QSP Abandoned Jack-o-Nine-Tails [v2.2.3] [Old Huntsman + Community development]

[Lorien]

Interesting. I'll have to see if I can reproduce that. It sounds like something isn't being cleaned up properly.

Start the game, take Isabella as an assistant, go to the technosphere, heal the scar. Profit!

I would have no objection to moving the stethoscope and removing house reputation from Johny's start. I would however object to removing his magic skill, considering that it is supported by his backstory.

And I completely agree with the presence of a magic skill, I just noted this difference.

For a more difficult start, you can do a hard difficulty custom start with zero points spent and minimum starting sparks. I did that a few times during the development of 2.2 to make sure it was possible.

Yes, I will most likely do so. But I see an inscription of maximum difficulty - I think it's worth matching.

You can use a water of lethe elixir to reset a slave's aura (which also lowers intellect), but you still need to rebuild their personality attributes the slow way. I don't really like the idea of a "medical" shortcut for building up attributes.

Of course, I know about the elixir. I just looked at the technosphere and wondered how much there could be done. But the impact on the balance of the game will be large, so I must keep my wild fantasy at bay.
I also really don't like the build-up of attributes, but I can't help but note that this is a self-explanatory option.

 

[ImperatorAugustusTertius]

Start the game, take Isabella as an assistant, go to the technosphere, heal the scar. Profit!

The save file size increase is because the assistant treatment interactions are assigned very large internal ID values. The game keeps track of how many times each interaction type has been done. A single array contains all of those counters, with the index in the array corresponding to the ID assigned for the interaction. For example, the assistant scar removal interaction has ID 331231. Consequently, after scar removal, the game increments the value at position 331231 in the array. After this, when you save the game, it is saving a much larger array, which is very sparse (most of the slots are empty). You can see the same growth in save file size if you do other assistant treatment options, because they also use high ID values. I tested changing the ID for the scar removal to 3319 (which is unused) and the save file after removal is 7 MB instead of 13 MB.

So, we could improve the save file sizes by renumbering these IDs to use lower values. Or we could change how we keep track of the counters.

 

[qwertyu12359]

Recently switched to version 2.2.1, before that I played 1.7.5.1.
Most of the changes are strictly positive, but there are a few that are strange.
Already mentioned above about the real rank of cooked food without groceries.
Unexpected purchase of a stethoscope from the Slavers Guild. Before it was in the technosphere, which, in my opinion, makes more sense. Or, for that matter, why then are there no collars and shackles for sale in the same guild?
Johny was given the C rank of mage from the beginning of the game and the opportunity to buy an apartment appeared. I agree with the mage, but the slum start is more interesting. It's not for nothing that this is the maximum difficulty.
I also noticed that there was an old problem with the removal of the scar at the assistant. It even got worse. Have you tried to fix this?

Can you give me a screenshot of 1.7.5 stethoscope being in Technosphere?

None of us changed its place, so if it indeed was in 1.7.5, it was changed in 1.8, just before I got involved.

I also always found it strange that it's given in the guild, but I don't remember it ever being in the hospital. I've been playing since 1.7.3, but my memory of it might fail me.

If it used to be in the Technosphere in the original version, we'll sure put it back. Otherwise, I tend to assume Old Huntsman had a good reason.

 

[ImperatorAugustusTertius]

Can you give me a screenshot of 1.7.5 stethoscope being in Technosphere?

None of us changed its place, so if it indeed was in 1.7.5, it was changed in 1.8, just before I got involved.

I also always found it strange that it's given in the guild, but I don't remember it ever being in the hospital.

Counter argument: It makes sense for the guild to promote a reusable but low-tech method of monitoring for health issues (stethoscope), because in the long run it can save the guild members money. The Technosphere has no incentive to sell something that competes with their services.

 

[Lorien]

Can you give me a screenshot of 1.7.5 stethoscope being in Technosphere?

Russian version

 

[Lorien]

Counter argument: It makes sense for the guild to promote a reusable but low-tech method of monitoring for health issues (stethoscope), because in the long run it can save the guild members money. The Technosphere has no incentive to sell something that competes with their services.

Then why don't they sell collars and shackles? Following this logic, it would sell even better. In addition, the technosphere is the only hospital in the entire city. They already have enough work.

 

[qwertyu12359]

Russian version

That really surprises me, thank you for the screenshot. I'll check v1.21 and see if it was the same, if so I'll put it in the roadmap for v2.2.1

Edit:
Well I guess there was no stethoscope in 1.21 to being with ^^

 

[Lorien]

Some more considerations.
Small buttons for washing, cooking, rewards / punishments, etc. at first they look beautiful, but do not quite match the overall design. They are all different, with small pictures, and in the end they are distracting. Maybe return the old ones? Or pick up something without pictures, more unified.

At the start of the game, when choosing a character, some portraits were changed compared to the original. Changed M'lord, Sugar Daddy and Doc. They stand out from the rest. Basically, Doc is fine in my opinion, but M'lord and Sugar Daddy of the old version fit better.
Nevermind. It was a matter of taste, and I calmly changed it for the desired ones.

Previously, I hardly used the whip skill. Now does the damage in battle depend on it if you have a whip or a leash in your hands? It would be natural for the whip master to deal more damage than the beginner.

 

[ImperatorAugustusTertius]

Previously, I hardly used the whip skill. Now does the damage in battle depend on it if you have a whip or a leash in your hands? It would be natural for the whip master to deal more damage than the beginner.

Yes, these weapons have always been linked to the skill.

 

[ImperatorAugustusTertius]

Doc is fine in my opinion, but M'lord and Sugar Daddy of the old version fit better.

Which version? In 1.2.1, the portraits were like this:



I like the current portraits (where different) more than the originals shown here.

 

[Lorien]

I like the current portraits (where different) more than the originals shown here.

Yes, these are the ones. As I said, it's a matter of taste. If you like the current ones, that's okay. I'll just change for myself.

 

[Danzema]

How does the pregnancy part work? Is it even possible? they're all fertile and such. Does your character have something to do with it?

 

[Ingvar77]

Previously, I hardly used the whip skill. Now does the damage in battle depend on it if you have a whip or a leash in your hands? It would be natural for the whip master to deal more damage than the beginner.

Not only this. Ponygirl training now linked with whip mastery. Basically you can't train S+ ponygirl without S+ flagellation.

 

[Lorien]

So, we could improve the save file sizes by renumbering these IDs to use lower values. Or we could change how we keep track of the counters.

It is better, of course, so that the file does not grow so much, or at least after getting rid of the assistant, it returns to its previous size and does not leave it enlarged.

Not only this. Ponygirl training now linked with whip mastery. Basically you can't train S+ ponygirl without S+ flagellation.

Wow, I didn't know, thanks.

Found another small mistake in the description.
In an operation for permanent lactation, it is said that the recovery period is 15 days, but in the description of the slave it writes 10 days.
I also noticed that the cost of rewards by giving free time is not indicated. Considering that they are in other awards - why were they removed? Although, spending time together is also without a indicated cost, but it was like that before ...

 

[tcallas]

Love this game, but kinda wish Hardcore mode was more challenging. Once you have a Slaver with decent stats the game is too easy. All you do is get your slave to 3 fear with threatening and punishment, which normally takes 2 turns. Then just make sure you keep her mood as pleased and then spam classes and rewards. She will build all the other aura stats naturally. The higher-level the slave you are just more griding really without having to think too much. I think a problem is a disobedient but "Pleased" slave performs too well. I think the mood is too important. All you need to do is keep her mood is to achieve good results.

 

[ImperatorAugustusTertius]

Love this game, but kinda wish Hardcore mode was more challenging. Once you have a Slaver with decent stats the game is too easy. All you do is get your slave to 3 fear with threatening and punishment, which normally takes 2 turns. Then just make sure you keep her mood as pleased and then spam classes and rewards. She will build all the other aura stats naturally. The higher-level the slave you are just more griding really without having to think too much. I think a problem is a disobedient but "Pleased" slave performs too well. I think the mood is too important. All you need to do is keep her mood is to achieve good results.

Any thoughts on how to make it more challenging? The quality of her participation in lessons (her "diligence") just affects how many lessons are needed to increase her ranking. Refusing a lesson entirely and needing punishment is presumably not what you have in mind.

Time pressure is only felt at the start of a game where you have limited budget. Without time pressure, even very inefficient gameplay (wasting time or money) is viable, it just takes longer. We could look at tweaking the game economy to make it harder to gain and keep large sums of money, or introducing other forms of time pressure that carry strong penalties for missing the deadline (for example, mandatory instead of optional guild contracts until you attain at least B+ guild ranking, with penalties if you fail to take a contract within a few days after turning in the previous one, and a demotion in guild rank [or expulsion from the guild at F- rank] if you fail to deliver on time, instead of the current situation where you are simply paid nothing if you are late).

 

[Lorien]

Found another bug. Isabella has Cooking rating A, but she prepares B meals both at the bottom of the screen and at the end of the day. If the master cooks, then everything is correct.

 

[Ingvar77]

Found another bug. Isabella has Cooking rating A, but she prepares B meals both at the bottom of the screen and at the end of the day. If the master cooks, then everything is correct.

It's not a bug. It's a feature. The quality of the meal prepared by the assistant is limited by her devotion.

 

[Lorien]

It's not a bug. It's a feature. The quality of the meal prepared by the assistant is limited by her devotion.

Indeed, the three is in devotion. Don't remember this before.
I was so sure it was a bug ...

 

[henkaipan]

Hello. I wanted to thank all developers for picking up the game, specially also for the Linux version. I used to play Jack o Nine back when it was on hongfire and I really enjoyed it. I hope I can contribute to testing the new versions that you guys release.

Love this game, but kinda wish Hardcore mode was more challenging. Once you have a Slaver with decent stats the game is too easy.

I agree with you, this is the reason I became bored with this (otherwise excellent) game back in the day. I'll check out the new version to see if difficulty is improved but I agree that once you have a high level slaver and assistant everything becomes trivial.