Steam Update 27
We got into the new content this week and continued to look at the replies we received on our information request, so a lot has been happening. First of all, we won’t be updating the game again until January or February. That update will include at least three scenes. We had one big marathon scene with 1.08 that sets up a lot of fun in the next few scenes, so the next update won’t be as long, but it will contain more action.
Second, thanks to everyone who responded to our request for information. Your votes and your comments are all much appreciated and have helped us to gain a better sense of focus on a problem we've been having. The central issue appears to be not so much about wildness as it is degrees of realism. I think that’s where the frustration comes from for some players because the realism comes and goes. There are times in the game where Steph’s behavior is surprising for a married woman and not realistic. We’re doing that on purpose of course, and most players seem to really like it. But it is significantly detracting from the game for players who want a more realistic experience. It also leads to a muted response from the MC’s regarding those behaviors which compounds the effect. He’s already very sigma so the story works, and muting his reactions further so the whole game is not one big long fight pushes it too far for some.
This is an issue mostly in the early game, and then we've already addressed it to a certain extent in the middle. After Steph’s inflection moment, her confession, it’s not an issue. Steph says at the end of her confession that she’s not going to push things too far anymore. Right after that, the player has a choice menu to reframe the relationship. After the twist, the game has always been designed to be as wild or calm as you want it leading into the final reveal.
There are several ways we can address this, so we're still considering what to do about it. A single switch at the start of the game would be the easiest, but there are other things we can do within the scope of what already exists in the game. The more interesting approach would be to incorporate a variable (the dom1 variable) into the Friday night scene and basically put the MC in the position of convincing his wife to go wild. I think people who want a more realistic experience would appreciate Steph saying, "What? I'm you're wife . . . not some bar slut!" Similarly, I think the people seeking the unrealistic experience would enjoy the challenge of corrupting her. I think this would also help in the mid game where we have some opt out options which I've felt were just a little off. I feel this "you have to earn it" approach would ensure that people wanting to avoid the more unrealistic behaviors will easily be able to do that and end up where they want to be with an increased level of respect for both Steph and the MC.
As I have said elsewhere, we are not going to deal with this in 1.09. The next update will be focused on new content. But we will address it because now that I see it clearly, it really bugs me. I want the people seeking a more unhinged and unrealistic experience to have that, but at the same time I want those seeking a more realistic experience to have that as well. So we have some ideas on what to do, and none of it is going to significantly add to what we need to do in terms of finishing the game.
And finally, Happy Holidays to all! We won’t have another news update until after New Year’s. At that point these will start coming once every two weeks. Best wishes to everyone and thanks again for joining us here in Early Access.
