VN Ren'Py Mission Metamorphosis Development Thread

[IamUnderman]

My only concern is that it sounds like a lot. Different dialogue (much less routes!) for all those options would be impossible for anything but a big team. Definitely an interesting premise, though, if it can be managed

It certainly might be a lot. One thing to bare in mind is that 80% of the core events of the game will be the same. Think less in terms of branching paths and more one main trunk with diversions and deviations. For example, lets just say there are 4 different variations of the chapter 4 climax. That IS a decent amount of work, but the goal would be to recombine the 'routes' efficiently in chapter 5.

Does that make sense?

 

[IamUnderman]

Please keep an eye on this thread if you are interested in following this project. I will be checking on things regularly and plan on making development updates on the last Thursday of each month, meaning the next one will be on the 28th.

 

[Buletti]

Ok so it seems that people are interested in more information regarding the 4 'Approaches' of the game. So allow me to break them down a bit:

View attachment 5173388 Cunning: Cunning is an approach most characterised by dishonesty and lying. Cunning choices often see the player attempting to undermine and decieve those around them. The main characters skills in psychology are on full display in this route and become the most powerful weapon in your arsenal.Regarding Emily specifically it often sees the player exploiting aspects of her increasing corruption for their own gain, be it directly or by by indirectly taking advantage of her distracted mental state. As a result Cunning tends to lead to more options that increase Emily's Corrruption and is an excellent inclusion in any 'High Corruption' route. It is still entirely possible to play Cunning without increasing her Corruption but it takes care and alloying with another approach. Cunning is also the most overtly sneaky approach and committing to this approach will physically see the player engage in additional stealth segments. Cunning approaches are an excellent way to balance mental and physical roleplay. If you want to come across as intelligent and still physically dangerous then Cunning is a fantastic approach to take.
Careless use of Cunning can also bite you in the ass long term if done so without consideration. This is a game populated with shrewd and intelligent characters who are likely to eventually realise your tricks and deception. So long term overly rellying on Cunning can mark the player as antisocial and damage potentially valuable relationships. Emily's longterm goal is to cure herself and if she succeeds, she may not look at a Cunning player kindly.

• Good for players who want a maximum stealth experience.
• Good for players who want to feel like psychological manipulators.
• Good for players who want to lie, cheat and trick their way through life.
• Good for players who want to tint their playthrough in a sleazy and corrupting light.
• Good for players who want to feel like an untouchable puppetmaster in the lategame.
• Difficult for players who want to form genuine and wholesome connections with other characters across the narrative.

View attachment 5173408 Calculating. The Calculating approach is one that prioritises mind over matter and views events from a more strategic perspective. Calculating choices see the player relying on the main characters skills in psychology, technology and medicine to outhink problems and to gather as much useful information as possible to help them in the future. Emily will be placed in a desperate and frantic emotional state for much of the game and so a Calculating player will act as a perfect natural compliment to her. This is the perfect approach for those who enjoy expressing dominance over other through condescendtion and logic. Calculating choices often leave the player with a good degree of flexibility regarding things like Emily's Corruption and so it is good for players who don't want to lock themselves into one route too early. In a game world filled with intelligent and sharp characters a fully Calculating player will eventuqally surpass them all and feel like the smartest person in any room by the end of the story. If you like a healthy mix of hacking and sci-fi jargon in your spy fiction then Calculating is the best way to get as much of that in this game as is possible.
Calculating choices do often imply a physical weakness or hesistancy in the player if not combined carefully with a different approach. It can also sometimes be too patient for its own good. Stopping and thinking may not be the best way to handle a high octane action scene. Furthermore a Calculating player may come across as a touch elitist which some secondary love interests will not like.

• Good for players who want a maximum strategic and technical experience.
• Good for players who want to feel like experts in the fields of psychology, technology and medicine across the game.
• Good for players who want to outsmart the adversaries and direct others characters with their guidance.
• Good for players who want to tint their playthrough in a patient and thoughtful light.
• Good for players who want to feel like a genius tactical mastermind in the lategame.
• Difficult for players who want to get massively involved in action on a frequent basis.

View attachment 5173509 Confident. The Confident approach is for players who want to impose their will onto the world around them. For those who want their version of the main character to be a powerful, imposing maverick that cannot be contained by the wills of others. Confident choices are often the most confrontational, aggressive and are the ones that lean towards direct violence. Emily is a force of nature and is difficult to put on the backfoot in regards to martial matters, but if you like the idea of dominating her in a more physical sense and lacing some real danger into your relationship then the Confident approach is the way to go. Indeed this approach is also the way to increase the dominant aspects of any playthrough in the simplest way. A Confident player character is the one that will end up feeling the most like an action hero and will get involved in the most fights and stunts across the story. It isn't all about brawn and cockyness however, as Confident choices are also for those who enjoy straight talk and cutting through other people's bullshit.
However confidence has its limitations. Acting first and asking questions later also means you may be prone to falling into traps and being outsmarted. A player who relies of being Confident alone will also be the easiest player to predict and will also turn off multiple potential secondary love interests with their antics.

• Good for players who want a maximum action and adventure experience.
• Good for players who want to feel like tough, strong and indomitable.
• Good for players who want to dominate others and to be feared and respected.
• Good for players who want to tint their playthrough in a dangerous and violent light.
• Good for players who want to feel like a engine of mayhem and destruction in the lategame.
• Difficult for players who get annoyed at their character being characterised as a meathead at times.

View attachment 5173561 Caring. The earliest sections of this game will make it clear that there is tragedy in the player's and Emily's story. The Caring approach is the best way to engage with this tragic dimension and form a real connection with Emily and others around you. This approach naturally leads to more options that lowers Emily's Corruption as you help her work through your hardships, but this is own a soft leaning and can be compensated for with other approaches. A Caring player is one who demonstrates true heroism, maturity and humility throughout the game. They will still find themselves taking a dominant role in the majority of the game's sexual content but often with a more considerate and emotionally charged touch. If you want to be the person who will make sacrifices and stand up to the evil that has infected yours and Emily's life with the greatest conviction, then Caring is an approach to consider. Similarly to Cunning, Caring is an excellent approach for players who want to characterise the main character as both physically and intellectually competant at the same time.
Caring players can become vulnerable to the cruel machinations of other however and their greater emotional investment is likely to make certain twists hit harder with deeper consequences. If you are somebody who is interested in some of the more boundary pushing and extreme scenarios this game will offer Caring is also likely to steer you away from them slightly.

• Good for players who want to maximise on the romantic aspects of this game.
• Good for players who want to feel mature, emotionally balanced and like a good person.
• Good for players who want to help others and be a positive force in the narrative.
• Good for players who want to tint their playthrough in thoughtful and wholesome light.
• Good for players who want to feel like a true hero in the lategame.
• Difficult for players who want to avoid and sentimentality in their playthrough.

Here is also a quick rundown on how the approaches pair-up:

Cunning+Calculated: The smartest of the smart. A genius that combines genuine academic depth with a devious and sly tactic instinct but who can risk feeling emotionally detatched and cynical

Calculated+Confident: Brains and brawn in equal measure. For players that want to feel like a one-man army and never lack a solution to a problem. Not a very socially oriented combo.

Confident+Caring: A very passionate and physical combo that takes the dominant role the player will often be placed in during the narrative very seriously. Can often come across as dumb by combining the naivity of Caring with Confident's rashness.

Caring+Cunning: A social chameleon that keeps people on their toes by masking honesty in deception and deception in honesty. Can be hard to balance properly.

Cunning+Confident: The most dangerous man alive. Heightened martial skill paired with sly wit and deception. Can come across as very cruel and self-interested.

Calculated+Caring: The warm and parental approach. Somebody will all the answers who wants to help. The most patient combo. Can be very hesistant and averse to outright conflict.

So I hope you enjoyed this rundown and got something from it. Ended up pretty long but I think this is all useful.

Oh no, caring option! This will make it tough for me. I always start out and try to be the real bad villain guy in RPGs. But after some time I realise I mostly choose the nice options....

Well, maybe with AVNs it's different. I will at least try my best at least to stay cunning and confident.

 

[IamUnderman]

Oh no, caring option! This will make it tough for me. I always start out and try to be the real bad villain guy in RPGs. But after some time I realise I mostly choose the nice options....

Well, maybe with AVNs it's different. I will at least try my best at least to stay cunning and confident.

This game is intended to be replayable so relax and enjoy. Maybe a caring+confident or caring+cunning is your perfect route. Or maybe try a triple header and just tell Calculated to go fuck itself!

 

[Buletti]

Oh btw, I don't know if you already can/want to say something about it, but what will roughly be your release cycle? Once a year? 3 Month? monthly? Will there be public releases? Will they be 4 weeks after highest Patreon tier?

Something like that. Again, better don't commit to anything yet, I was just curious as you already seem to have figured out quite a lot beforehand.

Thx a lot in advance!

 

[IamUnderman]

Oh btw, I don't know if you already can/want to say something about it, but what will roughly be your release cycle? Once a year? 3 Month? monthly? Will there be public releases? Will they be 4 weeks after highest Patreon tier?

Something like that. Again, better don't commit to anything yet, I was just curious as you already seem to have figured out quite a lot beforehand.

Thx a lot in advance!

My plan is for updates to be around 1 year. I am a big believer in a longer cycle but for each release to be very 'complete'. So each update will have a year-ish long gap but will be BIG. Each will be a fully completed chapter.

I want dev updates to be monthly rather than weekly. I have seen other devs do weekly updates and I personally think they suck. One week isn't enough time to have anything worthwhile to show or to say so they end up being very negative. Like 'yeah I had a dentist appointment so I lost 2 days to recovery and now I am behind '. I personally think it is a massive detriment to the project. So my dev updates, especially when I feel it is time to open things up to monetary support, will be monthly but will be substantial.

In terms of release perks and the likes, please bare in mind that these are SUPER rough ideas, I plan on on there being 2 tiers of support. One that gets the release a few days early for a small payment, like 2 dollars, and another that gets access to a beta maybe a week or two in advance for a bit more, maybe like 6-7 dollars. Of course there will be some other perks bundled in. Q&A's, bonus renders, etc.

 

[MagicMan753]

Looks interetsing, would like a better look at MC though. Cause not sure if I jive with his look or not, cause a MC's look is important to me.

I will say Emily is top tier, so I hope I like the MC looks wise. Also when you say counter femdom, does that mean Emily might be able to dom us a bit?

 

[IamUnderman]

Looks interetsing, would like a better look at MC though. Cause not sure if I jive with his look or not, cause a MC's look is important to me.

I will say Emily is top tier, so I hope I like the MC looks Wise. Also when you say counter femdom, does that mean Emily might be able to dom us a bit?

So that is a very good question. In regards to the MC I hope he grows on you. I took a bit of a risk going for a guy with a slightly different design, but I personally get so sick of how 80% of games use the same 2-3 default male models. I can tell you that in my opinion he is expressive and shows emotion well across the hundred or so renders I have made with him in. He is also fucking ripped but in that way that looks discreet when clothed, very appropriate for a spy game imo.

To circle back to your dom question... The answer is 'sort of'. Emily is a naturally dominant person and is used to having that relationship with men. HOWEVER this game is mostly about the reversal of that role. When I say 'counter-femdom' what I mean is the experience of dominating a dominant woman rather than a submissive one. For me personally that is far more exciting.

However what that scenario naturally lends itself to is Emily having the upper hand at points. What I really want is a push and pull and for her to be somebody 'playing the game' so to speak. So that means naturally there will be decisions, sequences, and potentially entire endings where Emily ends up becoming a more femdom force. But overall these will be exceptions and not the rule, this is at its heart a maledom game.

Hope that answers your question and thanks for the kind words about Emily. I like her too.

 

[MagicMan753]

So that is a very good question. In regards to the MC I hope he grows on you. I took a bit of a risk going for a guy with a slightly different design, but I personally get so sick of how 80% of games use the same 2-3 default male models. I can tell you that in my opinion he is expressive and shows emotion well across the hundred or so renders I have made with him in. He is also fucking ripped but in that way that looks discreet when clothed, very appropriate for a spy game imo.

To circle back to your dom question... The answer is 'sort of'. Emily is a naturally dominant person and is used to having that relationship with men. HOWEVER this game is mostly about the reversal of that role. When I say 'counter-femdom' what I mean is the experience of dominating a dominant woman rather than a submissive one. For me personally that is far more exciting.

However what that scenario naturally lends itself to is Emily having the upper hand at points. What I really want is a push and pull and for her to be somebody 'playing the game' so to speak. So that means naturally there will be decisions, sequences, and potentially entire endings where Emily ends up becoming a more femdom force. But overall these will be exceptions and not the rule, this is at its heart a maledom game.

Hope that answers your question and thanks for the kind words about Emily. I like her too.

Yeah, I hope so too, and I am sure he will as I see more. Right now is just very close up, where as with Emily we got multiple other shots, full body and all to see, so just problem too small a sample size without seeing the whole of MC right now, and just very close up on face. Hope to see full character model soon, whenever you are ready to share. Don't feel obligated.

As for femdom, that is fine, even if its just a few scenes or so that would be OK with me. I am OK with it being maledom focused, but femdom is one of my favorites kinks so just having a bit in their, like the push and pull, maybe even switch style at times would be cool, even if its not main focus and gets a lot of attention, just a bit would be appreciated.

 

[IamUnderman]

Yeah, I hope so too, and I am sure he will as I see more. Right now is just very close up, where as with Emily we got multiple other shots, full body and all to see, so just problem too small a sample size without seeing the whole of MC right now, and just very close up on face. Hope to see full character model soon, whenever you are ready to share. Don't feel obligated.

As for femdom, that is fine, even if its just a few scenes or so that would be OK with me. I am OK with it being maledom focused, but femdom is one of my favorites kinks so just having a bit in their, like the push and pull, maybe even switch style at times would be cool, even if its not main focus and gets a lot of attention, just a bit would be appreciated.

Sounds like this game will cater to you quite nicely. As for the MC I plan on doing my first official dev update next week to begin my monthly cycle. I will be sure to include a few with him in to help people get a feel for him.

 

[labbu]

is demo version is ready?

 

[IamUnderman]

is demo version is ready?

No. That will likely be around the end of Nov.

 

[labbu]

No. That will likely be around the end of Nov.

does rendering takes this much time?

 

[IamUnderman]

does rendering takes this much time?

Oh yes. Very much so. Games are not made overnight. I am currently working at a rate of around 30 renders a week, which I consider decently fast. For somebody getting started. The one thing I will never promise with this project is excessive speed.

Now in theory I have enough renders for a cobbled together demo now. But there are a lot of incomplete scenes, etc. I don't want to release anything that isn't at least coherant. So 3 months will give me time to get the first 30% of chapter 1 properly polished while also working on the bigger picture.

 

[labbu]

Oh yes. Very much so. Games are not made overnight. I am currently working at a rate of around 30 renders a week, which I consider decently fast.

man what is your gpu memory and card name

 

[IamUnderman]

RX 6800.

 

[IamUnderman]

That said the estimate of 30 renders a week is conservative and it fluxuates. Did 13 yesterday.

 

[HeelsMaiden]

Emily's longterm goal is to cure herself and if she succeeds, she may not look at a Cunning player kindly.

Now this is a breath of fresh air here. Usually in Corruption games you simply can't fail unless you actively avoid corrupting the subject. An ending where despite the MC's best effort in corrupting Emily she still succeed in curing herself can be really good if written well. It could be a scenario where the MC underestimated Emily and/or overestimated his own abilities. Maybe Emily can deceive the MC on the actual status of her corruption by acting like she's already a complete bimbo slut to make the MC let his guard down.

Another scenario that is rare in corruption games is where the corruption works so well that it somehow backfires on the corruptor. As in the corruptor's position become worse than if they hadn't corrupted the subject.

 

[Merlin-Magic]

After seeing the voting results I would say "do not believe anything you read in a post". "Cunning" is tied for first place. The ones who voted for this will not be afraid to lie to get what they want. The second place voting is for "confident". These players are also confident they can pull this off .

But seriously, you should make the game YOU want to make. That will turn out for the best. You have to want to make this game very badly, and do that the way YOU want to, or it will likely fail. Trying to make a game to please every player never ends well. Do not make too many paths, and make those you want to see yourself.

At this point, I will compare this to Karlsson's Gambit which I consider one of the most intelligent games out there. Even if it mainly focuses on femdom which I have NO interest in. You CAN play a Male Dom path IF you are the smartest person in the room. I believe that an approach like that, would work well in this game. If the MC is working with British Intelligence, he is obviously no idiot, or they would ignore him entirely. That already sets him on the path of being somewhat calculating (first hand experience). If Emily is the super spy you describe, she is also going to want to deal with someone intelligent. Anyone as accomplished as her is going to see through your deception immediately if you go down that path.

These are just my feelings about making this story idea believable to the player.

My final comment is some of the renders you give as examples are VERY dark and it is nearly impossible to see what is going on.
A little more work with lighting would help a lot.

 

[IamUnderman]

After seeing the voting results I would say "do not believe anything you read in a post". "Cunning" is tied for first place. The ones who voted for this will not be afraid to lie to get what they want. The second place voting is for "confident". These players are also confident they can pull this off .

But seriously, you should make the game YOU want to make. That will turn out for the best. You have to want to make this game very badly, and do that the way YOU want to, or it will likely fail. Trying to make a game to please every player never ends well. Do not make too many paths, and make those you want to see yourself.

At this point, I will compare this to Karlsson's Gambit which I consider one of the most intelligent games out there. Even if it mainly focuses on femdom which I have NO interest in. You CAN play a Male Dom path IF you are the smartest person in the room. I believe that an approach like that, would work well in this game. If the MC is working with British Intelligence, he is obviously no idiot, or they would ignore him entirely. That already sets him on the path of being somewhat calculating (first hand experience). If Emily is the super spy you describe, she is also going to want to deal with someone intelligent. Anyone as accomplished as her is going to see through your deception immediately if you go down that path.

These are just my feelings about making this story idea believable to the player.

My final comment is some of the renders you give as examples are VERY dark and it is nearly impossible to see what is going on.
A little more work with lighting would help a lot.

Yeah, the poll was less about altering my decisions regarding the future of the routes and more about gauging enthusiasm and giving me some data I can use in my planning. Like I now know I cannot take the Calculated approach for granted for example and need to make sure it sells itself well early on. It needs to give players something really juicy within the first chapter to justfiy itself or it will become dismissed by many players. Whereas I can be strategic with Cunning and Confident and predict that for a large percentage of players they will reflect the 'default' route.

As for the very dark renders, I understand that the silhouette shot of Emily I posted is very dark and that the closeup eye I posted only shows a tiny corner of the render. But this was totally intentional. I am actually very confident in my lighting ability and feel it will become apparent as one of my strengths in this project. I am influenced by expressionist and noir film cinematography and so I want to give players some bold and challenging images to excite them. That particular image of Emily is from a sequence which shows off her prowess as a spy. I want her to look almost scary, like a sinister force of nature sculpted in shadow. Not everybody will like some of these more out there images but I can assure you that they are made with sincere intent and from somebody who has real knowledge and exprience regarding visual storytelling. That one is especially dark and will be perhaps the darkest of the whole update but it was done with purpose I promise you.

The comparisons to Karlsson's Gambit is deeply appreciated. Although that is not one of my personal all time favourites it is as you say a VERY intelligent game that I deeply respect. If I am able to make something even somewhat on par with it quality wise then I will be a very happy man.

Thanks for the feedback and engagement, it means a lot.