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

[Cynicaladm]

Spoiler

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We fixed both of these issues in the patch.. and by "we" I mean Paz. Download the patch and it should not happen again.

(Trust me, I'm not happy its suddenly got included either. Hopefully Dev takes note of the fan backlash with the multiple pages of deleted posts from fans not liking the new options, but luckily its avoidable and we will have to wait and see if this is a one time thing or will continue to come up in the future.)

If I am allowed to toot our own horn on this occasion, I would like to take the chance of pointing out something... (not specifically answering to your concern but kind of in a generic way).
I have played games with particular kinks or fetishes blocked behind a "do not want to see it", where the locked thing still happens in universe... and can be referred to afterwards by the characters... others were the player decides a priori not to include the possibility of these things happening in the game.
Our way of handling sexy times is such that step by step, the player, by way of the MC is in control....and I mean "in game".
An analogy that is fairly fitting is...you go to a pub with your SO... you leave them at the bar and go to the toilet. As you return, you can tell there's someone trying to chat them up. In real life, you can then make the decision of letting them deal with the situation themselves or intervene and tell the third party that the person is spoken for.
if you take the latter course of action, the potential "cuck/cheating/sharing" does not happen and stays not happened.
In our game, it's pretty much the same. The MC decides if he allows certain situations to happen, when, with whom and why. And if his choice is to show his control by making the other person sit on their thumbs and watch or by not having anything happen at all, then, in universe, his decision is what determines whether something happens or not.

I feel it's an approach I haven't seen happen in any games that come to mind. (I can bear to stand corrected on that account)
so.. if you're not into sharing or ntr or whatever label you might want to attach to it..in universe, it does not need to happen. that there are images in the relevant folder that do contain that content becomes irrelevant, as long as you resist the temptation to go look for it... so it is, and always will be, on the player to make the decisions that better suit their tastes.

Yes, I accept that one such decision could be to drop the game entirely. To that, I would hope that a player that has enjoyed the rest the game has to offer, would consider to give us the benefit of the doubt and accept that there will always be enough content to satisfy their tastes. Whatever your personal flavour of NTR adversion or affinity may be, the game is and always will be primarily about an MC who rules the roost and makes use of the women at his disposal however he sees fit, whether this means hoarding them for his exclusive use within the limits of their availability to him, or by sharing when he deems appropriate.

I hope that this somehow mitigates the anxiety the subject causes in people.

lol that seems like the dev is giving corporal punishment to his fans for some reason! ugh

I'm not the main dev, but depending on geographical proximity and covid regulations, I am willing to consider obliging, if that's your kink

 

[desmosome]

How big is the choice for the queen? The one where you can go all out, or make some veiled threats by whispering to her.

I want to show her whose the boss, but I generally like the more subtle approach than abandoning self preservation and going ham on the queen lol.

Will I still be able to dom her by doing the subtle approach?

 

[Cynicaladm]

How big is the choice for the queen? The one where you can go all out, or make some veiled threats by whispering to her.

I want to show her whose the boss, but I generally like the more subtle approach than abandoning self preservation and going ham on the queen lol.

Will I still be able to dom her by doing the subtle approach?

the specifics of that are stills subject of definition, so the only possible answer to that is that I don't know yet... either way, it won't happen soon

 

[MoarDakka123]

How big is the choice for the queen? The one where you can go all out, or make some veiled threats by whispering to her.

I want to show her whose the boss, but I generally like the more subtle approach than abandoning self preservation and going ham on the queen lol.

Will I still be able to dom her by doing the subtle approach?

Personally, I think it's pretty clear she gets turned on when someone actually stands up to her.

 

[SharkVampire]

Reading the comments here I am surprised by those who can't pass the game without walkthrough, asking to simplify the game and get rid of the newly added fetish.

Playing the game implies overcoming obstacles on the way to the goal and dealing with consequences. In this game, to get all the girls you simply just have to not let them die and not kill them yourself, YES, simple as that. This game is simple as pick choice how you want to win your opponent, you don't need to even think about tactics or anything else combat-related. The only exception it's the first quest in pyramid, where you can get the game over. But so far, it's was only a one-time thing. So, taking into account all this, maybe these people should consider reading kinetic novels or watching porn instead of playing games? I'm pretty sure, most people who played this game don't have any problems with multiple consequences depending on your actions, they just don't post about it since there is simply no need for it. And I'm personally wouldn't want if this game, or any other, which I like would turn into another railroad story where choices mean nothing and all gameplay consists of clicking on these meaningless choices. Yes, I personally would like if devs give the player some sort of challenge, where would be, if not the combat mechanics, but at least tricky dialogue options, that make you think which answer to choose, otherwise there will be negative consequences, that will not lead to the game over but will cause some losses.

Regarding newly added sharing options. I was surprised that it was added only recently, knowing how Ain behaved from the very beginning. More than that, it's a post-apocalyptic themed game where society was destroyed and there are no moral norms anymore, different factions treat people as property objects (And the MC not the exception), not like living beings and it's kinda obvious that such a thing exists in this world. I was a bit confused that before this update there were scenes, where we either kill girls or watch how they suffer, for example, how it was with a slave girl, who was beaten by her master and if the player did nothing, he just continued beat her, not fuck her or else, it gives some ryona vibes, which I wasn't very happy about. As this update came out, it's clear that a new fetish is completely optional, so all whining about it is completely pointless. I also don't like many things, like trans characters, but I don't write angry comments, even if it was added to please some small group of people. Because if this is the main theme of the game, I simply don't play it, if it's an additional fetish, I will pretend that this thing simply not exist in the game. As I said above, this new fetish has logical and lore justification, it feels natural, not like it was forced on a player. And we already have around 80% of games featuring harem without any string attached, it's really hard to find any game where the devs won't be scared to add something besides vanilla content.

In any case, I have said enough, but it is just as important to praise the developers for the new update. The plot wheels starting to move faster and it becomes more complex. The scene with the Queen was... impressive, to say the least. It evoked associations with Game of Thrones, when Ramsay was torturing people, gross thing but good in terms of character development since it perfectly reveals the true nature of the queen.

As for sex scenes, they definitely become better with additional pictures in them, still a pity that there are no animations, but at least high-quality renders and girls variety don't keep you bored.

 

[bodyharvest]

Also why hide the quick menu?! That thing is actually useful specially for skip, auto and quick save options

Can we make this a standard Renpy rule please, dear Devs? I mean if you buy a "professional" (no offense) VN on steam or on your Switch for example, they ALWAYS have a QM.
I really don't understand the need to hide the thing. In my humble opinion it should be the other way round: If you think it's best for the game to hide the qm, you should give us the option to do it.

 

[desmosome]

Can we make this a standard Renpy rule please, dear Devs? I mean if you buy a "professional" (no offense) VN on steam or on your Switch for example, they ALWAYS have a QM.
I really don't understand the need to hide the thing. In my humble opinion it should be the other way round: If you think it's best for the game to hide the qm, you should give us the option to do it.

At the very least, LEAVE THE AUTO. The other stuff can be accessed by other means, but auto is gone if you remove that button.

 

[Mwanted]

the specifics of that are stills subject of definition, so the only possible answer to that is that I don't know yet... either way, it won't happen soon

I hope you'll give several options to the players, i.e. the MC standing up to her or the MC being her devoted subject. Fun both ways for me
Keep up with the good job you're doing, going for variety and multiple kinks\choices is like going for quality. Now I'm officially hyped for your project.

 

[Cynicaladm]

Can we make this a standard Renpy rule please, dear Devs? I mean if you buy a "professional" (no offense) VN on steam or on your Switch for example, they ALWAYS have a QM.
I really don't understand the need to hide the thing. In my humble opinion it should be the other way round: If you think it's best for the game to hide the qm, you should give us the option to do it.

that has been addressed 2 posts below the one you react to.

 

[desmosome]

I hope you'll give several options to the players, i.e. the MC standing up to her or the MC being her devoted subject. Fun both ways for me
Keep up with the good job you're doing, going for variety and multiple kinks\choices is like going for quality. Now I'm officially hyped for your project.

I believe it was a 3 way choice? You can be respectful the whole time. You can grab her arm and whisper to her that she should show you more respect or else...! You can scream at her and scare the shit out of her.

Just supporting her rule and winning her favor seems like one route. The other end is probably to dom the shit out of her, maybe even taking over.... I'm wondering if there is a third path with her. One where you keep up appearances and leave her as ruler, but you are basically the puppet master behind the scenes. I really like this version, maybe even more than just straight up overthrowing her. You know what I mean if you played Prison Battleship/Academia. The powerful women who everyone respects are secretly your plaything totally devoted to your pleasure.

 

[Abhai]

Can we make this a standard Renpy rule please, dear Devs? I mean if you buy a "professional" (no offense) VN on steam or on your Switch for example, they ALWAYS have a QM.
I really don't understand the need to hide the thing. In my humble opinion it should be the other way round: If you think it's best for the game to hide the qm, you should give us the option to do it.

im one of those who dont like "forced" QMs, even in "professional" vns.
usually the first thing for me there is to turn that shit off, by any means necessary...
yet, different people, diff tastes, impossible to please everyone, so whenever possible providing options/choices is for the best.

 

[dolfe67]

 

[bodyharvest]

I'm aware of the QM option in Dessert Stalker guys, I was generally speaking. You know, like: Can we make this a standard Renpy rule please, dear Devs?

 

[edcl56]

enjoyed it even tho it's early. Need more

 

[laeg15]

When next update?

 

[fortuna95]

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Dev update 06.06.2021 + Announcement



Part 1: Announcement

Hello everyone, I hope you're having a nice Sunday.

I am taking this opportunity to make an announcement with regards to general development before we go to the usual dev update.

The support for this project has been climbing steadily over the past updates, and I am very thankful for that. Over time I have come to the realization that I lack one very important resource if I want to remain consistent in both pacing and quality of the work, which is an adequate work/life balance.

The way it is now, it's more work/work juggling, than any semblance of balance. A 40h a week job makes it nearly impossible to not be seriously stressed out by the time a scheduled release date comes around. The simple time constraints limit my ability to experiment and improve on the things I would really like to try to do for the game.

0.05 has been the biggest update yet and has shown me this: if not for the help received by Paz, who almost singlehandedly reworked the entire UI of the game, and Cynical, who helped with script reading, playtesting and plot development advice, (not to mention the kind help of several of you who assisted with further editing), this release would have taken a non insignificant number of weeks longer to develop than it took.

Two concurrent solutions to these problems present themselves:

1) Hardware: I will start looking for a new, dedicated PC, to increase rendering efficiency and capacity. Your support has reached a level where allocating the money for it has become possible.

2) I have set myself a target for the end of this year, that target being switching my day job to a 20 hours part-time commitment in order to free more time for game development and production. For this to become a realistic plan, I hope that Desert Stalker will become a project that is financially viable, capable of standing on it's own legs, generating enough revenue to take care of both my fixed expenses (basic rent and such) and allow for further investment in the tools necessary to continuously improve the quality of the game.

I will still care for the project either way, but reaching that ambitious target would certainly improve matters for the game and how I approach it.

Turning this hobby into something more is both more exciting and challenging than my current day job, so I'm really stoked to give it a try. There is however no realistic way to know for how long the project will be able to captivate your interest and that of new players and supporters, so this decision must be made with caution in mind, which is why I will take this long a time to make it.

This is not a call for more support and I am not making any requests. I'm just being up front with the thoughts that come with developing the game and making it the best it can become in a sustainable way.

To help me make that decision and to be fully transparent with you about the actual numbers involved, I will make my DS related earnings public, at least until the end of the year.

Thank you for reading!

Part 2: Dev update

We are starting off development 0.06 in a different direction this time. The last release was focused outwards, developing the factions and setting the stage for the main story to both progress and allow the context to generate side quests.

This time we will be looking inwards, focusing on the home front, generating repeatable situations and meaningful conversations at home. This will provide some character development and expand on the relationship between characters. Some of the side quests that are part of establishing the general setting will possibly also feature in the next release. We plan for a shorter release schedule this time.

Lastly, a big thank you again for the interest and support for this game. Have a great Sunday, and until next week.

Progress:
Home interactions: 5%
Scene A: 0%
Scene B: 0%
Scene C: 0%
Scene D: 0%
(...)

 

[fixrapid]

There is no notification (exclamation mark) on the basement icon after saving Kyra, but it should be as this is the main quest. (quest: "Friends in low places", objective: "See her in the basement")

Spoiler: screenshot

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It would also be nice to have one on the Dining Room and the Common Rooms icons when Emilia is about to be introduced

 

[Cynicaladm]

There is no notification (exclamation mark) on the basement icon after saving Kyra, but it should be as this is the main quest. (quest: "Friends in low places", objective: "See her in the basement")

Spoiler: screenshot

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It would also be nice to have one on the Dining Room and the Common Rooms icons when Emilia is about to be introduced

that's on purpose... between the black banner hint, the quest log and the icon activating, we feel it's enough of a hint on how to proceed. We mark quest starters.. and the rest is mostly done via quest log.

 

[fixrapid]

well it's up to you
but if you advance quest "Friends in low places" to "She has a point" you'll get the notification on Basement icon...

 

[Kellermann]

You must be registered to see the links

Dev update 06.06.2021 + Announcement

View attachment 1232777

Part 1: Announcement

Hello everyone, I hope you're having a nice Sunday.

I am taking this opportunity to make an announcement with regards to general development before we go to the usual dev update.

The support for this project has been climbing steadily over the past updates, and I am very thankful for that. Over time I have come to the realization that I lack one very important resource if I want to remain consistent in both pacing and quality of the work, which is an adequate work/life balance.

The way it is now, it's more work/work juggling, than any semblance of balance. A 40h a week job makes it nearly impossible to not be seriously stressed out by the time a scheduled release date comes around. The simple time constraints limit my ability to experiment and improve on the things I would really like to try to do for the game.

0.05 has been the biggest update yet and has shown me this: if not for the help received by Paz, who almost singlehandedly reworked the entire UI of the game, and Cynical, who helped with script reading, playtesting and plot development advice, (not to mention the kind help of several of you who assisted with further editing), this release would have taken a non insignificant number of weeks longer to develop than it took.

Two concurrent solutions to these problems present themselves:

1) Hardware: I will start looking for a new, dedicated PC, to increase rendering efficiency and capacity. Your support has reached a level where allocating the money for it has become possible.

2) I have set myself a target for the end of this year, that target being switching my day job to a 20 hours part-time commitment in order to free more time for game development and production. For this to become a realistic plan, I hope that Desert Stalker will become a project that is financially viable, capable of standing on it's own legs, generating enough revenue to take care of both my fixed expenses (basic rent and such) and allow for further investment in the tools necessary to continuously improve the quality of the game.

I will still care for the project either way, but reaching that ambitious target would certainly improve matters for the game and how I approach it.

Turning this hobby into something more is both more exciting and challenging than my current day job, so I'm really stoked to give it a try. There is however no realistic way to know for how long the project will be able to captivate your interest and that of new players and supporters, so this decision must be made with caution in mind, which is why I will take this long a time to make it.

This is not a call for more support and I am not making any requests. I'm just being up front with the thoughts that come with developing the game and making it the best it can become in a sustainable way.

To help me make that decision and to be fully transparent with you about the actual numbers involved, I will make my DS related earnings public, at least until the end of the year.

Thank you for reading!

Part 2: Dev update

We are starting off development 0.06 in a different direction this time. The last release was focused outwards, developing the factions and setting the stage for the main story to both progress and allow the context to generate side quests.

This time we will be looking inwards, focusing on the home front, generating repeatable situations and meaningful conversations at home. This will provide some character development and expand on the relationship between characters. Some of the side quests that are part of establishing the general setting will possibly also feature in the next release. We plan for a shorter release schedule this time.

Lastly, a big thank you again for the interest and support for this game. Have a great Sunday, and until next week.

Progress:
Home interactions: 5%
Scene A: 0%
Scene B: 0%
Scene C: 0%
Scene D: 0%
(...)

I like this. I'm happy to hear that the next episode will focus on the home front. You don't want to expand the cast of characters and locations too rapidly, so I think this temporary shift in focus is a smart move. The MC's home offers a nice change of pace from the dungeon crawling desert adventures and the interactions with the household are always excellent. Adding repeatable events is a great idea that really makes the home life seem more dynamic. I think it's safe to say that Shani and Ain are the game's two fan favourites, so a lot of people will be excited to play the next episode.