VN Ren'Py Friends in Need [Ch. 9 v0.60c] [NeonGhosts]

[Danv]

where is option F - don't open a door when she come crawling back and tell her to Fuckoff, she had her chance

confused a bit about recent posts - next update will be a new content, rework of Ch1 or mix of both?

 

[rudy007]

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

Well, at least if the pool stays the same to the end, it will be very easy to choose between... three... Well, best of luck with your choice(s).

 

[humanjelloman]

Neon this amount of community interaction on your part is pretty impressive! I'm rooting for you man this is gonna be one hell of a VN. (Gabby is best girl btw <3)

 

[Jace_Herondale]

(Gabby is best girl btw <3)

I agree. Though Nikki is close 2nd to me.

 

[NeonGhosts]

where is option F - don't open a door when she come crawling back and tell her to Fuckoff, she had her chance

confused a bit about recent posts - next update will be a new content, rework of Ch1 or mix of both?

Next update is Chapter Four: Part Two, continuing the story, and it'll be out in April. The release after that will be a reworked Chapter One.

Neon this amount of community interaction on your part is pretty impressive! I'm rooting for you man this is gonna be one hell of a VN. (Gabby is best girl btw <3)

Thanks so much! I like chatting with you folks. Hearing from people who are passionate about the characters and story does a lot to keep me excited about working on the game. I swear, every time I drop an update I get this big surge of energy and end up knocking out a huge chunk of the next chapter. Then I get really overconfident because I'm tripping on dopamine, and expand my modest update to be enormous, and utterly bone myself. :'D

 

[humanjelloman]

Just make sure you take some you time burnout is a bitch.

 

[RC-1138 Boss]

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

I trust you to make a good work on that. You already made Nicki a compelling character in latest releases so i don't mind you also expanding on that during her introduction too.

ps: nice ass.

 

[mikoko67]

I like A

 

[ename144]

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.

Trying to bribe me with extra Carolina content so I'll shut up, eh? Well played, Neon. Well played.

For what it's worth, I think Chapter 1 of FIN is a pretty good candidate for a rework. The relationship between the MC and Nicki was brushed over very quickly and didn't gel too well with her later actions, and as you note we don't see any of the rest of the cast. It feels rather like a pilot that languished for a few years before being greenlit for series: same concept, but the characters were tweaked a bit and a few real-life changes needed to be written around. So there is the potential for some win/win here.

But IMHO it's still a risk because reworks can be such a slippery slope. Once you start retroactively fixing things there's really no end to the problems you'll notice - legitimate problems, even. I've never worked on an AVN myself, but I've followed a lot of them through development and I have a little personal experience with perfectionism. I think you need to keep a clear sense of what is and isn't within the scope of the rework and stick to that as much as humanly possible. Don't get lured into adding more to the list (at least not until the game is finished).

That's my $.02, anyway. I'll be rooting for you.

 

[NewTricks]

I think that redoing the first chapter is fine. It was kind of a proof of concept more than a proper start to the story. Almost like a stand-alone like the Student Loan. It did improve after its first redo and restructure but to make it mesh well with what the story has become it makes sense that some more things will need to change in it. Plus the renders have improved a great deal since the initial release and making the quality match is worthwhile. I have seen some games just get killed by reworking, though, so here's hoping that there isn't a cascading effect into each successive chapter.

 

[ko.os222]

when is the public release for the .4 update?

 

[Zerorox]

Bruh, please leave the fishets where they are, looks good and nice combination with shoes, creates kind of punk/bratty look.

 

[NeonGhosts]

when is the public release for the .4 update?

Best I can do right now is say “April.”

Originally I'd planned for late January-early February, when the update was slated to only be Ashe's date, and a couple scenes around it. Then my plans grew, and with it the scope/size of the update. I thought I'd be able to finish it by the end of this month, but it's looking increasingly unlikely. Still, doing all I can to hustle it out.

Bruh, please leave the fishets where they are, looks good and nice combination with shoes, creates kind of punk/bratty look.

Her classic look has edged into the lead, so you may get your wish!

 

[botc76]

While not everything is perfect in the first chapter, I already liked it a lot.
Personally, I can't be mean to any of the girls, I either pity them or like them too much, but I love how the game from the start offered these choices.

I have increasingly less time to play this type of games and so many of them exist, this is actually a game that I have replayed each time a new update hits, just because I enjoy it so much.

Looking forward to the next update.

 

[keterboy]

While not everything is perfect in the first chapter, I already liked it a lot.
Personally, I can't be mean to any of the girls, I either pity them or like them too much, but I love how the game from the start offered these choices.

I have increasingly less time to play this type of games and so many of them exist, this is actually a game that I have replayed each time a new update hits, just because I enjoy it so much.

Looking forward to the next update.

same. on my 4-5 playthrough

 

[whizwart]

I was wondering about that poll. Glad to see you're not trying to go too radical with it and yeah, chapter 1 Nikki has needed a bit of love when compared with later models in the game. Waiting for the next release with baited breath.

PS: Good lord please, whatever wins, keep those crotchless leggings. Totally look like she's making an effort to get the cash and just darn hot.

 

[NeonGhosts]

While not everything is perfect in the first chapter, I already liked it a lot.
Personally, I can't be mean to any of the girls, I either pity them or like them too much, but I love how the game from the start offered these choices.

I have increasingly less time to play this type of games and so many of them exist, this is actually a game that I have replayed each time a new update hits, just because I enjoy it so much.

Looking forward to the next update.

Hearing that people can't bring themselves to be mean to the girls remains one of my favorite comments. Thanks for the kind words - I'll do my best to get the update out ASAP!

I was wondering about that poll. Glad to see you're not trying to go too radical with it and yeah, chapter 1 Nikki has needed a bit of love when compared with later models in the game. Waiting for the next release with baited breath.

PS: Good lord please, whatever wins, keep those crotchless leggings. Totally look like she's making an effort to get the cash and just darn hot.

At the moment, Option C has narrowly edged out A and E. Could be anyone's race, now! Since E has been so competitive, even if it loses I'll likely do a second poll regarding Nicki's hair, giving people the opportunity to retain her classic style.

As for the leggings, I may split the difference and use the crotchless leggings, with

You must be registered to see the links

applied. I'll have to see if it actually works or not, but that might be a good compromise.

While I'm here, here's a little spoiler for Ashe's upcoming love path.

Spoiler

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

 

[whizwart]

Hearing that people can't bring themselves to be mean to the girls remains one of my favorite comments. Thanks for the kind words - I'll do my best to get the update out ASAP!



At the moment, Option C has narrowly edged out A and E. Could be anyone's race, now! Since E has been so competitive, even if it loses I'll likely do a second poll regarding Nicki's hair, giving people the opportunity to retain her classic style.

As for the leggings, I may split the difference and use the crotchless leggings, with

You must be registered to see the links

applied. I'll have to see if it actually works or not, but that might be a good compromise.

While I'm here, here's a little spoiler for Ashe's upcoming love path.

Spoiler

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

 

[Walnutt]

Oh my god I just blasted through this game. ngl it started out a little rough and it was a little hard to get into. But man, it's so obvious that you got more and more comfortable with making it the further along you got

Great job so far! Literally the perfect mix of story and sexy. Every time I think "alright, this is my favorite girl" another comes along. Brittani (WITH AN I?!?!) held the spot of best girl - just BARELY holding off Nikki so far - and then you gotta end the chapter by showing off Risa? Dude she looks so fucking good.

But yeah, absolutely look forward to future updates! <3

 

[Kulman]

Not sure what to think about remake. From experience, it usually grinds the game to a halt, lowering hype and interest in the game.

I have yet to see a single remake on this site that goes "well", maybe you will be the first one.