Hello, wizards and witches!
Today, we continue to keep you in the loop on the development of
Innocent Witches and are excited to share the latest updates on what we’ve been working on and the upcoming changes.
Let’s start with an art preview (available in the next post), featuring the girls players have encountered throughout the storyline. Each of them, just like the main waifus, captivates with their charm and personality, not to mention their short skirts and attractive legs. We thought that these encounters should happen more often to spark the players' imagination even further, so in the next release a number of new miniatures will be added to the pool of the students that will appear in various locations of Hogwarts. We hope this makes wandering the school corridors even more exciting and varied.
Now, onto the main news!
Throughout the latest development period, we’ve been focusing on technical improvements and optimizing the game’s code and mechanics.
In particular, we’ve reworked and optimized the code responsible for earning galleons, and we’ve separated the Live2D resources and code into a new structure to boost efficiency. We’ve also updated the code managing the in-game mail system to ensure it works even better.
These changes, along with other optimizations, will not only improve the stability of the mechanics but also make it much easier to add new features and expand the game’s content in the future.
Another important area of focus has been the spell-casting mechanic.
It’s been in the plans for a long time already, but its full implementation has been delayed due to stability issues caused by the complexity of the animation processes in the Ren’py engine. The main problem we’re currently working on is the animation overload that occurs when players move the cursor within a spell, causing the animation to freeze for a second or longer. This not only disrupts the spell-casting process but also diminishes the overall enjoyment of the mechanic.
You can see an example of this issue in the gif animation below.
Right now, we’re actively searching for ways to fix this problem. Once resolved, the spell-casting mechanic will be integrated into game events where Marcus uses his magical abilities. This will shift some of the spell-related moments from stat checks to a more interactive approach.
For example, during a nighttime encounter with a mysterious stranger by the lake, instead of checking for a high enough stat level, players will be able to play an interactive spell-casting minigame. So, rather than leveling up stats, players will need to successfully trace the spell with their cursor or finger to progress in the event. However, if the player’s stat level is high enough, they’ll still have the option to cast the spell automatically. This keeps upgrading the stats relevant for those who prefer a more traditional gameplay style
Another area we’ve been working on is the updated storyline for Chapter 2 of Act 2, which we’ve mentioned previously. The storyline has been ready for a while now, but we’ve received a lot of feedback from players asking for more focus on the prefects and other characters who’ve been part of the story but haven’t received much attention so far. So, after the last major release, we decided to take some time to rework and update the script for this chapter. As a result, the storyline has been revised to focus more on developing the relationships between Marcus and the waifus.
Right now, dialogues are being written, and additional artwork is being created based on the updated script. A significant portion of the work is already done. However, we’ve encountered a situation that requires a decision. The updated chapter has grown larger than initially planned, making it feel too big for a single chapter. To solve this, we’re planning to split it into two parts and release it as two chapters instead of one.
Now the question is how to best distribute these chapters across releases. We have two options. The first is to release version 0.12A with the first part (which will be Chapter 2 of Act 2 in the game) and then release version 0.12B with the continuation (Chapter 3 of Act 2). The second option is to wait until both chapters are complete and release them together in version 0.12A. The first option would mean two releases with less content in each release, but they’d arrive sooner. The second option would offer a larger release, but it would take longer.
We’re leaning towards the first option since it would allow us to release content sooner (hopefully by the end of the year) than if we waited for one big release. What do you think? Please let us know in the poll below or leave a comment on this post or in our Discord <3
Finally, we’ve also continued working on the event involving potion class duties. This process turned out to be more time-consuming than expected as we experimented with different approaches to implementing the mechanic for this event. Several prototypes were created during the process, but unfortunately, they didn’t meet our expectations after testing. However, the event is now in its final stages, and we’re close to wrapping it up. It will be ready for full integration into the game very soon.
That’s all for today, friends! We deeply appreciate that you continue to stay with us and support the development through your donations and feedback. Thank you so much!
We’ll be back with more news soon. Until then, take care of yourselves and don’t forget to enjoy life!
Peace out✌
Your,
Sad Crabs