Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Currently the three options I posted remain neck and neck.
View attachment 2487314
I always abide by the final results of the poll, but sometimes I'll find little tweaks here and there. Like, if Option C ultimately wins, I could always pair it with a spunky jacket to make it look a little less thot-y. Or I may opt to move away from the fishnets, and go with a pair of stockings. Hearing from you folks can help me make some of those decisions, so I always appreciate the feedback.
The intention with Nicki and the dress was always that it should look like something she just wouldn't ordinarily wear. In the original I'd wanted it to look like something she was probably given or bought for a special occasion, before sticking it in her closet and forgetting it. But with the reboot/redo of Chapter One, there's the opportunity to kind of redefine it as something else, given how Nicki's personality has since developed. Could be something she bought for a family function back home, before she became estranged from her family. Could be something kind of sexy that she bought on an impulse, but never worked up the nerve to wear. Lots of possibilities!
After seeing the classic look get so much love, I do think I'll keep her classic hair in the new Chapter One. It's a little bit of a pain to work with compared to the other option, but it's clear that iteration still resonates as the 'real' Nicki for a lot of people.
Yeahhhhh, I know it's always a bad sign when someone starts redoing stuff. But, I've always gone back and touched up renders/dialogue/continuity errors here and there. That said, it'll be a pretty dramatic overhaul, which I think will ultimately be good for the story. I want Nicki to have a real personality right at the start, and I want her friendship with MC to have real context. That way, whatever path you take in Chapter One will feel a little more impactful. Plus, there's an opportunity to slip in some fun stuff like showing him moving into the condo, meeting Carolina for the first time, etc.
And it's an opportunity for me to clean up the game's code. Win/win/win.
I spent a lot of yesterday dealing with annoyances stemming from my recent fender bender, as well as trying to get all my tax paperwork in order, after going back and forth with an accountant. So, I couldn't get much done on the game until last evening, when I knocked out the remaining renders for Mason's scene. Buuuut, I did try a few experiments with lights and costuming, to post over on the Discord.
View attachment 2487346
View attachment 2487347