I should probably have taken two weeks for this public release. One week was barely enough to iron out all the bugs and inconsistencies from an update this complex, and I'm very grateful to the patrons who went above and beyond to help me with it. But this update needs more than simple testing/fixing - there have been some good suggestions about adding new elements or shifting balance that will simply require more time to implement.
However, I failed to signal the possibility of a two week wait clearly enough, and I don't want to delay the release until people are busy around the holiday season. So the update is going public, but please be aware of the following:
WARNING: While this update should be a smooth and bug-free experience, it is NOT the final version. Patrons have suggested subjective changes that I think would be improvements and we will need to tweak the balance further.
Download*: https://mega.nz/#!m8VlSKRK!Ge40Eoe5nkOEdtVx4CkChoKUsUsbmiGZesrTf2fZ6h4
Mirror*: https://www.mediafire.com/file/0m21o2ecf6m531b/TLS_0.40.5.exe/file
RTP: https://mega.nz/#!v0UXyQiC!pBX5w-c5IsRX9bBcRsIU49Qvfo6j-r2oA4dS3SqmSWg
*Requires RPG Maker VX Ace RTP to be installed. If you don't know what that means, use the RTP link.
TLS 0.40.0
- New content finishing the Council of Gawnfall.
- One new scene.
- Misc fixes on previous sections in preparation for the Steam release.
TLS 0.40.1-5
- Wrestling with the scope of the event.
I hope people enjoy the update, but please be understanding when I need to take some time to continue improving it. Though providing regular releases is a high priority to me, my ultimate goal is to make TLS the best game that I can manage.
If after playing the update, you have ideas for additional content during the summit, feel free to make suggestions! I will not be massively changing things, but as an example, some patrons suggested that the second half of the summit could use more minor speakers for flavor. Another notable suggestion was that Zirantia could have a representative to speak on international issues. Anything that will make the summit feel like a richer event.
I intend this summit to be the most complex political segment of the game, and I may have gone a bit overboard, but I hope that it is part of a satisfying overall experience that reacts to your choices in nuanced ways. Thanks to everyone for following the development of TLS.
Huh, I thought last week's post was clear enough that there was a decent chance you'd need extra time. Ah well, I'll wait for the final release. Don't stress too hard!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteTake your time if you need to do so, but thanks for the update anyways ;)
I appreciate your understanding. I will continue to do the best I can developing the game.
Deleteand seen the good point have the game plubic mean more people and more people mean find bug quicker ;)
DeleteThe game won't work for some reason. I try to continue but this message appears: Unable to find file: Error occurred, check the debug console for more information.
ReplyDeleteThis is usually because the download got mangled somehow. I would recommend wiping everything but your saves and trying again first, then try the RTP or non-RTP version, whichever one you weren't using before.
DeleteThe RTP version worked! Thanks Sierra. 😄
DeleteIn the main building where the voting happens, you can walk through the bottom half of that table between Yarra and Sarai.
ReplyDeleteCould you take a screenshot of that? I really wanna see this xd.
DeleteOh, huh. It might make sense to walk up to those tiles, as you can with some tables, but it does look funny from the side. Will fix, thanks!
DeleteThat outhouse is pivotal to the outcome of the upcoming war.
ReplyDeleteWe must unlock it's magical potential with The Sacred Broom.
nooo you have uncovered the secret
DeleteThis is the real reason we're recruiting the quest-completing guy at the Leaky Bucket. The kid knows how to get his hands on a broom.
DeleteI'm gonna wait until the polished update. But dammit I'm excited.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was when I read purity vote in Fulminato´s sheet was oh i will suggest to add the priest from Adford but you already did ;). Also THANKS for that sheet Fulminato! The Bar scene is great now we need to wait till the first book is published afterwards research project Qum also want to make a book to teach all people how to be happy and how to hug properly ;) Sacrificing Sarai's freedom for more political influence is something that I understand but I won´t do it I'm not opposed to it like to whoring out Qum or the Rape discussion but it is something Sarai should decide and if we influence it that with our actions in the past because that is a really personal decision that she should make by herself. Also we walk around as Iris cute ;) And can we have a chance to lock Orilise she is now over 100 in the end screen ;) Mother Guard best outcome will that result in new locations there or just enable us to revisit all places there? Ardford reopened maybe we can help the succubus merchant to get part in a certain guild and the biggest riddle will the House for the proposals be open?? Will Sarai have a own Room in New Givini and where will the church located there? Also Eustrin maybe we get an other letter or Neranda writes Sarai and she tells us about it this way you could show the effect but minimize the workload?
ReplyDeleteTo the Votes making no deal like I want to even if I like Kerannii more is really really hard but I think that is ok. Herin promoted and Kaskia´s plan the desired outcome is really hard for some settings maybe lower it to 3 instead of 4 influence cost for Sarai´s best approach? Tak´kan´s vote is the difficult right now getting support if not impossible without a Deal but then we really need to loved Ignas but even with a deal the best support is rare to achieve.
Things to add: Hester didn´t found her in the evening with the dancing priestesses, so maybe in here chamber telling us that she feels here age at occasions like this and only want to rest and if we please could let her be alone, something like that? Also Carina´s Men let them offer assistance with the Succubus Order or maybe Adford that wouldn´t make a huge effect but would be nice flavor. Or let them comment on that when we talk with them. Also maybe a Ivalan succubi commenting ot he chamber in the left top corner with a certain princess ;)
Also a strange thing that could be addressed why is no one from Zirantia there if they are always concerned with the fact that they could be forgotten or seemed to be not important enough? Maybe let one wing Guy or the Ambassador speak when the Fucklord vote is done? Something like to get a picture of that thread?
An Addiction: When Succubus are accepted and we get some Tak´kan support can we add a religious district to the capital where we than can support the Ivalan or Lustlord post or both or and agnostic Orc to have three that try to sway the orcs in their way ? That would also be a way to show the support the church offered and if we didn´t get one we can pay Pron to build a church and lure a priestess there to make Carina and Sarai happy? Also it could be funny to have an Lustlord priestess and an Ivalan Succubus fighting for the who´s faith wins the Orcs worship ;)
The Sanitation Mages ;) and other investment that could give a bonus give bonus +1 to the mercantile Issue if we invested in the Bank of the Church?
Also thanks for the update and have a nice Christmas and a good start in the New year it is strange for me two years ago in the days between Christmas and the New year I found that gem your game is and with the last save in this version most playthroughs stand ad 56+ hours of playtime so thanks for all of your work and the happiness, joy and fun it brought me. I don´t want to make a promise I can´t hold but hopefully next year around that time I'm finished with my Master and maybe be able to give you a little Christmas gift.
So thanks for the Update and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Hey, thanks for your detailed feedback! I can't answer all your hypothetical questions, but I'll try to respond to the main ones.
Delete>And can we have a chance to lock Orilise she is now over 100 in the end screen ;)
Orilise has been locked at 99 for a while - the end screen doesn't respect normal limits. However, I'll just say that this could be different for some games in the near future.
>Also Eustrin maybe we get an other letter or Neranda writes Sarai and she tells us about it this way you could show the effect but minimize the workload?
Expect more Eustrin content in the near future!
>Herin promoted and Kaskia´s plan the desired outcome is really hard for some settings maybe lower it to 3 instead of 4 influence cost for Sarai´s best approach?
This is one of many issues I'll consider as I look into balance again.
>Also a strange thing that could be addressed why is no one from Zirantia there if they are always concerned with the fact that they could be forgotten or seemed to be not important enough? Maybe let one wing Guy or the Ambassador speak when the Fucklord vote is done? Something like to get a picture of that thread?
Yes, I'm strongly considering an appearance from Zirantia.
>Also thanks for the update and have a nice Christmas and a good start in the New year it is strange for me two years ago in the days between Christmas and the New year I found that gem your game is and with the last save in this version most playthroughs stand ad 56+ hours of playtime so thanks for all of your work and the happiness, joy and fun it brought me. I don´t want to make a promise I can´t hold but hopefully next year around that time I'm finished with my Master and maybe be able to give you a little Christmas gift.
Thank you for all the kind words! I hope your holidays go wonderfully as well and I look forward to bringing you more of the game. ^-^
As a perfectionist who will restart over and over until he gets the perfect outcome he wants, how much is this update gonna screw with my sleep schedule?
ReplyDeletedepends how many playthrough do you have also do you have Fulminatos sheet? But i think it will be a fight sleep against TLS so ... good luck
DeleteI'm a perfectionist-type player too, but I designed this update to be rough on perfectionists. =D I think I'd recommend just getting a feeling for the update now, though - you won't see what some of the outcomes mean until version 0.41.x.
Delete@lordcraven what's fulminatos sheet? And where can I find it?
DeleteFulminato is a player who likes to extract all the little details, like the switches and variables, into excel sheets and the like. The excel sheet for this update can be found at https://thelastsovereign.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:13326
DeleteAh cheers mate! I'll dig into it then.
DeleteThey really know their shit huh? Lol XD
ReplyDeletei hope next update is about war,investment,etc
ReplyDeleteit hard to tell my feel after done gawnfall politic xD
if i can know does end of story still long waY? i mean i expect a lot more war,investment,building,character etc before it end of the journey xD
sorry for my english though it bad.
Chapter 4 is not over but is fairly developed, and 5 hasn't even begun, but it will be the final chapter.
DeleteThe summit was the deepest political update/event the game will ever see so some fatigue is understandable for most players.
It's likely the next update should have Sarai scenes for those who got Kaskia's plan and didn't make the sacrifice for 3 influence.
This may come along with the addition of a general reshaping of a significant portion of the world, especially places like the church in Helvanna, in accordance with the results of the summit.
Chapter 4 may be developed, but I do not believe it is on the verge of completion, we are likely to see the reconstruction of Wendis or maybe the long telegraphed conclusion of the war in Erosia before the conclusion of this chapter for example.
Take some of this skeptically considering I am not the dev, but I am also more entrenched in the various facets of the game and its development than the average fan, though certainly not on the level of someone like Lamsey.
The next update will be largely consequences of this one - the world doesn't update with every development, but something of this significance will have a major effect. If your summit ended with the right decisions, you will definitely be getting Sarai scenes.
DeleteI don't have too much new to add beyond what I've laid out for the game plans overall. We have a ways to go in Chapter 4 and in the game overall, but you've seen the scope of the story.
This whole council has been a blast. So many variables and tough decisions. I have run both updates four times, with diferent results on each of them. But finally, I've managed to get (what I think) are the best possible outcome in every aspect of it.
ReplyDeleteThe last set of choices is very tricky and depends on how much influence you have left so you can optimize each character support on every agenda.
Really, amazing work Sierra. Can't wait for the next update to see the consequences of all the changes of this council (Back to Arford, Sarai, Motherd guard, Aram and Eustrin...)
Thanks, glad to hear you enjoyed it so much! Updates like this are a huge amount of work, but I hope they (and the consequences coming next time) are satisfying culminations of all the work so far.
DeleteHi Sierra! Gawnfall has been my favorite update so far. I spent like 90 minutes grinding the numbers on my notepad to get a satisfying result and it was fun as hell!
ReplyDeleteHaving said that i just wanted to bring something to your attention. In the outro cutscene for the prologue (the one that happens after simon escapes Riala), where we are shown alonon, the fucklord, etc… I noticed Alonon and Xerces have their old sprites in their enlarged pictures (i'm talking about those enlarged pictures of a character that pops up when the character is introduced in case i explained it badly). Nothing really major, just wanted you to be aware.
Can't wait for the next update to roll around ! Happy Holidays !!!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed this update so much!
DeleteI understand which part you're talking about in your report, but I am unclear on what the actual bug is. The large pictures you describe are usually called either busts or profile pictures, while the sprites are the little characters that walk around on the maps. Which part are you saying is an old version?
Oh, sorry about that. What i meant was, the enlarged profile pictures of alonon and xerces are their old pictures (xerces still has his yellow eyes and alonon has a diferent crown or whatever that is). So it has nothing to do with the "sprites", just those two enlarged profile pictures dont match their current ones. I hope that explanation is more clear.
DeleteAh, I think that's just an inconsistency. I will try to look into it, thanks.
DeleteGreat update Sierra, I really enjoyed it and I think it really lived up to the task of being the game's event most focused on politics. I also liked what you did with Esmera, it was really interesting to see a priestess that genuinely lost her faith instead of just having doubts or wanting more reassurance.
ReplyDeleteAbout minor speakers, I think someone already mentioned having a Zirantian representative speaking during the Fucklord's vote and I think that's a great idea.
I personally wanted to see a speaker representing elves outside of the forests, maybe the elder of the elven ghetto in Yhilin. Perphaps he could speak during the succubi acceptance votes showing that accepting succubi became a popular notion, which is particularly impressive in elven communities considering the elven breeders and what happened with the western kingdoms.
I don't know if you're taking balance suggestions right now, but maybe you want to take a look at Esmera's participation in the Unpeople vote, currently if you choose to argue with Esmera to have her take a softer approach on the Unpeople vote, her dialogue will say she still expects you to do your part supporting the vote, but even if you don't do it she won't consider it a betrayal which is odd. Maybe change it so only an outright refusal before the vote will make it so Simon can choose something else without betraying his deal with Esmera.
Lastly, early congratulations on the Steam release for the next patch and happy holidays!
Thanks, really glad to hear you felt this update lived up to its goal!
DeleteHaving the elven elder from Yhilin speak is an interesting thought, will definitely consider it.
Esmera's deal... may have inconsistencies. There are multiple cases and I'm a bit tired, so I could have screwed something up.
Anyway, happy holidays to you too!
my suggestion for potential speakers would be the soldier whom previously served under Carina whom we spoke to at the start of the summit. He evens mentions looking forward to helping us when it comes to the more military matters of the summit so i was disappointed and surprised when we didn't see him speak during the fuck lord vote. Love the update and thank you as always. Never feel pressured to appease us. We love what you do and wait patiently for everything that you do. Thanks for taking the time to look through our feed back.
ReplyDeleteI will at least consider giving Carina's men a broader role. Thank you for the kind words. ^-^
DeleteI could never imagine that a church summit would give me a level of uneasiness that I don't see even in horror games.
ReplyDeleteIt's a deadly combination:
*The music;
*It's a location in the continent never visited before; (caught me off guard)
*It's next to Ardford; (made me expect hostility)
*the name Gawnfall sounds depressing;
*You're introduced to a fuck ton of people right away.
*You're reintroduced to lot of people who you forgot that existed;
*The meeting sequences are tense af; (Music has something to do with that too.)
*Arguably it contains as much (if not more) reliance on past decisions than the previous conflicts;
*Hester forcing me to make a decision right away;
*It's unbelievably fast paced for amount of issues discussed and the direct consequences of it, especially when you realize the visits to Ardford are way shorter now;
*Having your schedule interrupted to fight;
*Having to make decisions while controlling Iris made me doubt myself for a second, even though it doesn't make any sense objectively;
Maybe I'm seeing too much in some of the points but it was WAAY more impactful than I thought.
Though I wasn't aiming for a horror game feel, I'm glad it could have an impact. Since this section involves so many important decisions being made, I tried to make it feel like it had some weight to it.
DeleteI really wouldn't mind waiting a few days more for 0.40 since first release, but if you released it, I couldn't help to play. And I guess I will replay it again for 0.41 to see other possible resoultions, because I haven't decided yet if succubi should stay with church or not ;)
ReplyDeleteStill, it was very enjoyable experience to affect all this religious politics, but the numer of options and limited influence really make it hardly possible to achive everything you want, but at this point it's given for TLS.
I'm eager to see how you will implement all the consequences of the council in the future events.
Compared to other suggestions, mine is quite simple:
Give poor Sarai some documents/books/etc. on council table, because she looks so unprepared and plain compared to others. Even Kerannii has a flower ^_^
Also you might want to fix what Robin says when going out of Gawnfall - first 'necessary' can be changed to 'as we need', as to not repeat the word.
Finally, could you say a bit more what do you need to fix for Steam release? Your game is really polished already, and in scope with what Sony is doing recently and Steam shady politics, every such sentence sounds somewhat omnimous...
Good luck with next version ^_^
Glad you enjoyed the update! Good point about the repeated word, will fix.
DeleteOn Steam: the changes referenced in the change log are nothing of any importance. It was stuff like fixing up a picture that wasn't censored and removing a few typos that had slipped through - just trying to increase the quality as much as I can. I don't intend to change the game for Steam, it will mainly just be a headache to go through the process.
An allusion on the Tak'kan vote to the blight cave in Aram desert, blight (as I remember that section) originated from powerful corruption, the caves corruption is apparently reoccurring after cleansing (which means it's super serious as proof of corruption "evolving") and cleansing Tak'kan could help with pockets like these, of which (tho perhaps filled with regular corruption) there are likely multiple hidden in the desert being a constant threat to travelers and Aram tribes. Not too mention the danger of the blight appearing in other areas (we don't know much about it so it could). Mainly involves: Keranii obviously ,Esmerra (who I presume is more about city dwelling Aramites might actually be slightly off put by it because of that), Annah (resistant to cleansing corruption?! poison that ignores normal cure spells?!) and slightly Nabith (general helping the world).
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts! You'll find out, on some issues starting in 0.41.x...
DeleteIf I recall correctly the monsters that showed up in the cave were naturally occurring monsters, not the result of corruption.
DeleteYour work on this game has been like gulping from a never ending font of maturing wine, at first it was sweet as juice, than it became rather sour around the end of the first year, than it started gaining depth and contrast, and finally it's like a nice brisk Zinfandel with a touch of ghost pepper on the rim of the glass. May your next project bring you as much joy as this has brought me.
ReplyDeleteI'll take that, thanks! I look forward to creating a lot more. ^-^
DeleteFor the customisation in the base, I have a few ideas : the two statues in front of the trone, could you make it moveable ? By that, I mean about the Givini dragon statue on the left who don't look at his pair, I would like it if we could make it look at the right. And for the exterior, replace the pyramide thingy with the Givinni blue lampstones (the ones at the entrance of the Academy).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thank you for your work, TLS is the only game that make politics interesting, and I can't wait for Simon to become the incarnation of the Lustlord against his will ^^
And we need to save Esthera and Neranda from her sorrowful fate. That's just too sad otherwise :-(
Sorry, while it's technically possible to have flipped large statues, it would require a whole new block on the statues sheet, which is mostly full. Adding lamp customization... hmm, will have to check on the feasibility.
DeleteAnyway, I'm glad to hear that you enjoy TLS! Don't worry, you'll get content with both of those characters soon. In fact, expect some resolution with Neranda in 2019. ^-^
Is the harem going to get more bigger or is it going to stay like this until the end. Combat has one more free space and that will be Ginasta so that will be full. Then comes Non-Combat something that Sarai will take. Leader will take Neranda,Elleani,Fheliel,(Esthera dead or alive?). For other something like demons,goddess and other.
ReplyDeleteThe main reason why i am asking this is where does Hester belong????
And will Simon ever say this words to Hester
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYlX47brMpc
The "Other" category is actually Hester. All of those slots are Hester. All of Chapter 5 is geriatric orgies, actually.
DeleteI want a like button for this reply.
DeleteAfter a hellish two weeks that have prevented me from playing this update, along with a bit of Valyria Chronicles 4, I am finally getting to sit down and play it from the beginning of the Council.
ReplyDeleteHowever I just have one question that has been bothering me as I started playing, and I'll probably forget to ask it later with a longer review if I don't ask it now.
Just what is Carina's status visa-vi the Church? I assume Carina quit the Inquisition when she joined the harem, the corruption of the sexual bond with Simon ensuring that, and with Simon's reveal as Dargai Carina was probably exposed as part of his harem. Yet Annah seemingly still has some degree of respect for Carina, even if merely for her previous work, and Kaskia actually called refereed to Carina as 'Inquisition' at the start of the Council. I also think Bertricia recognized Carina as part of the Inquisition as well in the previous chapter.
Did Carina outright quit the Church, and these are all merely terms that they still identify Carina as out of habit even if they aren't strictly true anymore? Or is Carina sort of still in a 'gray zone' in regards to the Church? Carina wasn't an ordained priestess who was forbidden from sex. Is this a case where despite Carina sleeping with a corrupted person like Simon, legally Carina can only be prosecuted as a lay priestess who has taken a lover out of wedlock? Did the Church merely unofficially blacklist Carina as someone untrustworthy while officially not taking the step of officially removing her from the ranks of the Church and Inquisition? It just seems Carina is still considered a Sister by many, and I assume such status depends on more than Carina merely keeping the outfit.
Hope the game is a pleasant break for you!
DeleteCarina is in a thoroughly gray zone. She would not be allowed to use her rank in the Inquisition to cast judgments or control troops, but they've kept their suspicion of her unofficial - though the Inquisition includes some zealous Ivalans, they also recognize the value of maintaining a connection to the Doom King.
So the Church's reaction to her is as fractured as the Church itself. Those who are more open-minded still think of her as a Sister, albeit a Sister who made a mistake. Others only tolerate her as necessary, and some would prefer she be cast out.
Sierra I don't know if this question makes sense but I shall ask which resolution this game was made.
ReplyDeleteThe game's default resolution is 544x416.
DeleteWell just finished, although I'll have to go back and change the Church purity standards as I admit I never considered the possibility that Sarai could be an optional romance, and don't even know where to start.
ReplyDeleteProbably the elephant in the room, the conversation with Alonon. I admit I was a bit disappointed, since the idea of the base of the world being lust and purity honestly leaves me scratching my head. Although I guess that is the point. As Alonon stated, it would be one thing if the fundamental base of the world was too complex to understand or an amoral system totally devoid such concepts of good and evil, but to just be so...stupid is almost insulting. I am tempted to say he's wrong, but that would probably be a leap.
Although I do wonder whether the nature of the Tower isn't partially at fault for his vehement reaction to this revelation. Especially with Alonon apparently having his asexuality...'hardened' by the Tower, and Simon apparently having at some point used his experience and rationality to gain resistance to sexual magic despite being an Incubus King. The Tower seems to be based around abstract feelings and concepts being made into a more 'real' form. With Alonon having gone so deep into the Tower for this information, I wonder if an emotional indignation wasn't hardened into a vehement and inescapable rejection? It might explain why where Simon and the rest were able to shrug the information off and decide to focus on the physical world, Alonon has all but been brooding on this for years. The Tower turned a flare of emotional anger and indignation into an enduring and inescapable life philosophy where reality itself is a joke. After all, if Alonon isn't a master of the Tower he could miss such an effect as the change itself subsequently clouded his judgement through compromising his emotional stability.
Does raise questions about how Incubus Kings and Goddesses fit into this, what with them apparently having total control over sexual magic (lust) and divine magic (purity) respectively. It doesn't appear there's an equivalent for arcane magic on the fundamental base of reality level nor the 'god' level. It could also explain why several people have stated Incubus Kings seem to warp reality around them, and Goddesses probably do the same. If their true affinity is for these basic elements and their sexual/divine magic is a mere side effect based on the affinity between lust-sexual/purity-divine. It might imply that a Incubus King and Goddess working together could rewrite reality, although Simon's use of ascended sexual magic might imply that both lust and purity can be manipulated by one alone. Although Qum's use raises even more questions. Not to mention Riala's research project showing that purity can on some level be manipulated, although that might just be due to the difference between this base 'purity' and what the Church designates as purity...Okay, I'm just reaching now and confusing myself.
About the Council affairs of this update. As a perfectionist, you almost killed me. However that's good. I'm wondering about starting a second game where I cheat just to bypass these dilemmas, but for now I'm doing this the proper way...Agonizing over every choice like God intended.
Ah, you didn't expect Sarai? There will be content with her next time, if you got the right results.
DeleteYou're not the only person to have mixed feelings about Alonon's revelation. All I can really say is that this is at the core of some of my ideas for the game, but though you'll find out more later, it won't fundamentally alter many aspects of the game.
And I'm glad to hear this one was rough for perfectionists. Since this is the big social climax, might as well go for broke. ^-^
I admit I would have liked an envoy from Erosia appearing during the Fucklord conversation. Ginasta having sent an envoy to encourage the Church to act against the Fucklord specifically to prevent Simon and the Doom King from doing so later would have been a fun twist. Although I realize sheer logistics, Ginasta not being able to teleport seemingly, makes this basically impossible. Also, I would have figured on topic the High Priestesses would have been discussing is the 'Goddesses' that have seemingly cropped up. The Mother, Antiala, Goddess of Magic, etc. They seem to have acknowledged the religions here, and seemingly worked out some issues regarding divine magic with the Mother Guard leader, but what is their theological stance? Do they believe these goddesses don't exist, and that these religions have simply found some alternate source of divine magic? Or like Bertricia stated after Simon met the Mother, they acknowledge these goddesses exist but don't regard them as truly divine? That the existence of powerful beings don't affect their theological beliefs? Basically, do the High Priestesses believe the Mother, Antiala, and Goddess of Magic actually exist? It just seems like with the growing prominence of these religions, they'd have used this Council to examine what they know and make a definitive theological statement over these other religions?
ReplyDeleteFinally, as an unabashed Ginasta fanboy, that little glimpse of her ongoing war effort really aught my fancy. There are several ways I could see this going. I can see The Fucklord rallying soon and crushing the rebellion. Ginasta's failure to take advantage of their momentum in her refusal to seek foreign aid from the Doom King would lead to those following her paying the price. Basically, Ginasta's personal ideals only make things worse for those she's trying to saving the long run. There are actually quite a few scenarios I can think of in that vein, like the Lustlord invading when Ginasta failed to properly fill the void in power she was creating through pushing the Fucklord back.
One major issue I can see preventing anything approaching victory for Ginasta and her forces would be the backlash of the Fucklord's sexual magic. We know from multiple examples like the wastelands on Arclent from the Incubus Emperor that powerful sexual magic from Incubus Kings can have devastating fallout. The Fucklord made a spell to restrict an entire countries' population from having sex. Just what fallout could start appearing with Ginasta just smashing those sexual links upholding the spell? The more that spell starts breaking down, the more I could imagine unintended effects appearing. While it might be possible to prevent this through widespread, powerful purifying spells through divine magic, a simpler option would be through another Incubus King manipulating the spell itself like Simon did with the Virgin Slut Army (he didn't just fuck them to negate the 'Virgin' aspect. He had to have prevented whatever backlash the Fucklord put in to prevent the restrictions from just being broken, and Simon also claimed that he attempted to lessen the mental scars so they'd be able to have fulfilling sex lives afterwards). This would in particular fly in the face of Ginasta's argument against Simon. It would basically be proof that just defeating tyrants is enough. It would validate Simon's stance that not only can the powers of an Incubus King be used for good, but that in some aspects Incubus Kings can only be countered by other Incubus Kings.
Only, I'm rambling again. Loved this update. Can't wait for the next, and hope you have a good Christmas, Sierra.
Erosia is in too much turmoil to easily send any ambassadors, so I'm afraid they won't be included even in the revision. I'm glad you liked the glimpse of Ginasta, though. You'll keep getting more until that plotline resolves.
DeleteAnyway, thank you for all your feedback! I hope that you have a good holiday season too.
You are bringing the game on Steam now... Damn... But, I am looking forward to your games. Especially the other 2 games you put up that are in development...
ReplyDelete(I wonder if I missed info on how much this would cost)
If you're asking if TLS will have a cost on Steam - no, it will be free, just another way to play the game. If you're asking about the other two, I haven't made final decisions yet, but Don't Save the Princess will be cheaper at around $10, while Once Ever After will be in the $20+ range.
DeleteAnyway, I'm glad you're looking forward to those games! I'll enjoy bringing them to everyone as well. ^-^
Cool, I'm really interested on the concept of NOT saving the princess, I don't know if there were any games that makes the player avoid saving a person in distress.
DeleteAs for the other one, I will be waiting for it.
Sierra Lee, Thea: the awakening has a coffee for coding dlc (gives nothing but let's you pay additional money for the game since other actual dlcs are free), just mentioning
DeleteInteresting, I've never seen that done before. I'll at least consider something like that, though I wonder how they set it up on the back end of Steam...
DeleteOther than that... Holy Heck, I found 2 of 3 bad endings on purpose.
ReplyDeleteI love Hester's final words that the High Priestess were incompetent to make a peaceful resolve. Made me happy even though that was in the previous update.
The Gawnfall Update was one hell of a 'Hmm... Which one suits my view without losing as much leverages as possible' which I decided to purposely remove and create a new a religion.
Now for the last 4 days of the deliberations and votes. It was good to put a quite relaxing discussion after the most climactic and Arclent-breaking vote I have done in my run, then you have to hit me with Alonon, a great guy despite he giving me vibes of him disliking frequent encounters in matters that views it as child's play.
Overall... I would replay it again seeing that from a veteran he would turn out to be something else for better or for worse
Thanks for your feedback on this section! I'm glad that you enjoyed all the different pieces I brought together for this one.
DeleteCompletely love this game most of all as well as your others, I'll be very sad for it to be over, but I'll definitely be replaying it every once in a while
ReplyDeleteThanks! I look forward to bringing TLS to a satisfying conclusion, but don't worry, we still have quite a bit of story left.
DeleteThat's great, keep up the good work.
DeleteHello, Im dropping by just to wish you all wonderful Christmas - may the world enrupture you anew and stronger than ever in the year to come.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAre there any "real" dragons in this world ? I mean, apart in the Tower (real cool BGM in there by the way), we haven't seen any "real" dragons, only wyverns. And, if they exist, can't we tame them, like, for airborne military or goods transportation ? Because apart airships, boats, carriage convoys and teleportation, there are not many means of transportation in this world. A dragon is also more maneuvrable than an airship, making the dragons ideal for air cavalry, and airships for troops transports.
ReplyDeleteAlso it would be cool to tame one and ride to battle on his back, and have him sleep behind the throne at home. Or just as a pet. A really cool, badass pet. Will there be pets ?
I'm also wondering were is the Doom Armor. Usually, in our previous bases, we could see him in a corner, but not here. I remember Wynn saying after the clash with the Incubus Emperor/SuperKing that she could reinforce the armor. Can't we do that by bringing her materials or is it already done by the time of the Fucklord invasion ?
Finally, I'm waiting for the final fixes before playing the summit. I think it would be an even better experience when you have added everything you have in mind.
I also wanted to say that it is an incredibly intersting thing to see how much of an impact we have on the world. We have made an empire crumble and made new kingdoms rise from its cinders. We also kickstarted the development of a new orc civilisation, and we will probably introduce new notions of coexistence in the Church. The Anak wanted us to promise to not break the balance ? It's already to late. We are an instrument of fate, to which even the Gods are subject.
I don't know know that I've ever said this directly, but actually: no, there aren't any dragons. I feel they've been pretty thoroughly done lately and I didn't have anything particular in mind for their role in the story of TLS.
DeleteThe armor is controlled remotely at the Doom King's palace, though it often isn't doing much. The upgrades Wynn was talking about were just plot, not something you need to upgrade.
Finally, thank you for the kind words. One of my big goals with this game was to let players have an impact on the world, but it takes time to give that any real weight. It's always nice to hear from people who appreciate that. ^-^
Man the politics in this update, well at least I got everything I want except takkan support I only got token support but yeah I guess you can't have everything.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the goal was to have the player make a few tough decisions. Those are what make the political sections fun, at least to me.
DeleteAny idea when the "finished" update will be ready?
ReplyDeleteI apologize, but due to some circumstances I've struggled with working on synod modifications. In order to keep up productivity, I switched to working on 0.41.0 content. Most likely I'll update both of those simultaneously in January.
DeleteHappy New Year hoping this year the main girl will be Hester ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, I was going to start 2019 with Sarai, but you're right - better to have 2019 be all Hester, all the time.
DeleteSierra I deeply respect what you have done with TLS, but if you don't give us HD 4k resolution artwork for all Hester scenes (or H-scenes for short), I think it will be safe to say that this entire journey has been in vain.
DeleteSincerely, a concerned fan.
Don't worry, I knew that everyone would care more about Hester's scenes than anything else, so I've been devoting my entire budget to them. All her scenes will be 45 minute animated movies.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehappy new year sierra
ReplyDeleteThanks, you too! (And anybody else reading this!)
DeleteSierra, I am kinda sad that you left Nomo/hreinngames without posting anything to inform your fanbase... I had so much fun with NN and wish you two would have continued to make games on RPG Maker, perhaps even more LoL parodies. Would you ever inform us on why you left hreinngames?
ReplyDeleteI don't have anything to add to the official statement. The last paragraph in particular explains the reason the announcement wasn't immediate and I respect Nomo's rationale for wanting to time things this way.
DeleteSierra let me just say that I will miss you alot... I love you so much...
DeleteWhen will the new update come out in 1 week 2 or 3?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the holidays and some negative emotional stuff slowed me down a bit, so progress hasn't gone as well as I'd hoped. I fear 0.41.0 will be later than I'd want.
DeleteHowever, there are a couple projects I've been working on in the background, one of which will be completely free. Expect an announcement soon!
I just started to play your game like 13 days i think and i love it. I found your game from f95 and i was like i need to support you and that is what i did like a week ago or something like that . I made the right decision because there your fans are fighting vs non fans or something much better that i left that site. I am not really that smart or even that big thinker but every time i play your game i feel like i am becoming smarter you must be really smart person Christopher Langan can go su#k it. I will support this game till the end.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying my game! I hope to continue providing updates all the way to the end. ^-^
DeleteProbably it's way too late, but in Megail's Route in Chapter 2 there's a flavor conversation near a wagon, and upon replaying it the King of Aram is mentioned as someone who keeps getting into religious affairs... I have yet to play the synod, so maybe there's a reason the king is missing, but otherwise...
ReplyDeleteMy goal is the final quality of TLS, so I'm always willing to go back to previous sections. It can take me a bit, though, because I focus on the new content. I will take a look at this!
DeleteLong time player (I stumbled across Ouroboros years ago, took me an embarrassingly long time to realize you did TLS, too), and I've been enjoying the hell out of this game. The decision-impacting methods you have going on are so damn brilliant and yet utterly infuriating.
Delete... I love it...
More importantly, as a fellow writer, I have to say your ability to juggle this many characters and give them all unique voices is a talent few of us even realize should be commended, and fewer by far can perform at your level.
Anywho, I have a thought about the "cleansing corruption" part of the summit. There should be a "bribe" option in that one. Where Simon offers to provide (partial) funding for the project. Costs were brought up, after all, and this game is all about spending finite resources.
I could see some of the Sisters refusing to accept the Doom King's money, not wanting to be seen as "in the pocket", so Simon would have to make an argument... maybe depending on certain stats giving better picks.
Low level arguments would be a simple "We're not offering this in order to manipulate you, we just know how important it is to clean the corruption. We'll keep the donation a secret, unless you want to make it public." Probably lose a point or three with the "honest" members.
Higher up would be "It could be stated in a way that makes it public, without embarrassing the church. First you make your announcement, then the Doom King's people will make a statement praising the church's wisdom, and offering to help fund the project." Which could lose points with the more suspicious members (who may or may not also be more honest members- I know all about your Hester fetish).
The "best" option being to offer funding and public support, but not making the funding widely known, and suggesting that could be used as leverage with other rulers. "You can go to other leaders and say that 'even the Doom King is helping to fund the project', which should impress upon them how important it is. Or, if they're stubborn, perhaps ask them 'how embarrassing would it be if every nation on Arclent came together for the common good, except yours'."
That should probably appeal to everyone. Or at least not cost any favor with anyone while granting a better outcome (at the cost of ProN, because there's no such thing as an objectively perfect outcome in this game).
In any case, keep up the beautiful work.
Hello, thanks for the kind words! I'm glad to hear you enjoy my work. ^-^
DeleteYour suggestion is actually a really good one... but unfortunately, I've just finished a ton of work on that section. While I'm always open to reworking past segments, right now I'm in a dead sprint to get the next update done ASAP.
And there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth.
DeleteIn all seriousness, though, I'm eager to see the next plot point.
But one thing you could do to improve the overall experience... balance out the music volume. It's a little distracting when you go from barely able to hear one song to getting the next one blasted in one ear drum and leaving an exit hole through the other.
Oh, speaking of music. Ever heard Derek and Brandon Fiechter's stuff? Lot of their music is right up this game's alley... especially Stormfrost Manor and Ghosts of Twilight.
Huh, I'm surprised to get that feedback. Pretty much every version I put out, I get comments suggesting that I change the volume of different songs in order to keep volume somewhat consistent. I trust these reports entirely, since I'm not very musical myself.
DeleteOn the same note, I'm afraid I haven't heard of the music you mention.
Yeah, as a general rule, most people who sell music to the public, whether in records or games, go out of the way to balance the music so it's all at the same volume (at least in regards to other music in the same collection... there don't seem to be any industry-wide settings in this regard).
DeleteAh, well, you can find at least a good chunk of their stuff (including both songs I suggested) on youtube. They're at under 400k subs, so it's no surprise you haven't heard of them. And, no, I have zero affiliation with them, it's just that I like their stuff, and we little indies gotta give one another a hand when we can, y'know?
Where can I download the game?
ReplyDeleteIn this post. Scan down a few paragraphs where you should see three download links.
Delete