Ren'Py Divine Dawn [v0.30] [Cryswar]

[damndatboi]

Ok. Some of that stuff is already in the plans (different UI images, etc). Icons are already making a limited appearance in the next update, not sure how far it'll extend. Armor already has stats, which will be expanded on.

A fair number of them are planned; currency is an eventual thing, turn order (and eventually, probably tick order), bows, hybrid elements have already been mentioned ingame but are more advanced magic, etc.

We'll see on the combat/equipment changes - some of those are fairly significant, fundamental alterations. More isn't always better, and I don't want to get trapped in a loop of making the game more complex for the sake of complexity. Rings/Bracelets in particular are almost certainly not happening, though there will be a Rune system down the road that has some similarities. I'll see what I can do on the rest.

RIP bracelets and rings. Sorry about dumping all these unfocused ideas on you, hopefully you can get some use out of them.

I'm a big fan of this game and after doing some of Celica's and Ashley's magic training the magic system is pretty interesting especially nether magic.

I wish you the best and good luck with the game.

PS: please make a sort of game development plan timeline thingy.

 

[Cryswar]

June 19th Weekly Update
Yes, we've had commissions week, but what about second commissions week?

Memeing aside, this was a pretty solid week overall. Commissions did indeed move along, with very talented artists busting ass to deliver stuff faster than I had even hoped!

Siofra - the vila forest spirit you'll run into early in the deepwoods - now has finished art, and BOY FUCKING HOWDY did Coubalt go all out on her. The designs on her dress, the thighs, the thighhighs... she's looking delectable.

Celica's first lewd CG is also done! Nor did a ballin job with her as well, she's got a nice variety in expressions, some of them more... dangerous... than others. Mostly very cute and huggable, but heart eyes and eye shadows add a bit of spice.

Maya's art is also done, with around 30 expressions and enough kusogaki energy to power the northeastern USA for a few weeks! A couple of arm poses too, so you can see her pits-I mean uhh, for... reasons.

Metatron's lewd CG is almost done, and looking quite cute.

Gonna have a looot of monsters in the deepwoods too, all with art!

Also got a comm back for the forest boss, who is canonically named Tree Daddy (not really). He's looking very cool! Oh god, I haven't even previewed Kandros art yet, where am I going to find a slot for both of them LOL.

I also did a lot of bugfixing and polish during downtime; leeches, instants/channels, attunement checks, etc. Starting spells were also updated to not be so weird and incoherent.

Celica's final CG, Maya art, and Siofra WIP previews are up on Patreon, with Siofra final art, tree daddy, and more Maya shenanigans heading there this week!

RIP bracelets and rings. Sorry about dumping all these unfocused ideas on you, hopefully you can get some use out of them.

I'm a big fan of this game and after doing some of Celica's and Ashley's magic training the magic system is pretty interesting especially nether magic.

I wish you the best and good luck with the game.

PS: please make a sort of game development plan timeline thingy.

I asked for feedback/suggestions, and you provided them - no need to apologize! I just wanted to be upfront and honest in my response, sorry if it came off dismissive. There's a lot of improvement to be made in this game's UI and systems, it's just a work in progress cuz I have to juggle all the character/plot writing and mechanics stuff too.

Had entirely too much fun with the magic training honestly, I love worldbuilding and they're a good way to delve deeper into how the setting works while showcasing the characters as well. A 'proper' Nether expert isn't too far off.

And thanks fam, here's to continuing to improve it!

 

[Konstantinus]

Ashley: "Wow you guys get off of anything! What's next? Tailjob? Hairjob?"
Me: "Yes! Yes! YES!"

 

[Cryswar]

June 26th Weekly Update
Great week overall! For once, it wasn't heavily commission focused LOL, so I got a lot more game stuff done.

In particular, we got somewhere around 10k words of Ashley, covering her 8, 10, and 12 trust arc. Some big reveals about her, a lot more meaningful of a bond to transition her into a real friend, and most importantly, a couple of hugs. Because I know you're all here for heartwarming affection rather than that boring sex shit.

It also names and sets up her special magic martial art, which will be learnable by the player sometime soon, as well as making Ashley a stronger party member~

Also got a Greatsword weapon and ability set, based on the results of a patreon poll. Came out really well I think! 6 abilities, each with pretty different effects and masteries. It has more downsides and more strengths than previous weapons, so balance is WIP but I think it'll be fun regardless.

Got some dope ass sketches from jfc regarding future characters, and got some nice progress on another character with Coubalt. Character stuff may slow down a little bit short-term as I try to catch up with game stuff, but I'm always grateful to work with such talented artists and should have a lot more to share about them in future updates!

Now that I have both Celica and Metatron CGs, as well as Ashley's arc out of the way, I'm going to spend the next week focusing on those. IDK what exactly I'll stream - usually I don't stream lewd stuff, especially with CGs, might try a patron stream for those - but will try to make good progress.

Metatron CG, tree daddy, and some upcoming character sketches are up on patreon for those curious.

 

[Fuscen]

Also got a Greatsword weapon and ability set

we Monster Hunter now, can't wait for the eventual toothorn update

looking back at my previous playthrough, I invested less and less into my weapon abilities once I noticed that all the training options are magic-related. Hoping this update paves the way for weapons in general to gain some attention lore-wise.

 

[Cryswar]

we Monster Hunter now, can't wait for the eventual toothorn update

looking back at my previous playthrough, I invested less and less into my weapon abilities once I noticed that all the training options are magic-related. Hoping this update paves the way for weapons in general to gain some attention lore-wise.

Weapons are never gonna have as in-depth training as magic, but with some of the more martial characters like Kuril, Sam, and Ina, there will be more opportunities to at least discuss them and potentially have more descriptive spars.

Similarly, while individual weapons will never have anywhere near the versatility of an entire element, the current weapons are pretty boring IMO - relics of being among the first things I designed. Greatsword is a lot more interesting, and other weapons can be brought up to that level, to where each weapon is at least roughly equivalent to a school within an element. IDK what all will make it into this update, but spare time in this update + some time in the next is gonna be focused on making them more flavorful and fun.

 

[Fuscen]

where each weapon is at least roughly equivalent to a school within an element

Here's a half-suggestion I've been sitting on: exotic weapon progression. Like how aether/nether training unlocks "high tier" spells, weapon mastery can lead towards more exotic weaponry (say, spear mastery leads to polearms like halberds, glaives, and my personal favorite bladestaffs).

I originally wanted to suggest giving each weapon family its own training with depth on par with each element, but halfway typing I realized that's never gonna work because weapons, unlike magic, are too grounded to permit artistic licensing. Additionally, I doubt most players will give weapons too much attention in a setting with an abundance of magic. I believe exotic weapons mitigate these aspects somewhat. Of course, that may be a venture too time-inefficient depending on the direction you want to take, so feel free to disregard.

 

[Cryswar]

Here's a half-suggestion I've been sitting on: exotic weapon progression. Like how aether/nether training unlocks "high tier" spells, weapon mastery can lead towards more exotic weaponry (say, spear mastery leads to polearms like halberds, glaives, and my personal favorite bladestaffs).

I originally wanted to suggest giving each weapon family its own training with depth on par with each element, but halfway typing I realized that's never gonna work because weapons, unlike magic, are too grounded to permit artistic licensing. Additionally, I doubt most players will give weapons too much attention in a setting with an abundance of magic. I believe exotic weapons mitigate these aspects somewhat. Of course, that may be a venture too time-inefficient depending on the direction you want to take, so feel free to disregard.

I was hoping to experiment with something along those lines, not sure exactly how it'll work yet.

The latter... yeah, I had the same consideration leading to denial. There's just no way I can even attempt that, the time investment would border on nonsensical considering how much else I have to do, and how much I'm struggling to keep up with all the characters already.

It'd be nice to have some weapon-focused scenes, though.

 

[damndatboi]

I was hoping to experiment with something along those lines, not sure exactly how it'll work yet.

The latter... yeah, I had the same consideration leading to denial. There's just no way I can even attempt that, the time investment would border on nonsensical considering how much else I have to do, and how much I'm struggling to keep up with all the characters already.

It'd be nice to have some weapon-focused scenes, though.

Something you might want to consider is "What does it mean to carry this weapon?" in our current world weapons tend to be a symbol of status in the military (sabers/swords) in many periods your weapon or lack thereof determined your occupation or class. Carrying a pretty sword over an axe usually means a pretty important guy, a shield typically has a symbol of a country or a noble house or even a religion and lack of one might mean you have no allegiances. A montante or greatsword was probably the best weapon to use when being a bodyguard, or when you had to defend someone (or yourself) from multiple opponents you could use wide flowing motions.

Anyway, my point is that weapons do carry a lot of meaning and character with them don't underestimate the storytelling potential of the sword at their side.

 

[Cryswar]

Something you might want to consider is "What does it mean to carry this weapon?" in our current world weapons tend to be a symbol of status in the military (sabers/swords) in many periods your weapon or lack thereof determined your occupation or class. Carrying a pretty sword over an axe usually means a pretty important guy, a shield typically has a symbol of a country or a noble house or even a religion and lack of one might mean you have no allegiances. A montante or greatsword was probably the best weapon to use when being a bodyguard, or when you had to defend someone (or yourself) from multiple opponents you could use wide flowing motions.

Anyway, my point is that weapons do carry a lot of meaning and character with them don't underestimate the storytelling potential of the sword at their side.

Those are excellent points, and I think would be a decent use of some of my time as long as I didn't get too crazy with it. Thanks for the reminder, and the info!

 

[Ritsujin]

I can't lie, won't lie.
THIS BOTHERS ME SO MUCH.
No way Sam tucks her shirt in.
Come ooooooooooooooooooooooooooon, heh.

 

[Cryswar]

July 3rd Weekly Update
Another decent week! Despite holiday/family aggro stuff messing up my friday/saturday, still got a good amount done.

Finally breaking my less than stellar record with romances, it only took 2 days instead of 2+ weeks to get through Celica's 10 affection romance scene, which I'm actually really happy with, I think it hit a decent mix of awkward teenagers, wholesome, and some surprisingly chadette stuff from Celica. She is very... direct, and when she stops overthinking things she's a goddess.

Sam got new battle and character themes, with an upcoming camp theme as well. All came out great LOL.

Replacing the missing Libido stat, Charisma is ingame and functional! While it gives you no direct benefits, it passively increases ally damage and survivability (works on multiple allies - hint hint), and will unlock various support abilities. A bit down the road, it'll be the equivalent of Libido as the 'bard' stat for sex battles, and just getting people to agree with you. Or drop their panties. 50 50.

Equipment stats are now fully implemented and much more versatile, with all weapons updated to give varying positive and negative stats. As always, balance will vary. Also, equips are now sorted by type so the list is a bit less confusing. Some magic weapons are ingame now too; I went simple for now, but more complex ones with their own unique skillsets will be added later.

More and better color-coding in general; damage, heals, positive/negative equip stats, etc.

I have Celica and Metatron's lewd scenes pretty well planned out now, so I'm confident I can get through them at a decent pace this coming week, then transition to the Deepwoods content so we actually get a new area this update ayylmao.

We tried a mid-update beta version of the game to try to hunt down bugs/typos, which was quite helpful - special thanks to Dunnask, Grim, and Miller for helping with that! I'd really like to get to the actual update release with as few bugs as possible, so hopefully the extra polish works out.

Sam's music, final Siofra art, and Kandros art previews are up on

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if you're interested~

 

[Fuscen]

(works on multiple allies)

I was going to make a joke about squeezing into a succubus shield wall, but then I remembered Aspasia exists and any shield wall action will just consist of her figuratively invincible self while everyone else settle down and get comfy.

Btw, does that mean we get horde battles and "raid"-tier bosses down the line?

A bit down the road, (charisma stat will be about) getting people to agree with you

I've always have my reservations about the out-of-battle/campaign layer applications of charisma/leadership/speech stats in party-based games. All too often they are either so optimal that one character (often the players') has to dedicate to them, or the opposite, and whatever meager benefits they would have provided are easily replaced elsewhere. Curious as to your plans regarding charisma in this regard.

 

[Cryswar]

View attachment 1905389
I was going to make a joke about squeezing into a succubus shield wall, but then I remembered Aspasia exists and any shield wall action will just consist of her figuratively invincible self while everyone else settle down and get comfy.

Btw, does that mean we get horde battles and "raid"-tier bosses down the line?

I've always have my reservations about the out-of-battle/campaign layer applications of charisma/leadership/speech stats in party-based games. All too often they are either so optimal that one character (often the players') has to dedicate to them, or the opposite, and whatever meager benefits they would have provided are easily replaced elsewhere. Curious as to your plans regarding charisma in this regard.

Just hide behind Aspasia while she takes care of everything!

Yes, some of the work I've done in previous updates has allowed extra enemies to show up. Haven't used it yet, but you can fight up to 5 I think, though the art won't necessarily look amazing (possible overlap).

Charisma will probably end up something like Magic; you get some checks for it, some swapped lines, maybe more options to take care of some situations (but can take care of them without it). More of Ashley claiming her panties just dropped. I'd rather err on the side of "nice but not critical" than "this is too good" with stats.

Its primary use will be in battle, especially for support, paladin, and summoner builds.

Except for Vitality. Vitality can stay OP.

 

[Fuscen]

you can fight up to 5 I think, though the art won't necessarily look amazing (possible overlap)

you've probably played it before, but the other major Renpy PRG (that I can think of) Monster Girl Dreams has a ~9-imp encounter. Challenging when fought at par level and supremely satisfying when steamrolled through while over-levelled. If feasible, I'd say pumping up the foe count of your horde encounters would be an appreciated plus.

also I personally like when horde sprites overlap since it reminds me of the "zombie wave" effect from the World War Z movie. ymmv though.

appreciate the consistently quick responses, shows a lot of heart and passion on your part!

 

[Cryswar]

you've probably played it before, but the other major Renpy PRG (that I can think of) Monster Girl Dreams has a ~9-imp encounter. Challenging when fought at par level and supremely satisfying when steamrolled through while over-levelled. If feasible, I'd say pumping up the foe count of your horde encounters would be an appreciated plus.

also I personally like when horde sprites overlap since it reminds me of the "zombie wave" effect from the World War Z movie. ymmv though.

appreciate the consistently quick responses, shows a lot of heart and passion on your part!

I used to mod MGD actually haha. I made Waifupocalypse. Haven't touched the game in years, but I remember the imps for sure.

This game is probably a bit more lethal in combat (no extra health bars) so I'll have to balance the 'mob' damage carefully, but I definitely think it'd be fun to do! So it's a definite Eventually(tm), idk if I'll start experimenting with it in the Deepwoods or down the road.

I'll be honest with you here chief, I kinda just started all this 'cuz I wanted to make a world and tell a character-focused story, and that got mixed up with my idea of "hey I should make a game," and the porn just kinda came naturally when I realized "wait fuck half the characters are succubi." So I just kinda enjoy working on and talking about the project.

Or talking about it when I should be working on it, but in fairness independence day + family aggro have conspired to ensure I'm not getting anything done today anyway.

 

[NobleLeader65]

Just a personal gripe of mine, I wish we had HP bars for enemies with art. We have them for enemies without art (though I think right now only Maya is lacking art and can be fought), but unless my brain is for some reason blocking the option, we can't see the HP of enemies with art. This kinda bothers me because I think being able to see the enemy's HP adds to the strategy of a fight.

Take Divinity: Original Sin 2 for example. Every creature has 3 types of "Health" bars, Physical Armor, Magic Armor, and Health. You have to deplete either the Physical Armor or Magic Armor to do damage to Health, and most if not all effects (stuns, burning, bleeding, cursed, etc.) are blocked by one type of armor or another, meaning you have to deplete that armor anyway to get your effects off.

This isn't to say that I want a multi-armor system in this game, just that being able to see how much HP the enemies have left brings more strategy to the table. Do I try to finish off the weak guy with a mixed single-target/multi-target skill like Cross Slash? Do I hope he dies to an AoE spell? Or do I focus him down? Without the ability to see their HP, these (albeit simple) choices can lead to a scenario where I "feel" like an enemy is going down soon based on how much I've hit them in comparison to others, and yet they just don't die. And my time would have been better used buffing/healing.

At the end of the day though, it is up to you as the dev to make the game you wanna make. Hope you're not burning yourself out.

 

[Cryswar]

Just a personal gripe of mine, I wish we had HP bars for enemies with art. We have them for enemies without art (though I think right now only Maya is lacking art and can be fought), but unless my brain is for some reason blocking the option, we can't see the HP of enemies with art. This kinda bothers me because I think being able to see the enemy's HP adds to the strategy of a fight.

Take Divinity: Original Sin 2 for example. Every creature has 3 types of "Health" bars, Physical Armor, Magic Armor, and Health. You have to deplete either the Physical Armor or Magic Armor to do damage to Health, and most if not all effects (stuns, burning, bleeding, cursed, etc.) are blocked by one type of armor or another, meaning you have to deplete that armor anyway to get your effects off.

This isn't to say that I want a multi-armor system in this game, just that being able to see how much HP the enemies have left brings more strategy to the table. Do I try to finish off the weak guy with a mixed single-target/multi-target skill like Cross Slash? Do I hope he dies to an AoE spell? Or do I focus him down? Without the ability to see their HP, these (albeit simple) choices can lead to a scenario where I "feel" like an enemy is going down soon based on how much I've hit them in comparison to others, and yet they just don't die. And my time would have been better used buffing/healing.

At the end of the day though, it is up to you as the dev to make the game you wanna make. Hope you're not burning yourself out.

Don't worry, HP bars are already in for 0.21!

Not to dismiss a big ol' post with a one-liner, just, you know, I added them back in a couple of weeks ago, and managed to get some hints for when enemies have high defense, resist, mitigation, evasion, etc.

'Cuz you're right, it was just a technical/time issue trying to get them back.

 

[NobleLeader65]

Don't worry, HP bars are already in for 0.21!

Not to dismiss a big ol' post with a one-liner, just, you know, I added them back in a couple of weeks ago, and managed to get some hints for when enemies have high defense, resist, mitigation, evasion, etc.

'Cuz you're right, it was just a technical/time issue trying to get them back.

Oh. Well then, good to hear that they're coming back. Sorry if I came off as aggressive or overbearing or anything. I don't particularly mind being dismissed with a one line response when that one line was basically "Hey, this issue is already being addressed."

Glad to hear the technical issue was seemingly resolved though.

 

[Cryswar]

Oh. Well then, good to hear that they're coming back. Sorry if I came off as aggressive or overbearing or anything. I don't particularly mind being dismissed with a one line response when that one line was basically "Hey, this issue is already being addressed."

Glad to hear the technical issue was seemingly resolved though.

Not at all, don't worry! You made a strong argument in favor of them, it's just that the only reason they disappeared was a 'problem exists between keyboard and chair' issue on my part and I agree with your points haha.

Except for the DOS2 thing, anyways... god I hated that system.