Dear Minyan, I so enjoyed The Pretenders Guild! You created lovely characters and a really exciting and refreshing story. It felt really vibrant to me and I was delighted to see the world you created (I liked the map, it provided extra support for the imagination). In addition I find your art style very appealing and the characters had a wide variety in very own loveable nature and appearance.
To possibly give you some useful feedback and not just rambling I'll answer your questions now. :D I'm not a natural English speaker, so please don't mind some mistakes.
- SPOILERS AHEAD -
1. Were you satisfied at the end of the route you played?
Yes, I was! As a minor critique point I felt like the endings were a little sudden and short compared to the rest of the game. But that's maybe just because I love fluff and would have enjoyed some more of it. :D Even so I liked the endings, especially the scenes after the credits really felt nicely fluffy and fitting for the characters. :)
2. Favorite / least favorite part?
I loved the scenes in the last night! Most of all the one with Paris was extremely hot and romantic at the sime time. In general I very much enjoyed that it felt mature (Rafael jumping out of Ash's bedroll was hilarious :D) and espacially Paris! I will refer to this later again. Back to my favourite parts: The customization of Ash is great! The different races are gorgeous: Their artstyle, the different cultures and most of all how they played out, it's brilliant how you involved them in the game. And I was really thankful for the hints, I can much more relax when I know what the "right" answer is. :)
I don't have a least favourite part, really. As I wrote before I would have enjoyed if the endings would have been a little longer, so that I can enjoy more romance, but that's it. :)
3. Favorite love interest/what made him your fav?
I really like all of them, but I have to admit that I completely fell for Paris. He's gorgeous. His charme and how he slowly starts using it on you (and stops to do so with others) is just so... lovely. And flattering. I think I turned red myself a few times because of this charmer. And I fell in love with his looks at first sight, too. His style is great, a tall, broad man with this cute little Cubi ears (it gets even more adorable to know how sensitive they are). In addition I felt he has a great dynamic especially with Cubi Ash - it was so rewarding to hear in that last night how long he has wanted her and how he looked at her. I think I've got a soft spot there for those Casanovas, damnit. I so liked how Paris was Ash's soft spot and seems to always have been. And the cute little gestures of him the entire journey were just so sweet. The scene in the rain was one of my favourites, too, I wold have love to hear some more of his history (and about his right eye). Oh, and the very first drunken kiss was so great, it catched my completely by surprise! I'm used to waiting at the end of visual novels before the characters are kissing. So Paris really got me by surprise there and I find it truly refreshing and hot and butterfly-y. I really fell for Paris here.
3. What made you decide to play the game?
I play a lot of visual novels (maybe too much :D) and I saw your game by accident. I was really pleasd by your artstyle and I saw that you took part in This, My Soul, which I thoroughly enjoyed, too. :)
4. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I saw three typos (like I said I'm not natural in English, so please excuse me if I got it wrong):
1. The last evening at Paris' route: And you're always wearing that tiny *litle shirt... (by the way I really enjoyed him saying that :D)
2. At Rafael's route after the bandits: ( I don't have the complete sentence, it begins with: I want to believe him. Rafael looks at me with those clear honest eyes... and now it is probably going on with: telling nothing) but the *tuth.
3. At Rafael's route shortly after 2. (begins with I don't know Braums for long...) I can accept easier than whatever it is my heart's *decding to do with Rafael.
5. Overall thoughts/ comments or suggestions
The Pretenders Guild really is a great game! You have the characters fleshed out really well and they are all so loveable.Oh, I nearly forgot to mention the music, it was very cool! I liked the different themes and how you placed them, the feeling fitted the world and characters quite well. I already mentioned your art, but I will say it again: Your drawing style is as magnificent as your writing. :D
6. Would you consider sharing the game page on Twitter to spread the word?
I don't have a Twitter account, but I surely will tell my friends about this game. :)
7. If I made a commercial game would you consider purchasing it?
Yes, totally! This was really polished and high quality for a free game. I always appreciate when I don't have to pay (much), but you definitely deserve a reward. I don't like playing unfinished games, but I'm looking forward to buy Arena Circus Golden once it's ready. :)
So, I hope you don't mind the long post and I could express my admiration of your game (and, as you should know by now, Paris :'D) properly. I would be happy if it was helpful for you. You have my support and I'm excited to play your future games. :)
Oh, I just remembered something I forgot to mention:
I truly appreciate how different the romances played out! They didn't were the same with different characters, they each followed their own pace and offered own choices. It never felt forced to me, instead all the routes hadenough space for Ash and her lover to unfold their story. This is very well made! Just wanted to add this. :)
Thank you so much! I don't mind the long post at all, it made me really happy to read. And I never would have known you weren't a natural English speaker, no mistakes noticed c: I agree with you on the endings, it's something a lot of people have pointed out. I'll have to work harder to flesh out my outline next time!
Hehe those last night scenes are my favorite too >w< They were so fun to write, particularly Paris'. Honestly Paris caught me off guard with that first kiss too, it wasn't in my original outline then as I started writing I was like: Paris... Paris what are you doing? Paris! This wasn't part of the plan!
He has a mind of his own haha.
Thank you for the typo fixes, I'll go through and fix those soon!
I'm really glad you enjoyed and I hope you enjoy any future games just as much if you get a chance to check them out!
This looks pretty fun, but when I doubleclick on The Pretenders Guild.exe to start the game, nothing happens...? I don't even see it popping up in Task Manager. I'm on Windows 10.
Hmm, I'm not sure what the issue is! I haven't heard from anyone who's had this problem. But, I tried building a 'windows only' version of the game, please let me know if this helps!
I seriously love all your games and hope you continue to make them indefinitely. I thought it was pretty cool seeing the reaver universe in a different way to that in arena circus. My favourite character in this one was Paris, I love that how they continued to reach for their dream at the end. However, gotta say i'm a bit iffy about the baby, though i did think it was rather funny and probably realistic considering his former lifestyle.
Once I'm done with the whole game, I'll gladly answer the questions you pose for those who have finshed playing, but I've come across something... odd. I decided to play both of Rafael's and Braums's routes as a female Shika after I had played as a male Shika, just to see if there was much of any difference. I had selected Rafael's route, but I seemed to be recognized as a female Reaver on Paris's route.
Also, did you use garageband to make the music? There is one part that just reminds me of Bastion and of the theme song of TAZ Dust, and they both used bandcamp for their music.
[Edit] Is there anyway to get higher than 5 points for Braums in the prologue? Because I can't seem to do anything to get it higher. A hint would be wonderful, if you could.
Thanks for pointing that out! However I'm a little confused, you shouldn't be able to play as a Shika on Paris' route. 0.o Can you clarify the issue? You selected Rafael's route, but then were jumped to Paris' route? Or were you somehow a Shika on Paris' route?
And yes, I used garageband loops to make the music. There are only small differences between playing as a male and female, that was one part of the customization I tried to keep pretty much the same, since I knew there were some people who would only want to play as a female and vice versa, and I didn't want them to miss out on content because of that. As for Braums, five is the maximum number of points you can get for him in the prologue.
Thanks for downloading, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your playthrough!
I selected Rafael's route but was somehow booted to Paris's route. I only noticed around the time that Braums is coached on how to use his adorableness as a weapon. Though I don't remember all the choices I made, I could try replaying and seeing if the same thing happens
~~~~Possible Spoilers Ahead~~~~
1. Were you satisfied at the end of the route you played?
I was pretty satisfied with all of the endings. I ended up playing Rafael's route first and fell in love with everything this game is. I felt a bit disappointed that the only "bad end" was Paris's, though things did not go to great for Rafael in Braums's "bad end". Its a really weird thing, but I feel like a bad ending is suppose to be a consequence for being a dick or not understanding the situation and/or characters enough. I understand if I'm just being jerk about this, but its the only I found lacking in terms of the endings.
2. Favorite / least favorite part?
Rafeal trying to bond with the group was the greatest thing in the world. I also kinda liked the running gag of men confusing Braums for a woman and how everyone dealt with it. It could have been a very distasteful thing, but it was done nicely! I don't think I really had any part that I cringed at or wanted to skip or anything. Most things were playful enough or serious enough that the mood didn't seem off.
3. Favorite love interest/what made him your fav?
I love all of them but I think I'd have to pick Rafael. He was the first route I ended up playing and like. The fishing scene was so good. Made a lasting impression. Also I really like the hand thing that the Shika have, so that helps. Also his social awkwardness is kinda relatable and charming enough not to make it... awkward. Braums would be my second fave and Paris my third. Braums also has a kind of social awkwardness and he's really sweet? Like, I feel like he's the sweetest out of all of them. Paris is pretty much the embodiment of two very specific types I have, but the whole crush thing Reaver and Cubi Ash had hit very close to home. But Paris did have my favorite intimate scenes, with Rafael and Bramus just barely behind.
3. What made you decide to play the game?
I'm really pan and love a good visual novel. Though seriously, I do enjoy the fact you can pick which gender you want to play as, as well as customize Ash. I've only seen customization in really only one other game and being able to pick your gender in a few. Plus the characters seem interesting.
4. Did you find any bugs/typos?
Other than the weird jump to Paris's route, not really.
5. Overall thoughts/ comments or suggestions
Maybe add a pronoun option, separate from the body choice? //TODO: today is a good example of this, or even Hustle Cat. I'm nonbinary and use they/them, and while I don't mind have to play as guy or gal, its always nice to have the option to choose to be closer to who I am, when given the choice. I mean, most the time I see I have the option to be nonbinary in a game, I will play it, just for the chance to be myself. I've also straight up just played games because they have a canon nonbinary charater.
Also maybe adding skip button? I know you can hold down ctrl or press tab, but I forget sometimes, as I'm sure some people do.
6. Would you consider sharing the game page on Twitter to spread the word?
I have like 20 followers on Twitter, but sure. Also if you had more content on the tumblr page, I'd follow it and share that.
7. If I made a commercial game would you consider purchasing it?
I'm planning on buying Arena Circus Golden when I'm able, so yeah.
I'll look through and see if I can find that bug, thanks for pointing it out! edit: and I would appreciate if you could see if it happens again! Going through a few times I couldn't reproduce the error.
As for the endings, I've heard a couple people mentioned they were surprised that there was only one 'bad end'. I wanted to give each ending it's own flavor, so I kind of avoided doing something gruesome in each one. I'm a sucker for a happy ending ahhh
I'm glad you liked the characters! And my baby Braums. I think some people were turned off by his initial attitude so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed him.
Adding the ability to choose a pronoun is something I could definitely implement with a little bit of work! I think it would fit in nicely with all the other customizing options, and you're right, it would be a nice feature. I'll see about doing that in the near future.
There is a skip button, it's the little right facing arrow on the quick menu bar! Sorry if it was a little too inconspicuous.
Thank you for your support, and I appreciate you taking the time to play and comment!
I've found the save file that it happened on and have played through a few times, but I can't seem to replicate what happened. I also tried with a new game, but I just stayed on Rafael's route. Sorry I couldn't be more help.
My, it took some time, but at long last, I´ve finished all the routes! Uhm, spoilers and lackluster English ahead?
1. Were you satisfied at the end of the route you played?
Yes! My first route was the Shika/Raphael one, because I´ve adored Raphael since the demo and I really liked the aesthetic of Ash as both a shika and a reaver. After playing through all the routes, I do get the impression that maybe I was supposed to play in the order of Paris, Braums and then Raphael. Was that the intention? Anyway, I liked Raphaels and Braums good endings the most, mainly because Raphael is MY BOY and Braums makes Ash his consort regardless of your race, which pulled at my heartstrings. He´s such a sweet boy. I was surprised to see that Paris is the only one with a really "bad" ending (although Braums "bad" one was so cruel towards Raphael) When the other boys still let you be happy together.
2. Favorite / least favorite part?
I really liked the beginning of Chapter 2, on the boat. I think that you did a really good job of presenting the cast, mainly Braums, in this part specifically. Most of the time I really hate plowing through the beginning of a characters route, especially characters that haven´t been present for too long, like Braums. Seeing my poor boy being terrified of storms och being sick just made me want to protect him. :(
I also loved Raphael on the boat. When playing the demo I assumed he was going to be my sweet clueless son by the end of the game (which, I mean, he was) but seeing him hunting rats and saving damsels and then protecting his friends after only knowing them for like, two weeks made me want to shout "MY BOY" out loud.
There was never a part I really disliked story wise, although I ended up just skipping through the part with the bandits for most of the time since nothing really changed there. Maybe adding some short dialogues depending on the romance, like Braums (or was it Paris?) yelling at them not to hurt Ash could have been switched depending on the route or something?
3. Favorite love interest/what made him your fav?
As stated, Raphael is best boy. I loved his design, it was really serious and stoic compared to Paris the bunnyman and Braums (my second fav) who´s a total fashion disaster. I found him so endearing because of his lack of social grace and I loved him even more after seeing his strength and how dedicated he is to his friends.
Also, that scene with the blanket? Raphael getting embarassed because he thinks Ash is pretty? Adorable.
3. What made you decide to play the game?
Well, I´ve already been following you since I played some of your previous works, so I guess I played it because I´m a fan? Oh, and I thought Paris looked like a charming goof, so that kinda peaked my interest.
4. Did you find any bugs/typos?
Nope!
5. Overall thoughts/ comments or suggestions
Thank you for your work! I think I forgot to mention it earlier, but it really makes me happy to see customization like this in a visual novel. I´m just, so impressed with the quality of it all. Especially the cgs! I can´t begin to guess how long that must have took, but it´s just so impressive if you ask me!
I there´s one thing I´d suggest, it would be some sort of hint-system in the game och download files as to aquire the different ending/cgs. I spent an ETERNITY looking for the eigth ending, even though I did the shika/Raphael romance first. Maybe It´s just me though, ha.
6. Would you consider sharing the game page on Twitter to spread the word?
I don´t have a twitter-account, but if I did, you bet I would.
7. If I made a commercial game would you consider purchasing it?
Absolutely! After playing the demo, I was suprised to see this one wasn´t!
There was no particular order to play in that I had planned out, but I imagine playing it in that order would certainly make things interesting in terms of gradually unfolding the mystery! Ahh I'm so glad to hear you liked Braums' endings, he is my little cinnamon roll and I love him >w< Yeah I wanted each 'bad' ending to be different, I thought all death death death might get a bit repetitive xD
I'm happy to hear you liked chapter 2! Since Braums especially isn't seen much in the first chapter I wanted to give him a little chance to shine. Yes the bandits scene was pretty linear, definitely could have done more with that.
Also HAHAHA BRAUMS THE FASHION DISASTER. Reading that made me laugh out loud. He is so offended.
Oh my, a fan? I'm so honored ;u; I hope you like my future projects as well then!
Sorry the ending took so long to find! I debated whether making it an official 'ending' or not, but I thought it might motivate people to check out the extra content if they were interested xD I'll add an 'ending guide' to the itch page when I get a chance!
Thanks again for playing and leaving such lovely feedback. I really appreciate it c:
GAAAHHHH I'm struggling so hard to get ending 2 and 8!! and with it the last two CGs :(
Anyways, to business!
1. Were you satisfied at the end of the route you played?
I've played all the routes multiple times (trying to get those stupid endings T_T) and I loved them. I was very happy with Rafael's happy end. It was just so... homey? warm? cute? I dunno. But you could tell that MC was v content.
2. Favorite / least favorite part?
Fave: the characters were different in way that made the romance part of the story unique to them so there's a flavor for everyone.
Least fave: (spoiler) that each route followed the same adventure? I'm more into the types where there's a common route and then each LI branch off into something different if I'm making sense. In my opinion is hinders replayability or just playing other routes in general when you know exactly what's coming so you're basically skipping on a different LI's route until you meet new dialogue.
Fave: OMG THE CUSTOMIZATION. I ADORE AND ADMIRE YOU FOR ALL THAT EFFORT YOU PUT INTO THIS AND THE CGS TO MEET EACH DIFFERENCE. I know it can take a lot. You're my hero. Especially with the eye color. Let me tell you how many VN I've run into where you can make the MC brown but you're stuck with blue eyes -_- so I appreciate this greatly as I felt more included/represented as a POC
3. Favorite love interest/what made him your fav?
Hmmm. I love how Paris can get so steamy and is straightforward with his flirting, but I love Rafael's quirkiness. Not to mention that he gives that mysterious air that makes me want to take him apart and discover all his little secrets hehe. It's a tie between the two.
3. What made you decide to play the game?
I was initially drawn to this game because of the customization (like OMG I can make her brown?!?!--sorry, I'm just... there's not a lot of good romance VN out there where I can do that so thank you so very much for this) then I saw the storyline as I enjoy science fiction/ fantasy and I was like OH! Even better! Downloaded.
4. Did you find any bugs/typos?
Nope! :)
5. Overall thoughts/ comments or suggestions
I know having each character's route branch out can be challenging/complicated, but I'll just put it out there for maybe next time? Or whenever you feel like it.
6. Would you consider sharing the game page on Twitter to spread the word?
Sadly, I don't have Twitter. I actually tried searching for you on Tumblr but couldn't find anything. I think that would help you spread the word, too! But yes, if you had made an announcement on tumblr I definitely would've reblogged it (several times???)
7. If I made a commercial game would you consider purchasing it?
Uh, shyeah!! Honestly, as someone stated before I'm surprised this was free, and I was half expecting this be some amount of money when I was reading the description. But I can see this as being your test to see if people actually enjoy your stuff. Well, you passed with flying colors! I'm sure I speak for many of us when I say that we support you! And love this game!
Thank you for your kind words! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, this game was very linear. Most of the games I've made up to this point have been, so it would be nice to do something that changes more drastically with each route! I'll keep that in mind for future projects.
As for the romances, I really wanted to do something that was unique to each character, so each route wasn't just 'hey I like you KABEDON'. It was a lot of fun doing all the different romance scenes so I'm happy you liked them!
The customization was actually what the whole game idea sprang from, and it was time consuming but very much worth it for reactions like yours! As a fellow POC I feel your pain on the representation in VNs front.
I keep meaning to make a tumblr, but that site confuses the heck out of me >< I'll get on it one day ^^;
I really appreciate you taking the time to play and comment! Thank you again :D
As for endings 2 and 8
SPOILERS
Ending 2 is the 'good' ending with Braums as a Reaver.
Ending 8 is from the 'secret route', which is unlocked after playing through Rafael's route as a Shika and getting his 'good' ending. The last two CGs are from the secret route too I believe!
I'm still struggling why can't I get this ToT. But ending 8, okay so before choosing who you want is it possible to get 20 points for Raphael? Bc I keep on getting 15 and I think that's what's keeping me from getting his secret route since by the end of ch4 I have 95 points. But that may be me just thinking I need 100 or more to get his secret route. Sorry for being such a dunce ^^;
So for ending two, you have to choose the reaver background, then have 80 points with Braums by chapter 5.
For ending 8, you need to be a Shika, and have 80 points with Rafael by the end of chapter 4. After this, his button should unlock on the start screen directly under the quit button. That will let you see the 'secret' route screen. There are six scenes, unlocked by getting different endings in the game. 15 is the max number of points you can get for him in the intro, so no worries there.
If you still can't unlock the endings but have fulfilled this criteria please let me know and I'll check the game for bugs!
oooohhhh so ending 8 is just all those little side routes added together? I thought it was something entirely different lol but thank you for the help! I'm excited for for what you plan on doing next! This is the only game where I've been pressed to get all the endings. Other games I get like two or three and I'm good, but this game--- ah! ^^
Haha I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! What I'm planning next is raaaather different than what I've done so far, but I have a lot planned! Thanks for your support :D
Hi so far loving the game but for some reason i am having trouble accessing Paris' route. I can select Brames' and Raphael's routes but not Paris'. Can you help me please? Is it because of any choices?
If you'd like to do Paris' route, you'd have to pick either a Reaver or Cubi in the beginning. Hope this helps, and if for some reason it still doesn't, let me know!
I finished all three characters’ routes by now (some of them twice) and OH BOY was it a great entertaining experience! Before I jump to the questions I wanted to say that it was seriously really really good! I found all the characters extremely likable, jokes hilarious and writing very pleasant and easy to read. It was a great adventure, never boring for a minute and rather fully packed with FEELS :D. So thank you very much for this awesome treat!
And, okay, this is the reason I do not write feedback often, because if I start...So I am very sorry for the amount of what comes next and I will totally get it if no one has time for this I just have no life and a lot of love to share and I should stop I am making it worse xD.
********** SPOILERS **********
1. Were you satisfied at the end of the route you played?
YES, yes I was! It applies to all three routes, even though some of them were more my cup of tea then the others. But I had fun with all of them and there was something special about all of them.
One thing I noticed though - the very last bit in all of the routes seemed a bit different in pacing comparing to the previous scenes in different locations. It felt just a tiny bit rushed. It was not a deal breaker by any means, just a feeling in the back of my mind.
2. Favorite / least favorite part?
I am not sure if it means the favourite part in the story or favourite part of the game, so I guess I will answer both (but put the game part into general question).
It is hard to say what would be the best part in the story, mostly cause it just works well as a whole. Every moment and scene in it has something good about it and something to look forward to while replaying.
What I really really enjoyed were the twists and such. I am usually a curious reader (also probably an annoying one). I love to look deeper into the narrative to figure out the plot twists and secrets before they are revealed, I guess it’s like solving the puzzle. And as a reader I always appreciate it so much when all the things in narration have meaning and when they are shown rather than told about. I think this is where the game got me, it had a lot of such moments when one could read into characters’ emotions, into what their motivations might be without explicitly saying so. It was possible to speculate and disagree with not always reliable narrator - Ash. It was a pleasure to read through!
I hope it is not disappointing, as it is not a bad thing, that I did figure out the twists quite early. Most of them. It didn’t ruin the single thing for me and I loved it so much that there were enough consistent clues that made it possible! And when I say I figured it out it doesn’t mean that it didn’t have enough room to speculate. I will explain it a bit more, in case it might be helpful as a feedback and also in case I realized those things for all the wrong reasons :D.
For example Braums was an easy one. I mean his origin (and only one particular origin) made the most sense for the story, especially with the conflict that was brought up by Paris on so many occasions. I mean he could theoretically be any spoiled noble, but with the letter from his father (knowing that he had one and addressed him in such specific manner) there was only one option that would make the most sense.
Now Rafael, on the other hand, was tricky! He was a mystery, hidden in a plain sight, mystery that was really interesting to think about. He was contradicting in all the right ways, not very good with socializing, but extremely sharp, starting with him explaining why their Guild got hired. It was a good sign that something wasn’t right with this charming fella.
But I think what actually triggered it was the scene on the ship, that one with the story of the Grim Reaper. It came under pretense of being just a creepy fun immersive story, nothing special right? But it looked suspiciously detailed and yet again brought up the topic of assassins from the beginning of the game.
When I played through it for the first time I took it as a foreshadowing of maybe possible villain that we haven't been introduced to yet. Actually even Rafael’s behaviour wasn’t that suspicious at that moment because they were free for interpretation. I thought he reacted on Paris sh*ting on the king whose son was sitting right there btw (and Rafael is perceptive so he probably knew from the beginning).
But then the scene with the pirates followed and Rafael did something very bad ass, revealing how super skilled he is. And I was thinking about that story still like - if it’s the villain he probably wouldn’t be after Braums, cause that boy is like really goofy seriously, so he would be after King then. And how would that relate him to the characters then, well he might try to get to the King through his son by...HOLY SH**T! And this is pretty much when it hit me xDD But I still wasn’t sure 100 % of course, because with Rafael’s knowledge about Braums he might as well be someone super skilled the King sent to keep an eye on his boy, so there is that.
And one thing that I absolutely didn’t see coming was Paris’s eye, cause well I don’t think something actually implied it was more than his fashion preference :D.
Another thing that I find very very well done - funny moments vs sad ones. And it is a light hearted story, so there are not so many tragic scenes in it, but those that are - they kinda really got me xD. I mentioned that I had enough time to prepare for Rafael’s “oficial” reveal, but what I wasn’t prepared for was the change of the dynamics between the characters and that it was actually quite hurtful.
The scene with Rafael and his tattoos displayed is one of my favourite I think. It was surprisingly dark and it changed something that I didn’t even notice until that moment - how much the characters and their goofiness and building trust made me invested into their friendship and companionship. It was very palpable - that shift after the scene and I loved the FEELS it brought with it! And I also think the way it was positioned in the story was very brilliant! I mean they just made up after the previous rather impactful argument and revelation, which made them stronger as a team and then BAM! Ah it was really good xDD.
Now as to a couple of things that I would love to see more, or maybe needed a bit more to feel for them a bit better. One of such - Rafael’s sister. I may be missing something and maybe I just overlooked some piece of info, but I would enjoy seeing earlier signs of motivations behind Rafael and his one last job. Or maybe they could have been more tied up to the big King conflict? As it is now it feels like a very personal and rather big issue for him - like the whole kinda different story inside the story, that I as a reader not necessary discover or only get a glimpse of. Maybe it would be easier for me to take the story with his sister in if there were some scenes showing that he has someone he is worried for or cares for, someone in his life really important he might go to any extent for. It would add to the satisfaction of learning about it later. But you know, maybe I am just not as attentive as I thought I am (most likely haha) and it was somewhere in the story and went over my head while I was too distracted with a steamy scene :D. I am weak.
I felt it worked smoother with the Reaver MC and Paris’s backstory, because one could understand what their conflict is just by their interactions (which I adored a lot btw). It was always clear that Paris is salty for a reason and there is a story behind. The scene under the rain was still a little bit sudden, and maybe it could have been less so if, for example, there was a moment where Paris would indicate that particular insecurity around her. But it is a small thing and their dynamics and possible backstory was very clear yet still subtly and beautifully done.
3. Favorite love interest/what made him your fav?
I will try to keep it short, I promise, I feel really bad for the amount of letters I produce sometimes xD.
So okay, best part! My absolute favourite was Paris and damn did it hit all the buttons xDD. I mean stupid sexy friend that only doesn’t flirt with you? YES PLEASE! Where do I sign up for more *OOO* I think his romance made me realize what I always wanted and never even knew I did xDD. It was fantastic! When I played it for the first time, it was still a demo and I played as a Shika Ash (and didn’t even know that romances are locked based on backstory). But I started the full version as a Reaver and I think that was the best decision ever! Oh did it add to the delicious suffering and tension. It was just so angsty somehow but also the difference in the dynamics blew me away. I was Shook! I was shook for hours xD. And it really didn’t hurt that his route is so hot, just probably something I really really dig.
I particularly loved the scene when Ash grabs his ears (I mean rude, but) and it was so obvious but Ash was so oblivious, or when they had to sleep together in the forest - just hot! Paris’s efforts to stay subtle in these moments are delicious and what made them especially so is a very good writing.
And while I am at it, I think I loved reaver Ash the most because of how flawed she is compared to her Cubi or Shika self. It is always interesting to see a character that is far from being perfect but still is very likable and it was great to see how her privilege changed her and changed responses on her.
My second fav was Rafael, what a sweety, his awkwardness was nicely done and he really pleasantly surprised me in his more heated moments. I pursued him with a Cubi Ash and liked the small moments when Ash couldn’t really understand the full meaning of some gestures. I was also quite confused with his character at times (really enjoyed the training scene when he came on to Ash suddenly) and it was a nice touch when Ash’s thoughts worked so well with my own. Oh Rafael was an adventure!
Even though Braums is the last for me here, I still think his romance was very nice and worked really well with Shika peasant Ash :D. And I also was a bit confused with ppl always commenting on his femininity because, and maybe it's just me, but I just kinda fail to see it xD. I guess I see where it is coming from but in the end of the day it was good to see him grow more open minded and more comfortable with himself. And he makes a very attractive king by the way :D.
3. What made you decide to play the game?
I don’t really remember, but I think it was because it looked good and had a premise of a fun story with romance. Also the cheeky fem protagonist with her over the top grin <3. So when I saw a demo and read that it also comes out soon I just gave it a try and found it very engaging.
4. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I actually noticed one typo:
5. Overall thoughts/ comments or suggestions
I just really want to say how much I loved the different Ash backgrounds! This is such a sweet feature and really adds to replayability! And the attention to details there is just gorgeous! I was already quite ecstatic from customization option, but so much change from the backgrounds - it’s just amazing! I also enjoyed the responses based on mood icons, makes it easier to pick one. And last but not least, I liked the music, the romance theme (sorry I am not sure about its name, but composition names were hilarious x)) was playing in my head even this very morning. They are catchy but also unique and fit nicely. And all the compliments to the Reaver and Shika designs, some really nice looks, I loved those two in particular!
One thing that I am usually not a great fan of and that was in game to some extent - best choices. I liked the indicator, makes it easier to understand which is what. But the problem with the best choices for me in particular is that it low key turns the game into pick the correct option. It is not necessary so and usually comes from having good and bad endings, rather than different endings. As a non completionist I rarely explore the game further than the best ending (given there is one) and only do so if, for example, I know for sure that it would not influence the romance part or if there are no good or bad endings, but rather endings logically based on consequences of choices. I also think that I might miss some good chunk of game because of this and I apologise if it is so, might make some of the previous feedback irrelevant because of that.
6. Would you consider sharing the game page on Twitter to spread the word?
Absolutely, even though I am not very present there for now.
7. If I made a commercial game would you consider purchasing it?
Definitely and to be fair I am surprised that this game is free, it is just too good!
And this is finally it :D Thank you so very much again for this beautiful game and I will be looking forward to all the next projects if they are to come!
Thank you for your lovely feedback! I really enjoyed reading it and appreciated that you took the time to give me such thorough comments. ^^ I agree with you that the epilogues were a little rushed, sorry about that! I wrote them when I was in a slump and though I did go back and add some things I was never quite happy with them. On the contrary, I'm glad that you saw the hints and ran with them! I never know whether my foreshadowing is enough or too much or too little, so it's nice to get different perspectives on that. I think you're right, I should have put in more foreshadowing for Paris' eye. I think the only bit was in Reaver!Ash's route during the ramen scene, they look at his bands and make a brief comment about feeling guilty.
Ah I'm so happy to hear the tattoo scene was your favorite! I timed it there on purpose, but after the fact I was like is this a little too much, two huge reveals two chapter ends in a row?
You also make a good point about showing more of Rafael's motivation. He's a very... shall I say private person, but I probably could have snuck in more things. There was the scene with him buying the bracelet too small for him, but other than that not much. Rafael being what he is, my goal was to showcase his mindset that he had made his decision and felt that Lorelai was perfectly safe so long as he accomplished his goal, hence why he wasn't preoccupied with it. I definitely could have done that better!
Yay Paris! His route was definitely the steamiest, I had a lot of fun with his scenes >w< It makes me happy to hear that you liked Reaver Ash. I loved doing all the backstories, but I felt that Reaver Ash was the most... different I guess? Because they did have those flaws. It was fun to think about how all the different backgrounds would see things differently. And the Cubi ears, Shika hands, those were particularly fun to play with >w<
Braums is the best king, that cinnamon roll, if I had to pick a favorite it would be him. And Braums is very happy to hear that you don't think he's feminine.
I don't consider myself a musician by any means, so I'm glad to hear the music got a pass.
Thanks again for your lovely comment, and I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the game!
I will go through all the questions after I finish all the routes, in every way possible. But I just wanted to note (((minor spoilers possibly))) that I love the little details added into the story with the customization, like how the chef likes red heads, or that Braums' lost tent was green like the players eyes, etc. Just such cute minor things, that really show the work put into fleshing out the story!
This is such a cute game! I've only played Rafael's route so far but I love it, and the writing is hilarious! I had to stifle my laugh with my pillow several times in order to not wake up my brother in the next room. Brilliant. One question:
Before I torture myself with every choice option and dialogue mix ever, is there a kissing CG for Rafael besides the you-know-what-scene?
Thanks so much for playing and leaving such kind feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed it. And to answer your question, yes, there is a kissing CG for Rafael, a ‘mouth kiss’ c;
He has to have less than 80 points by the end of chapter four! Picking none of the best choices should work. If it doesn’t, let me know and I’ll see if there’s a bug. c:
Hi! I really loved playing this game (I've only done Paris' route so far but it's amazing). I was wondering if there was a way to get the heart to 100%? I've only gotten it up to 95% and I'm kinda confused. Can we get more than 5% before we choose the route? Also, is there only one romance ending? I just want to make sure I got the best end so that I can move on, haha. Anyway, sorry for all the questions! This is an amazing game though, keep up the good work!!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes, you can get up to 10 points with Paris in the intro. And yes, Paris's romance end is his best one! No worries at all about the question, thanks so much for playing. I hope you like the other routes as well!
Oh my god. This is such an amazing VN. I loved every single bit (although, I found it odd how Paris and Braums end up together on Rafael's route. Not because I didn't ship it, they were freaking adorable, but because I've always found it weird to see people I can end up with end up with someone else when I don't play their route). I have never laughed so much in my life. I think this is the first visual novel that has actually made me cry, laugh, and smile so much. This was so adorable as well, I can't get enough of it, haha. The whole thing about discovering who Braums is killed me. I somehow didn't expect it at all? And Rafael too! Man, I love this game. Answer to questions:
1. I played all of them and honestly, I loved the endings so much. Definitely cried about the whole Rafael thing though, but now I actually understand why so it's cool! Also, Paris' romance end, amazing. I laughed and at the same time I couldn't help but think how adorable Paris was about the whole thing. Honestly, loved it.
2. Favourite part was when everyone was in the Ramen place. It was so friendly, funny and cosy, I just loved it. Least favourite was the whole 'bye Raphael' thing, but it actually made sense so I'm quite cool with it. Just putting it as least favourite because I have literally nothing else and it made me cry, haha.
3. Paris. The whole, flirts with everyone but stops for Ash kind of thing killed me. I also have a thing for funny guys, and the fact that he was protective of Ash was too freaking cute.
4. Maybe not, but at the temple scene in the forest, there was only a middle picture thing? Like, the forest was still at the bottom and top but the middle was the temple. That could be on purpose though so I don't know.
5. Absolutely amazing, will definitely play again because I love it so much. I loved how we can customise Ash's appearance and how the backstory changes depending on the race you chose. I've never seen that before in a visual novel, really awesome. Literally can't think of a suggestion, it was brilliant.
6. Actually, yes.
7. Absolutely. If they're as good as this then there's no way I wouldn't buy it.
Thank you so much for this! Keep up the awesome work!
Haha I think you’re the first person to play (or at least comment on) the Paris and Braums scenes! I hope it was clear, that relationship is MOST likely when Ash is a Shika, and has a different dynamic with Paris. That’s why it only unlocked when played with a Shika Ash on Rafael’s route (at least it should have been, if it wasn’t let me know!) I’m glad you thought they were cute though!
I’m glad you didn’t see the twists coming, I tried to drop just enough hints without making it too obvious! Yes, I can’t imagine playing through just Paris’ route without getting any closure... I’m glad you weren’t disappointed when you discovered the reasons he did what he did though! I keep saying I’m glad I’m glad but honestly I really am just so happy you enjoyed c:
As for the temple thing, yes, for some CGs I just did ‘half’ ones to save on time. Thanks again for your kind feedback!
I have a question about the option to show best the best choice.....if we have that option enabled will we get some kind of effect shown on screen before or after we make a choice. I had the option enabled when playing the demo but didn't se any differences...
I might have forgot to mention this in the tutorial, but the effect will only start showing up AFTER you're on a route. And since the demo only goes up to the route choices, it won't show up. In addition, not every choice affects points for every route, so in that case, the graphic wouldn't show up either.
Ok thanks that makes sense that it would only activate after you got on a route. Thanks for your quick reply! I'm really enjoying this game. Also very happy there is character customisation which allows you to play as a darker skinned character, which is not that common in visual novel games in general. I look forward to the release, and if I'm honest I would have paid money for this so the fact that this is a free game has me astounded (but very happy of course!)
I'm glad you're enjoying it! And I agree in terms of a lack of darker skinned characters. I'm happy to share it for free, I hope you like the full game just as much as the demo c:
I must applaud you on this. I don't usually comment but this is really unique.
1. What did you think overall?
Well I must admit I love the comedy! I went tried out all of the personalities involving Ash and I honestly think that was a genius idea to use. The customization is perfect and allows for players to have free will. The idea, like I said above, is very unique and has a special charm to it. Good job! I appreciate all this work you put into the game and just letting it be installed for FREE! Even though I know none of it is real and is based in a fantasy world... you managed to make it so you can relate to them.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
Rafael...no wait... Paris... sorry I meant.... Braums... Who am I kidding. I love them all. Don't ask me to choose ;-; it's not right. Interesting personalities and concepts.
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
Some typos but I believe others have already pointed them out.
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
I want to see how the story plays out... I guess thats a little to vague however, so I will also add that I want to see what trouble they get into. What moves the story forward. How do the characters interact to solve these problems.
5. Other comments or suggestions?
Well I wanted to know if there was an epilogue for each character? Like what happens afterwards if that makes sense. Not really necessary but I am curious haha.
You're too kind ;u; Thanks so much for playing and giving feedback! I really appreciate it. I hope you like the full game just as much as you like the demo! And to answer your question, yes, each character does have an epilogue! Maybe more than one? c;
I really, really love it so far! The writing is so humorous and engaging, and I really love Ash's personality. Overall, I really love the customization options! It really makes you feel like you can be the character, and make the adventure your own! I also love the way Ash and the rest of the characters change depending on the race you pick (my personal favorite is Shika!) The art and soundtrack are really good and overall I just really love the game so far!
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
I'm honestly in love with all of the characters so I'm really excited about romancing all of them! But I think I'm going to go for Raphael first because its so cute the way he takes everything so literally.
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I haven't encountered any bugs or noticed any typos
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
I can't wait to learn more about the Shika in particular since they seem so mysterious, and I hope to learn more about their culture! I also would love to see some good ol banter and friendship between the party because its a weakness of mine (example: Dragon Age and Fire Emblem! Those games did such a good job with developing friendships and relationships between companions and I loved it~)
5. Other comments or suggestions?
Honestly, the game is amazing already so I don't have too many suggestions, but maybe for the part where you pick the food choices provide a little bit of a description or name of the food? Because some of them I could tell what it was but others weren't as clear. Not a big deal though since its not a big part of the game/story. Amazing job so far, can't wait for the full game! Thanks for making this and sharing it! <3
6. Would you want an in game jukebox for the soundtrack?
In game jukebox sounds like a cool feature, so yeah! But if it's a lot of extra work to implement its not really needed so don't worry about it too much!
Oh man, thank you so much for the nice feedback! I'm always so self-conscious about my comedy stuff so it's wonderful to hear you find it engaging. I am also a big fan of dragon age, it's a big inspiration for me! One day I hope I can make something half as good ;u;
Many people have mentioned the bread, so I'll try and make that a little easier to understand!
Thanks again for your comments, and I hope you like the full game even more!
Hi, just wanted to let you know the itch.io app won't download this because it says it's not available for windows? even though I can see you have a demo for pc right there
I played the damn demo like 5 times, so yeah I like it a lot. So thanks, you're awesome.
I'm really excited for the TOP SECRET content by the way.
Also not really a typo, but there was a missing space in the text you get when you give Rafael chocolate bread. There should be one between 'probably' and 'should'
Thanks so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. I am excited for the top secret content to no longer be secret, so let me know what you think when you find it!
I don't have much to say since everything I thought of has already been said.
1. What did you think overall?
I really enjoyed it.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
Rafael is my favourite so far.
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
No.
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
Uncovering more of the story and learning more about the characters.
5. Other comments or suggestions?
One problem I had with the game was the font used. I found it difficult to read because the letter "d" looked like an "o" with an accent over it to me. It took me much longer to read everything because I kept misreading words. Another thing that slightly bugged me was how confusing all the options were. It was hard to know what I was selecting when there was only an image. Maybe there could be some text by the options to make it easier to understand? For example, when Ash teases Braums about forgetting their name, the text for that option could say "snarky" or something like that. Or if you don't want to have text, maybe use images that are easier to understand.
Edit: I saw your comment about having a tutorial to show the different meanings of the symbols and I think that would help greatly.
Thank you for your feedback! I'm sorry the font was an issue for you. I hope the tutorial will help with the choices, and that you enjoy the full game!
The font was an issue for me as well. It was really hard to read and eventually gave me a headache. Maybe it would be possibe to have an option to have a different font?
I looked into it, and have figured out how to provide an option to change the font. I hope this makes the game a bit more convenient for you! Since I figured out how, I thought I'd put in more options just for fun. The other font option looks like this, please let me know if it's easier to read:
Took more time than I thought since I was busy, but I’m done with the demo! Well, I did try only one background, but I usually stick with one choice forever in things like that, so yeah, that’s fine. Well, I’ll answer your questions now!
1. What did you think overall?
I really loved the game a lot. I’m brimming with happiness that it has the same setting as Arena Circus – I like playing more than one game in the same setting so I can discover more aspects of the world. Very excited about the newly introduced species too, and happy that I can choose which one to play.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
This is a surprise even for me but… all of them? It doesn’t happen often, but I love the three of them a lot. Rafael is my type – I like awkward characters like him a lot. Braums is very cute and I’m overall curious about him. And Paris… well, this is the biggest mystery as I usually hate childhood friend romances (except if the friendship has gone awry and it’s also about reconstructing it, which isn’t the case here) and I usually hate that kind of flirty characters… and yet, I still like him a lot, and I love how he and Ash interact. Maybe it’s the fact Ash is so unaffected by his shameless flirting XD
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I’ve spotted one thing that strikes me as awkward – on the species selection screen, if you pick a cubi, the backstory says “Ash was abandoned in Belldale when they were an orphan (…)” – didn’t you want to say that they are an orphan, abandoned it Belldale when they were a child or something like that? Maybe it’s just me…
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
Hard to tell, honestly. I don’t really know what to expect from the game – it’s pretty mysterious as of now – I have a hard time predicting how the adventure would flow. I guess I may like to see bad ending styled game overs. I mean, the main characters are doing something obviously dangerous with no prior experience because they don’t know better. Things can go in a bad direction very quickly, and I like to see the consequences of bad choices in games. Seeing some heartbreaking bad endings or game overs makes the good endings even better – it’s like, you see the good outcome after seeing how bad things may have unfolded. It makes them taste even better.
5. Other comments or suggestions?
As I said before, I really like the fact you’re able to choose the gender and species of the main character, and how it affects the story. Of course, since I’ve played with only one main character, I don’t know the exact differences, but I’ve seen lot of dialogue exclusive to the species I’ve chosen – the shika. I must add I love the shika – they’re beautiful and so interesting – I’m genuinely interested in knowing more about the species as a whole, and playing Ash as a shika is a good way I think.
As for not so good things, I’m somewhat confused by the choice system, to be honest. I hated the bakery choice for example – I was outright confused as of wtf are these choices I don’t understand it haha. I mean, unless you’ve seen this specific food presented in this specific way, you won’t know what is it. It would work if Ash was clueless about it too, and if you choose blindly only by the looks of it, but they seemed to know what said food was. I had to pick every one of them, see what Ash says about what it is, and then go back to my choice and so on, and only after that pick my actual answer. Not having at least the name of the product was a bit of a hassle, honestly. The “regular” choice icons confuse me too, but somehow I managed.
A question now! Since the game seems to have the same setting as Arena Circus, I’m curious… where are the humans? It may be a coincidence, but I didn’t see any human in the descriptions all along – all the characters I’ve met were described as cubi, shika or reaver. Obviously, if it’s something important and a spoiler, don’t feel like you must answer me XD
Also, will you actually get to choose the routes you’ll travel? Braums asked Ash to choose the safest route, and I’m wondering if the players will actually be able to choose the path they’ll travel, which would determine what will be happening during their time on the roads.
Oh yeah, and last one, is this a free game? Just want to know if I have to prepare some spare money haha! I mean, it says it's free, but Arena Circus is free and yet you can pay for bonus content.
Anyway, except for the choice system I’ve really liked the demo! Can’t wait to play the full version!
I'm glad you liked it! It's not /quite/ the same setting as Arena Circus, it's actually how I imagine the past of the world to be. So it's not really a spoiler, the reason there are no Cubi or Shika is that they're extinct, and humans haven't evolved yet. I'm so glad to hear you like all the characters! I love them all so much. Same with me for the flirty thing, I don't usually like giant flirts like that, but Paris stole my heart ahh.
OH MAN I can't believe I wrote that xD thank you for catching it. I'll fix that ASAP.
I'm sorry you don't like the choice system! I wanted to try something a little different. As for the bakery, that's the only choice styled that particular way, I just really wanted to draw bread. I also forget that not every place has the same kind of bread as here so it's not quite as obvious haha.
As for the routes you travel, I'll tell you now you don't. The story is fairly linear, with the exception of the endings of course.
And yes, it will be free.
Thank you as always for the feedback! I hope you enjoy the full game. ^^
Thank you! And thanks for answering about the species thing! It's so sad the shika and cubi are extinct now, man. Oh and by the way, when I say same setting, I mostly mean the same universe - not necessarily the same period. Not that this is really important since you answered anyway haha
No problem! I'm glad you noticed actually xD And yeah, the more I write about them all, Reavers included, the more I want to just really delve into their history and culture but like I've got a plot to write xD Arena Circus used to have a feature with these playing cards you could find all over the world that had lore on them, but I took it out at the last minute. Maybe I'll add it back in when I eventually finish the game.
I loved the demo it was so much more enjoyable then I was expecting. I really loved the backgrounds for Ash and how it added so much personality for every play through.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
Rafael hands down. I was laughing at a lot of his scenes and it made me excited to see his route through. Side note I kinda feel like we didn't get much time to really know Braums from the demo so while I enjoyed his character so far I don't have as much attachment to him as the others.
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I think I did every option at least once except being the male ash. The only thing I ever caught was right before naming the guild the scene between Rafael and Paris I'm pretty sure it says angel instead of angle.
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
Probably more world building I love the way it's set up so far and I'm can't wait to see how Ash is gonna interact with the world through the various backgrounds.
5. Other comments or suggestions?
Kinda said it in the character part with Braums. Otherwise I'm very excited for this game.
Thanks for the typo shout out, it has been fixed! I really appreciate the feedback. I was worried that there was a lack of Braums in the intro, so I’ll see what I can do about that before the full release. Thanks again and I hope you like what comes next just as much!
I really loved the demo! I enjoyed all of the characters, and I can tell Ash is going to be very fun to play as. I was a little confused about the symbols, but the comments helped me out, I think it's a really cool idea but it definitely needs a tutorial.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
A hard choice, but I'm really curious about Rafael! All of his dialogue was a treat to read and anyone who loves chocolate automatically gets points with me.
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
Nope!
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
Hmm...I know this is a romance game, but I'd like to see more of the boys bonding a bit with each other too. I'm as weak for friendship as I am for romance,,, Also more lore, I'm assuming with how extensive a world you've built there will be lots to learn, and I'm looking forward to it!
5. Other comments or suggestions?
I'm really looking forward to March 20th now! I'm super curious about how the story is gonna progress in the full game.
Thank you for the feedback! I will definitely include a tutorial in the full game. c: I’m so happy you enjoyed the demo, and that you like Rafael. I wasn’t sure how his character would go over really so it’s great to see so many people like him! I’m also glad you brought up friendship, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
Thanks again for playing the demo, and I hope you like the full game just as much.
Really enjoyed the demo! I'm supposed to be in bed because I have work in the morning but I put it off for this instead. Played through twice and some change. Once as a Reaver and once as a Shika. I already commented on the dialogue symbols below, so besides being a little unsure of what they all meant, I did enjoy that style of dialogue.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
Rafael! Although, I had a heck of a time trying to get his picture to light up as a Reaver. I could only get it to light up when I ran through as a Shika. Are the romances race locked, because if so that's a bummer. :c
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I had a error screen pop up once when I tried to save but I haven't been able to get it to happen again to copy the error message.
I also had an odd bug where I went back to the main menu while waiting for the interview and the tavern crowd background music did not end like it should have.
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
Hard to say without knowing more about the game? I definitely enjoy the humor sprinkled through out, so more of that. Plus, romance. The sappier the better, because I'm a huge romantic. XD
5. Other comments or suggestions?
The first time I went through the demo I almost named the guild "The Guild" because I literally couldn't think of anything. XD The second time, I nearly died laughing because I changed my dialogue choice during that scene and got Rafael's suggestion. Had me rolling! I went with his suggestion that time. You should totally sneak in an extra bit of dialogue there if the player goes with "Guide" as the guild name.
Thanks for the feedback! Yes, the romances are locked, each character can be romanced by two of the three races. Aside from it making sense from a story perspective as far as Ash's different backgrounds in those cases, I had practical reasons for it as well in regards to writing and programming. Sorry!
I'm so glad you like Rafael! When I was first going through I wrote his route last, and as such I was sure that I wouldn't like it as much as I had the other two, but he really surprised me. I hope you enjoy it c;
I'll see if I can reproduce those errors, thanks for letting me know!
Okay so I found the error you mentioned and fixed it! I also looked into the sound effects thing, but I haven't found any documentation about how to fix it. I did make the crowd sound effect shorter, because it was much too long to begin with. Hopefully this will solve the problem in another way. Thanks again!
Aah, I'm not the type, but I've enjoyed it so much I'll leave an ACTUAL FEEDBACK.
Incredible.
So anyway... 1. Overall, it looks pretty sweet. And can I say I simply adore the background thing? I was actually pretty surprised at how much it changes in the game, especially your relationship with Paris. And I can't really say which one origin is a vanilla one, because every and each of them seem similarly developed. 2. Hm, I'm rather partial to Reaver!Ash/Paris dynamic - the snark is strong in this one. 3. No typoes, no sir! 4. In the full game I'd like to see full game - nothing more, nothing less. 5. I was slightly confused about dialogue thing? Kinda reminded me of Fallout 4 and it's "sarcastic" dialogue option. Perhaps if I was sure what every icon meant, it would be easier to gauge, but I'm not confident I got that right.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I'm really glad you enjoyed the backgrounds, I was hoping it would add an extra layer to gameplay. I am also a fan of Reaver!Ash/Paris, they might be my favorite. As for the dialogue, I've never played fallout 4 so I can't be sure, but I was basing it on the emotion based decisions from the Dragon Age series. I was thinking about including a short tutorial about the emotions tied to every icon, do you think that would enhance the gameplay?
I'm only part way through the demo right now, and came back here looking for an explanation on what the different symbols meant. I would definitely say some sort of tutorial or even just a descriptor displayed with the icon would help a lot. That being said, what /do/ all the symbols stand for?
Yeah, the tutorial should do the trick. The icon give the basic ideas and it seems my guesses were right or at least close enough, but having confirmation is nice.
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Dear Minyan, I so enjoyed The Pretenders Guild! You created lovely characters and a really exciting and refreshing story. It felt really vibrant to me and I was delighted to see the world you created (I liked the map, it provided extra support for the imagination). In addition I find your art style very appealing and the characters had a wide variety in very own loveable nature and appearance.
To possibly give you some useful feedback and not just rambling I'll answer your questions now. :D I'm not a natural English speaker, so please don't mind some mistakes.
- SPOILERS AHEAD -
1. Were you satisfied at the end of the route you played?
Yes, I was! As a minor critique point I felt like the endings were a little sudden and short compared to the rest of the game. But that's maybe just because I love fluff and would have enjoyed some more of it. :D Even so I liked the endings, especially the scenes after the credits really felt nicely fluffy and fitting for the characters. :)
2. Favorite / least favorite part?
I loved the scenes in the last night! Most of all the one with Paris was extremely hot and romantic at the sime time. In general I very much enjoyed that it felt mature (Rafael jumping out of Ash's bedroll was hilarious :D) and espacially Paris! I will refer to this later again. Back to my favourite parts: The customization of Ash is great! The different races are gorgeous: Their artstyle, the different cultures and most of all how they played out, it's brilliant how you involved them in the game. And I was really thankful for the hints, I can much more relax when I know what the "right" answer is. :)
I don't have a least favourite part, really. As I wrote before I would have enjoyed if the endings would have been a little longer, so that I can enjoy more romance, but that's it. :)
3. Favorite love interest/what made him your fav?I really like all of them, but I have to admit that I completely fell for Paris. He's gorgeous. His charme and how he slowly starts using it on you (and stops to do so with others) is just so... lovely. And flattering. I think I turned red myself a few times because of this charmer. And I fell in love with his looks at first sight, too. His style is great, a tall, broad man with this cute little Cubi ears (it gets even more adorable to know how sensitive they are). In addition I felt he has a great dynamic especially with Cubi Ash - it was so rewarding to hear in that last night how long he has wanted her and how he looked at her. I think I've got a soft spot there for those Casanovas, damnit. I so liked how Paris was Ash's soft spot and seems to always have been. And the cute little gestures of him the entire journey were just so sweet. The scene in the rain was one of my favourites, too, I wold have love to hear some more of his history (and about his right eye). Oh, and the very first drunken kiss was so great, it catched my completely by surprise! I'm used to waiting at the end of visual novels before the characters are kissing. So Paris really got me by surprise there and I find it truly refreshing and hot and butterfly-y. I really fell for Paris here.
3. What made you decide to play the game?
I play a lot of visual novels (maybe too much :D) and I saw your game by accident. I was really pleasd by your artstyle and I saw that you took part in This, My Soul, which I thoroughly enjoyed, too. :)
4. Did you find any bugs/typos?I saw three typos (like I said I'm not natural in English, so please excuse me if I got it wrong):
1. The last evening at Paris' route: And you're always wearing that tiny *litle shirt... (by the way I really enjoyed him saying that :D)
2. At Rafael's route after the bandits: ( I don't have the complete sentence, it begins with: I want to believe him. Rafael looks at me with those clear honest eyes... and now it is probably going on with: telling nothing) but the *tuth.
3. At Rafael's route shortly after 2. (begins with I don't know Braums for long...) I can accept easier than whatever it is my heart's *decding to do with Rafael.
5. Overall thoughts/ comments or suggestions
The Pretenders Guild really is a great game! You have the characters fleshed out really well and they are all so loveable.Oh, I nearly forgot to mention the music, it was very cool! I liked the different themes and how you placed them, the feeling fitted the world and characters quite well. I already mentioned your art, but I will say it again: Your drawing style is as magnificent as your writing. :D
6. Would you consider sharing the game page on Twitter to spread the word?
I don't have a Twitter account, but I surely will tell my friends about this game. :)
7. If I made a commercial game would you consider purchasing it?
Yes, totally! This was really polished and high quality for a free game. I always appreciate when I don't have to pay (much), but you definitely deserve a reward. I don't like playing unfinished games, but I'm looking forward to buy Arena Circus Golden once it's ready. :)
So, I hope you don't mind the long post and I could express my admiration of your game (and, as you should know by now, Paris :'D) properly. I would be happy if it was helpful for you. You have my support and I'm excited to play your future games. :)
Oh, I just remembered something I forgot to mention:
I truly appreciate how different the romances played out! They didn't were the same with different characters, they each followed their own pace and offered own choices. It never felt forced to me, instead all the routes hadenough space for Ash and her lover to unfold their story. This is very well made! Just wanted to add this. :)
Thank you so much! I don't mind the long post at all, it made me really happy to read. And I never would have known you weren't a natural English speaker, no mistakes noticed c: I agree with you on the endings, it's something a lot of people have pointed out. I'll have to work harder to flesh out my outline next time!
Hehe those last night scenes are my favorite too >w< They were so fun to write, particularly Paris'. Honestly Paris caught me off guard with that first kiss too, it wasn't in my original outline then as I started writing I was like: Paris... Paris what are you doing? Paris! This wasn't part of the plan!
He has a mind of his own haha.
Thank you for the typo fixes, I'll go through and fix those soon!
I'm really glad you enjoyed and I hope you enjoy any future games just as much if you get a chance to check them out!
Gha No Walkthough? I'm gonna fail XD
No worries! The hints will get you through c:
I kinda wish there was a walkthough for life XD
This looks pretty fun, but when I doubleclick on The Pretenders Guild.exe to start the game, nothing happens...? I don't even see it popping up in Task Manager. I'm on Windows 10.
Hmm, I'm not sure what the issue is! I haven't heard from anyone who's had this problem. But, I tried building a 'windows only' version of the game, please let me know if this helps!
For whatever reason that seems to have done the trick, it's working now! Thank you for going to the trouble!!
It's no trouble at all! I'm glad it worked, and I hope you enjoy the game!
Slight Spoiler if you haven't played yet...
................................................
I seriously love all your games and hope you continue to make them indefinitely. I thought it was pretty cool seeing the reaver universe in a different way to that in arena circus. My favourite character in this one was Paris, I love that how they continued to reach for their dream at the end. However, gotta say i'm a bit iffy about the baby, though i did think it was rather funny and probably realistic considering his former lifestyle.
Aw thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Indefinitely making games would certainly be the dream xD
Thanks again for playing and I hope you enjoy Arena Circus chapter 4 once it's complete!
Once I'm done with the whole game, I'll gladly answer the questions you pose for those who have finshed playing, but I've come across something... odd. I decided to play both of Rafael's and Braums's routes as a female Shika after I had played as a male Shika, just to see if there was much of any difference. I had selected Rafael's route, but I seemed to be recognized as a female Reaver on Paris's route.
Also, did you use garageband to make the music? There is one part that just reminds me of Bastion and of the theme song of TAZ Dust, and they both used bandcamp for their music.
[Edit] Is there anyway to get higher than 5 points for Braums in the prologue? Because I can't seem to do anything to get it higher. A hint would be wonderful, if you could.
Thanks for pointing that out! However I'm a little confused, you shouldn't be able to play as a Shika on Paris' route. 0.o Can you clarify the issue? You selected Rafael's route, but then were jumped to Paris' route? Or were you somehow a Shika on Paris' route?
And yes, I used garageband loops to make the music. There are only small differences between playing as a male and female, that was one part of the customization I tried to keep pretty much the same, since I knew there were some people who would only want to play as a female and vice versa, and I didn't want them to miss out on content because of that. As for Braums, five is the maximum number of points you can get for him in the prologue.
Thanks for downloading, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your playthrough!
I selected Rafael's route but was somehow booted to Paris's route. I only noticed around the time that Braums is coached on how to use his adorableness as a weapon. Though I don't remember all the choices I made, I could try replaying and seeing if the same thing happens
~~~~Possible Spoilers Ahead~~~~
1. Were you satisfied at the end of the route you played?
I was pretty satisfied with all of the endings. I ended up playing Rafael's route first and fell in love with everything this game is. I felt a bit disappointed that the only "bad end" was Paris's, though things did not go to great for Rafael in Braums's "bad end". Its a really weird thing, but I feel like a bad ending is suppose to be a consequence for being a dick or not understanding the situation and/or characters enough. I understand if I'm just being jerk about this, but its the only I found lacking in terms of the endings.
2. Favorite / least favorite part?
Rafeal trying to bond with the group was the greatest thing in the world. I also kinda liked the running gag of men confusing Braums for a woman and how everyone dealt with it. It could have been a very distasteful thing, but it was done nicely! I don't think I really had any part that I cringed at or wanted to skip or anything. Most things were playful enough or serious enough that the mood didn't seem off.
3. Favorite love interest/what made him your fav?
I love all of them but I think I'd have to pick Rafael. He was the first route I ended up playing and like. The fishing scene was so good. Made a lasting impression. Also I really like the hand thing that the Shika have, so that helps. Also his social awkwardness is kinda relatable and charming enough not to make it... awkward. Braums would be my second fave and Paris my third. Braums also has a kind of social awkwardness and he's really sweet? Like, I feel like he's the sweetest out of all of them. Paris is pretty much the embodiment of two very specific types I have, but the whole crush thing Reaver and Cubi Ash had hit very close to home. But Paris did have my favorite intimate scenes, with Rafael and Bramus just barely behind.
3. What made you decide to play the game?
I'm really pan and love a good visual novel. Though seriously, I do enjoy the fact you can pick which gender you want to play as, as well as customize Ash. I've only seen customization in really only one other game and being able to pick your gender in a few. Plus the characters seem interesting.
4. Did you find any bugs/typos?
Other than the weird jump to Paris's route, not really.
5. Overall thoughts/ comments or suggestions
Maybe add a pronoun option, separate from the body choice? //TODO: today is a good example of this, or even Hustle Cat. I'm nonbinary and use they/them, and while I don't mind have to play as guy or gal, its always nice to have the option to choose to be closer to who I am, when given the choice. I mean, most the time I see I have the option to be nonbinary in a game, I will play it, just for the chance to be myself. I've also straight up just played games because they have a canon nonbinary charater.
Also maybe adding skip button? I know you can hold down ctrl or press tab, but I forget sometimes, as I'm sure some people do.
6. Would you consider sharing the game page on Twitter to spread the word?
I have like 20 followers on Twitter, but sure. Also if you had more content on the tumblr page, I'd follow it and share that.
7. If I made a commercial game would you consider purchasing it?
I'm planning on buying Arena Circus Golden when I'm able, so yeah.
I'll look through and see if I can find that bug, thanks for pointing it out! edit: and I would appreciate if you could see if it happens again! Going through a few times I couldn't reproduce the error.
As for the endings, I've heard a couple people mentioned they were surprised that there was only one 'bad end'. I wanted to give each ending it's own flavor, so I kind of avoided doing something gruesome in each one. I'm a sucker for a happy ending ahhh
I'm glad you liked the characters! And my baby Braums. I think some people were turned off by his initial attitude so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed him.
Adding the ability to choose a pronoun is something I could definitely implement with a little bit of work! I think it would fit in nicely with all the other customizing options, and you're right, it would be a nice feature. I'll see about doing that in the near future.
There is a skip button, it's the little right facing arrow on the quick menu bar! Sorry if it was a little too inconspicuous.
Thank you for your support, and I appreciate you taking the time to play and comment!
I've found the save file that it happened on and have played through a few times, but I can't seem to replicate what happened. I also tried with a new game, but I just stayed on Rafael's route. Sorry I couldn't be more help.
No worries, I haven't heard anyone else mention this glitch so maybe it was a minor glitch in renpy? Either way, thanks for trying.
My, it took some time, but at long last, I´ve finished all the routes! Uhm, spoilers and lackluster English ahead?
1. Were you satisfied at the end of the route you played?
Yes! My first route was the Shika/Raphael one, because I´ve adored Raphael since the demo and I really liked the aesthetic of Ash as both a shika and a reaver. After playing through all the routes, I do get the impression that maybe I was supposed to play in the order of Paris, Braums and then Raphael. Was that the intention? Anyway, I liked Raphaels and Braums good endings the most, mainly because Raphael is MY BOY and Braums makes Ash his consort regardless of your race, which pulled at my heartstrings. He´s such a sweet boy. I was surprised to see that Paris is the only one with a really "bad" ending (although Braums "bad" one was so cruel towards Raphael) When the other boys still let you be happy together.
2. Favorite / least favorite part?
I really liked the beginning of Chapter 2, on the boat. I think that you did a really good job of presenting the cast, mainly Braums, in this part specifically. Most of the time I really hate plowing through the beginning of a characters route, especially characters that haven´t been present for too long, like Braums. Seeing my poor boy being terrified of storms och being sick just made me want to protect him. :(
I also loved Raphael on the boat. When playing the demo I assumed he was going to be my sweet clueless son by the end of the game (which, I mean, he was) but seeing him hunting rats and saving damsels and then protecting his friends after only knowing them for like, two weeks made me want to shout "MY BOY" out loud.
There was never a part I really disliked story wise, although I ended up just skipping through the part with the bandits for most of the time since nothing really changed there. Maybe adding some short dialogues depending on the romance, like Braums (or was it Paris?) yelling at them not to hurt Ash could have been switched depending on the route or something?
3. Favorite love interest/what made him your fav?
As stated, Raphael is best boy. I loved his design, it was really serious and stoic compared to Paris the bunnyman and Braums (my second fav) who´s a total fashion disaster. I found him so endearing because of his lack of social grace and I loved him even more after seeing his strength and how dedicated he is to his friends.
Also, that scene with the blanket? Raphael getting embarassed because he thinks Ash is pretty? Adorable.
3. What made you decide to play the game?
Well, I´ve already been following you since I played some of your previous works, so I guess I played it because I´m a fan? Oh, and I thought Paris looked like a charming goof, so that kinda peaked my interest.
4. Did you find any bugs/typos?
Nope!
5. Overall thoughts/ comments or suggestions
Thank you for your work! I think I forgot to mention it earlier, but it really makes me happy to see customization like this in a visual novel. I´m just, so impressed with the quality of it all. Especially the cgs! I can´t begin to guess how long that must have took, but it´s just so impressive if you ask me!
I there´s one thing I´d suggest, it would be some sort of hint-system in the game och download files as to aquire the different ending/cgs. I spent an ETERNITY looking for the eigth ending, even though I did the shika/Raphael romance first. Maybe It´s just me though, ha.
6. Would you consider sharing the game page on Twitter to spread the word?
I don´t have a twitter-account, but if I did, you bet I would.
7. If I made a commercial game would you consider purchasing it?
Absolutely! After playing the demo, I was suprised to see this one wasn´t!
There was no particular order to play in that I had planned out, but I imagine playing it in that order would certainly make things interesting in terms of gradually unfolding the mystery! Ahh I'm so glad to hear you liked Braums' endings, he is my little cinnamon roll and I love him >w< Yeah I wanted each 'bad' ending to be different, I thought all death death death might get a bit repetitive xD
I'm happy to hear you liked chapter 2! Since Braums especially isn't seen much in the first chapter I wanted to give him a little chance to shine. Yes the bandits scene was pretty linear, definitely could have done more with that.
Also HAHAHA BRAUMS THE FASHION DISASTER. Reading that made me laugh out loud. He is so offended.
Oh my, a fan? I'm so honored ;u; I hope you like my future projects as well then!
Sorry the ending took so long to find! I debated whether making it an official 'ending' or not, but I thought it might motivate people to check out the extra content if they were interested xD I'll add an 'ending guide' to the itch page when I get a chance!
Thanks again for playing and leaving such lovely feedback. I really appreciate it c:
GAAAHHHH I'm struggling so hard to get ending 2 and 8!! and with it the last two CGs :(
Anyways, to business!
1. Were you satisfied at the end of the route you played?
I've played all the routes multiple times (trying to get those stupid endings T_T) and I loved them. I was very happy with Rafael's happy end. It was just so... homey? warm? cute? I dunno. But you could tell that MC was v content.
2. Favorite / least favorite part?
Fave: the characters were different in way that made the romance part of the story unique to them so there's a flavor for everyone.
Least fave: (spoiler) that each route followed the same adventure? I'm more into the types where there's a common route and then each LI branch off into something different if I'm making sense. In my opinion is hinders replayability or just playing other routes in general when you know exactly what's coming so you're basically skipping on a different LI's route until you meet new dialogue.
Fave: OMG THE CUSTOMIZATION. I ADORE AND ADMIRE YOU FOR ALL THAT EFFORT YOU PUT INTO THIS AND THE CGS TO MEET EACH DIFFERENCE. I know it can take a lot. You're my hero. Especially with the eye color. Let me tell you how many VN I've run into where you can make the MC brown but you're stuck with blue eyes -_- so I appreciate this greatly as I felt more included/represented as a POC
3. Favorite love interest/what made him your fav?
Hmmm. I love how Paris can get so steamy and is straightforward with his flirting, but I love Rafael's quirkiness. Not to mention that he gives that mysterious air that makes me want to take him apart and discover all his little secrets hehe. It's a tie between the two.
3. What made you decide to play the game?
I was initially drawn to this game because of the customization (like OMG I can make her brown?!?!--sorry, I'm just... there's not a lot of good romance VN out there where I can do that so thank you so very much for this) then I saw the storyline as I enjoy science fiction/ fantasy and I was like OH! Even better! Downloaded.
4. Did you find any bugs/typos?
Nope! :)
5. Overall thoughts/ comments or suggestions
I know having each character's route branch out can be challenging/complicated, but I'll just put it out there for maybe next time? Or whenever you feel like it.
6. Would you consider sharing the game page on Twitter to spread the word?
Sadly, I don't have Twitter. I actually tried searching for you on Tumblr but couldn't find anything. I think that would help you spread the word, too! But yes, if you had made an announcement on tumblr I definitely would've reblogged it (several times???)
7. If I made a commercial game would you consider purchasing it?
Uh, shyeah!! Honestly, as someone stated before I'm surprised this was free, and I was half expecting this be some amount of money when I was reading the description. But I can see this as being your test to see if people actually enjoy your stuff. Well, you passed with flying colors! I'm sure I speak for many of us when I say that we support you! And love this game!
Thank you for your kind words! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, this game was very linear. Most of the games I've made up to this point have been, so it would be nice to do something that changes more drastically with each route! I'll keep that in mind for future projects.
As for the romances, I really wanted to do something that was unique to each character, so each route wasn't just 'hey I like you KABEDON'. It was a lot of fun doing all the different romance scenes so I'm happy you liked them!
The customization was actually what the whole game idea sprang from, and it was time consuming but very much worth it for reactions like yours! As a fellow POC I feel your pain on the representation in VNs front.
I keep meaning to make a tumblr, but that site confuses the heck out of me >< I'll get on it one day ^^;
I really appreciate you taking the time to play and comment! Thank you again :D
As for endings 2 and 8
SPOILERS
Ending 2 is the 'good' ending with Braums as a Reaver.
Ending 8 is from the 'secret route', which is unlocked after playing through Rafael's route as a Shika and getting his 'good' ending. The last two CGs are from the secret route too I believe!
I'm still struggling why can't I get this ToT. But ending 8, okay so before choosing who you want is it possible to get 20 points for Raphael? Bc I keep on getting 15 and I think that's what's keeping me from getting his secret route since by the end of ch4 I have 95 points. But that may be me just thinking I need 100 or more to get his secret route. Sorry for being such a dunce ^^;
So for ending two, you have to choose the reaver background, then have 80 points with Braums by chapter 5.
For ending 8, you need to be a Shika, and have 80 points with Rafael by the end of chapter 4. After this, his button should unlock on the start screen directly under the quit button. That will let you see the 'secret' route screen. There are six scenes, unlocked by getting different endings in the game. 15 is the max number of points you can get for him in the intro, so no worries there.
If you still can't unlock the endings but have fulfilled this criteria please let me know and I'll check the game for bugs!
And no worries at all, I'm happy to help!
oooohhhh so ending 8 is just all those little side routes added together? I thought it was something entirely different lol but thank you for the help! I'm excited for for what you plan on doing next! This is the only game where I've been pressed to get all the endings. Other games I get like two or three and I'm good, but this game--- ah! ^^
Haha I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! What I'm planning next is raaaather different than what I've done so far, but I have a lot planned! Thanks for your support :D
Hi so far loving the game but for some reason i am having trouble accessing Paris' route. I can select Brames' and Raphael's routes but not Paris'. Can you help me please? Is it because of any choices?
Hello,
All the routes are accessible by two backgrounds:
Paris: Reaver/Cubi
Rafael: Cubi/Shika
Braums: Shika/Reaver
If you'd like to do Paris' route, you'd have to pick either a Reaver or Cubi in the beginning. Hope this helps, and if for some reason it still doesn't, let me know!
Yes it worked Thank You!!
This looks so fantastic. I'll have to take a look at as soon as I can find a spare moment!
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it if you get the chance. c:
I finished all three characters’ routes by now (some of them twice) and OH BOY was it a great entertaining experience! Before I jump to the questions I wanted to say that it was seriously really really good! I found all the characters extremely likable, jokes hilarious and writing very pleasant and easy to read. It was a great adventure, never boring for a minute and rather fully packed with FEELS :D. So thank you very much for this awesome treat!
And, okay, this is the reason I do not write feedback often, because if I start...So I am very sorry for the amount of what comes next and I will totally get it if no one has time for this I just have no life and a lot of love to share and I should stop I am making it worse xD.
********** SPOILERS **********
1. Were you satisfied at the end of the route you played?
YES, yes I was! It applies to all three routes, even though some of them were more my cup of tea then the others. But I had fun with all of them and there was something special about all of them.
One thing I noticed though - the very last bit in all of the routes seemed a bit different in pacing comparing to the previous scenes in different locations. It felt just a tiny bit rushed. It was not a deal breaker by any means, just a feeling in the back of my mind.
2. Favorite / least favorite part?
I am not sure if it means the favourite part in the story or favourite part of the game, so I guess I will answer both (but put the game part into general question).
It is hard to say what would be the best part in the story, mostly cause it just works well as a whole. Every moment and scene in it has something good about it and something to look forward to while replaying.
What I really really enjoyed were the twists and such. I am usually a curious reader (also probably an annoying one). I love to look deeper into the narrative to figure out the plot twists and secrets before they are revealed, I guess it’s like solving the puzzle. And as a reader I always appreciate it so much when all the things in narration have meaning and when they are shown rather than told about. I think this is where the game got me, it had a lot of such moments when one could read into characters’ emotions, into what their motivations might be without explicitly saying so. It was possible to speculate and disagree with not always reliable narrator - Ash. It was a pleasure to read through!
I hope it is not disappointing, as it is not a bad thing, that I did figure out the twists quite early. Most of them. It didn’t ruin the single thing for me and I loved it so much that there were enough consistent clues that made it possible! And when I say I figured it out it doesn’t mean that it didn’t have enough room to speculate. I will explain it a bit more, in case it might be helpful as a feedback and also in case I realized those things for all the wrong reasons :D.
For example Braums was an easy one. I mean his origin (and only one particular origin) made the most sense for the story, especially with the conflict that was brought up by Paris on so many occasions. I mean he could theoretically be any spoiled noble, but with the letter from his father (knowing that he had one and addressed him in such specific manner) there was only one option that would make the most sense.
Now Rafael, on the other hand, was tricky! He was a mystery, hidden in a plain sight, mystery that was really interesting to think about. He was contradicting in all the right ways, not very good with socializing, but extremely sharp, starting with him explaining why their Guild got hired. It was a good sign that something wasn’t right with this charming fella.
But I think what actually triggered it was the scene on the ship, that one with the story of the Grim Reaper. It came under pretense of being just a creepy fun immersive story, nothing special right? But it looked suspiciously detailed and yet again brought up the topic of assassins from the beginning of the game.
When I played through it for the first time I took it as a foreshadowing of maybe possible villain that we haven't been introduced to yet. Actually even Rafael’s behaviour wasn’t that suspicious at that moment because they were free for interpretation. I thought he reacted on Paris sh*ting on the king whose son was sitting right there btw (and Rafael is perceptive so he probably knew from the beginning).
But then the scene with the pirates followed and Rafael did something very bad ass, revealing how super skilled he is. And I was thinking about that story still like - if it’s the villain he probably wouldn’t be after Braums, cause that boy is like really goofy seriously, so he would be after King then. And how would that relate him to the characters then, well he might try to get to the King through his son by...HOLY SH**T! And this is pretty much when it hit me xDD But I still wasn’t sure 100 % of course, because with Rafael’s knowledge about Braums he might as well be someone super skilled the King sent to keep an eye on his boy, so there is that.
And one thing that I absolutely didn’t see coming was Paris’s eye, cause well I don’t think something actually implied it was more than his fashion preference :D.
Another thing that I find very very well done - funny moments vs sad ones. And it is a light hearted story, so there are not so many tragic scenes in it, but those that are - they kinda really got me xD. I mentioned that I had enough time to prepare for Rafael’s “oficial” reveal, but what I wasn’t prepared for was the change of the dynamics between the characters and that it was actually quite hurtful.
The scene with Rafael and his tattoos displayed is one of my favourite I think. It was surprisingly dark and it changed something that I didn’t even notice until that moment - how much the characters and their goofiness and building trust made me invested into their friendship and companionship. It was very palpable - that shift after the scene and I loved the FEELS it brought with it! And I also think the way it was positioned in the story was very brilliant! I mean they just made up after the previous rather impactful argument and revelation, which made them stronger as a team and then BAM! Ah it was really good xDD.
Now as to a couple of things that I would love to see more, or maybe needed a bit more to feel for them a bit better. One of such - Rafael’s sister. I may be missing something and maybe I just overlooked some piece of info, but I would enjoy seeing earlier signs of motivations behind Rafael and his one last job. Or maybe they could have been more tied up to the big King conflict? As it is now it feels like a very personal and rather big issue for him - like the whole kinda different story inside the story, that I as a reader not necessary discover or only get a glimpse of. Maybe it would be easier for me to take the story with his sister in if there were some scenes showing that he has someone he is worried for or cares for, someone in his life really important he might go to any extent for. It would add to the satisfaction of learning about it later. But you know, maybe I am just not as attentive as I thought I am (most likely haha) and it was somewhere in the story and went over my head while I was too distracted with a steamy scene :D. I am weak.
I felt it worked smoother with the Reaver MC and Paris’s backstory, because one could understand what their conflict is just by their interactions (which I adored a lot btw). It was always clear that Paris is salty for a reason and there is a story behind. The scene under the rain was still a little bit sudden, and maybe it could have been less so if, for example, there was a moment where Paris would indicate that particular insecurity around her. But it is a small thing and their dynamics and possible backstory was very clear yet still subtly and beautifully done.
3. Favorite love interest/what made him your fav?
I will try to keep it short, I promise, I feel really bad for the amount of letters I produce sometimes xD.
So okay, best part! My absolute favourite was Paris and damn did it hit all the buttons xDD. I mean stupid sexy friend that only doesn’t flirt with you? YES PLEASE! Where do I sign up for more *OOO* I think his romance made me realize what I always wanted and never even knew I did xDD. It was fantastic! When I played it for the first time, it was still a demo and I played as a Shika Ash (and didn’t even know that romances are locked based on backstory). But I started the full version as a Reaver and I think that was the best decision ever! Oh did it add to the delicious suffering and tension. It was just so angsty somehow but also the difference in the dynamics blew me away. I was Shook! I was shook for hours xD. And it really didn’t hurt that his route is so hot, just probably something I really really dig.
I particularly loved the scene when Ash grabs his ears (I mean rude, but) and it was so obvious but Ash was so oblivious, or when they had to sleep together in the forest - just hot! Paris’s efforts to stay subtle in these moments are delicious and what made them especially so is a very good writing.
And while I am at it, I think I loved reaver Ash the most because of how flawed she is compared to her Cubi or Shika self. It is always interesting to see a character that is far from being perfect but still is very likable and it was great to see how her privilege changed her and changed responses on her.
My second fav was Rafael, what a sweety, his awkwardness was nicely done and he really pleasantly surprised me in his more heated moments. I pursued him with a Cubi Ash and liked the small moments when Ash couldn’t really understand the full meaning of some gestures. I was also quite confused with his character at times (really enjoyed the training scene when he came on to Ash suddenly) and it was a nice touch when Ash’s thoughts worked so well with my own. Oh Rafael was an adventure!
Even though Braums is the last for me here, I still think his romance was very nice and worked really well with Shika
peasantAsh :D. And I also was a bit confused with ppl always commenting on his femininity because, and maybe it's just me, but I just kinda fail to see it xD. I guess I see where it is coming from but in the end of the day it was good to see him grow more open minded and more comfortable with himself. And he makes a very attractive king by the way :D.3. What made you decide to play the game?
I don’t really remember, but I think it was because it looked good and had a premise of a fun story with romance. Also the cheeky fem protagonist with her over the top grin <3. So when I saw a demo and read that it also comes out soon I just gave it a try and found it very engaging.
4. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I actually noticed one typo:
5. Overall thoughts/ comments or suggestions
I just really want to say how much I loved the different Ash backgrounds! This is such a sweet feature and really adds to replayability! And the attention to details there is just gorgeous! I was already quite ecstatic from customization option, but so much change from the backgrounds - it’s just amazing! I also enjoyed the responses based on mood icons, makes it easier to pick one. And last but not least, I liked the music, the romance theme (sorry I am not sure about its name, but composition names were hilarious x)) was playing in my head even this very morning. They are catchy but also unique and fit nicely. And all the compliments to the Reaver and Shika designs, some really nice looks, I loved those two in particular!
One thing that I am usually not a great fan of and that was in game to some extent - best choices. I liked the indicator, makes it easier to understand which is what. But the problem with the best choices for me in particular is that it low key turns the game into pick the correct option. It is not necessary so and usually comes from having good and bad endings, rather than different endings. As a non completionist I rarely explore the game further than the best ending (given there is one) and only do so if, for example, I know for sure that it would not influence the romance part or if there are no good or bad endings, but rather endings logically based on consequences of choices. I also think that I might miss some good chunk of game because of this and I apologise if it is so, might make some of the previous feedback irrelevant because of that.
6. Would you consider sharing the game page on Twitter to spread the word?
Absolutely, even though I am not very present there for now.
7. If I made a commercial game would you consider purchasing it?
Definitely and to be fair I am surprised that this game is free, it is just too good!
And this is finally it :D Thank you so very much again for this beautiful game and I will be looking forward to all the next projects if they are to come!
SPOILERS
Thank you for your lovely feedback! I really enjoyed reading it and appreciated that you took the time to give me such thorough comments. ^^ I agree with you that the epilogues were a little rushed, sorry about that! I wrote them when I was in a slump and though I did go back and add some things I was never quite happy with them. On the contrary, I'm glad that you saw the hints and ran with them! I never know whether my foreshadowing is enough or too much or too little, so it's nice to get different perspectives on that. I think you're right, I should have put in more foreshadowing for Paris' eye. I think the only bit was in Reaver!Ash's route during the ramen scene, they look at his bands and make a brief comment about feeling guilty.
Ah I'm so happy to hear the tattoo scene was your favorite! I timed it there on purpose, but after the fact I was like is this a little too much, two huge reveals two chapter ends in a row?
You also make a good point about showing more of Rafael's motivation. He's a very... shall I say private person, but I probably could have snuck in more things. There was the scene with him buying the bracelet too small for him, but other than that not much. Rafael being what he is, my goal was to showcase his mindset that he had made his decision and felt that Lorelai was perfectly safe so long as he accomplished his goal, hence why he wasn't preoccupied with it. I definitely could have done that better!
Yay Paris! His route was definitely the steamiest, I had a lot of fun with his scenes >w< It makes me happy to hear that you liked Reaver Ash. I loved doing all the backstories, but I felt that Reaver Ash was the most... different I guess? Because they did have those flaws. It was fun to think about how all the different backgrounds would see things differently. And the Cubi ears, Shika hands, those were particularly fun to play with >w<
Braums is the best king, that cinnamon roll, if I had to pick a favorite it would be him. And Braums is very happy to hear that you don't think he's feminine.
I don't consider myself a musician by any means, so I'm glad to hear the music got a pass.
Thanks again for your lovely comment, and I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the game!
I will go through all the questions after I finish all the routes, in every way possible. But I just wanted to note (((minor spoilers possibly))) that I love the little details added into the story with the customization, like how the chef likes red heads, or that Braums' lost tent was green like the players eyes, etc. Just such cute minor things, that really show the work put into fleshing out the story!
Ah thank you so much! I wasn't sure if anyone would notice that. I hope you enjoy the rest of the game!
This is such a cute game! I've only played Rafael's route so far but I love it, and the writing is hilarious! I had to stifle my laugh with my pillow several times in order to not wake up my brother in the next room. Brilliant. One question:
Before I torture myself with every choice option and dialogue mix ever, is there a kissing CG for Rafael besides the you-know-what-scene?
Thanks so much for playing and leaving such kind feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed it. And to answer your question, yes, there is a kissing CG for Rafael, a ‘mouth kiss’ c;
*gasp* Ohmygod I need that CG in my life T_T
Okay, I have absolutely no idea how to unlock that CG x___x I have played his route five times. Help. I am literally going mad.
He has to have less than 80 points by the end of chapter four! Picking none of the best choices should work. If it doesn’t, let me know and I’ll see if there’s a bug. c:
You are my hero T_T Thank you!
Haha no worries! I hope it was worth it xD
Hi! I really loved playing this game (I've only done Paris' route so far but it's amazing). I was wondering if there was a way to get the heart to 100%? I've only gotten it up to 95% and I'm kinda confused. Can we get more than 5% before we choose the route? Also, is there only one romance ending? I just want to make sure I got the best end so that I can move on, haha. Anyway, sorry for all the questions! This is an amazing game though, keep up the good work!!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes, you can get up to 10 points with Paris in the intro. And yes, Paris's romance end is his best one! No worries at all about the question, thanks so much for playing. I hope you like the other routes as well!
Okay, thank you very much! I have no doubt that I will!
You're welcome! I'd love to hear your thoughts when you finish the other routes if you get a chance. ^^
SPOILERS
Oh my god. This is such an amazing VN. I loved every single bit (although, I found it odd how Paris and Braums end up together on Rafael's route. Not because I didn't ship it, they were freaking adorable, but because I've always found it weird to see people I can end up with end up with someone else when I don't play their route). I have never laughed so much in my life. I think this is the first visual novel that has actually made me cry, laugh, and smile so much. This was so adorable as well, I can't get enough of it, haha. The whole thing about discovering who Braums is killed me. I somehow didn't expect it at all? And Rafael too! Man, I love this game. Answer to questions:
1. I played all of them and honestly, I loved the endings so much. Definitely cried about the whole Rafael thing though, but now I actually understand why so it's cool! Also, Paris' romance end, amazing. I laughed and at the same time I couldn't help but think how adorable Paris was about the whole thing. Honestly, loved it.
2. Favourite part was when everyone was in the Ramen place. It was so friendly, funny and cosy, I just loved it. Least favourite was the whole 'bye Raphael' thing, but it actually made sense so I'm quite cool with it. Just putting it as least favourite because I have literally nothing else and it made me cry, haha.
3. Paris. The whole, flirts with everyone but stops for Ash kind of thing killed me. I also have a thing for funny guys, and the fact that he was protective of Ash was too freaking cute.
4. Maybe not, but at the temple scene in the forest, there was only a middle picture thing? Like, the forest was still at the bottom and top but the middle was the temple. That could be on purpose though so I don't know.
5. Absolutely amazing, will definitely play again because I love it so much. I loved how we can customise Ash's appearance and how the backstory changes depending on the race you chose. I've never seen that before in a visual novel, really awesome. Literally can't think of a suggestion, it was brilliant.
6. Actually, yes.
7. Absolutely. If they're as good as this then there's no way I wouldn't buy it.
Thank you so much for this! Keep up the awesome work!
You’re too kind ;;
SPOILERS
Haha I think you’re the first person to play (or at least comment on) the Paris and Braums scenes! I hope it was clear, that relationship is MOST likely when Ash is a Shika, and has a different dynamic with Paris. That’s why it only unlocked when played with a Shika Ash on Rafael’s route (at least it should have been, if it wasn’t let me know!) I’m glad you thought they were cute though!
I’m glad you didn’t see the twists coming, I tried to drop just enough hints without making it too obvious! Yes, I can’t imagine playing through just Paris’ route without getting any closure... I’m glad you weren’t disappointed when you discovered the reasons he did what he did though! I keep saying I’m glad I’m glad but honestly I really am just so happy you enjoyed c:
As for the temple thing, yes, for some CGs I just did ‘half’ ones to save on time. Thanks again for your kind feedback!
I have a question about the option to show best the best choice.....if we have that option enabled will we get some kind of effect shown on screen before or after we make a choice. I had the option enabled when playing the demo but didn't se any differences...
I might have forgot to mention this in the tutorial, but the effect will only start showing up AFTER you're on a route. And since the demo only goes up to the route choices, it won't show up. In addition, not every choice affects points for every route, so in that case, the graphic wouldn't show up either.
Ok thanks that makes sense that it would only activate after you got on a route. Thanks for your quick reply! I'm really enjoying this game. Also very happy there is character customisation which allows you to play as a darker skinned character, which is not that common in visual novel games in general. I look forward to the release, and if I'm honest I would have paid money for this so the fact that this is a free game has me astounded (but very happy of course!)
I'm glad you're enjoying it! And I agree in terms of a lack of darker skinned characters. I'm happy to share it for free, I hope you like the full game just as much as the demo c:
Ooh so it's race locked? Can we ask which races can romance which characters or is that too spoilery?
Not at all!
Paris: Cubi and Reaver
Rafael: Shika and Cubi
Braums: Shika and Reaver
Thank you!!!!
I'm... not great with clues so watch me have tried to use all the wrong races for the wrong characters without this LOL
haha well, there aren't really any clues since you have to pick your race at the very beginning, so it's not you xD
I must applaud you on this. I don't usually comment but this is really unique.
1. What did you think overall?
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
5. Other comments or suggestions?
You're too kind ;u; Thanks so much for playing and giving feedback! I really appreciate it. I hope you like the full game just as much as you like the demo! And to answer your question, yes, each character does have an epilogue! Maybe more than one? c;
1. What did you think overall?
I really, really love it so far! The writing is so humorous and engaging, and I really love Ash's personality. Overall, I really love the customization options! It really makes you feel like you can be the character, and make the adventure your own! I also love the way Ash and the rest of the characters change depending on the race you pick (my personal favorite is Shika!) The art and soundtrack are really good and overall I just really love the game so far!
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
I'm honestly in love with all of the characters so I'm really excited about romancing all of them! But I think I'm going to go for Raphael first because its so cute the way he takes everything so literally.
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I haven't encountered any bugs or noticed any typos
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
I can't wait to learn more about the Shika in particular since they seem so mysterious, and I hope to learn more about their culture! I also would love to see some good ol banter and friendship between the party because its a weakness of mine (example: Dragon Age and Fire Emblem! Those games did such a good job with developing friendships and relationships between companions and I loved it~)
5. Other comments or suggestions?
Honestly, the game is amazing already so I don't have too many suggestions, but maybe for the part where you pick the food choices provide a little bit of a description or name of the food? Because some of them I could tell what it was but others weren't as clear. Not a big deal though since its not a big part of the game/story. Amazing job so far, can't wait for the full game! Thanks for making this and sharing it! <3
6. Would you want an in game jukebox for the soundtrack?
In game jukebox sounds like a cool feature, so yeah! But if it's a lot of extra work to implement its not really needed so don't worry about it too much!
Oh man, thank you so much for the nice feedback! I'm always so self-conscious about my comedy stuff so it's wonderful to hear you find it engaging. I am also a big fan of dragon age, it's a big inspiration for me! One day I hope I can make something half as good ;u;
Many people have mentioned the bread, so I'll try and make that a little easier to understand!
Thanks again for your comments, and I hope you like the full game even more!
Hi, just wanted to let you know the itch.io app won't download this because it says it's not available for windows? even though I can see you have a demo for pc right there
Ah, thanks for letting me know. I had this issue before and think I know how to fix it. Try it now!
Sweet! It works. Thank you!
No problem! Hope you enjoy c:
I played the damn demo like 5 times, so yeah I like it a lot. So thanks, you're awesome.
I'm really excited for the TOP SECRET content by the way.
Also not really a typo, but there was a missing space in the text you get when you give Rafael chocolate bread. There should be one between 'probably' and 'should'
Thanks so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. I am excited for the top secret content to no longer be secret, so let me know what you think when you find it!
Thanks for the typo note, found and fixed!
I don't have much to say since everything I thought of has already been said.
1. What did you think overall?
I really enjoyed it.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
Rafael is my favourite so far.
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
No.
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
Uncovering more of the story and learning more about the characters.
5. Other comments or suggestions?
One problem I had with the game was the font used. I found it difficult to read because the letter "d" looked like an "o" with an accent over it to me. It took me much longer to read everything because I kept misreading words. Another thing that slightly bugged me was how confusing all the options were. It was hard to know what I was selecting when there was only an image. Maybe there could be some text by the options to make it easier to understand? For example, when Ash teases Braums about forgetting their name, the text for that option could say "snarky" or something like that. Or if you don't want to have text, maybe use images that are easier to understand.
Edit: I saw your comment about having a tutorial to show the different meanings of the symbols and I think that would help greatly.
Thank you for your feedback! I'm sorry the font was an issue for you. I hope the tutorial will help with the choices, and that you enjoy the full game!
The font was an issue for me as well. It was really hard to read and eventually gave me a headache. Maybe it would be possibe to have an option to have a different font?
I looked into it, and have figured out how to provide an option to change the font. I hope this makes the game a bit more convenient for you! Since I figured out how, I thought I'd put in more options just for fun. The other font option looks like this, please let me know if it's easier to read:
Yes! That is much better! Thank you so much!
Took more time than I thought since I was busy, but I’m done with the demo! Well, I did try only one background, but I usually stick with one choice forever in things like that, so yeah, that’s fine. Well, I’ll answer your questions now!
1. What did you think overall?
I really loved the game a lot. I’m brimming with happiness that it has the same setting as Arena Circus – I like playing more than one game in the same setting so I can discover more aspects of the world. Very excited about the newly introduced species too, and happy that I can choose which one to play.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
This is a surprise even for me but… all of them? It doesn’t happen often, but I love the three of them a lot. Rafael is my type – I like awkward characters like him a lot. Braums is very cute and I’m overall curious about him. And Paris… well, this is the biggest mystery as I usually hate childhood friend romances (except if the friendship has gone awry and it’s also about reconstructing it, which isn’t the case here) and I usually hate that kind of flirty characters… and yet, I still like him a lot, and I love how he and Ash interact. Maybe it’s the fact Ash is so unaffected by his shameless flirting XD
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I’ve spotted one thing that strikes me as awkward – on the species selection screen, if you pick a cubi, the backstory says “Ash was abandoned in Belldale when they were an orphan (…)” – didn’t you want to say that they are an orphan, abandoned it Belldale when they were a child or something like that? Maybe it’s just me…
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
Hard to tell, honestly. I don’t really know what to expect from the game – it’s pretty mysterious as of now – I have a hard time predicting how the adventure would flow. I guess I may like to see bad ending styled game overs. I mean, the main characters are doing something obviously dangerous with no prior experience because they don’t know better. Things can go in a bad direction very quickly, and I like to see the consequences of bad choices in games. Seeing some heartbreaking bad endings or game overs makes the good endings even better – it’s like, you see the good outcome after seeing how bad things may have unfolded. It makes them taste even better.
5. Other comments or suggestions?
As I said before, I really like the fact you’re able to choose the gender and species of the main character, and how it affects the story. Of course, since I’ve played with only one main character, I don’t know the exact differences, but I’ve seen lot of dialogue exclusive to the species I’ve chosen – the shika. I must add I love the shika – they’re beautiful and so interesting – I’m genuinely interested in knowing more about the species as a whole, and playing Ash as a shika is a good way I think.
As for not so good things, I’m somewhat confused by the choice system, to be honest. I hated the bakery choice for example – I was outright confused as of wtf are these choices I don’t understand it haha. I mean, unless you’ve seen this specific food presented in this specific way, you won’t know what is it. It would work if Ash was clueless about it too, and if you choose blindly only by the looks of it, but they seemed to know what said food was. I had to pick every one of them, see what Ash says about what it is, and then go back to my choice and so on, and only after that pick my actual answer. Not having at least the name of the product was a bit of a hassle, honestly. The “regular” choice icons confuse me too, but somehow I managed.
A question now! Since the game seems to have the same setting as Arena Circus, I’m curious… where are the humans? It may be a coincidence, but I didn’t see any human in the descriptions all along – all the characters I’ve met were described as cubi, shika or reaver. Obviously, if it’s something important and a spoiler, don’t feel like you must answer me XD
Also, will you actually get to choose the routes you’ll travel? Braums asked Ash to choose the safest route, and I’m wondering if the players will actually be able to choose the path they’ll travel, which would determine what will be happening during their time on the roads.
Oh yeah, and last one, is this a free game? Just want to know if I have to prepare some spare money haha! I mean, it says it's free, but Arena Circus is free and yet you can pay for bonus content.
Anyway, except for the choice system I’ve really liked the demo! Can’t wait to play the full version!
I'm glad you liked it! It's not /quite/ the same setting as Arena Circus, it's actually how I imagine the past of the world to be. So it's not really a spoiler, the reason there are no Cubi or Shika is that they're extinct, and humans haven't evolved yet. I'm so glad to hear you like all the characters! I love them all so much. Same with me for the flirty thing, I don't usually like giant flirts like that, but Paris stole my heart ahh.
OH MAN I can't believe I wrote that xD thank you for catching it. I'll fix that ASAP.
I'm sorry you don't like the choice system! I wanted to try something a little different. As for the bakery, that's the only choice styled that particular way, I just really wanted to draw bread. I also forget that not every place has the same kind of bread as here so it's not quite as obvious haha.
As for the routes you travel, I'll tell you now you don't. The story is fairly linear, with the exception of the endings of course.
And yes, it will be free.
Thank you as always for the feedback! I hope you enjoy the full game. ^^
Thank you! And thanks for answering about the species thing! It's so sad the shika and cubi are extinct now, man. Oh and by the way, when I say same setting, I mostly mean the same universe - not necessarily the same period. Not that this is really important since you answered anyway haha
No problem! I'm glad you noticed actually xD And yeah, the more I write about them all, Reavers included, the more I want to just really delve into their history and culture but like I've got a plot to write xD Arena Circus used to have a feature with these playing cards you could find all over the world that had lore on them, but I took it out at the last minute. Maybe I'll add it back in when I eventually finish the game.
Oh, that feature sounds nice - I'd definitely love it! I'm a sucker for lore, especially if the universe is interesting and have a rich history
1. What did you think overall?
I loved the demo it was so much more enjoyable then I was expecting. I really loved the backgrounds for Ash and how it added so much personality for every play through.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
Rafael hands down. I was laughing at a lot of his scenes and it made me excited to see his route through. Side note I kinda feel like we didn't get much time to really know Braums from the demo so while I enjoyed his character so far I don't have as much attachment to him as the others.
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I think I did every option at least once except being the male ash. The only thing I ever caught was right before naming the guild the scene between Rafael and Paris I'm pretty sure it says angel instead of angle.
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
Probably more world building I love the way it's set up so far and I'm can't wait to see how Ash is gonna interact with the world through the various backgrounds.
5. Other comments or suggestions?
Kinda said it in the character part with Braums. Otherwise I'm very excited for this game.
Thanks for the typo shout out, it has been fixed! I really appreciate the feedback. I was worried that there was a lack of Braums in the intro, so I’ll see what I can do about that before the full release. Thanks again and I hope you like what comes next just as much!
1. What did you think overall?
I really loved the demo! I enjoyed all of the characters, and I can tell Ash is going to be very fun to play as. I was a little confused about the symbols, but the comments helped me out, I think it's a really cool idea but it definitely needs a tutorial.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
A hard choice, but I'm really curious about Rafael! All of his dialogue was a treat to read and anyone who loves chocolate automatically gets points with me.
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
Nope!
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
Hmm...I know this is a romance game, but I'd like to see more of the boys bonding a bit with each other too. I'm as weak for friendship as I am for romance,,, Also more lore, I'm assuming with how extensive a world you've built there will be lots to learn, and I'm looking forward to it!
5. Other comments or suggestions?
I'm really looking forward to March 20th now! I'm super curious about how the story is gonna progress in the full game.
Thank you for the feedback! I will definitely include a tutorial in the full game. c: I’m so happy you enjoyed the demo, and that you like Rafael. I wasn’t sure how his character would go over really so it’s great to see so many people like him! I’m also glad you brought up friendship, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
Thanks again for playing the demo, and I hope you like the full game just as much.
1. What did you think overall?
Really enjoyed the demo! I'm supposed to be in bed because I have work in the morning but I put it off for this instead. Played through twice and some change. Once as a Reaver and once as a Shika. I already commented on the dialogue symbols below, so besides being a little unsure of what they all meant, I did enjoy that style of dialogue.
2. Which character are you most excited about romancing?
Rafael! Although, I had a heck of a time trying to get his picture to light up as a Reaver. I could only get it to light up when I ran through as a Shika. Are the romances race locked, because if so that's a bummer. :c
3. Did you find any bugs/typos?
I had a error screen pop up once when I tried to save but I haven't been able to get it to happen again to copy the error message.
I also had an odd bug where I went back to the main menu while waiting for the interview and the tavern crowd background music did not end like it should have.
4. What would you like to see most in the full game?
Hard to say without knowing more about the game? I definitely enjoy the humor sprinkled through out, so more of that. Plus, romance. The sappier the better, because I'm a huge romantic. XD
5. Other comments or suggestions?
The first time I went through the demo I almost named the guild "The Guild" because I literally couldn't think of anything. XD The second time, I nearly died laughing because I changed my dialogue choice during that scene and got Rafael's suggestion. Had me rolling! I went with his suggestion that time. You should totally sneak in an extra bit of dialogue there if the player goes with "Guide" as the guild name.
Really looking forward to the full game!
Thanks for the feedback! Yes, the romances are locked, each character can be romanced by two of the three races. Aside from it making sense from a story perspective as far as Ash's different backgrounds in those cases, I had practical reasons for it as well in regards to writing and programming. Sorry!
I'm so glad you like Rafael! When I was first going through I wrote his route last, and as such I was sure that I wouldn't like it as much as I had the other two, but he really surprised me. I hope you enjoy it c;
I'll see if I can reproduce those errors, thanks for letting me know!
Don't worry, sappy romance is what I live for :D
Ha! That's a good idea... hehehe
Okay so I found the error you mentioned and fixed it! I also looked into the sound effects thing, but I haven't found any documentation about how to fix it. I did make the crowd sound effect shorter, because it was much too long to begin with. Hopefully this will solve the problem in another way. Thanks again!
Aah, I'm not the type, but I've enjoyed it so much I'll leave an ACTUAL FEEDBACK.
Incredible.
So anyway...
1. Overall, it looks pretty sweet. And can I say I simply adore the background thing? I was actually pretty surprised at how much it changes in the game, especially your relationship with Paris. And I can't really say which one origin is a vanilla one, because every and each of them seem similarly developed.
2. Hm, I'm rather partial to Reaver!Ash/Paris dynamic - the snark is strong in this one.
3. No typoes, no sir!
4. In the full game I'd like to see full game - nothing more, nothing less.
5. I was slightly confused about dialogue thing? Kinda reminded me of Fallout 4 and it's "sarcastic" dialogue option. Perhaps if I was sure what every icon meant, it would be easier to gauge, but I'm not confident I got that right.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I'm really glad you enjoyed the backgrounds, I was hoping it would add an extra layer to gameplay. I am also a fan of Reaver!Ash/Paris, they might be my favorite. As for the dialogue, I've never played fallout 4 so I can't be sure, but I was basing it on the emotion based decisions from the Dragon Age series. I was thinking about including a short tutorial about the emotions tied to every icon, do you think that would enhance the gameplay?
I'm only part way through the demo right now, and came back here looking for an explanation on what the different symbols meant. I would definitely say some sort of tutorial or even just a descriptor displayed with the icon would help a lot. That being said, what /do/ all the symbols stand for?
Thank you for saying so! I'll definitely add that in.
Here's a little cheatsheet in advance:
The purple speech bubbles: anger
The stars: Funny
The lightbulb: Logical
The hearts: Flirty
The wings: Gentle
Yeah, the tutorial should do the trick. The icon give the basic ideas and it seems my guesses were right or at least close enough, but having confirmation is nice.
I named my guild "WE ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOO GAY" :v
best decision ever made :v
LOL omg just picturing Rafael saying that with confidence
that scene where they announce the other guilds they got hired was the best one, it was like they where announcing their gaynnes :v
"go home everyone, WE ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GAY................. just got hired" :v
anyways, good game :v
Aaaah so excited now! It looks soooo so cool! Gonna test it this night and answer the question after that haha
Ah thanks for your continued support! I hope you enjoy it :D
Really really fun!! Can't wait for the full version!
Ahh I'm so happy to hear that! I hope you enjoy it. Also good to know that the demo isn't breaking ;u;
aaaah looks pretty good! c:
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the full game when it's released. (: