VN Ren'Py Etlina's Principle [v0.04.0 Public] [PipPoad]

[Choo-choo]

i was wondering why they have black uniform/camo it can lead to some serious misidentification issues friend/foe

 

[OneEyedGhoul]

OMG VENON

 

[RandomGuy99]

i was wondering why they have black uniform/camo it can lead to some serious misidentification issues friend/foe

Actually that is a good point. Dev change it to Neon PInk for extreme identification

 

[PipPoad]

Actually that is a good point. Dev change it to Neon PInk for extreme identification
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Will be handy for the dark shopping mall durind operation.

i was wondering why they have black uniform/camo it can lead to some serious misidentification issues friend/foe

Mostly because it looks cool and edgy — like those badass special ops guys, or something along those lines. But if you want a lore-based explanation: since HOWL was formed from former police special forces operatives, they might have kept their uniform.

Just gonna drop a quick little review and thoughts for this game:

First of all, I like that story. It's interesting in terms of the concept of what the Nox is and how the following world is affected by it. Same goes for the overall music and atmosphere, renders included, match and fit the overall vibe. Characters too are also interesting and have distinctive designs which I already a plus in my book.

That's quite a rewiev
Well, I'm glad you appreciated these aspects. Moving forward, I plan to focus more on expanding their presence in the game - since as it turns out, reinventing the wheel and introducing unnecessary new features proved counterproductive.

However, I think the pacing and world building is going way too fast. Not by the story events themselves but rather how the information is presented. Literally in a span of a single day, we learn about the nox then immediately be involved with "another" and then learn the existence of hybrids, two in fact that are friendly even. Personally, it just feels contrived but that kinda also falls towards the story events. Probably just me but it sometimes feels like certain events have to happen because the story demands it to occur rather than it naturally occurring because of the characters.

This is my opinion now but I would have enjoyed if maybe we started the game with the protagonist and his crew entering the hospital then killing some of the infected then talking to each other to while resting. After that, that's where we have where the game begins with the mc waking up after some resting. It just gives us more time to be with our crew, develop their bonds and get to know each character better instead of jumping as into a short meet/exposition dump, then die in a shoot out, then be resurrected by some entity, then be saved by a hybrid. Then again, I get that would have to necessitate more development time but that's my thoughts at least. That aside, I get it was addressed in 0.03 or whatever the third update was called that it felt maybe too "manufactured"/deliberate or perhaps something or someone made it that way in the universe of the story but still, it's a bit fast for my taste. That doesn't mean I won't stop playing tho, curious where it goes i just hope things just have a more realistic pacing.

I’ve been reflecting on this too. In the original 2022 draft, the story was supposed to begin with a classic helicopter crash – with the player already infected by Nox, just unaware of it. The opening would’ve shown the MC chatting with his team mid-flight, everything seeming normal… until Another abruptly yanks him out of this "dream." He’d then wake up in a wrecked chopper consumed by Nox, forced to locate his squad to escape the crash site. I don’t recall exactly why I scrapped this – likely because it felt too clichéd or resource-intensive to implement. Instead, I rushed out the current prototype version to gauge player interest.

As a non-professional writer (my credentials extend to mediocre school-era fanfics), I can’t craft a perfectly paced narrative. A slow-burn intro would’ve been ideal, but I grew up on games that dropped you straight into the action – no ambiguity about your role or goals. But, even at this pace, there’s a mountain of content left to implement.
Regarding squad dynamics: players rightly suggested adding off-duty activities to deepen relationships (especially with Elina as a primary romance option). The challenge is balancing this without devolving into a human dating sim.

Right now, I’m at the stage where the encounter with Sparkle will reveal to the MC’s squad that he’s been interacting with hybrids and possibly even has immunity. For example, command might create a special unit for establishing contact with hybrids, where someone like Clara would be responsible for researching the MC and the hybrids. Otherwise, I’d have to separate the MC from his comrades in every update just so he can interact with new (or old) hybrids. Of course, this is a major event that will significantly impact the story’s development. But like I said before, the alternative is the main hero constantly "disappearing by accident" like Princess Peach in Mario.
For now, I still have time to make a final decision, and I’ve already worked through this idea in my head. But I’m still not entirely sure what the best way to handle it is.

Besides that, this is a suggestion but I think the MC's default name should be Elias instead. Why? Besides it matching with Elina's name (assuming you chose both of them as siblings). Elina's name is bright light, sun ray and pure which fits her character but also the relationship she has with a protective brother (MC) and the MC seeing Elina as a form of hope since at this point, she's the only family he has. As for the MC, who should be named Elias or even Elijah has some religious connotations with affirming lord as your god and considering he was the chosen of another and by the direction of the story, fits like a messenger or her disciple. Some narrative cohesion I guess but you can still change his name, I just think it would fit better as the default name instead of john. Idk whatever.

Wow, I never really thought about that. It sounds awesome and meaningful—if the story were more linear and we observed the protagonist's life almost from the outside, without interfering too much in the process, that would've been the perfect approach.

Lastly, is this an xcom reference?

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Yes, this is one of my favorite game series. I drew a lot of inspiration from it while working on the core concept. It’s also about operatives carrying out various missions, acquiring alien technology, and using it against their enemies—though the more powerful they become, the more they start to resemble the very things they’re fighting.
I spent the most time on this particular feature, and now I kinda regret it.

It's good to hear you're looking at the pace of development since this is an engaging story. So many times I've ran into games on here with cool stories that end up getting abandoned and it's always a shame when that happens. It's so bad that I've started avoiding games with long update times until they prove they are serious about finishing them or improve their development cycle. That doesn't happen often since they usually end up abandoned or still in chapter one 5 years later (which is essentially the same as abandoned in my eyes). I'm rooting for you to figure it out as I'm looking forward to where your story goes.

Thanks. I hope I can somehow break this cycle.

 

[PipPoad]

First of all, congrats to the dev. I've been around for a few years and hadn't come across this game until now. I've been greatly satisfied with this AVN. As I mentioned in my short review, this is an AVN not in the erotic sense, but in terms of the feelings and atmosphere, which are excellent.

My only complaint is that I felt a bit underwhelmed after finishing the current content. Given that it's been in development for two and a half years, I was expecting to finish the mission once it started, rather than being cut off so soon.

In any case, great job!

Thank you for the review and feedback. I’m fully aware that not everything here is perfect, and I truly appreciate the high level of trust and expectations placed in this project. I’ll do everything I can to meet them.

 

[RandomGuy99]

Thank you for the review and feedback. I’m fully aware that not everything here is perfect, and I truly appreciate the high level of trust and expectations placed in this project. I’ll do everything I can to meet them.

Just focus on the story and lewd, you'll be fine. Just don't try to be a AAA game dev's and go crazy with puzzles and sandbox. Most players here don't want those. It barely affects the playing experience. Those are not meant for AVN, esp if you're a team of one. It's feasible if you have a team. It's better for your wallet and stress level to keep it simple and basic. Just ensure the story is nice and you'll get ton of supporters

 

[DevinHesi]

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Another year of my life has passed — thank you to everyone who spent it with me. I’ve decided to take a short break until August. At the start of the month, there will be two polls for the "Monthly Wallpapers." Around the same time, I’m also planning to create a channel on the Discord server where I’ll stream my game development process and host casual text chat.