic, Selene, and Valeria. Dominic and Selene will be making their debut in the upcoming update, arriving in just a few days.
As for their personalities, backgrounds and relationship dynamics, I’ll leave those for you to discover in the story. Hopefully, it will be a fun ride as you learn more about them through your choices.
It has been a while since the last update, but gear up because more content will be rolling out within the next few days.
In the next update, you will meet two new ROs: Dominic and Selene. Curious about what kind of characters they are? Be sure to check out the latest demo once it drops.
You will also finally get to see what unfolds in the council chamber you were summoned to at the end of the previous demo, where tensions are running high among the nobles as they confront a string of recent and unexplained deaths, all occurring within just a few days.
And last but not least, another dream sequence awaits, offering new insight into the mysterious figures who continue to haunt your dreams.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all readers who have contributed in any way. Your feedback, questions, insights, suggestions, stats screenshots and many other inputs have definitely played a part in shaping the story.
Hidden stats have been included in the relationship departments (special shoutout to @Geralt for the suggestion). This means your actions will leave certain impressions on your ROs, which will affect their perceptions of you. For now, the focus is on getting to know the characters and shaping your relationships accordingly, but sooner or later, time will tell how they truly see you…
Also, please note this update is just till Part 1 of Chapter 2. There is much more to come!
Do share in this thread how you feel about the updated demo. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Without further ado, let’s dive in and enjoy the tale!
An excellent update, I’m excited to see where the story goes. I finally feel like there’s enough here to give a more detailed first impression/suggestions list.
First off, the writing is quite good, and the character development system is pretty solid. I would like an option for heterochromia (two different eye colors), though, if it’s not too difficult to add (I know nothing of CoG coding, and I totally apologize if it’s a PITA). I also think a prologue/primer on the magic system works might help newer players a bit, the training fight was great, but I just kind of chose the option that sounded best for my attributes. An understanding of the types of magic, and loosely how they work, might help understand some of the events early on, especially if you want to introduce mystery elements anywhere down the road. Also felt like friendship with Valeria should get a boost depending on choices in the training fight, you’ve been training together for at least some time. Prince Eric gets a 10 point boost for nodding politely. Dominic gets 5 for playful duel suggestions. Also, stopping to get the princess’ favorite treats should get a friend/affection boost, stopping to get something for your study partner is a time-honored way to show one’s affection. Again, I totally apologize if any of this causes any kind of headaches, these are just my opinions, and the story is yours. I’m just happy to be along for the ride. Thank you so much for the shoutout @Keira I eagerly await the next update. Cheers
@Geralt Thank you for your incredibly thoughtful comment! I am glad to hear you are enjoying the story so far, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to write out such detailed suggestions.
I really like your idea of giving players the option for their MC to have heterochromia. It might seem like a small detail, but it is a personal touch that can definitely help players feel more connected to their character. Just give me a bit of time figuring out the coding on my end, but I would love to include it!
As for the idea of a prologue or primer, I can see where you are coming from, and you make a valid point that it would help players ease into the magic system. Building on your suggestion, I think a good next step for me would be to refine my stat descriptions on the stat page. Right now, the descriptions mostly explain what each stat means in the context of the story and how they work individually, but they do not really cover what happens when a combat choice draws on multiple stats at once. Adding some clarity, perhaps by including a few examples, could go a long way in helping players better understand how the system works, without interrupting the story’s pacing. Hopefully with a clearer description page, players can make more informed choices as they play. So thank you for nudging my attention in that direction!
On the relationship boost front, ah … that is definitely something I am still working on refining behind the scenes. I do agree that stopping to buy Princess Emilia’s favourite treat should carry some meaningful weight. Afterall, it’s a thoughtful gesture that should feel acknowledged in the story. I am trying to balance out the stats such that it does not heavily penalise those who decide to head for their lesson with Professor Hawthorne promptly.
As for Valeria, I agree there should be opportunities to deepen that relationship too. As such, I included one at the later part of the demo, when the MC chooses whether or not to let her in on the strange emotions they experienced after witnessing Dominic’s ritual . I did not include a friendship boost during the training scene because I saw that moment as more tactical than personal. That said, that’s something for me to think about as I continue expanding the story.
Thanks again for your encouragement and insight! Comments like yours genuinely help me make the game better, and I am utterly grateful for it!
Now, I find myself genuinely curious as to what scene you unlock after choosing how to respond to the strange barrage of emotions that overwhelm your MC following Dominic’s ritual. Therefore, I have put together a quick poll!
Let’s take a vote and see where your choices have led you.
Which scene did you uncover when trying to deal with the wave of foreign emotions that overwhelmed you after witnessing Dominic’s ritual?
You uncovered a space pulsing with certain energy.
You managed to recall a tracing spell, but it faltered midway, leaving the emotions unresolved.
You tried to cast a spell, but emotions slipped away before you could act.
You reached out to the source and heard a voice in response.
You tried to soothe the storm, but a mishap provoked the force behind the emotions into hostility instead.
You endured the emotional tempest fully, standing firm in both mind and body.
You held strong mentally, but your body bore the brunt of the strain left by the emotional assault.
You held strong physically, but your mind shattered under the pressure of the emotions.
You were pushed to your limits in both body and mind, and could do nothing but endure the onslaught in silence.
@Leoxye Thank you so much for sharing your stats! No worries at all about the cropped name. Your contribution really helps me get a better sense of the stat ranges of players who focus on one or two standout attributes and those who go for a more balanced build.
And aww, it truly makes my day to hear that you enjoyed the game. You have no idea how much motivation those words bring as I continue working on expanding the story.
Hey @Arcane_warrior that’s an interesting point you’ve raised. Could you elaborate on what you meant by ‘better drip’? Were you thinking specifically about outfits, or something else? I am curious to hear your thoughts.
