Ren'Py Desert Stalker [v0.16b] [Zetan]

[dumbass55]

well.. we don't want that!.. maybe in your case, consider turning it off

Eh, I don't really mind. I like sad music sometimes.

 

[Cryptist]

Disclaimer: before (generic)you read the following message, know that it is written from a place of absolute peace, with a smile on my face and a fair bit of tongue in cheek. Also, this reflects my views, not necessarily those of Zetan, who has ultimate say on anything that happens in the game, and I fully stand behind that.
Also know that this is not addressed at you in particular but more a generic statement towards the attitude I have observed many people have on the forum. Not trying to devalue their opinions or desires either..or their motives to play and wants from a game, just pointing out how their perspective might clash with my views on the matter.

Yep.. that was just the disclaimer.. I'm longwinded, I know, deal with it.

Here goes:

Spoiler: spoilered for wall of text

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Well said, that man.

I am perfectly willing to let you both tell the story. I really have enjoyed what you have toldbso far, and how you have structured the game operationally.

My only wishes are that saves continue to work through what I hope will be many iterations for some long time to come, and that this finely wrought story mainly progresses with minimal need to restart. (Whenever I have had to do that, I have been grateful for a functional skip.)

 

[Kellermann]

- After playing episode 1 (my new favourite game!! I can be Mad Max in Egypt!!)
- After playing episode 2 (excellent continuation)
- After playing episode 3 (preferred original Ain, but it's all good)
- After hearing about the possible protagonist change (concerning, but I'm fairly open-minded)
- After reading editor's post (uh, ok -- nervous sweating)

 

[Cynicaladm]

- After playing episode 1 (my new favourite game!! I can be Mad Max in Egypt!!)
- After playing episode 2 (excellent continuation)
- After playing episode 3 (preferred original Ain, but it's all good)
- After hearing about the possible protagonist change (concerning, but I'm fairly open-minded)
- After reading editor's post (uh, ok -- nervous sweating)

I'm fairly confident that the game will remain in your good graces, if you've liked it so far.. we're not going to revolutionise anything and, as I said, that's just my take.. I have a fairly small impact on where the overall story goes

 

[Akifai]

First and foremost, the dev team should undoubtedly make the game the way that they want to. Having said that, there should also be no surprise when support for this game becomes a battleground for those who approve the direction, and those who don't.

I've seen this many times on this site where support for a game goes to shit because people didn't like the direction that things are going.

The praise, and support that is going on right now is solely based on the initial experience that the player is receiving. It's a good taste, they want more of it, build on that, and the dev will gain more support, and money. However, change the recipe too much and the opposite can happen.

Just look at the posts above where there are already people wondering about the direction of how things might go. Hopefully, this game will continue to build on a pleasing experience for the player.

 

[Naxos]

Disclaimer: before (generic)you read the following message, know that it is written from a place of absolute peace, with a smile on my face and a fair bit of tongue in cheek. Also, this reflects my views, not necessarily those of Zetan, who has ultimate say on anything that happens in the game, and I fully stand behind that.
Also know that this is not addressed at you in particular but more a generic statement towards the attitude I have observed many people have on the forum. Not trying to devalue their opinions or desires either..or their motives to play and wants from a game, just pointing out how their perspective might clash with my views on the matter.

Yep.. that was just the disclaimer.. I'm longwinded, I know, deal with it.

Here goes:

Spoiler: spoilered for wall of text

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A wall of text saying absolutely nothing of value. Are you a politician?

TLDR version, will your hopes, dreams and or fears about the direction come true? Yes, no, I don't know.

No disrespect intended and i have no idea what your involvement is, but all the post does is add more fuel to the fire about speculation.

I respect dev's right to put what they want in a game, even when it's stuff I don't like, however i hate certain dear i say critical questions being unanswered or ignored because "spoilers".

For me those important questions come in the form other dudes fucking the girls, or sharing or stuff like that. If that's going to be in the game, or like you hinted we control Shani and witness or even gloss over her sexual escapades with anyone other than her father, then this game goes in the dumpster for me and I move on.

Nothing is worse than being led on by a game and dev to be surprised with this stuff later because they wanted it kept secret. If you're putting it in, be a man and say so, if you don't know yet, admit it.

Having read the last 2 pages, I've gone from holy shit this game is awesome I can't wait for the next release, to um is this even something I'm want to become invested in?

Edit: Sorry if it sounds a little confrontational or demanding of answers, I just tend to get a little pessimistic at times and expect the worst.

 

[Capt Price]

For android...
Desert stalker v0.03

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[brendabrendson]

so...i just went to meet the elf at the market, had the encounter with the guy beating his slave, cut off his leg in the fight, and got another dagger thrown at me. but now it seems i cant progress any further. have i reached the end, or am i doing something wrong? (my only option are - Home, bedroom massage scene or sleep and after dinner titjob)

 

[Naxos]

so...i just went to meet the elf at the market, had the encounter with the guy beating his slave, cut off his leg in the fight, and got another dagger thrown at me. but now it seems i cant progress any further. have i reached the end, or am i doing something wrong? (my only option are - Home, bedroom massage scene or sleep and after dinner titjob)

I believe that is the end of the current content.

 

[Cynicaladm]

A wall of text saying absolutely nothing of value. Are you a politician?

I wish, I'm told there's good money in it...but no, I don't have the stomach for it.

If you're putting it in, be a man and say so, if you don't know yet, admit it.

I don't know.
As of today, everything is possible.

By this I mean that I truly don't know because nothing specific has yet been put on paper in that regard.

Apologies, I should have clarified: I am one of the 2 people involved in making the game, though Zetan has final say on every content and does most of the heavy lifting. I have some influence on the content and do a fair bit of scripting/editing, but not more influence than Zetan is willing to give me.

As for whether a scene might involve something you dislike or not, we are aware of what most of the players want; the possibility offered by multiple choice menus and by having specific scenes and narrations be non essential to the plot, and therefore entirely skippable, makes it so that we can navigate people's likes and dislikes.

A few pages ago, someone was saying they don't like repeat content. We have made repeat content be non essential to the continuation of the game (we don't do grind), so he's entirely free to not revisit those scenes.
No, this was not done to accommodate that person... it just happens that that was always the plan and was, in fact, already how the game was set up.
By the same mechanic, controversial or potentially "disliked" kinks or situations can easily be avoided by dint of multiple choice.

If you've seen the example I made in my post, I posit a problem or situation a, where there are multiple solutions to it.
Knowing that solution 1 might not be to everybody's liking, we also offer solution 2 and 3, just like in the prologue people were able to choose whether to "abuse" the raider take it easy on her, or ignore her altogether, according to their liking.
The example I wrote is really random, written on the spur of the moment.. when it comes to it, we will make such a situation evident and communicate clearly in the multiple choice menu what can be expected.

As long as we make it as easily identifiable as possible, I don't think we're deceiving anyone, especially when picking one path over the other does not in fact alter the plot of the game in any way. If once we've done that people still click on the option that most likely is going to lead to things they dislike, I feel like I don't really owe them any further explanation or excuse.

Say you dislike anal sex and the scene in the game you're playing offers a multiple choice
1) oral
2) cuddling
3) vaginal
4) anal
and the mechanics of the game are such that you don't have to go through all 4 of them to keep the game going...
Do you toss the entire game because 1 of the options is one you dislike and its mere existence offends you?
If your answer is yes.. then I don't know what to tell you... there's a non 0 chance that a year from now, maybe 2, we might include a kink that just happens not to be to your taste. it is also very likely that that kink will be entirely avoidable, if and when it appears.
If that remote possibility means you want to toss the game today.. I guess.. go ahead?
we can't tell you today if this will be the case because we simply don't know yet.

I CAN tell you for instance that it's very unlikely you'll ever see scat or yaoi, or the main character be submissive during sex, because it so happens that we've had this conversation and neither of us want those elements in the game. As for pretty much most other things, we don't know yet... one year from now we might decide to throw in something that today we haven't even thought of at all.
That said, On the whole, Zetan is fairly set on sticking to the tags that the game has in this thread.. and again, my previous post was mostly a personal rant

 

[Naxos]

I wish, I'm told there's good money in it...but no, I don't have the stomach for it.

<snip>

Thanks, I appreciate the reply.
I suspect you and I are similar is some ways when it comes to wanting to explain stuff.
One thing I'm struggling to learn and I think would be really helpful here is that less is more.

To be completely frank you should have left it, " By this I mean that I truly don't know because nothing specific has yet been put on paper in that regard. We're still looking a possible things."
Because the more you write the more speculation creeps in. I'm really not being and ass or anything, I just honestly think a less is more would work better here.

Obviously you or Zetan owe me nothing and I'm not the be all and end all of players, but I can just offer my reactions and thoughts as an example and sample of the player database.

Spoiler: Going off on a tanget about a specific kink

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[Naxos]

Really, dont worry about that. The theories and concerns really go way beyond my view of the word protagonist lol. The main character you played so far is the one who gets to bang. Next updates will give an example of what I mean. No bad surprises, promise.

If you're truly saying what I think you are... then my fears are for nothing and all is good. Hurry up with the next update again

 

[Cynicaladm]

If you're truly saying what I think you are... then my fears are for nothing and all is good. Hurry up with the next update again

you just got the last one, lol...

and I don't believe in less is more (that, and I suck at summarising)

 

[Naxos]

you just got the last one, lol...

and I don't believe in less is more (that, and I suck at summarising)

You know us leechous pirates... always want more. (Jokes aside, it is really a compliment, I mean if the game was shit or meh, wouldn't be asking for more right?)

I need some sexy time with Shani the eldest daughter. I know everyone else is going crazy over the youngest, but did you see that ass

Spoiler: I mean that ass! :love:

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You did see it right? The youngest has nothing on it.

Love the youngest's submissive attitude by the eldest is my favourite. Mom's not far behind. Hell I'll just take all 3.

Just for extra fun

Spoiler

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[Flanker69]

Fantastic game! This is one of a few games where I replay it to find out what will happen if I select other options. Level of arousal from this game is at 11

 

[Zenithtb]

I love the game, and the 'You can choose your path' etc, but I wish choices with consequences were better explained.

In *my* run [pre walk-through mod], I completely missed getting the slave girl, because I put too much thought into a prior choice - I thought keeping a race alive was more important than failing a mission for the Queen. I thought that race may have future missions, or may remember my being nice to them and save my life in some future scenario. Or may have some item essential to a future quest. Or any number of things.

But no, slaughter them all or miss a huge part of the game.

I am worried the game allows this to happen.

Also, with the Asian girl, I liked the Hard throw option, but later in this thread there was some discussion about that this can cause you big problems much later in the game. Are they really Options when the game can punish you so severely (without informing you) later on for not choosing the Right Option?

Also, the choices don't make direct sense (from the player's point of view) - if you don't kill the cannibals, you miss out on getting a slave girl. Please connect those dots without previous knowledge.

So maybe if you cut yourself out of some big part of the game by one choice, the game could work in another choice later allowing you to get it back (i.e, a different way to get the slave girl without having to kill the cannibals previously)?

Or just make it clearer which options change a stat [Dom+1] and which options drop huge chunks of game / will really fuck you over in three updates.

Apologies for the WoT.

 

[RedPillBlues]

The tag is not a mistake. I may have indicated it a bit too early however, sorry for that

Yeah thanks for the warning.

 

[Cynicaladm]

I love the game, and the 'You can choose your path' etc, but I wish choices with consequences were better explained.

In *my* run [pre walk-through mod], I completely missed getting the slave girl, because I put too much thought into a prior choice - I thought keeping a race alive was more important than failing a mission for the Queen. I thought that race may have future missions, or may remember my being nice to them and save my life in some future scenario. Or may have some item essential to a future quest. Or any number of things.

But no, slaughter them all or miss a huge part of the game.

I am worried the game allows this to happen.

Also, with the Asian girl, I liked the Hard throw option, but later in this thread there was some discussion about that this can cause you problems much later in the game. Are they really Options when the game can punish you so severely (without informing you) later on for not choosing the Right Option?

the simple answer to your questions is that we don't know yet exactly what choices you make will have unrecoverable consequences... because we haven't mapped out the entire plotline yet.. we have a generic idea of where we want to go, but that's it.
yes, some of the choices are final in that if you allow a girl to die, you won't see her again later in the game. whether that means you won't get to have hanky panky with her or you will miss out on bigger concerns is, at this stage, undefined (both because it's not on paper and because we don't want to give away the bigger picture until we can show it)...
on the whole, I can say that the prudent thing to do is to try and keep the girls alive if and when you can.

finally, let's say the death of a character blocks the MC from having access to a group of people, or a location.. it does not make the game end early..it just shifts the action somewhere else... yes, you will miss out on some content.
all it means is that you can always play the game again, make a different choice and see different chapters of the game.

will there be playthroughs where you can see and enjoy all or most of the content? probably yes, but we're still defining it, so it's early even for a walkthrough to indicate what the best course of action is.

I'd say explore. see what works.. have a couple of different saves, and see what happens in the following updates.

eventually, there will be walkthroughs that give the optimal and most complete experience..but this is not a VN and the outcomes will still be different, most likely.. but we're talking about things that may come to fruition in a couple of years, so.. early days.

 

[Paz]

Also, with the Asian girl, I liked the Hard throw option, but later in this thread there was some discussion about that this can cause you big problems much later in the game. Are they really Options when the game can punish you so severely (without informing you) later on for not choosing the Right Option?

Why not play the game the way you prefer and see where that leads you? It's half the fun.
Also, the part I quoted is factually wrong. Will there be down the line? Who knows, but that's not one of them.

 

[Zenithtb]

the simple answer to your questions is <Snip>

OK, thanks for replying, but will you also consider what I mentioned?;

• Identify choices that have big consequences with suggestions of what that is [can be retrofitted for new players as the plot gets nailed down]. I.E *Warning* This can lead to you missing out on X / May lead to a girl's death.
• Make choice -> Consequence make more sense. For example, "You didn't wash the windows of the villa, so you didn't see the hunter lay the bear trap, which when GirlX tripped she fell into and was decapitated. You failed to protect GirlX" is not a fair Choice -> Consequence path.
• Give players another chance if they've locked themselves out (i.e. acquiring a girl). Maybe get an additional mission marker, when visited allows you to discover previously locked content in an organic manner. Obviously this excludes death, but also that death should be warned ahead of time.

IDK. I just dislike it when one seemingly simple Preference choice* works its way out to unrelated / unexpected events [see No Kill Cannibals = No Slave Girl]. It makes me not want to take chances / not play until I have the current version's walk-through in front of me.

*I.E; you think you're increasing your Dominate stat, but really you've alienated a whole group of people, locked out half the map and lost three additional girls. Or something.

--

Addendum: "finally, let's say the death of a character blocks the MC from having access to a group of people, or a location.. it does not make the game end early..it just shifts the action somewhere else... yes, you will miss out on some content.
all it means is that you can always play the game again, make a different choice and see different chapters of the game. "

But if you don't know you did that, why should you ever go back? Maybe have some character make a reference to the lost content so it's possible to have a "Hold on - did I do something wrong?" moment - "I heard the Queen was gonna give you a reeeeeally cute slave girl if you succeeded in that mission. Shame you pissed her off, man!" or something?

Also, as someone else said "I wouldn't care so much if I didn't like the game so much", so there's that.