HTML Unholy Arts [v0.4.5c] [Deep Interactivity]

[StratoSquir]

i would have liked a male-MC as alternative so i won't play it
but hey, more power to you, not everything need to be for everyone.

 

[JenMistress]

Ah, we are at Stone Cold's fav number, 3.16. Couldn't resist the reference when I saw that.

 

[ThisIsMe88]

It's a little odd how conversation moods work. If two characters are intimate and a third suddenly joins the conversation, they'll start making out with the new arrival.

That has also been my (only?) major complaint with the game since launch.

Well, think of it this way, there's two girls getting hot and heavy over in the corner, and you are their friend/lover as well and walk over. They would then assume that you want in on the action.

Worst bar flirt trope ever.

If I'm enjoying my time with my girl and someone barges in out of the blue to start hitting on her, I'm going to ask them politely to leave *once*. If they don't comply, I will just enforce my request but certainly less politely.

Also I do not know in which world you live in, but in mine if we're supposed to be a thing with my girl, be sure as hell that I won't let her leave me out in the cold to shag with someone else. That's maybe a wet dream for heavy NTR fanatics, but the target of this game hasn't been promoted to me as such.

 

[cr0sswise]

That has also been my (only?) major complaint with the game since launch.


Worst bar flirt trope ever.

If I'm enjoying my time with my girl and someone barges in out of the blue to start hitting on her, I'm going to ask them politely to leave *once*. If they don't comply, I will just enforce my request but certainly less politely.

Also I do not know in which world you live in, but in mine if we're supposed to be a thing with my girl, be sure as hell that I won't let her leave me out in the cold to shag with someone else. That's maybe a wet dream for heavy NTR fanatics, but the target of this game hasn't been promoted to me as such.

Well this game isn't really about monogamous relationships though, is it?

 

[ThisIsMe88]

Well this game isn't really about monogamous relationships though, is it?

Well that would very much depend on what players decide what they want out of the game I would say.

Sure the player character (PC) can go around and try to fuck everyone, the game offers that option. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, quite the contrary (even if it's never going to be a 100% guarantee that they will succeed). There are supposed to be strong racial rivalries, tribal power dynamics and so on from what I understand, and in the bigger scheme of things a competition that crowns only one winner at the end, with all that it entails for the winning side (and for the losers returning home empty-handed). Not sure that all of your fuck buddies will remain inactive and complicit while your PC progresses in her schemes to annihilate their chances at victory through mere sexual subduing.

But let's assume for a moment that the above could work *every time*. The game features special relationships, "lovers" being one of them. Yet players can't object to their "lover" leaving to openly cheat on the PC, allowing her rivals to accrue relationship points with other NPCs as though yours never mattered to start with. What exactly is the point of building and attempting to maintain special relationships in that case ?

Historically, even in openly polygamous societies featuring harems "favourite" concubines had their privileges (and often fought bitterly to keep them). In this game there are... none if we're being honest, or so few, and that's what my complaint is about.

As I've said before I believe (in an older post on this thread that I don't care to search for atm), the game would be much more interesting if antagonistic (rivalries, slavery) and harmonious (love, Dom/sub, tutorships) relationships really meant something :

1/ They would encourage the player to think *hard* at the beginning about a strategy and role-playing scenarios to unroll, while the game would sometimes compromise the carefully constructed mental process with unexpected events or turn-around surprises, creating a dynamic, meaningful and therefore engaging story-driven experience. See this :

PC long-term courting NPC A for exclusivity, trying to permanently lure them to her camp -> while short-term seducing NPC B for local superiority -> to all plot against and long-term counter NPC C who the player will have designated as main threat even before starting a run -> but betrayals are always possible ? -> maybe the succubus or the goddess herself would like to have a word too ? -> etc.

2/ There would be real and more consistent long-term advantages to special relationships, allowing more focused strategies around 2 or 3 characters (and why not 1) while blocking or seriously hampering the efforts of the other ones, with the legitimate exception of forced battle intercourses and bondage of course. These could counter-balance the desirability of the only option that is currently functional in game which is to pursue multiple partners everyone.

Adding more options to a game is never a bad thing, and there is no reason the PC staying faithful "as much as possible" couldn't be as fun, sexy and rewarding a scenario to play out as the already existing one.

 

[manscout]

Well that would very much depend on what players decide what they want out of the game I would say.

Sure the player character (PC) can go around and try to fuck everyone, the game offers that option. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, quite the contrary (even if it's never going to be a 100% guarantee that they will succeed). There are supposed to be strong racial rivalries, tribal power dynamics and so on from what I understand, and in the bigger scheme of things a competition that crowns only one winner at the end, with all that it entails for the winning side (and for the losers returning home empty-handed). Not sure that all of your fuck buddies will remain inactive and complicit while your PC progresses in her schemes to annihilate their chances at victory through mere sexual subduing.

But let's assume for a moment that the above could work. The game features special relationships, "lovers" being one of them. Yet players can't object to their "lover" leaving to openly cheat on the PC, allowing her rivals to accrue relationship points with other NPCs as though yours never mattered to start with. What exactly is the point of building and attempting to maintain special relationships in that case ?

Historically, even in openly polygamous societies featuring harems "favourite" concubines had their privileges (and often fought bitterly to keep them). In this game there are... none if we're being honest, or so little, and that's what my complaint is about.

As I've said before I believe (in an older post on this thread that I don't care to search for atm), the game would be much more interesting if antagonistic (rivalries, slavery) and harmonious (love, Dom/sub, tutorships) relationships really meant something :

1/ They would encourage the player to think *hard* at the beginning about a strategy and role-playing scenarios to unroll, while the game would sometimes compromise the carefully constructed mental process with unexpected events or turn-around surprises, creating a dynamic, meaningful and therefore enjoyable story-telling experience. See this :

PC long-term courting NPC A for exclusivity, trying to permanently lure them to her camp -> while short-term seducing NPC B for local superiority -> to all plot against and long-term counter NPC C who the player will have designated as main threat even before starting a run -> but betrayals are always possible ? -> maybe the succubus or the goddess herself would like to have a word too ? -> etc.

2/ There would be real and more consistent long-term advantages to special relationships, allowing more focused strategies around 2 or 3 characters (and why not 1) while blocking or seriously hampering the efforts of the other ones, with the legitimate exception of forced intercourses and bondage of course. These could counter-balance the desirability of the only option that is currently functional in game which is to pursue multiple partners everyone.

Adding more options to a game is never a bad thing, and there is no reason the PC staying faithful "as much as possible" couldn't be as fun, sexy and rewarding a scenario to play out as the already existing one.

The problem is what you're asking goes directly against the lore and most of the kink of the game. Exclusivity doesn't make much sense when all the candidates are vying for the position of high-priestess, which entails a number of very sexual duties in service of the goddess.

Agreeing to be exclusive to someone in any meaningful way would be pretty much forfeiting the competition, something that none of the candidates are willing to do at this stage of the game. Remember we just finished the first adventure, the competition barely started and the candidates have only really known each other for a little over a month, you're asking to be able to seduce them into giving up from one of the biggest goals of their life way too early.

Maybe exclusivity or at least something closer to a long-term commitment could be arranged in the final stretch of the game, something like A and B become sworn to each other, if either of them wins then the other will become their personal favourite and if neither of them is the winner then they can just be together after the competition.

 

[ThisIsMe88]

Agreeing to be exclusive to someone in any meaningful way would be pretty much forfeiting the competition, something that none of the candidates are willing to do at this stage of the game. Remember we just finished the first adventure, the competition barely started and the candidates have only really known each other for a little over a month, you're asking to be able to seduce them into giving up from one of the biggest goals of their life way too early.

I hear what you're saying, and it would make sense that stronger more genuine relationships (let's call them bonds from now on) only started to appear after some extended time.

This again raises the question though what these bonds really mean at the moment ? How can Nash feel romantic towards my PC if she goes out and bangs indiscriminately with equal passion any other candidate that crosses her path, even the ones she supposedly hates ? How can my PC pretend to Dom Val as sub if she has intercourse with other candidates at her own initiative ? I don't care if it's called "love", "attraction", "submission" or whatever in a smut game. I just would like to know what exactly it means *gameplay wise* and it to do exactly what it says on the tin.

I remember a run where I purposefully tried to keep my PC scared of the feral catgirl, setting her up as the main baddie. Yet two weeks in the game, she was invited by whoever my PC was grouped with to have a threesome with her (and I couldn't refuse since I was being tutored I think). The catgirl then became much more mellow to a point that my PC no longer felt any kind of apprehension, and even grew intrigued after the usual afternoon discussion sessions. I also wasn't convinced when I saw Ashe who supposedly had earned "respect" for my PC to challenge attack... just because she could I guess ?

This leads to gameplay where every character feels same-y and bland to interact with, instead of standing out with their own unique history, personalities and kinks. There is stuff that shouldn't happen, even in a fantasy world where sex is on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner for every potential champion of the Goddess.

Rivalries should be much more pronounced between NPCs, and maybe towards to PC too after a certain point, with factions and weaker bonds (like non-aggression pacts?) appearing pretty much during the first weeks, only influenced by what the player decides to do during that time. The game is no more than a glorified "Battle Royale" after all, the only winning strategy being to group up if one intends to survive and emerge as the last one standing. As the game progresses, these factions could still change but it would take significantly more efforts, with stronger bonds building as prerequisite and yet nothing guaranteeing that said bonds will withstand the ultimate confrontation.

---

EDIT : And to elaborate some more about the stuff that shouldn't happen before I rest my case :
My PC getting the hots for Nash seemingly romantically interested in her in a group chat
-> Catgirl joins the group for socialization
-> Catgirl and Nash hating each other prior to the group, but suddenly start to hit on each other
-> Catgirl and Nash leave to have sex
-> my PC ... ???

 

[Orphanus]

I hear what you're saying, and it would make sense that stronger more genuine relationships (let's call them bonds from now on) only started to appear after some extended time.

This again raises the question though what these bonds really mean at the moment ? How can Nash feel romantic towards my PC if she goes out and bangs indiscriminately with equal passion any other candidate that crosses her path, even the ones she supposedly hates ? How can my PC pretend to Dom Val as sub if she has intercourse with other candidates at her own initiative ? I don't care if it's called "love", "attraction", "submission" or whatever in a smut game. I just would like to know what exactly it means *gameplay wise* and it to do exactly what it says on the tin.

I remember a run where I purposefully tried to keep my PC scared of the feral catgirl, setting her up as the main baddie. Yet two weeks in the game, she was invited by whoever my PC was grouped with to have a threesome with her (and I couldn't refuse since I was being tutored I think). The catgirl then became much more mellow to a point that my PC no longer felt any kind of apprehension, and even grew intrigued after the usual afternoon discussion sessions. I also wasn't convinced when I saw Ashe who supposedly had earned "respect" for my PC to challenge attack... just because she could I guess ?

This leads to gameplay where every character feels same-y and bland to interact with, instead of standing out with their own unique history, personalities and kinks. There is stuff that shouldn't happen, even in a fantasy world where sex is on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner for every potential champion of the Goddess.

Rivalries should be much more pronounced between NPCs, and maybe towards to PC too after a certain point, with factions and weaker bonds (like non-aggression pacts?) appearing pretty much during the first weeks, only influenced by what the player decides to do during that time. The game is no more than a glorified "Battle Royale" after all, the only winning strategy being to group up if one intends to survive and emerge as the last one standing. As the game progresses, these factions could still change but it would take significantly more efforts, with stronger bonds building as prerequisite and yet nothing guaranteeing that said bonds will withstand the ultimate confrontation.

---

EDIT : And to elaborate some more about the stuff that shouldn't happen before I rest my case :
My PC getting the hots for Nash seemingly romantically interested in her in a group chat
-> Catgirl joins the group for socialization
-> Catgirl and Nash hating each other prior to the group, but suddenly start to hit on each other
-> Catgirl and Nash leave to have sex
-> my PC ... ???

Not sure how much of a solace it is but the exact topic of potential exclusivity and deeper meaning (that translates into the actual experience of playing the game) are something the Dev has been thinking about for quite a long time, and they've come up with a solution of sorts. Sooner or later the player will be able to "cement" the relationship with their chosen one, in steps, so it's not something that just happens out of the blue, but that will likely change quite a bit about this feeling of interchangeability and hopefully give things a more realistic feeling of sorts.

Personally I do agree that, in the long-term, the game would profit from making the other candidates more distinct and, if possible, really change these indeed quite baffling and unnatural interactions that happen more often than I'd like to see. Not sure if that's perhaps intended though, so I can only hope.

From what I remember reading in the discussion though the Dev actually always planned to have more and more cemented alliances and group building amongst the candidates, if I'm not mistaken, it's just that the game hasn't progressed to that point yet.

 

[ThisIsMe88]

From what I remember reading in the discussion though the Dev actually always planned to have more and more cemented alliances and group building amongst the candidates, if I'm not mistaken, it's just that the game hasn't progressed to that point yet.

There is perhaps a simple solution to the issue we've all here been discussing by far and large now, and it's a feature of the human psyche called jealousy. Or just anything to make your fellow competitors less of "The Sims 4" copy-pasted lifeless husks that eventually just serve as the same and identical sexdoll with different grahpics.

Storyline events in "Unholy Arts" are fine great for the most part, and very evocative of what the game could be as a whole if the various backgrounds of the competitors were more consistently enforced during sandbox times.

But I digress, and I agree that the author deserves our collective patience. It's no small feat to come up with a game that has been so intriguing to me, and fairly unique in the genre. Barring some Japanese games and perhaps one or two other games like it on this site, I know of no other examples that attempt to mingle so strongly story and sandbox elements in the context of a dating sim to sexual supremacy.

I guess I wouldn't be so passionate about my feedback if I didn't like the game, and I'll of course expect whatever the author has in store for us with interest and gratitude.

 

[Lolnoder]

I last played version 3.3, which is a pretty decent while ago. Thinking of catching up on the updates since then. I have a save on day 19, will I be able to just continue with it in the current version?

 

[sbarabaus]

As I've said before I believe (in an older post on this thread that I don't care to search for atm), the game would be much more interesting if antagonistic (rivalries, slavery) and harmonious (love, Dom/sub, tutorships) relationships really meant something

i agree with this, especially when every relationship only lasts 3 days

but then again i don't know how the NPC AI works, maybe there's a long lasting effect beyond the increase in relationship stats can you can get in the 3 days

 

[DeepInteractivity]

It's update day, and the free version finally includes the first animations! Have a very quick look:

Spoiler: Animations in v0.3.17

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As it was requested in the thread, animations may be disabled in the settings, and even temporarily hidden during sex scenes themselves.

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Please remember that animations are a work in progress, and there are still very few at the moment. Your continued support in Patreon is very important for our artist to be able to progress faster.

The latest supporter version, still only available in Patreon, includes a new story event where you spend the night with the Candidate you have the closest relationship with. Have a sneak peek:

Spoiler

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In the update 0.3.19, this story event will also unlock a few options that take steps to address some of the concerns raised in the previous posts of this page. Enjoy the new content and the weekend!

 

[slavegal]

buggy

 

[DeepInteractivity]

buggy

If you're more specific about what bug you've found, I can try addressing it.

 

[thedongofapocalypse]

I'm playing my first game here, but it's hilarious on how the Tiger always get isolated and ganked by everyone lmao. It feels like five of us are group of friend with how most of the time five of us always engaged in group convo. Not helping that when I tried to talk to her 3/4 option is always insulting one, so it's going to be a feedback loop of anger.
Granted I keep beating her at advantageous position(read low willpower status) then releasing her slave, so maybe her anger isn't completely unwarranted lel. The group dynamic is that of a poly relation with 5 of us lewding each other with no particular favorite, kinda cute to be honest. So instead of harem with 1 people as the focus, the group is liking & lewding each other instead.

Though from what little I gleamed and guessed, the group already have some sort of 'besties'. Like Plant girl and Slime girl will always lewding each other at the first chance. Then either Tomboy girl as my first 'besties' or Once Space gal start socializing, she started lacthing onto me instead.
Though for some reason despite their rivalry in story, Nash and Claw are commonly in company of each other(probably the only one who interacted with her)? But is there any consequences for falling to befriend 1 less people, or do I need all them as friend to have the power of friendship?

But man the combat in this game is pretty hard, and too reliant on RNG. Most of my attack, expect hypnotism is most likely going to miss. Hilariously enough I also able to dodge most attack, making battle the most time consuming affair with how both party having like 60% dodge chance. Unfortunately if I need to battle, most of the time I require my enemy to be missing some willpower first before engaging.

Do hypnosis have some sort of long term effects if you keep using them on sex, battles, or social? Would be fun if you can subtly hypnotizing and implanting behavior or order toward your friends. Maybe during 1v1 sex, once willpower under certain amount or and using hypnosis 5x in a row will allow you to implant simple suggestion + reducing hypnosis resistant to the user?
Or like in battle for example under certain stack of hypnosis, you can either order them to get hornier or masturbate with one or both genitals. So they waste 1 turn to lewd themselves, or to lewd their partner instead of the enemy on 2v2.

BTW Is stats affinity permanent or can you increase/reduce them? Idk what happened but my dump stats affinity rise from 0.8 to 0.9, not much but certainly increasing.

 

[DeepInteractivity]

Do hypnosis have some sort of long term effects if you keep using them on sex, battles, or social?

Nothing specific yet, apart from the standard mechanics. This is: lowering your partners' willpower in generic sex scenes raises their submission towards you by small amounts afterwards. There will be some magic actions capable of producing more long term effects in the future, though, some of them being hypnosis or draining.

BTW Is stats affinity permanent or can you increase/reduce them? Idk what happened but my dump stats affinity rise from 0.8 to 0.9, not much but certainly increasing.

Some time before the first adventure, you get a story event giving you some info about it in advance, which lowers many of your affinities and increases a few others. This effect gets reversed after the adventure is finished. There are also very rare opportunities that give you flat, permanent affinity bonuses. For instance, resisting 9 hypnosis interactions in a row in the Nersmias social battle gives you 0.05 extra will affinity.

 

[tehlemon]

I'm playing my first game here, but it's hilarious on how the Tiger always get isolated and ganked by everyone lmao. It feels like five of us are group of friend with how most of the time five of us always engaged in group convo. Not helping that when I tried to talk to her 3/4 option is always insulting one, so it's going to be a feedback loop of anger.
Granted I keep beating her at advantageous position(read low willpower status) then releasing her slave, so maybe her anger isn't completely unwarranted lel. The group dynamic is that of a poly relation with 5 of us lewding each other with no particular favorite, kinda cute to be honest. So instead of harem with 1 people as the focus, the group is liking & lewding each other instead.

Though from what little I gleamed and guessed, the group already have some sort of 'besties'. Like Plant girl and Slime girl will always lewding each other at the first chance. Then either Tomboy girl as my first 'besties' or Once Space gal start socializing, she started lacthing onto me instead.
Though for some reason despite their rivalry in story, Nash and Claw are commonly in company of each other(probably the only one who interacted with her)? But is there any consequences for falling to befriend 1 less people, or do I need all them as friend to have the power of friendship?

The fun part of this, depending on RNG and your decision making you can wildly change how that goes. In my game Val and Claw are besties and Ate is currently dominating everyone and everything she can see.

But man the combat in this game is pretty hard, and too reliant on RNG. Most of my attack, expect hypnotism is most likely going to miss. Hilariously enough I also able to dodge most attack, making battle the most time consuming affair with how both party having like 60% dodge chance. Unfortunately if I need to battle, most of the time I require my enemy to be missing some willpower first before engaging.

Yeah, combat is kinda like that. You kind of need to know what strategy you're going for before you start, and then you need to go all in on it.

My character character just lets people pin them and fuck themselves into a loss. It's pretty entertaining, but you have to go all in on a couple specific stats to make it work reliably. And just avoid combat when it's not in your favor (or if you don't have allies in your group).

 

[thedongofapocalypse]

Ah so RNG also affect relationship heh neat. I thought they have some sort of scripted chemistry that you can only alter by being asshole to someone/everyone, that if you're being neutral and aloof they will gravitate toward that pairing. Funnily enough I did try to be a loner in the 2nd test game, and those guys are still having the same pair like my 1st blind game. So I thought they were scripted/given enough number to get paired like that, a 'canon' pairing so to speak xD.

-snip-

Yeah, combat is kinda like that. You kind of need to know what strategy you're going for before you start, and then you need to go all in on it.

My character character just lets people pin them and fuck themselves into a loss. It's pretty entertaining, but you have to go all in on a couple specific stats to make it work reliably. And just avoid combat when it's not in your favor (or if you don't have allies in your group).

How do you invest the stats on your damage reverser build xD. Sound wacky and amusing, sub that rely on being subby then turn the table lmao.

Though I'm having trouble on cave exploration, unless I miss some clues or story part that I need to wait/done, I think it might be almost impossible to reach cave level 23-24. Because the number check is 1000+, and you either need total of 1k stats or lucky enough to roll Nat 1k which is hard.

Oh and monster hunting feel hard for player that focusing on social stats, since monster kinda don't give a shit about social stuff. I only consistently winning with the space gal Ate, the other only have 50-50 chance of winning. Team battle feel chaotic, because I can't even suggest my team to focus on certain target, they either strike other target or just go the opposite of my targeting.
And boy, if fighting people is hard and tedious monster is even more so. It feel like they're double tanky with either high damage res and high evasion. Even if their attack damage is low, their accuracy is high enough to simply wear my party down with scratch damage. Or it is inherent weakness of socialite build?

BTW dev there's a single one time unreproducible bug, during my first day free exploration in swamp area, Eastern Lower Lake, I got ambushed by monster(1 Sucker) but instead of regular battle I was send back to the tutorial battle which introduced the archer. It took only 1 turn, then cutscene happen.
Continuing from there I just send back a time so by the time I done reading story, again, I just sent foward to D29 instead of D28. Trying it from my D28 save doesn't trigger it, getting ambushed there isn't triggering it either. So IDK what the cause is. Maybe I need to go from D20-D22 or something without continuing from saved game. Just noting it, since yeah it doesn't happen anymore.

 

[DeepInteractivity]

Oh and monster hunting feel hard for player that focusing on social stats, since monster kinda don't give a shit about social stuff.

Yep, social builds shoulder balanced to be weaker in combat, or at the very least, less independent, since they have the extra utility of having more control regarding relationships with other characters.

Team battle feel chaotic, because I can't even suggest my team to focus on certain target, they either strike other target or just go the opposite of my targeting.

The early turns will be inevitably chaotic, but there are some general behaviors of the AI that you can notice to steer them in the direction you want:
- Their first priority is defeating any character that is about to be koed, or if they are about to be koed themselves, to do as much damage as possible.
- If there is an enemy character they can pounce on for free, this becomes a very tasty option, unless they think they'll be defeated inminently for doing so.
- They usually want to have some advantage in terms of buffs/debuffs in comparison with the enemy team.
- If no character is about to be defeated, they give priority to attacking the enemies' control, especially those who might get knocked down soon, or at least, have already received significant damage.

Therefore, if you want your team to focus on one specific character, you should make it appealing for them to do so. My most complete test run was played with a social/hypnosis build, so I know it's definitely possible to win all fights.

BTW dev there's a single one time unreproducible bug, during my first day free exploration in swamp area, Eastern Lower Lake, I got ambushed by monster(1 Sucker) but instead of regular battle I was send back to the tutorial battle which introduced the archer. It took only 1 turn, then cutscene happen.
Continuing from there I just send back a time so by the time I done reading story, again, I just sent foward to D29 instead of D28. Trying it from my D28 save doesn't trigger it, getting ambushed there isn't triggering it either. So IDK what the cause is. Maybe I need to go from D20-D22 or something without continuing from saved game. Just noting it, since yeah it doesn't happen anymore.

Thanks for reporting it. Even if I can't immediately reproduce it, this info is always more pieces of the puzzle.

 

[thedongofapocalypse]

Tiny bug here, I don't know the trigger since I played blindly. It just keep happening on the judgement day.

Spoiler: Img0

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Spoiler: Img 1

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