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Good morning, Meridians!
I hope you all had a relaxing, cozy, food-induced coma of a weekend. We’re now on the other side of the first release of Meridia, and despite being food drunk from turkey day and taking some time to spend with friends and family, progress on the script is moving really well. Update 0.2.0 will cover three in-game days, which will finally give me some space to let several backend systems start to function.
You’ll start seeing campus navigation come into play. Homework and attendance checks will activate. Texts and emails will fire off based on the day and your actions. You’ll find out whether your investment into FirstNut (or another stock ) was genius or reckless. Radiance will get new posts and comments. All these small systems will start linking together to make the world feel like it’s existing around you.
Meridian Chronicles
For the next release, I’ll be introducing a new website inside the ProbePal browser called
The Meridian Chronicles. Matt teased it during your security pat-down, and now it’s finally making its debut. This is the town’s main news hub. It’s completely optional, but it helps you stay connected to what’s happening around Meridian Heights.
You might stumble across an article about the wave of new first-years coming into MHU, or a piece about Professor Veilwood’s missing daughter, or a rumor write-up on the Callaway family. You may even find something on Henry Cato and his work with Secret Signals .
There’s a lot of potential here, and I think players who enjoy feeling immersed in the world will appreciate it. Sandboxes can be tricky to get right, and I never want it to feel like pointless clicking. Hopefully, that came across in the first release. A lot of hidden details and worldbuilding are tucked into free roam, and that will continue to grow in 0.2.0.
️ Where's the spice?!
Before you ask, yes… I do have some spicy moments planned for the next release.
I loved seeing the female audience react to Coach Moorehead’s introduction. He was meant to be a presence, but you all made it clear he came across even better than I hoped. I know you want more of him, and good news, he will absolutely get his moment in the spotlight this time.
If you saw the preview pic I posted a couple of days ago, you probably have a good idea of one of the other characters involved. There are definitely some hidden clues to take away if you look a bit closer.
Don’t worry, or do worry, depending on how eager you are to corrupt our red-headed beauty. I’m not tossing her into the fire just yet. She still needs time to figure herself out. What she wants. Who she wants. When she’s ready to dip a toe into temptation. But she will stumble into situations where you’ll decide how far she leans in. Does she hold her breath and play it safe… or does she let curiosity win for once and finally start showing some skin?
️ The Ashwell Special
You’ll also meet a handful of new faces in this update. One of them is
Alistair Ashwell, the eccentric shopkeeper at Talonwright Supplies.
"Alistair Ashwell at your service. Curator of goods. Purveyor of necessities. Whisperer of wonders. When you think you know, understand simply... I know better."
He’s a character in every sense of the word, but he’ll make sure you leave with what you need. His prices might scare your Talons balance, but he’ll always be open to barter if the offer interests him. You might even find him challenging you with an offer of his own.
You’ll meet new women as well, like
Professor Valerie Couture, the Professor of Fashion Modeling, and
Nancy Miller, the sweet older lady who owns Green’s Coffee. And for anyone exploring the Maya route, 0.2.0 will give you more chances to deepen that connection. There is a lot more I plan to reveal in the weeks and months ahead, so stay tuned.
Well, that’s all for now. I’m heading back into the cycle of writing, building environments, rendering, rewriting, re-rendering, and everything between. If you haven’t already, hop into the
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when you get a chance. Share ideas, report bugs, or even share your own art. I’d love to have you there. ❤