HTML Gateway [Dev Thread]

[Feebs]

Nearly there now. I ended up adding a few little things, nothing major and mostly QoL.
Outside the bug fixes and many, MANY typos, here's a quick list:

• You can now arrange the list by fatigue in the spa.
• If you have no active construction or research projects, or you lack resources to fund upkeep, the sidebar now shows a warning.
• Added an upkeep indicator.
• Upkeep can now be reduced by having people work in construction without an active project.
• Made some of the earlier buffer tasks unavoidable. When you sleep/wake up, Megan will force you to complete the tasks if you haven't already, guiding in a tutorial-like fashion.
• Added a new task to start the inspection.
• Added fourth tracker slot.
• Added another step to Isolda's & Kimberly's substories. No actual content, just steps to make it clearer they can be used to teach skills to others.
• Added more info to the contacts app and added a filter-search function.

Still a lot of ugliness about, but getting prettier.

 

[Feebs]

Here's v0.1. Just double-checking post rules, grabbing interface screenshots, and converting some vids to gifs for the post, then will submit to the relevant forum.

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Some additional QoL stuff added before release.

Added some hotkeys.

• 1 through 0 will select the relevant option on screen.
• P opens/closes phone.
• C opens calendar app on phone (even if phone closed)
• M opens messaging app on phone (even if phone closed)
• Q goes to first quick travel location (if quick travel available).
• W to second location, A to third, S to fourth, Z to firth and X to sixth.
• Backspace goes back to previous moment. Note: Don't use if your browser has backspace enabled for going to previous webpage.
• H hides/shows sidebars.
• + advances time an hour.

Added a setting to show numbers beside options showing what key said option relates.

Two new apps on computer.
Photos - Available after doing a photo shoot, allowing you to view the photos from said shoots.
Cheats - Bunch of options for those that want to bypass certain features entirely or just want a quick one off boost.

Some save stuff.
10 additional save slots.
Autosave enabled at the start of most days.
Save slot title defaults to the game day.

Edit: And it's live! https://f95zone.to/threads/gateway-v0-1-0-feebs.177625/
Scary times, not expecting anything major, but hopefully it receives a somewhat positive response.

 

[Feebs]

So, first public release was... mixed.
Very buggy unfortunately, with a few game-breaking ones that I had to quickly hotfix.
But, no bad comments about the content itself in the thread... yet, and a few positive ones.

Quite ashamed at the number of bugs, so I need to make sure there's more testing in future builds. A good number of them seem to be caused by late additions to the game, especially the cheat menu. I've bumped my recruitment thread for a playtester, and hopefully I can find someone that'll help me reduce such occurrences in the future.

But now I'm really keen to get moving on more content!

 

[Feebs]

I've just checked download stats on a couple of the mirrors... and I'm blown away. I think I mentioned early in the devlog, that given HTML isn't super popular (generally), real porn (comparatively to 3D) and nor is management that I was expecting the three together to leave me with a relatively lower player base. Thought I'd be lucky to reach triple digits, tbh.

Pixeldrain is at nearly 2k alone, while GoFile is over 5k. I don't know about the others, and I get that for many releases those are probably poor results, I imagine something like BADik is in the millions for instance. But I'm taking it as a bloody achievement, and even if only 10% of them enjoyed the game and return, that's a much bigger audience than I envisioned.

Other than the absolute buggy mess it was, I'm somewhat pleased with the response. I hope I can keep players interested from build to build.

On to actual dev log things!

I'm currently patching in bugfixes as I find them and working on smaller side content rather than main story. The primary reason for that being it's easy to finish up a few tracker events then move back to check for bug reports to address, then it is trying to move the story forward and interrupting that. Side content I find tends to be easier to write because it's short, and you can knock out a few small events in a few hours, gating parts behind the main story as appropriate. Whereas story content often needs multiple variations and sometimes new systems, hence not wanting to immerse myself while bug reports are flying at me.

Once I'm on top of the bug reports, I want to move Kimberly and Derin forward before the next release, and add a few more options to the game. Volume control was one a couple of players ask for, for instance.

I've had a lot of free time this week, one of the reason I wanted to release this week, in fact, and unexpectedly already made a lot of ground toward the next release because of how pumped I was from the feedback, but development will slow to its regular pace next week.

But the big lesson remains, I need to playtest more before release, and involve others in that if possible. I'm thinking of adding an alternative URL on gateway.mom for the WIP builds so that it's easy to update and have tested on the fly. Basically the original intent of gateway.mom before I added it to the release post!

 

[radical686]

Currently, the online version works better than the download version. Download version has a lot of game-breaking errors not far into the game. In general, it's a pretty sophisticated resource management game combined with real porn content. The models are well chosen with high fapability. It was a fun game with a lot of content for such an early version.

Two things need work, some feedback and 1 error:
1) Expeditions are unreliable and it's hard to get more than a couple of people to agree to go. This makes it hard to build new infrastructure since there are so few resources collected during the expeditions (always less than 20) and too few resources to both maintain already built resources and build new ones.
2) After about 5 expeditions with low resource yield, the game started telling me there was already an expedition in the field when there wasn't. One common feedback, was come back after 1800/1900 to put a team in the field, only to come back and see: you can't put any teams in the field after 1400. I eventually had to rely on the cheat code just to get enough resources to maintain existing infrastructure. I don't like using cheat codes like that so it was a bit disappointing.
3) tracking Lashonda causes an error, and the quest tracker is hard to use.

 

[Feebs]

Development really changes when you've got playtesters on hand.
We've gone onto Discord, and while I'm normally an unsocial mess and don't do well communicating in real time, it's been great having them there testing WIP builds while I continue marching on with more development.
The next version will see a lot of bug fixes and feedback implemented, including that from radical686 above - thank you for that.

It's been quite a whirlwind since the release nearly two weeks ago, and the game has already changed quite a bit thanks to the input and feedback of the players thus far. Not all feedback gets implemented, of course, as it may take away from my vision of the game. And I'm very aware that I can't make everyone happy.

The next update also sees a lot of what I call flavor content. Things that don't feature as part of the main story or even substories generally. This has mostly been because I wanted to get another release out relatively quickly to address initial feedback and bugs, but that would not be enough time to move the story forward. And I've already spoken about the continuing content between bug-squatting previously.

Nonetheless, a handful of substories do move forward. As of right now there are 10 new lewds and I'm currently working on an 11th. Most of them are related to the flavor content I mentioned and might only be simple one- or two-passage peeping scenes, whereas the substory ones tend to be a bit longer. I'm hoping to include new lewds for all strays and a couple of others before release, but this is already a stretch goal, so providing the build isn't wriggled with bugs when the play testers get a hold of it later, a release next week will not be a problem.

 

[GeyserGod]

A bug I ran into that made progress hard was that I couldn't put Lashonda in the tracker I kept getting an If Than statement error (was playing browser version as the download is reading as 1.0 still even though the browser one is 1.2)

 

[Feebs]

A bug I ran into that made progress hard was that I couldn't put Lashonda in the tracker I kept getting an If Than statement error (was playing browser version as the download is reading as 1.0 still even though the browser one is 1.2)

Thanks, GeyserGod, 0.1.3 has just been released an hour or two ago which, among other things, addresses the Lashonda tracker bug.

 

[GeyserGod]

this comes up periodically after day 60 when trying to click either the +2 hour button or the +4 hour button (using the non-download 0.1.4 browser version)

 

[Feebs]

View attachment 3040712
this comes up periodically after day 60 when trying to click either the +2 hour button or the +4 hour button (using the non-download 0.1.4 browser version)

Would you be able to send me a savefile please?

 

[GeyserGod]

this save is from day 62 just after it popped up

 

[Feebs]

this save is from day 62 just after it popped up

Thanks, I've fixed it. Will be in the next update (which will be soon). However, you can stop it occurring in the current version by entering the bakery. That will initialize the missing variable.

 

[gazza666]

Just checking - currently I have completed all the current content for all the girls, and the main tasks I have are Buffer Check 2/5 plus the two future events. That's it at the moment, yes? Or is there some way to unlock further potential and get the buffer to 3 or 4 or even 5/5?

 

[Feebs]

Just checking - currently I have completed all the current content for all the girls, and the main tasks I have are Buffer Check 2/5 plus the two future events. That's it at the moment, yes? Or is there some way to unlock further potential and get the buffer to 3 or 4 or even 5/5?

0.1.5 was released earlier this week that allows you to get 3/5 and started Alyssa's substory. But the release was mostly to address bugs, so doesn't have much in terms of content.

But otherwise, yes. Task-wise, you're done. 0.2 will be next. The buffer tasks will continue then, along with the others.

 

[Feebs]

Development progresses relatively well.
Added a week-to-view option for the rota with some extra QoL stuff in it. Image size is smaller than I'd like it to be, but hey-ho. To double-clarify, it is optional.

Teaching UI also had a rework.

Can also now quick travel directly to a woman's location using the tracker.
There's a good number of new lewds, as you'd expect, and intend to add quite a few more yet.
One thing I really can't stress, though, is how much I bloody love widgets. They save so much damn time!

The story is moving forward pretty well, I've stopped just shy of the big event as I want to get some more of the substories going before moving into that.

I think that's the highlights, but in truth done way more and don't want to give any spoilers away. A massive thanks to Shazmify for testing and dealing with countless bugs and typos while I crack on with content.

 

[Feebs]

Right now, the game is about 40% bigger than the previous release. The current event sprawls over many variations with several options, but because it's time-limited I can't release it incrementally like with regular story updates, which means this release may take longer than a normal one, unfortunately.

This update will also include a lot of transient characters. People who are relevant to the current story arc, but may not get much screentime later. Similar to an episodic TV show or a chapter-driven anime. The characters are useful to the individual story arc, but won't be recurring characters (generally).

Given the nature of it, it's difficult not to give away any spoilers without context, but there are lots of mini-events, many optional, within the greater story of this update. It's also the first real test of how well you have set up and manged your hub. The player won't be able to experience every possible route combination in a single playthrough, but I will make it so the lewds here can be unlocked with alternative means later in the story, but may be a number of updates away before that happens.

I've also experimented with some kinks outside my usual comfort zone, all optional. But to name a few there's some light BDSM (spanking & pillories), cuckolding (you're the bull) and sharing. Again all optional.

As with most of my writing, it introduces things for the future too, and hints at future events and characters, while also calling back to some from previous events.

 

[TheMormonProphet]

Hello Feebs, was wondering if you wouldn't mind answering a question for me.

I'm interested in making my own real porn game. I have experience making a standard branching visual novel in Ren'py, but learning the sandbox coding in Ren'py would be an entirely new effort and I have no other coding experience. I'm wondering if I'd be better off investing the time to learn to make the game in HTML. I know from your OP that you had originally planned on Ren'py and then decided HTML would be a better fit. What factors influenced this decision? Also, do you have a coding background?

 

[Feebs]

Hello Feebs, was wondering if you wouldn't mind answering a question for me.

I'm interested in making my own real porn game. I have experience making a standard branching visual novel in Ren'py, but learning the sandbox coding in Ren'py would be an entirely new effort and I have no other coding experience. I'm wondering if I'd be better off investing the time to learn to make the game in HTML. I know from your OP that you had originally planned on Ren'py and then decided HTML would be a better fit. What factors influenced this decision? Also, do you have a coding background?

I have a coding background, yes, and I've used many languages over the years. I wouldn't say I'm an expert in any given one, but I understand the logic of how many work and documentation on specific functions and what not can generally get me the rest of the way.

So the key factors for me were:

• Text-heavy - Outside of lewd scenes, I didn't feel ren'py would work as well for more story-driven non-lewd content. Perhaps that would have been different if I were able to create good 3D content, but it would also be a lot more work and limit how quickly I could tell my story.
• UI Manipulation - I did some basic crafting in ren'py for this, and found while certainly possible, I didn't find it as easy as HTML/JS. I've made minor mods for ren'py games before that included UI stuff, but found adding context menus or making things draggable was more of a chore. This may just be my lack of experience, mind.
• Once I decided it was going to be RP, I knew it wouldn't be going on Steam. While I assume I could use electron and greenheartgaming's Steam SDK (not checked if it works with Twine tbh) it was no longer a factor. But, if Steam is your goal, ren'py is easier to get working with that. Monetization is not a goal for me, while at some point I'll add something, I'm not looking to make a living off this or paywall any features. If you are, ren'py would again be the better option imo.
• Easier testing and deployment - Ren'py devmode is great to quickly test changes and what not, don't get me wrong, but HTML is just much easier. Even more so when I discovered Tweego's watch flag as it's just hitting F5 whenever I want to test something.

I think both engines are easy to pick up for a regular VN-style game, though ren'py is better suited to that imo. But both can equally do free roam/sandbox just as well. But given my previous knowledge of JQuery (which Twine includes) it was easier for me to pick that up.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to what you're creating. Both can do everything the other can do, and I can't say I've used ren'py enough to be an expert, but I just found it easier to create the initial skeleton in Twine with Sugarcube than I did ren'py.

Perhaps that's one thing you could look at for your own game, create a basic time cycle and location picker in both engines, without doing anything funky with the UIs, then see what you felt was easier. An inventory system too, if that's something you intend to include. That said, if you're going for a text-heavy game, HTML may still be better the option as ren'py is, in my opinion, better suited to the slideshow style of dialogue.

 

[TheMormonProphet]

I have a coding background, yes, and I've used many languages over the years. I wouldn't say I'm an expert in any given one, but I understand the logic of how many work and documentation on specific functions and what not can generally get me the rest of the way.

So the key factors for me were:

• Text-heavy - Outside of lewd scenes, I didn't feel ren'py would work as well for more story-driven non-lewd content. Perhaps that would have been different if I were able to create good 3D content, but it would also be a lot more work and limit how quickly I could tell my story.
• UI Manipulation - I did some basic crafting in ren'py for this, and found while certainly possible, I didn't find it as easy as HTML/JS. I've made minor mods for ren'py games before that included UI stuff, but found adding context menus or making things draggable was more of a chore. This may just be my lack of experience, mind.
• Once I decided it was going to be RP, I knew it wouldn't be going on Steam. While I assume I could use electron and greenheartgaming's Steam SDK (not checked if it works with Twine tbh) it was no longer a factor. But, if Steam is your goal, ren'py is easier to get working with that. Monetization is not a goal for me, while at some point I'll add something, I'm not looking to make a living off this or paywall any features. If you are, ren'py would again be the better option imo.
• Easier testing and deployment - Ren'py devmode is great to quickly test changes and what not, don't get me wrong, but HTML is just much easier. Even more so when I discovered Tweego's watch flag as it's just hitting F5 whenever I want to test something.

I think both engines are easy to pick up for a regular VN-style game, though ren'py is better suited to that imo. But both can equally do free roam/sandbox just as well. But given my previous knowledge of JQuery (which Twine includes) it was easier for me to pick that up.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to what you're creating. Both can do everything the other can do, and I can't say I've used ren'py enough to be an expert, but I just found it easier to create the initial skeleton in Twine with Sugarcube than I did ren'py.

Perhaps that's one thing you could look at for your own game, create a basic time cycle and location picker in both engines, without doing anything funky with the UIs, then see what you felt was easier. An inventory system too, if that's something you intend to include. That said, if you're going for a text-heavy game, HTML may still be better the option as ren'py is, in my opinion, better suited to the slideshow style of dialogue.

Thank you, I really appreciate the response!

 

[Feyschek]

I have a coding background, yes, and I've used many languages over the years. I wouldn't say I'm an expert in any given one, but I understand the logic of how many work and documentation on specific functions and what not can generally get me the rest of the way.

So the key factors for me were:

• Text-heavy - Outside of lewd scenes, I didn't feel ren'py would work as well for more story-driven non-lewd content. Perhaps that would have been different if I were able to create good 3D content, but it would also be a lot more work and limit how quickly I could tell my story.
• UI Manipulation - I did some basic crafting in ren'py for this, and found while certainly possible, I didn't find it as easy as HTML/JS. I've made minor mods for ren'py games before that included UI stuff, but found adding context menus or making things draggable was more of a chore. This may just be my lack of experience, mind.
• Once I decided it was going to be RP, I knew it wouldn't be going on Steam. While I assume I could use electron and greenheartgaming's Steam SDK (not checked if it works with Twine tbh) it was no longer a factor. But, if Steam is your goal, ren'py is easier to get working with that. Monetization is not a goal for me, while at some point I'll add something, I'm not looking to make a living off this or paywall any features. If you are, ren'py would again be the better option imo.
• Easier testing and deployment - Ren'py devmode is great to quickly test changes and what not, don't get me wrong, but HTML is just much easier. Even more so when I discovered Tweego's watch flag as it's just hitting F5 whenever I want to test something.

I think both engines are easy to pick up for a regular VN-style game, though ren'py is better suited to that imo. But both can equally do free roam/sandbox just as well. But given my previous knowledge of JQuery (which Twine includes) it was easier for me to pick that up.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to what you're creating. Both can do everything the other can do, and I can't say I've used ren'py enough to be an expert, but I just found it easier to create the initial skeleton in Twine with Sugarcube than I did ren'py.

Perhaps that's one thing you could look at for your own game, create a basic time cycle and location picker in both engines, without doing anything funky with the UIs, then see what you felt was easier. An inventory system too, if that's something you intend to include. That said, if you're going for a text-heavy game, HTML may still be better the option as ren'py is, in my opinion, better suited to the slideshow style of dialogue.

I'll add a couple of things from myself.

1. If you plan to make an open world game. - the Twine system with its passage designer is very convenient for a beginner.

2. Twine also has a very convenient interface configuration via a browser. - You just need to open the code in the browser and change the values and then copy it to the styles section, which will be a little more difficult with ren'py.

3. You also need to understand that ren'py uses the Python programming language. You will have to learn a little Python and then start working with ren'py.

Here is my personal opinion:

- If you want to make open world games, it's better to work on Twine. It will be easier for a beginner.

- ren'py is actually better suited for linear games.