New update is public!
Download*: https://mega.nz/file/3s9VWTrI#5zkhCMRtjSiyC5BUTbfEjAjK6b7CCW7CUbBgr-Mo5Q8This one is taking an extra week, less because of size or complexity than the fact that it is the holiday season and players have been relatively slow to get to it.
TLS 0.72.1
- All 26 events in the Orcent dungeon now have different dialogue for all six forms. You better appreciate this flavor text, because it was so much copy-pasting. T-T
- New visual assets for Orcent's dungeon thanks to Lamsey.
- There's a free healing point in Orcent's dungeon as well.
- New NPCs/dialogue added responding to quest completion.
- Various balance tweaks throughout, notably a significant buff to Mana Shock.
- Assorted bugfixing and polishing.
But please look forward to a polished version out next weekend!
New update for supporters on Patreon or SubscribeStar! Version history updated, you know what to do, etc.
TLS 0.72.0
- New harem quest beginning in Ari-Yhilina: Merchant District.
- New harem quest beginning in Ari-Yhilina: Order of Thaumaturgy.
- New Orcent quest beginning in the Bloody Spire.
- Two new unique items can be created at the Nostalgic Home, if certain requirements are met.
- UI fixes from the previous new script.
- One new sex scene.
- Three new illustrated scenes: Special Surprise, Aka + Yarra, Megail + Qum
Whew, super tired, so I don't have a ton to say about this one. I managed to finish every single harem quest this year, but not quite all the endgame content. Hope people have fun with it. ^-^
Here is the updated roadmap: https://i.imgur.com/yAzJYNy.png
New mini-update is public!
Download*: https://mega.nz/file/H9UFAK7a#gugMxk1MB_Habt6Vvy3PVjwfwg7CnfZrt3t56RyW60k
Mirror*: https://www.mediafire.com/file/tq066ry2njiqdns/TLS+0.71.1.exe/file
RTP: https://mega.nz/file/C490ALwK#rVxPueeJVAtl5gOhYobleusr3Pe8mb0lue1_PD3PTsU
New (mini) update for supporters on Patreon or SubscribeStar! Version history updated, you know what to do, etc.
TLS 0.71.0
- Fixed bug in Sarai's quest that made her event appear earlier in the game.
- Fixed issues with the alternate method to access the new Mother quests.
- Additional upgrades to the VN-style backlog script.
- Limit breaker script added. The only effect should be that characters no longer max at level 99, or so I hope.
- Two new illustrated scenes: Yarra + Hilstara, Victory Orgy
- Everything is illustrated through Chapter 3, so the "limited art" message has been moved to after that point.
This is not a major content update or anything, but I decided some of the bugs in the current version were unacceptable. Combined with the new stuff added and the art hitting a new milestone... my hope is to get this out the door quick and keep pushing toward the next big update.
New update is public!
Download*: https://mega.nz/file/jhk0DTqZ#boMOz0WXmmlAi0xKig4foglF4FCUFOmHp3M2HFsi_C4New update for supporters on Patreon or SubscribeStar! Version history updated, you know what to do, etc.
TLS 0.70.0
- New harem quest beginning in the base main hall (after the Incubus War).
- New harem quest beginning in Sarai's Headquarters.
- The Mother's Guard quest is now accessible even if Theltiar is destroyed.
- Grynyth added to Uyae and Janine's harem quests (no mechanic impact).
- Also added to Yarra's harem quest (minimal combat impact).
- Also added to Altina's harem quest (dialogue and mechanical changes, but no ultimate balance change).
-Five new illustrated scenes: Crypt Handjob, Healing Dreams, Meeting Iris, Sending a Message, Trin 100 (missionary)
Another update! Some questing, some dungeons, and tons and tons of conversations. Also a whole bunch of continuity edits, quality of life stuff, and other general tinkering. There is no particular reason it should take longer than the usual week except that I am very tired right now. Sleeeep. -_-
Here is the updated roadmap: https://i.imgur.com/4gO7BKk.png
New update is public!
Download*: https://mega.nz/file/T411BSKJ#fCoqqQ9ssNaRj8lAG0as-vF5adxpLu-7rxtgso7XZGMAs I'd feared last post, this update will take two weeks. The mechanics actually weren't very buggy at all, which surprised me, but I've been adding lots of extra content.
TLS 0.69.1
- Substantial content added to Orilise's quest.
- New bonus added after Lynine's quest (in Renthnor Wilds).
- Misc bug-fixing and polishing.
Fortunately, with everything so stable, I think I can promise that the update will go public next weekend. For now, it's only available on Patreon or SubscribeStar. Please look forward to it!
New update for supporters on Patreon or SubscribeStar! Version history updated, you know what to do, etc.
TLS 0.69.0
- New harem quest beginning in Theltiar.
- New plot quest beginning in a location revealed within this update.
- New harem quest beginning in base courtyard (contingent on the above plot quest).
- Penultimate harem member, the last before the secret optional member.
- Fully 12 (!) new sex scenes, two of them affection scenes.
- New illustrated scenes: Aka + Varia, Altina From Behind, Restoring Riala, Yarra + Qum + Nalili, and all 15 (!) of Lilith's Chaos scenes
This is a huge update! It took me longer than the previous ones, but when you get a chance to play, you'll see how it wraps up a bunch of loose ends and takes the game much closer to completion. It has plot events, dungeons, and a brand new game within a game, plus a ton of new sex scenes, both written and illustrated!
Due to the amount of content and the complexity of one new event, it will most likely take two weeks before this update goes public.
Here is the updated roadmap: https://i.imgur.com/4S1Erct.png
One of my longest-running side projects is Don't Save the Princess... actually, it's been so long, maybe I'd better link the free online demo for the game. It was meant to be a short and light project, tapping into the casual phone games market. Instead it has lingered and malingered for years, to the point where in the past I've considered just scrapping it, which I do not like to do.
The decision point came when I needed to do some work in order to delegate assignments to the artist, which required replaying some of the game. Since that would take me mentally away from other work, I had been putting it off. But when I fired up the build... I ended up playing longer than necessary, because I was enjoying it. I know it's not for everyone, but my feeling while playing was that I did hit the note I wanted, making a new sort of gameplay that strikes the right casual balance.
So: DStP is not dead. But what will happen to it? Well, that's part of what this post is about.
I've done some work in the background, mostly design - honestly, this has been such a relief on stressed days when I don't feel like I have the energy for anything. There are a reasonable number of variations we can get on the physics that are already in the game, different ways to give new twists to levels without coding brand new features. So some of this will be moving forward.
I've been talking to patrons about this and I think I have an interesting path forward, a way to make DStP another good step in my career. Not just another game, but a test for future projects I'll be embarking on. You'll see more about it in time... but not yet. Right now it makes the most sense to focus on TLS 0.69.0.
However, you'll hear about DStP again when it's closer to release. Onward!
New update is public!
Download*: https://mega.nz/file/islkzKAa#ZorYK2_FCKcnmelfpUSDTtYZgR6LxE8oDofeKDH77zASince people on the blog don't get my weekly updates and this release schedule is unusual, I figured I would just confirm that I am not dead or lost at sea or anything. ^-^ I just took off a full week of vacation for my first time as an adult, which fell right in the middle of the development period.
I took the opportunity to do some athletic things it's probably better to attempt while I'm still relatively young. I ate some foods I've never tried before and some fruit I definitely have but you can't get perfectly ripe in northern climates. I saw some natural wonders that are currently being destroyed and are forecast to be gone within my generation. Overall it was certainly a worthwhile experience I don't regret.
Am I more relaxed, though? I hope I'm recharged in some deeper sense, because not really. Obviously adapting to new places and plans isn't going to be as mentally easy as staying in a highly optimized environment. Also capped things off with the most cursed flight in my personal experience (though mild by overall aviation standards).
You know what has been relaxing? Catching up on things at a leisurely pace, not pushing too hard on anything, just handling stuff. I truly enjoyed reading all the comments I missed and doing some less intense work. All kinds of stuff to prepare for.
Just to get an extra layer of testing because I've been intermittently absent, the newest build is now available to all supporters on Patreon and SubscribeStar! That said, I anticipate no problems that will stop it from going public in a week.
I'm glad I took a vacation, but I'm also glad to be back home and focused on creative work. Onward!
New update for supporters on Patreon or SubscribeStar! Version history updated, you know what to do, etc.
TLS 0.68.0
- New harem quest beginning in the Renthnor Wilds.
- New harem quest beginning in Orgasmic Palace 4F (after Philon quest line).
- New Wilds building unlocked.
- Additional interaction/consequence added to Succession Crisis (Blademasters Guild).
- Further cleanup and minor bugfixing from the Succession Crisis.
- Six new sex scenes.
- Three new illustrated scenes: Ginasta First Time, Hilstara Missionary, Robin First Time
Back again with more content! Two more harem quests, additional connective tissue, cleanup, and lots of sex scenes. This one is a nice mix of content I hope people will enjoy. ^-^
That said, this update will not be going public in a week. Not because this update is so extraordinarily complex, but because I will not be able to work on it as much as usual. It took exhaustive work just to get the Patreon update out in time, so future releases will be delayed.
Here is the updated roadmap: https://i.imgur.com/D2LJopx.png
New update is public!
Download*: https://mega.nz/file/G9kyxQRR#0XHnrRTwwDCGZylCB0r8RrNkdgSYBSwnfcMFDYYFSaoNew update for supporters on Patreon or SubscribeStar! Version history updated, you know what to do, etc.
TLS 0.67.1
- Various changes and additions behind the scenes. Optimization is overall easier, but the negative consequences are more severe.
- It is no longer possible to have Tyna marry Kalant with poor enough variables.
- It is now possible to walk Tyna down the aisle with sufficient variables. This has no numerical impact.
- NPCs around Ardford now respond to news of Tyna's wedding.
- Four new illustrated scenes: Hilstara x Lynine, Yarra's Joint Squad, Megail + Orilise, Nalili Tentacles
- Dari's quest now adds additional relationship points.
- Internal variables renamed for easier comprehension by data miners. =P
Just to officially confirm that this update will take two weeks (and thus be out next Friday). I could have potentially pushed harder for one week, but I decided to instead invest time in the next content update so that there hopefully won't be a long delay.
New update for supporters on Patreon or SubscribeStar! Version history updated, you know what to do, etc.
TLS 0.67.0
- The succession crisis can now be resolved via a new quest line beginning in Ardford.
- New harem quest beginning in Ardford Religious District.
- Three new sex scenes.
- Four new illustrated scenes: Hilstara x Lynine, Yarra's Joint Squad, Megail + Orilise, Nalili Tentacles
- Item sell bug (hopefully) fixed.
This update includes some long-awaited content. I want to get it right and I had to burn the candle at both ends to get it out in a reasonable amount of time, so I can't guarantee everything will be polished for a public release in one week.
Here is the updated roadmap: https://i.imgur.com/tBLb8XY.png
New update is public!
Download*: https://mega.nz/file/X9NWDISY#ztxq3JekRSH3_IBvfsaeH6SRNwFs-AlflcR5HIM5c9oNew update for supporters on Patreon or SubscribeStar! Version history updated, you know what to do, etc.
TLS 0.66.0
- New title screen and new branding across platforms!
- New harem quest beginning by Yarra in Headquarters B1.
- New harem quest beginning in Tak'Kan regional map.
- Additional flavor text and SFX added to Lilith's Abed.
- Seven new pieces of ultimate/custom equipment.
- Three new sex scenes (all found via the above harem quests).
- Five new illustrated scenes: Aka Riding, Balia's First Time, Forest Orgy, Lynine + Orilise, and Restoring Unsuccubi
- New quality of life feature thanks to Arachne: the gallery can now be filtered by any harem member!
Throughout the years I've been working on TLS, I've almost always focused on moving the game forward. With a game this size, if I spent too much time revising or reworking, it would never be finished. However, players have been pushing me to redo some elements, so I have updated a number of assets. You'll see this in the game's title screen, in the assets on Steam, and eventually even on the blog itself.
But I wouldn't leave an update with just that! I've also finished two more harem quests, keeping the roadmap moving forward. I'm hoping that this release won't take too much out of me, and with the rebranding finished, I'll be able to swing directly into the next update faster than usual. Regardless, as always, I try to push everything toward the conclusion.
I am taking the unusual step of releasing a patched version in between updates.
Download*: https://mega.nz/file/7kdkXT6Y#3o9StLDzJAKzHs0ht0gpi5GuUjR9EztPxu0ncEfQ_PQNew update is public!
Download*: https://mega.nz/file/ugFBEZiK#49PQAoD2uAfu-Z-LTsTKJLYokxfvPwrF9DVWKdRdCdkNew update for supporters on Patreon or SubscribeStar! Version history updated, you know what to do, etc.
TLS 0.65.0
- New plot quest, beginning in the Renthnor Wilds.
- New harem quest, beginning in the Yhilini Royal Chambers (any time in Chapter 5).
- New harem quest, beginning in the base front hall (any time after the Incubus War).
- New harem quest beginning in the Renthnor Wilds (after completing the new plot quest).
- Major new base feature: full portrait mode, including 29 unique pieces of art and 125 paintings total!
- New harem member, with either 1 or 15 sex scenes, depending on how you count.
- Aside from that, two plot sex scenes.
- Final combat party member, bearing 17 new skills and some bizarre mechanics.
- In Balia's challenge, teaching orcs skills only costs essence once each iteration. If you create new orcs, you can teach them already-learned skills for no additional cost.
- The Simon Recovery variable has been slightly tweaked now that there are more than enough points.
- 5 new illustrated scenes: Aka's New Form, Hilstara X Succubi, Lynine's First Time, Megail 100, Orilise's First Time
I got over-ambitious during the winter break, since it's not effective to release around holidays, and so it's taken me a while to wrap up this monster of an update. Three harem quests, an unrelated quest, a new harem/party member, and the full portraits feature!
It's been ages since I've added this much content to the game at once. None of it is particularly complex, and I had time to test, so it's possible that it'll be public in a week. But two is possible if everything adds up.
EDIT: Sorry, this one will take another week. You can count on a release on the 17th.
Back in 2017 I posted a text roadmap for the remainder of the game and we've been following it, but it's come to my attention that many players have forgotten or never saw it. So, since we're getting closer to the end, I thought it was a good time for a new roadmap. Many thanks to Lamsey for improving the visual garbage I started with!
This version doesn't give all details, but it shows you exactly what content remains in the game compared to what has been done in this section. No more need to speculate about who gets a harem quest and who doesn't. Perhaps more importantly, I hope it will remove the need for promises or arbitrary dates: everyone will be able to see the changes in the remaining content and judge my progress for themselves. Look forward to this image being updated every release.
Some of these icons are far more work than others, of course. You've seen how some of the harem quests are quiet character moments while others are elaborate events, so the number of checks per update will vary. But I believe this will give a strong enough overall impression. The only thing likely to change is that I might add some time doing revisions in between the postgame update and officially releasing the game as 1.0.0, just to create a better first impression for any new players.
I am hard at work on TLS 0.65.0, which will check off a decent number of those boxes because I worked on it all through the holiday break. See you then!
