HTML Inner Empire [v1.7] [Defiant Explorer]

[CarlH]

I really like this update. Those enemies are freaky - much more scary than some random orcs. Especially for people who grew up watching Lost World.

I was wondering if you're considering adding some more "fighting" options? Maybe not actual swordplay, but other ways of defense. Alchemy seems to be a thing in this world even if spells aren't, so perhaps we could get our hands on some sleeping powder or hallucinogenic fungi to throw at enemies? Or even just some of that sick lizard venom on a pointy stick

 

[portiamento]

hello the alternative appearance works in the new version or not?

 

[damnedfrog]

What a great, balanced (in terms of exploration, chatting, action and the other "action") update, definitely worth a wait.

Yes, and a tough update, if you don't want to left anybody behind...
If you don't play a physical Selene, prepare yourself to spend some insight points.
All of my different Selene builds had only 1 in Vigor, and it was hard! I finished with 4 or 5 insight points less, even if I earn some along the way.
But the point I used to mock Cadonis was a point well spent

 

[Defiant Explorer]

What a great, balanced (in terms of exploration, chatting, action and the other "action") update, definitely worth a wait.

That said, I wonder if perhaps having bad rep with Iolanta should lead to her

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If you're on the Cadonis branch, the protagonist will have additional dialog options when talking to Iolanta in before this scene. But the scene itself is still possible. It's just that Io will be... she'll put more effort into persuasion. Selene could still refuse, though.

Is there any new scene with murella apart from calming her with the cat?

No. And if you mean intimate scenes then, alas, my hands are busy both working with two (already three) other characters at once and advancing the story itself. There's no room for more affairs at all. Not now. Don't expect anything too exciting in that sense anytime soon with the other troupe characters, please.

I really like this update. Those enemies are freaky - much more scary than some random orcs. Especially for people who grew up watching Lost World.

I was wondering if you're considering adding some more "fighting" options? Maybe not actual swordplay, but other ways of defense. Alchemy seems to be a thing in this world even if spells aren't, so perhaps we could get our hands on some sleeping powder or hallucinogenic fungi to throw at enemies? Or even just some of that sick lizard venom on a pointy stick

Taking an objective look at the events in this update, no combat skills would have helped there. Rather, special gear that would prevent bites is needed there. Even the typical breastplate of this tech period is powerless here (too many open areas). So any attempt to attack a pack of jumpers directly, "head-on", would be doomed. Regardless of fighting skills or weapon used. Selene and Meralion were saved (well, the latter not a fact) only because the jumpers were more interested in the bull as dinner. They were rather trying to drive the humans away from their prey. If not that... everyone would be dead by now.

hello the alternative appearance works in the new version or not?

They work on a file replacement basis, so - yes. Except for the new portraits, obviously. Until someone makes their own mod on them.

 

[Samuel Hidayat]

If you're on the Cadonis branch, the protagonist will have additional dialog options when talking to Iolanta in before this scene. But the scene itself is still possible. It's just that Io will be... she'll put more effort into persuasion. Selene could still refuse, though.



No. And if you mean intimate scenes then, alas, my hands are busy both working with two (already three) other characters at once and advancing the story itself. There's no room for more affairs at all. Not now. Don't expect anything too exciting in that sense anytime soon with the other troupe characters, please.



Taking an objective look at the events in this update, no combat skills would have helped there. Rather, special gear that would prevent bites is needed there. Even the typical breastplate of this tech period is powerless here (too many open areas). So any attempt to attack a pack of jumpers directly, "head-on", would be doomed. Regardless of fighting skills or weapon used. Selene and Meralion were saved (well, the latter not a fact) only because the jumpers were more interested in the bull as dinner. They were rather trying to drive the humans away from their prey. If not that... everyone would be dead by now.



They work on a file replacement basis, so - yes. Except for the new portraits, obviously. Until someone makes their own mod on them.

Congrats on the newest update! Btw, is there any new cheating content yet, aside from the blacksmith?

 

[Defiant Explorer]

Congrats on the newest update! Btw, is there any new cheating content yet, aside from the blacksmith?

In a way. If you're dating Cadonis, you can cheat on him with Meralion in this update. I bet a lot of people were sure Cadonis would cheat on Selene first. But I decided to give the first opportunity to the protagonist. That's more interesting.

 

[Amnelis]

Finally got around replaying the last update a couple times to give my thoughts

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I still have to play around with the different ethnicties and backgrounds but once again it's been a throughly enjoyable update! The episodic nature of them make them pretty satisfying on their own as they're released. With some games you'd usually want to wait until it's halfway through but this one has been a joy to keep up from the start.

 

[Defiant Explorer]

Amnelis, I was hoping for your commentary. Thanks!

Well, most people are convinced that in the Selene-Iolanta-Cadonis triangle, the latter is the real villain. A womanizer, an egomaniac, an asshole at times... But his motives are simple and straightforward. Can the same be said about Iolanta's motives? What does she pursue, and what game is she playing? I remember there was a comment here where a person didn't understand why Iolanta mentioned Selene's name when she herself, ahem, is riding someone else's dick. Within a traditional porn game, a character like Iolanta could corrupt the protagonist for the sake of the corrupting process itself and the plot justification of sex scenes... Yeah, that's how it would be in a traditional porn game.

 

[Dagarga]

Nice! Is there a cheat mode, by any chance?

 

[Shevian]

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[Defiant Explorer]

Nice! Is there a cheat mode, by any chance?

Only if you somehow change a couple of lines in the code. Better you don't. It's my testing tool. A safe option for an easier game is to take +10/+20 Insight points at startup. That way you're sure not to break anything in your saves.

 

[Kagarus]

There's also the usual option of just using the console in the web developer tools of your browser of choice - as usual, variables can be found as SugarCube.State.variables.<name of the variable> - just be aware that you can easily break stuff if you don't know what you're doing.
exp is experience during character creation (can break character creation), insight is Insight (should generally be safe if you just change the number, SugarCube.State.variables.insight += 10 for 10 extra Insight for example).

 

[Defiant Explorer]

There's also the usual option of just using the console in the web developer tools of your browser of choice - as usual, variables can be found as SugarCube.State.variables.<name of the variable> - just be aware that you can easily break stuff if you don't know what you're doing.
exp is experience during character creation (can break character creation), insight is Insight (should generally be safe if you just change the number, SugarCube.State.variables.insight += 10 for 10 extra Insight for example).

Yeah, you could do it that way. Or find variables that unlock the cheat menus directly. But many problems can arise. For example, a player makes a choice dependent on Origin, where there are, let's say, 3 options. Once selected, 1 of them will become "true" and the other 2 will become "false". Next, the player is playing, and decides through the cheat menu to change the character's Origin, because the old one, I do not know, got bored already or whatever. The game didn't break instantly and our satisfied player plays on with the new brand Origin. But here comes a moment where the game checks that very choice within 3 options, counting that at least 1 of them must be "true". But all 3 are "false" because the player has changed Origin. And underneath the choice line... nothing. Oopsie. The game is over since the saves were corrupted all that time.

This is just one hypothetical example of why I removed the cheat menu, leaving it only for my dev version for quick testing. If I give this thing to the naughty hands of players, I'll then drown in complaints that the game is "buggy" and blah blah blah "something doesn't work and I have nooo idea why! Fix it NOW!"

So, better play fair. I think the legal ability to go backward within the game history if you don't like some outcome, save anywhere you want, or take the equivalent of +100% to exp in Insight points at the very start - that's is more than enough to make the game easier. However, as for me, if it's too easy - it isn't interesting at all. Sometimes things go fucked up or not the way you wanted. And I try to work out even those scenarios.

 

[TaPond]

Thank you very much.

 

[Exceeder96]

What a great update! A lot of action and plot developement! Plus some moments with Io and her late night motivation more or less understandable rn - she wanted to check if mc is ok with threesome (mine was not and was 100 yuri and Io mentioned it which is cool). I wish there were more interactions and relation developement with ginger pie Murella tho, nevertheless - great update with a lot of content! Cant wait for next update!

 

[bolondro2]

I have discovered this game a few days ago.

Bad things. It´s a really barebone text game and have few branching.
Good things. It´s a really barebone text game and have few branching, so the developer can focus in developing the story. And it´s a good damm story.

All in all, just say that the game had been good enough to make me do 6 different runs...

Waiting for the next update...

Edit: I can not understand people asking for cheatings. Except for my fist run (I have not grasp yet the mechanics of the game) the game it´s easy enough with the normal settings..

 

[Defiant Explorer]

Bad things. It´s a really barebone text game and have few branching.
Good things. It´s a really barebone text game and have few branching, so the developer can focus in developing the story. And it´s a good damm story.

I love this wordplay and laconic emphasis on the most essential thing at the end. Working in marketing? Advertising? If not, you've got a natural talent.

 

[damnedfrog]

I was wondering if you're considering adding some more "fighting" options? Maybe not actual swordplay, but other ways of defense. Alchemy seems to be a thing in this world even if spells aren't, so perhaps we could get our hands on some sleeping powder or hallucinogenic fungi to throw at enemies? Or even just some of that sick lizard venom on a pointy stick

Indeed, depending of the situation, it would be great to have other way to brute force in fight.
Or options would help less athletic character to even the odd a bit.
Like a Mind or Perception check skill may help to find a better tactical position. Or even a Intrigue check will lead to completely avoid the fight.
For an encounter like the one in this update, I don't think there will be so much option than... run!

But let say in a near future, Selene encounter a party of 2-3 of these infamous Highlanders.
A fight will need a hard Vigor or Agility check (4 or 5) to succeed.
But if you previously succeed a Mind or Perception check, you find a narrow position where your opponents can only fight one by one, can't swing their weapons efficiently, and even get in each other's way. And so the following Vigor or Agility check will only need a 2 or 3.
Even more, if instead of a Mind or Perception check prior the fight, you succeed a rather difficult check (4-5), you can convince the Highlanders that you have see a group of beautiful, sexy, in heat... goats just behind that hill right there . And while the ruffians go to the hill in hope to find the love of there live , you just escape in the opposite direction, totally avoiding the fight.

There could be other situations where it's the opposite, an athletic Selene could have some bonus to overcome Mind/Intrigue check.
Playing a game of Figurines, an agile Selene could surreptitiously change the position of one figurine, helping her to have a better position in the game. And so reducing the Mind check needed to win (yes, I know, it's cheating, but a girl has to do what she does to win ).
Or during a dialog to convince someone to do something for you, a previous successful Vigor check (or Agility check for a Vagrant Selene nonchalantly playing with her dagger...) may intimidate that person, reducing the following Intrigue check needed.

I understand it will add more work for our poor Defiant Explorer, but having option to overcome some situations in unorthodox ways would be fun. Think out of the box

 

[Defiant Explorer]

damnedfrog I will try to structure your suggestions and respond to them:

1. Vigor and Agility checks are just designed for action situations. Yes, there were very few of them before the last update, but that's the story structure. Action from the first moments of the game doesn't really suit it. And by the way, there are two adventures planned for Chapter 2. The first one has already begun. The second one hasn't yet, but the preparations and hooks for it are already in play.

2. The idea with the combination of checks (where checking one ability makes it easier to check another) is not a bad one. I like it. The only potential problem I see is that some players won't figure it out and will complain about the checks being too hard.

You don't even have to look far for an example. See the latest negative review here. There another critic complains that the game is "all about checks". On the whole, this is bullshit. In particular, it's an RPG, for god's sake. How much of a master mind does one have to be to criticize an RPG for being... an RPG? There, all criticism boils down to excuses for one's own inability to deal with the only (so far) dynamically changing ability check. I.e. - yes, the maximum possible Willpower check in the Cadonis situation = 5, which is pretty high. To overcome it from 0, you need at least 6 Insight points in reserve. But the minimum Willpower check there = 1. Oh nooo, it's so complicated!

Thus, I still get complaints for a situation where the mechanics of how an ability check works are slightly more complicated than the basic direct check. On the other hand... I'm not sure it's really my problem. So maybe I'll use your suggestion with the check combo.

3. Battles. In battles, people get killed and injured. No problem with the first, death = game over (though I don't want to overuse it). With wounds, it's more complicated. The game is in a realistic setting. No HP bars of any kind. Wounds are something serious that won't go away instantly. There are no healing potions, nor is there the option to just sit down to rest so that some stab wound can heal the next day. How serious even a scratch can be, though, you'll see in the next update.


Summarizing. I'm sure there will be situations where the protagonist will be able to kick someone's ass through checks. But in general, those situations are unlikely to be like "and then our actress grabbed a sword and rushed out to fight a crowd of enemies". Or rather, if there will be such situations and you decide to do exactly that, then most likely everything will end the way it would have ended in the real world. Death. Yours. No high level of ability will save Selene from the consequences of really stupid decisions. I mean, like when (if) she doesn't have the strength to drag someone, but she's stubbornly unwilling to save her own life. Well, unwilling is unwilling. I, as the author, will not save the players from the consequences. Otherwise, those consequences would be meaningless.

 

[Gibberish666]

damnedfrog I will try to structure your suggestions and respond to them:

1. Vigor and Agility checks are just designed for action situations. Yes, there were very few of them before the last update, but that's the story structure. Action from the first moments of the game doesn't really suit it. And by the way, there are two adventures planned for Chapter 2. The first one has already begun. The second one hasn't yet, but the preparations and hooks for it are already in play.

2. The idea with the combination of checks (where checking one ability makes it easier to check another) is not a bad one. I like it. The only potential problem I see is that some players won't figure it out and will complain about the checks being too hard.

You don't even have to look far for an example. See the latest negative review here. There another critic complains that the game is "all about checks". On the whole, this is bullshit. In particular, it's an RPG, for god's sake. How much of a master mind does one have to be to criticize an RPG for being... an RPG? There, all criticism boils down to excuses for one's own inability to deal with the only (so far) dynamically changing ability check. I.e. - yes, the maximum possible Willpower check in the Cadonis situation = 5, which is pretty high. To overcome it from 0, you need at least 6 Insight points in reserve. But the minimum Willpower check there = 1. Oh nooo, it's so complicated!

Thus, I still get complaints for a situation where the mechanics of how an ability check works are slightly more complicated than the basic direct check. On the other hand... I'm not sure it's really my problem. So maybe I'll use your suggestion with the check combo.

3. Battles. In battles, people get killed and injured. No problem with the first, death = game over (though I don't want to overuse it). With wounds, it's more complicated. The game is in a realistic setting. No HP bars of any kind. Wounds are something serious that won't go away instantly. There are no healing potions, nor is there the option to just sit down to rest so that some stab wound can heal the next day. How serious even a scratch can be, though, you'll see in the next update.


Summarizing. I'm sure there will be situations where the protagonist will be able to kick someone's ass through checks. But in general, those situations are unlikely to be like "and then our actress grabbed a sword and rushed out to fight a crowd of enemies". Or rather, if there will be such situations and you decide to do exactly that, then most likely everything will end the way it would have ended in the real world. Death. Yours. No high level of ability will save Selene from the consequences of really stupid decisions. I mean, like when (if) she doesn't have the strength to drag someone, but she's stubbornly unwilling to save her own life. Well, unwilling is unwilling. I, as the author, will not save the players from the consequences. Otherwise, those consequences would be meaningless.

I also like the concept of allowing one skill to aid in another check. You'll do it however you will. I just want to share the idea of using passive bonuses instead of activated bonuses.

For example, say the MC notices there is a secret passage behind a bookshelf, but the shelf is very heavy.
- Active Bonus: You could have a make Mind check to use a wood plank as a lever to reduce the requirement for the Vigor check to move the bookshelf. It's both simple and it works, but it also requires a whole extra step.
- Passive Bonus: But say by virtue of the MC having 3 points invested in Mind, she gets a +1 bonus to the Vigor check and uses the wood plank as a lever to move the shelf with less effort. I imagine this could be less work.

You already spell out everything required to fulfill a check, I would not expect you to do combined checks any differently. Anyone with at least the bare minimum knowledge of how RPGs work will get it instantly. If someone cannot comprehend your game and wants to leave a dumb review, they're only showcasing their stupidity.