Quest Failed: Chapter Two - Dev Log #69

Hiya there, guys! How are we all doing today?

Admittedly I'm a little late with this dev log, by about a day I think, but wanted to avoid rushing it too much so I could compile together some pretty things to show off and make this more of a meaty log (that sounds lewd) than usual with some different images here and there. As far as CG teases go--I think I really have to slow down with them, as I may have already spoiled a little too much and want to ensure there's still a whole bunch of surprises lying in wait for you! Though--if you primarily subscribe to Patreon for the express purpose of seeing the CG teases and feel that these other kinds of images aren't to your liking or satisfying enough to see in the updates--please let me know, as I want to ensure that you, the wonderful patrons, are happy first and foremost!

That said--I wanted to showcase just how nicely the UI has been coming along with the brand new sparkly inventory screen! I believe I've shown it  before in a far rougher form, but here you can see how it's evolved leaps and bounds from the initial prototype, complete with fancy visual icons that represent Matthew's inventory. Ultimately the inventory is just for visual flair, but it will help you keep track of many different items Matt's gained in his adventures, with some little flavour text when you mouse over each of the icons.

While mostly visual in the sense you can't interact with them much on the inventory screen or use/equip at will, some items will affect the outcome of particular scenes, however when held in your possession. For example, visiting a particular area with a particular item in hand will trigger special events, or trigger particular characters to appear who may not have otherwise appeared. I'm trying my best to avoid this becoming too obtuse or 'puzzle' like to prevent frustration, but it will lead to some fun experimenting I believe with some surprising results~ I think in most cases it will be fairly logical. There won't be anything like, 'you need the Eagle Orb on the 3rd evening and have befriended Bella, but not Marine and then you need to visit the forest and the magical unicorn girl will appear before you, but you have to be careful not to annoy her or she disappears forever.' Because that kind of design can remain in the 80s/90s where puzzle adventure games were mega cruel. : P

(Full disclaimer, there's no unicorn girl, okay!)

But yeah--I'm really excited to fully flesh this feature out and think it blends the line between RPG and Visual Novel just a little more, to feel like a true adventure unfolding before your eyes. By Chapter 3 we'll have full fledged RPG battles at this rate! (Not really. Maybe. Who can say~)

Second on the list of things I want to ramble about, more UI goodness!

The choice menu and choice icons are undergoing a bit of a touch up and feel just a little more professional and coherent in terms of visual design now--I hope you like the new direction of the icons as much as I do! Everything is really coming together nicely and I really feel like Chapter 2 is going to be one of the most polished, professional products I've ever put out. It still all feels a little unreal to see the game shape up as nicely as it has done. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined putting together something like this only just a couple of short years ago--yet here we all are!

Also don't worry about the background--that's all placeholder--the Queen didn't suddenly decide to offer up kisses on the street. Just think of how jealous everyone else would get and how scandalous would that have been!

Finally--for those that stalk my twitter, you may have seen this cutie before, but otherwise I want to share her with you in all her ghostly glory~

She isn't related to Quest Failed--but rather a small little bonus project I wish to put out in the near future. Essentially another small little thing I put together in my free time like the Room Prototype I published before. I'm sure you'll all enjoy it, as it relates to monster girls and bullying a poor innocent boy--lots and lots of bullying! (I guess this is my particular niche in the world, huh? : P) Just rest assured none of this takes away from Quest Failed's development time--as that's still my main priority, forever and all!

And speaking of Quest Failed development--I'm inching towards the Alpha 0.7 release this month, with a staggeringly long series of h-scenes and some (non-h) fishy fun with the infamous Marine as we learn a bit more about her~ The question is...do you want to learn more about Marine? Maybe you'll find out she's just misunderstood. Maybe.

Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this feature packed dev log, with a mix of content! I'll leave you with a few questions for you to muse over:

- How do you feel about the new UI elements? Do you feel the inventory icons and items help with the RPG feeling, or are you worried inventory items and gold management may complicate things?

- How do you feel about spooky ol Harriet? Do you like her design, and would you want to spend time with her?

- What would you maybe want to see in future dev log posts? It's been a while since we've had a lore post--would one of those be appealing?

Until next time, everyone~