RPGM Maids & Masters [v0.16] [The Mithril Hourglass]

[hreserves]

As far as the poison goes, it did give me the message that X was no longer poisoned, so that is working correctly, fyi.

I think that I did indeed rest 3 times, due to a couple of fights that the original maid was missing several times in a row.

Pity that, if you ever do figure the scripts out, I would recommend that it be the maid reminding you what to do. Fortunately these quests were easy to do and remember, but some later may be more complex.

Quite literally the volume of the music, if it's in the system menu, then I probably just missed it, and will correct that on the next release. I'm just too used to an option button on the main screen to control the volume.

Heh, I've had too many games bite me in the ass when I was able to skip combat, and then wasn't strong enough for the boss fights, with the exception of games where the mobs respawn after you leave a map, I usually try to clear maps before moving on.

And exploration is a good thing, don't think I'm saying it's not, but maybe add some villager lines about hidden areas so the player is rewarded for actually talking to everybody, not just walking into their house and trying to loot the box that has leather scraps and needles.

Good to know the notification works correctly, I don't think it did in v0.1. My concern right now is mostly balance. I don't want poison to be a non-issue, but I also don't want it to stick to characters until they drop to 1hp either.

I am learning a lot as I go, so even as quests might get more complicated, my use of variables and switches should also improve so it'll be easier for me to have NPCs and the like provide better guidance. I did originally have more, but it always broke during playtesting, so I ended up cutting it (and I've been worried about people getting lost mid-quest ever since, which is why the feedback about quests being easy enough to follow is really nice to hear).

I've had the same happen. I've actually never beaten some games because I always end up too under-leveled at specific points, even though I love the games. My plan on that front is to leave opportunities to backtrack and kill older enemies so that you can grind if you need to. Eventually some combat will become mandatory so that I have a "minimum level" to balance around.

And I don't think I'm misinterpreting your words, I'm just trying to be open about my design process. Worst case scenario, someone calls out some of my thinking as flawed and I can improve it.

NPC dialogue pointing out possible hidden stuff is a good point though, I'll definitely keep that in mind going forward. I know I didn't do a lot of that in the currently released content. I mostly just left things as slightly out of place (like not seeing mushrooms in any spot except the one spot that has something to find) that only those who are a little more curious or hawk-eyed than average will find. Aside from the bonus stuff that's deliberately almost impossible to find, anyway.

 

[Krackon]

Really appreciate the detailed world building in this game. It reminds me a lot of the Passage where almost everything in the game can be interacted with with text that builds up the world.

I'm very keen to see where this goes but also hope the dev doesn't burn himself out as ,from what I've seen and the pace he has been moving at, there is just so much stuff that needs to be typed out for each new location.

Excited to see what the new update entails and I only wish this was written with RPGMV as I'd love to dig into the game files to find all the hidden stuff that I missed.

I did my first playthrough when it was buggy and I couldn't get a lot of the scenes but it seems to gave been fixed with the newer update. Looking forward to the next update where I believe they will expand on the content.

If you are open to suggestions I really hope the mansion rebuilding will be part of the next few updates. Seems like a great place to score a quick win for content expansion as you already have the money system sorted out.

 

[hreserves]

Really appreciate the detailed world building in this game. It reminds me a lot of the Passage where almost everything in the game can be interacted with with text that builds up the world.

I'm very keen to see where this goes but also hope the dev doesn't burn himself out as ,from what I've seen and the pace he has been moving at, there is just so much stuff that needs to be typed out for each new location.

Excited to see what the new update entails and I only wish this was written with RPGMV as I'd love to dig into the game files to find all the hidden stuff that I missed.

I did my first playthrough when it was buggy and I couldn't get a lot of the scenes but it seems to gave been fixed with the newer update. Looking forward to the next update where I believe they will expand on the content.

If you are open to suggestions I really hope the mansion rebuilding will be part of the next few updates. Seems like a great place to score a quick win for content expansion as you already have the money system sorted out.

Not having things to interact with in classic RPGs kinda bugs me, so it's a personal goal of mine to keep that trend going and fill my world with stuff, even if it's mostly inconsequential. I'm glad it's actually adding to the world, I was a little concerned too much of it is just the same thing over and over. If you did run into that, I'm playing with random variables a bit to make things less same-y as the party grows.

I hope I don't burn myself out, too. This is a side project for me, but my primary project doesn't need much in the way of my attention right now, so I've got a lot of time to devote to this. Some days have slowed down a little, but I still wake up excited to go to work, so I don't think it's a concern or will be a concern in the near future.

For bugs, there are still some in v0.1.1 which will be fixed in v0.2, so hopefully missed content will be less of an issue. And there will be lots of content in v0.2 in terms of new areas to explore. I'm on track to get close to 100 total maps with the new areas. I believe the count just passed 80, and I've still got one more area to finish constructing.

And I am very open to suggestions, but I'm a few steps ahead of you on this particular one. Without giving too much away, I tend to write within a three act structure, and the first act of the game is Rebuild. The economy and shop system is a bit trickier, though. The currency is set and I've got plenty of fluff around it, but how you spend and earn it is still a work in progress. I have plenty of ideas, but I haven't gotten as far as executing them just yet.

As for missed hidden stuff, I can guarantee there are things that you haven't found. Hopefully none of it due to bugs, since that content worked when I playtested it. I don't have access to MV, so I'm not sure what the file differences would be, but there isn't a whole lot in there to find, most everything is built into the game proper rather than sitting in source files. I don't want to give too much away, but there's four trophies in the game so far, and a talking bush in your garden that involves a maze. If you want more hints, finding trophy 1 and the bush reward is much easier in the Arrival prequel demo (which, fair warning, is kinda janky).

 

[AnyName'llDo]

Maila . . . If you know, you know.

 

[sora402]

maybe someone can give me saveplz))

 

[goldcut]

I cleared the deep wild before turning in the scrap wood quest in cumhail, as a result I have nothing left to collect for house repair. Well apart from wood lying along the road. Maybe instead of giving all scrap wood, keeping the excess in inventory or make those trees regenerate after mansion repair unlocks?

 

[Aarghvark]

How to enter Deep Wilds Hold? I found the entrance, but can't find the key. I did all the other content and murderized all the wildlife...

 

[hreserves]

maybe someone can give me saveplz))

I could, but it depends on what you need the save for. Did your save break from an earlier version and you don't want to have to play through everything again? Or are you just trying to skip to the end? Did you encounter a bug that broke something else? If so, what broke?

I cleared the deep wild before turning in the scrap wood quest in cumhail, as a result I have nothing left to collect for house repair. Well apart from wood lying along the road. Maybe instead of giving all scrap wood, keeping the excess in inventory or make those trees regenerate after mansion repair unlocks?

It shouldn't have been possible to get down there at that point in the game. Sorry about that. Fixed on my end, I'll push out a new build so it's fixed in the release version once I've had a few days to catch other bugs.

If you've locked yourself out of progression and don't have a nearby save that isn't locked out, let me know how far you got and I can get a save put together for you.

How to enter Deep Wilds Hold? I found the entrance, but can't find the key. I did all the other content and murderized all the wildlife...

The Old Writ of Holdings (which acts as the key) is in the first section of the wilds you enter when you leave your Estate (not the deep wilds or road north). It's in the south-eastern quadrant, and you'll need to maze your way through some trees to get to it. If you missed the hint from Phoebe, follow the bigger yellow flowers.

There is an old bug that let you consume the Writ if you tried to use it from the menu, but the chest you find it in should close so you can loot it again if you encountered that bug, and that bug is fixed in the current release. If you've found it before and don't have it now, let me know if the chest isn't closing.

 

[Aarghvark]

The Old Writ of Holdings (which acts as the key) is in the first section of the wilds you enter when you leave your Estate (not the deep wilds or road north). It's in the south-eastern quadrant, and you'll need to maze your way through some trees to get to it. If you missed the hint from Phoebe, follow the bigger yellow flowers.

There is an old bug that let you consume the Writ if you tried to use it from the menu, but the chest you find it in should close so you can loot it again if you encountered that bug, and that bug is fixed in the current release. If you've found it before and don't have it now, let me know if the chest isn't closing.

There is an open chest there. This is a fresh save and I didn't open it before. I also don't have this Writ in inventory.

 

[hreserves]

There is an open chest there. This is a fresh save and I didn't open it before. I also don't have this Writ in inventory.

I'm not sure how you managed that. That isn't an issue I've encountered myself, and I'm not able to find the chest already opened or otherwise force such a bug in any version of the game I have.

Just to do my due diligence, there are a total of three chests in that section of the wilds. One with antidotes, one with equipment, and one with the Writ. The one with the Writ is the most hidden of the three, so it's possible you found the antidote chest and just went back to that. If that's the case, the Writ is further west.

I don't want to just give away all my secrets and the Hold is optional content besides, but if you want to share a screenshot of where you're looking, I can tell you if you're in the right place or not. If nothing else I want to be certain there isn't something broken that needs fixing.

 

[goldcut]

It shouldn't have been possible to get down there at that point in the game. Sorry about that. Fixed on my end, I'll push out a new build so it's fixed in the release version once I've had a few days to catch other bugs.

If you've locked yourself out of progression and don't have a nearby save that isn't locked out, let me know how far you got and I can get a save put together for you.

I used save editor online to give myself back those scrap wood, thanks anyway.

 

[Aarghvark]

Just to do my due diligence, there are a total of three chests in that section of the wilds. One with antidotes, one with equipment, and one with the Writ. The one with the Writ is the most hidden of the three, so it's possible you found the antidote chest and just went back to that. If that's the case, the Writ is further west.

Yes, it was the case. I found the correct one and all is fine.

 

[Krackon]

Great update with some solid worldbuilding. It's great to see to same quality writing that we saw in the initial release. The new estates are well thought out and if anything too big haha. But really there is a lot to explore. My only wish is that there were some scenes included here.

I couldn't find the missing key, I think I might give it another crack again but searching the entire estate is probably going to take too long. Anyway we can get a rough estimate on how much content is currently in the game so we can check to see if we've missed out on anything?

 

[hreserves]

Great update with some solid worldbuilding. It's great to see to same quality writing that we saw in the initial release. The new estates are well thought out and if anything too big haha. But really there is a lot to explore. My only wish is that there were some scenes included here.

I couldn't find the missing key, I think I might give it another crack again but searching the entire estate is probably going to take too long. Anyway we can get a rough estimate on how much content is currently in the game so we can check to see if we've missed out on anything?

I'm honestly over the moon that words like "solid" and "quality" are being used to describe my writing, so thanks for that. As much as I've been writing for over a decade, this is my first public-facing project that's seen release. Anyway.

I kinda had the thought that some parts of the Estates new in v0.2 were a tad large, too, after everything was built and I started playtesting. My hope was that I could use things like the carpets to help indicate where paths are, but I know there are still some spots where it's just bare floor for the entire screen. I'll definitely take that into account as I'm building the newer Estates, probably double back and add more in to make those parts less empty. If I want you to get lost in Estates, it should be because of labyrinthine construction, not because you're trapped in a void of wood paneling. As a side note, there are technically scenes wherever you can track down your Maids and request service (which you can do in your uncle's Estate), but I'm guessing you mean new scenes, and the only new thing in your uncle's Estate is his vintage magazine.

The key is definitely very hidden. I might take another pass over the NPC dialogue so that the hints are a little better, since it did feel a little too hidden. It's hard to hide something and then pretend you don't know where you hid it while you look for it, and I don't have much history or practice as a puzzle designer. On the bright side, I intend the uncle's Estate to stay optional for the entire game, and for progress there to depend on both story progress and whether you've completed the previous quest, so you'll never have to worry about missing anything I put there.

As far as total content, that kinda depends on how thorough you want me to be. In broad strokes:
If you've gone through the funeral, you've done everything there is to do before you return to your Estate with Phoebe.
There are a total of six trophies to find. Only one of them currently unlocks an additional scene, though there's some extra dialogue to indicate you've gotten trophy 5 (which is missable). Trophy 2 is also missable if you don't get it before completing floor repairs. Trophy 1 is basically impossible to find unless you've played the prequel demo, but isn't missable.
There are 3 hidden areas. One is connected to Cumhaill (and is only available after you've gotten Deirlinn's scene), one is connected to the wilds outside your Estate (no special requirements), and one is in Lothario's Estate and involves a very hidden secret switch (the only hint I'll give is that you can find it before you have tea with him).
The only content in v0.2 that the story doesn't guide you through is the Deep Wilds Hold and your uncle's Estate.
The only sexual content that isn't tied to a party member is Deirlinn (the brunette in the pink skirt in Cumhaill) and the Stay Clean Quarterly magazines. There are two of those magazines in v0.2; one is in your library, and the other is in your uncle's library/study. All of this should be repeatable.

I could probably be more mathematically specific, but I think that's all the stuff most people will care about. There's also a hidden maze in your garden, but I'm going to be deliberately obtuse about that tidbit.

 

[TMoney2017]

some old broad got me gathering wood so i gathered it and she wants in a store house so wheres this storehouse?

the building where the guy is standing on the roof..... there are two empty crates that it goes in ....

 

[Furmilk]

Pregnancy tag added, I am summoned to ask what the content is.

 

[somebodynobody]

I do suggest transferring this to a more modern RPG Maker engine, one with baked in options like for sound volume sliders, and screen size, and ability to be on mobile, etc. MV or MZ will still allow for what you have, just easier on the player.

 

[hreserves]

thats what i thought too but didnt work maybe ill try again

If you think you're in the right place and it still isn't working, feel free to send me (or post) a screenshot for me to double check. Nothing there should be broken, but I'd like to know if it is so I can fix it.

Pregnancy tag added, I am summoned to ask what the content is.

There's a girl in the first village that you can get pregnant if you unlock her scene. She's actually been in the game since the first release, but I didn't do the tags correctly. I have plans to add more characters like her in future versions as well, up to and including having multiple kids running around.

I do suggest transferring this to a more modern RPG Maker engine, one with baked in options like for sound volume sliders, and screen size, and ability to be on mobile, etc. MV or MZ will still allow for what you have, just easier on the player.

I think someone else made the same suggestion. If I had access to the software, I'd consider it, but I don't. VX Ace is the only version available to me at the moment, and since I don't have things set up to have the project generate income yet, I can't justify the purchase. It's something I'm definitely considering for future projects, though, depending on how this one goes.

 

[str8up]

If you think you're in the right place and it still isn't working, feel free to send me (or post) a screenshot for me to double check. Nothing there should be broken, but I'd like to know if it is so I can fix it.

There's a girl in the first village that you can get pregnant if you unlock her scene. She's actually been in the game since the first release, but I didn't do the tags correctly. I have plans to add more characters like her in future versions as well, up to and including having multiple kids running around.

I think someone else made the same suggestion. If I had access to the software, I'd consider it, but I don't. VX Ace is the only version available to me at the moment, and since I don't have things set up to have the project generate income yet, I can't justify the purchase. It's something I'm definitely considering for future projects, though, depending on how this one goes.

what girl in the village can u knock up and how to unlock it??

 

[hreserves]

what girl in the village can u knock up and how to unlock it??

Her name is Deirlinn, she's the one outside a house in a pink skirt, and it's based on a hidden reputation variable. I'm not going to give away all my secrets, but if you complete the funeral quest, you just need to talk to her the next day. If you get past that point without unlocking the scene, you can trade spare wood after the floor repair quest for more rep.