Ren'Py Desert Stalker [v0.19.4] [Zetan]

[X|Mortis]

Regardless, the eating will always be good

~ In more ways than one

 

[Leinad_Sevla]

View attachment 4960115

~ In more ways than one

While we are hungry, Emilia is really thirsty.

 

[X|Mortis]

While we are hungry, Emilia is really thirsty.

As Emilia's kin thirst for the snow and ice of their motherland, Emilia's thirst for the cock of Zaton is and always will be insatiable

 

[HennKyun]

I wonder if the creator(s) have any plans for when they finish Desert Stalker. I hope they somehow extend and expand the universe as much as possible, this is the most immersion I've felt in an erotic VN. There's so much that could be done in this universe. It's really rare for me to enjoy even the minor characters to such a degree.

 

[Ebonheart (FR)]

I wonder if the creator(s) have any plans for when they finish Desert Stalker. I hope they somehow extend and expand the universe as much as possible, this is the most immersion I've felt in an erotic VN. There's so much that could be done in this universe. It's really rare for me to enjoy even the minor characters to such a degree.

I'm not sure the dev is thinking that far ahead just yet. ^^ There’s probably still a lot to develop and explore in Desert Stalker before even considering a new game or expanding this fictional world with another installment. The idea of a connected multiverse can be tempting as a way to keep players interested, but you still need to have engaging stories to tell and a solid framework to hold everything together. Otherwise, you risk getting lost in the complexity or disappointing the audience.

I’d say that linked stories within a shared universe, connected through characters, themes, or recurring elements from one VN to another, rarely feel fully satisfying. I understand the appeal, both for players and for a dev who might want to stay in familiar territory, but to me it’s not always the best choice, especially if it comes at the expense of creativity and fresh ideas.

In my opinion, successful attempts at creating franchise-style AVNs are quite rare. There often isn’t much narrative payoff in tying different stories together within a single metaverse. Most of the time the connections are quite subtle, just little nods or references. And when too much effort is spent linking characters or plotlines, it can easily become confusing or messy.

That said, this is just my perspective on the whole thing. I can see why it attracts some people, even if I don’t think it’s always the smartest move, even when the temptation to do this kind of thing is strong.

For now, before thinking too far ahead to a future that still feels a bit distant and unclear, I prefer to just enjoy what the story and its characters have to offer in terms of content. There’s probably still plenty left to tell to keep us engaged, and some really sexy scenes to show us under the egyptian sun. I’m happy to take things as they come and savor what’s already there before looking too far ahead.

 

[Machete]

I wonder if the creator(s) have any plans for when they finish Desert Stalker. I hope they somehow extend and expand the universe as much as possible, this is the most immersion I've felt in an erotic VN. There's so much that could be done in this universe. It's really rare for me to enjoy even the minor characters to such a degree.

I would be surprised if he hasn't any idea about how the story will progress and end, but we really are nowhere any close to that. The story and the setting are still mostly building up.

Now i'll be very impopular.

Since it will take several years still, we might not even see an ending.

So far Zetan have been a fast, prolific and exceptionally reliable developer that release frequent updates that are crazy rich in content. Yet, you can never know how things will be in 2 years, 3 years, 5 years... At a certain point he might not be able to continue and the game either would get a rushed ending or be abandoned.

This is not meant to be a critic to a developer that i sincerely admire. It's just a frank consideration.

 

[Ebonheart (FR)]

I would be surprised if he hasn't any idea about how the story will progress and end, but we really are nowhere any close to that. The story and the setting are still mostly building up.

Now i'll be very impopular.

Since it will take several years still, we might not even see an ending.

So far Zetan have been a fast, prolific and exceptionally reliable developer that release frequent updates that are crazy rich in content. Yet, you can never know how things will be in 2 years, 3 years, 5 years... At a certain point he might not be able to continue and the game either would get a rushed ending or be abandoned.

This is not meant to be a critic to a developer that i sincerely admire. It's just a frank consideration.

You take a somewhat pragmatic approach, maybe even a bit pessimistic, but it still comes across as fairly realistic in this case, even though all of this remains quite hypothetical for now.

On the other hand, there’s still a lot left to do and explore in this game, which feels like it’s just getting started or beginning to branch out into multiple potential directions and storylines. Because of this, it seems a bit premature to start speculating about future games or even a possible expanded Desert Stalker universe from Zetan.

When it comes to the game’s production, anything can happen. Unfortunately, there are plenty of examples of games that never reached full completion or were sadly abandoned for various reasons. Still, the best approach is probably to wait and see how things unfold.

For now, development appears to be moving forward steadily and reasonably. Zetan hasn’t given us any reason to believe he’ll stop halfway through, and no signs have appeared that might force him to do so.

So for the time being, let’s enjoy the game while we can. At this point, there’s little doubt that development should continue at the same steady pace. ^^

 

[Monty10]

So basically last 2 updates is just bugfix and improve graphics nothing new contents?

 

[The Senior Perv]

So basically last 2 updates is just bugfix and improve graphics nothing new contents?

If you're talking about the .2 or .3 versions, then yes. Those are the ones that come after the update is released and the dev fixes bugs and other things.

However, you could always see the change log and check the new content of the update. There's always new content added in the newly releases, not just bug fixes or remastered scenes.

 

[Machete]

You take a somewhat pragmatic approach, maybe even a bit pessimistic, but it still comes across as fairly realistic in this case, even though all of this remains quite hypothetical for now.

Yeah, i'm not saying it's gonna happen. So far Zetan have been one of the all time most reliable developers on this forum. It's just a possibility and the chance of it grows with time passing. But for now there is no worring sign whatsoever, apart, maybe, the fact that after all this years the setting is still deploying.
But maybe it's just kinda more of an adventure of the week type of storytelling than a big one plot.

 

[Ebonheart (FR)]

Yeah, i'm not saying it's gonna happen. So far Zetan have been one of the all time most reliable developers on this forum. It's just a possibility and the chance of it grows with time passing. But for now there is no worring sign whatsoever, apart, maybe, the fact that after all this years the setting is still deploying.
But maybe it's just kinda more of an adventure of the week type of storytelling than a big one plot.

I want to reassure you that I understood what you expressed in your post was meant as a conditional statement and not the opposite. You even seemed to have corrected yourself a bit by choosing your words carefully to present your assumption.

I don’t know if time alone is a good indicator to evaluate the viability of a project like this. Since I’m not familiar with Zetan’s working conditions and can only judge the game based on what’s released, it seems normal to me that if Zetan is a solo dev, a project this ambitious would naturally take time to take shape.

Regarding your last point, I’m not really sure what the developer has planned for the story moving forward. It could be a more linear and perhaps shorter narrative or, as I get the impression, diverse arcs or plotlines of varying importance that could come together in the long run.

But yes, like you, I feel the story is just beginning to open up and, for me, branch out in different directions. So it’s hard to say what its final form will be.

 

[Fairlight0306]

Yeah, i'm not saying it's gonna happen. So far Zetan have been one of the all time most reliable developers on this forum. It's just a possibility and the chance of it grows with time passing. But for now there is no worring sign whatsoever, apart, maybe, the fact that after all this years the setting is still deploying.
But maybe it's just kinda more of an adventure of the week type of storytelling than a big one plot.

Imo the big one plot is clearly his ex master "king of ghouls" one but let's say the dev it's in no hurry to develop it...

 

[X|Mortis]

I wonder if the creator(s) have any plans for when they finish Desert Stalker. I hope they somehow extend and expand the universe as much as possible, this is the most immersion I've felt in an erotic VN. There's so much that could be done in this universe. It's really rare for me to enjoy even the minor characters to such a degree.

I think there is certainly potential in expanding the world of Desert Stalker to consider other interrelated plotlines between other side characters apart from Zaton and his family.

The post-apocalyptic society of Zeta is vast and mysterious. So, I am sure there will be some interesting side plot lines or narratives that would complement the main storylines of Zaton and his family.

But as others have pointed out, we do want to be careful about how much content we introduce as part of the broader Zetaverse as we could run the risk of diluting the main plot and/or encountering any unresolved plotlines that could impact the overall flow of the narrative in a sense.

But it's an interesting idea nonetheless.


^ Also, not sure if everyone has listened to this specific soundtrack from DS yet, but I honestly have to say that it's quite nice to listen to.

I've actually put it on in the background while doing my IRL job, and have to say it helps me concentrate a bit with some of my tasks at work from time to time

It's got that distinct desert/apocalpytic vibe to it. Very mysterious/cloak and dagger-like, like you're investigating the premises of an old abandoned/ancient fort in the desert. Great theme overall, I must say.

 

[Ebonheart (FR)]

Imo the big one plot is clearly his ex master "king of ghouls" one but let's say the dev it's in no hurry to develop it...

Right now, I think the game’s story revolves around a few main plots :

First, the old master of Zaton leads the decayed and is looking for a lost ancient weapon or artifact, which might cause a fight with Zeta. Then, there are power struggles between Zeta and other groups (Zekmet's Legion, the Hive ?, raider factions ? desert tribes ?, maybe foreign factions ?).

After that, the mutants are a challenge where you have to decide whether to team up with them or fight against them to bring them into Zeta or get the other groups to accept them.

Finally, political tensions happen with the queen and other court factions, along with hidden city secrets that keep society strict and controlled. I believe this sums up most of the main stakes and plot lines in the Desert Stalker story.

But the story with the old master might become even more important if what he says is true. He could be searching for a way to fight the strange weather, anomalies, and other effects linked to the previous civilization that caused the original cataclysm. That said, what he really wants to do is uncertain. I suspect he may be hiding darker intentions. ^^

 

[X|Mortis]

But the story with the old master might become even more important if what he says is true. He could be searching for a way to fight the strange weather, anomalies, and other effects linked to the previous civilization that caused the original cataclysm. That said, what he really wants to do is uncertain. I suspect he may be hiding darker intentions. ^^

We haven't seen enough of Abrax's plot line in a while. That quest is still undergoing some development, no doubt, but I hope to see more progress on that piece of the overarching plot.

But I have a sneaking suspicion that Abrax is trying to locate something or revive someone. Whether it is an ancient artifact or the resurrection of some kind of entity of sorts, the outcome of what he is trying to achieve is still unclear.

The decayed do give me some kind of cultish vibes in a sense. As does the Hive faction.

Whatever Abrax is trying to achieve, it certainly has something to do with what Shani found while she was exploring the Zone

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[Ebonheart (FR)]

We haven't seen enough of Abrax's plot line in a while. That quest is still undergoing some development, no doubt, but I hope to see more progress on that piece of the overarching plot.

But I have a sneaking suspicion that Abrax is trying to locate something or revive someone. Whether it is an ancient artifact or the resurrection of some kind of entity of sorts, the outcome of what he is trying to achieve is still unclear.

The decayed do give me some kind of cultish vibes in a sense. As does the Hive faction.

Whatever Abrax is trying to achieve, it certainly has something to do with what Shani found while she was exploring the Zone

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

This plot has been stalled for quite a while, even though it is probably one of the key stories that could reveal important mysteries about this world, which is unfortunate. I recall the old master mentioning his goal to find other artifacts, and I think he had already discovered some similar ones, maybe parts of a larger puzzle or some kind of device.

If the story involves bringing someone back to life, which I doubt, it might be a scientist connected to that secret project mentioned in the ruins Shani explored for Lord Abrax.

I have the impression that the ancient civilization’s project could be causing the region’s harsh climate, maybe it is a weapon, and that the ancestors purposely kept these secrets hidden.

Both groups feel cult like, and seem equally dark and dangerous to the other factions in this world.

 

[X|Mortis]

I have the impression that the ancient civilization’s project could be causing the region’s harsh climate, maybe it is a weapon, and that the ancestors of Zeta purposely kept these secrets hidden.

Yeah whatever the scientists were experimenting with before the cataclysm was compelling Abrax to uncover more of what those experiments were. Mayhaps Abrax found and/or encountered something when he took his long walk, and what he experienced compelled him to seek a new purpose in life.

The scientist's old pre-apocalypse experiments might have been just what he wanted to focus on after his experience with the long walk.

Either way, it seemed like the scientists were doing some experiments with the weather, or whatever experiments they were doing brought upon the extreme sandstorm weather events that plagues Zeta from time to time.

Both groups feel cult like, and seem equally dark and dangerous to the other factions in this world.

I guess that we will encounter even more dangerous and evil cults as the story progresses.

 

[X|Mortis]

In other news, gotta say, the Sapa Ambient track in-game is quite relaxing to listen to....

Otherworldly, yet gives off a serene sensation of tranquillity. The calm after the storm, so to speak, when the dust starts to settle and the sun begins to rise in the sky after the dreariness of the dark, harsh, cold, and unforgiving night has passed.

 

[Leinad_Sevla]

As Emilia's kin thirst for the snow and ice of their motherland, Emilia's thirst for the cock of Zaton is and always will be insatiable

It´s the white liquid that comes out, reminds her of the snow back home.

^ Also, not sure if everyone has listened to this specific soundtrack from DS yet, but I honestly have to say that it's quite nice to listen to.

The OST´s of this game are some of the best. They really the right vibe to the scene in question. I particularly like the OST that plays when you´re in the Zaton´s home. I don´t know it´s name though.

 

[X|Mortis]

particularly like the OST that plays when you´re in the Zaton´s home

You mean this one?

the white liquid that comes out, reminds her of the snow back home

Well, soon enough, Emilia will be receiving so much white liquid of joy that she will be able to make snow angels out of it all