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Writer's Blog: I'm too tired to think up a clever title, but Chapter 8 2.0 is UP.
🕑 Added 2022-06-27 05:42:43 +0000 UTCEdit: The bug that prevented people from finishing the chapter is now fixed. Looks like the "return" command got left out when I updated the code (this took me way to long to figure out). Long story short--it works now!
I am bone weary (we ran out of caffeine in the house) and thus will attempt to be somewhat succinct, but the good news is that I finally managed to take my constantly tweaking hands off of Chapter 8! The bad news (which could be good, depending on your perspective?) is that Chapter 9 is being held up because I’m making yet more changes to Hope’s phone call in order to incorporate more details about her shared past with Rosy (details that I added to the training scene but then decided to move). I still want to get Chapter 9 up by the end of June, though.
Overall, I’m really trying to add in as much foreshadowing about . . . things . . . as possible. If it ends up being too much, I can always cut back, but better too much than too little! I really want readers to be able to guess Mind Blind’s mysteries, or at least go “Ohhhhhh that makes such much sense.”
What’s New This Update:
1) The ability to specify whether or not Button is an artist (thanks to a brilliant Goya suggestion!)
2) Glitch’s dialogue is now twelve percent more in character (for better and for worse)
3) Ace romance implementation for the training scenes
4) Option to switch what you call Rosy if Button refers to them as “Kim”
5) Option to attempt to switch what you call Rosy if Button refers to them as “Ambrose/Ambrosia”
6) Snickly tweaks (I initially added a scene where Button teases Sally and Nick, but then moved it because I felt the scene fit better happening when Sally helps Button prep for dinner with Kenzie)
7) More dialogue options in general, including the potential for Button to trash talk Sally’s matchmaking skills and bemoan their dating history
8) Scenery got a glow up and hopefully things are now clearer
9) More hints pointing to the bomber’s true identity (including the implementation of a new hint counter)
10) Sally’s vision about Glitch got redone yet again, and there’s a few more early chapter changes scattered throughout
11) Redone formatting for Podium (I went back and forth on between italics and bold for hours, and am still not fully convinced by my final choice)
12) You can now get back lost feelings for Gray or begin to crush on him without a history of pining like a evergreen
13) Fixed indenting so Nick no longer cackles and giggles in the same breath
14) A lot stuff more that I can’t currently remember? I spent a lot of time reworking this chapter and honestly don’t recall the first things I changed at the moment—my brain is fried. But Chapter 8 is 20% longer now, so there’s quite a bit which was added.
Link To The Rewrite: https://dashingdon.com/play/wildelight/mind-blind-20/mygame/
Example Snippet of New Material:
“A love story for the ages,” Sally comments dryly. “An internet troll lures an unsuspecting villager into the depths of his cave.”
“Kent is hardly a troll,” you say, glancing discretely at his profile as he talks to Glitch.
Sally smirks. “Oh, I’m aware exactly how you classify Kent.” She lowers her voice. “Your crush on him is more obvious than Nicholas’s thing for Dean Branham during his first year at Aeon.”
Inside your head, Nick groans. I really wish she’d forget about that.
Comments
saarebasra
I finally figured out how to look at the code! This means that, from now on, I’m only asking the stupid questions I’m *really* unable to figure out for myself. Stuff I’ve noticed: - RE: Nick commentary on the Glitch vision depending on Button’s Glitch crush or not. When Button has a crush, Nick says, “What if she meant a sun?” When Button doesn't have a crush, he says, “What if she meant a *son*?” Additional note: “She” should be replaced with ${the}. - RE: ‘“${Kent} is hardly a troll,” you say, glancing discretely over to where he and Glitch are talking.’ “He” should be replaced with ${khe}. - RE: Hide behind the bookcase in Rosy's training scene. The text here repeats the sentence that you see when Button hides behind the couch: “The *couch* warps around the "bullet" of crackling electricity.” - RE: “I hate Kim because ${khe}’s a prick, Nick corrects.” This is probably an ESL thing, but I get the feeling that “prick” is rarely used for women? Or at least I couldn’t come up with or find a quick example to counter that personal impression. - RE: Gray denial. Not sure if this is intentional, but I was surprised that Gray’s romance route seems to be closed off for Buttons who are in denial about their feelings. Even if the topic was shelved earlier, I was kind of hoping that we’d have the chance to acknowledge the crush in chapter 8 with the revelations about Vengeance and, maybe, also in the context of Sally’s Gray vision. However, (re)activating the crush seems to be only possible during a K-vision scenario if I’m not misinterpreting the code. Maybe I misunderstood the entire denial deal from the start, but even the “romantic entanglements” wording seems to suggest that Button’s feelings will eventually bite them in the ass. Still, I can’t seem to find any reference to “Graydenial” in the code beyond the first chapter. - RE: Nick’s hypocrisy re: Rosy. Nick’s former Branham crush would be an even better comeback than the Sally/Nick age gap. Plus, he mentions that he had a thing for Rachael Ray when he was 19. So, if anybody has a history of crushing on older people, it’s our Brother Dearest since, so far, Button’s optional in-game crushes only include former classmates. (Hey, I’m not trying to shame Nick here. I’ve been in the same boat since the ‘90s. Just stating the facts.) Also, how can you hide these gems from Ambrosia-mancers: “This is why Sally and Nick are perfect for each other: Nick is attracted to authoritative women,” and “that the two of them are a match made in (a somewhat dominatrix version of) heaven”. 💀 - This is just an observation, not a criticism: I was surprised about Button’s dungeon remark and Glitch’s “kinky” comment in the ace K-romance scene at the beginning. Tonally, it just seems a lot less bashful than the ace POV in Rosy’s or even Gray’s route. However, I’m genuinely glad that aces romancing K can go on the offensive and actively flirt with them. I also really like what I’ve seen from Glitch’s ace romance.
saarebasra
- Is there any chance to get more save slots? I have real bad luck with my saves getting corrupted which is why I had to start the game an embarrassingly high number of times to finally be able and look at Gray’s ace training scene. - Line break needed: Kent grimaces. “We should split into groups of two,” she says. “Otherwise, we won’t be able to complete both online profiles before Kim returns.” (Unless it’s K who’s speaking and their pronouns have changed to female? Glitch is female in this playthrough, so I assumed these are her words.) - The last part of sigma_male’s_696’s post is still in italics. (Edit: If Button works with Glitch. The Sally section is fine.) - RE: Meme answer to sigma_male_696. I think this would work better if you described the anime girl’s (lack of) clothing a little. What does Sally mean when she comments on her pants? I found that one hard to follow because the only things that we learn about the girl’s appearance are that she’s busty and drooling. - Not sure if one of the changes of Gray’s ace training scene was to leave out that Gray is peacocking *for* Button. If it was, then I’m honestly impressed with the efficiency of that edit.
saarebasra
Funny story: I almost didn’t mention that Goya detail because I was *so* sure the pic was intended to be a reference to the meme. Feedback on some changes (not sure everything is brand new): - Is it new that a Button who didn’t choose the subway still hums during the Rosy assignment? If it isn’t, I don’t think I ever noticed it before. - The Sally description is the most elaborate and vivid of any character in the game (so far). - I laughed out loud when I noticed that Button’s merpeople fixation isn’t part of the ace route. At first, I thought you’d gotten rid of it entirely (and was almost ready to complain) until I had it pop up again in another playthrough. - I think I noticed new details re: Vancouver and Branham. Nick’s hypocrisy re: Rosy is even funnier when you take into account all the Branham “grandmother” descriptions. Almost seems as if a lil’ “gerontophilia” runs in the family, doesn't it? *snickers* - I’m puzzled about what factor determines whether you get the “Leonardo” or the “Gene” joke. Is it Rosy affection? The Resentful/Accepting stat? (Never got “Leonardo” before.) - One sexy, sexy new Rosy detail: “He once disarmed a M23 chemical landmine in under twelve seconds for a class demonstration.” - Is “I’ve found my people” new? Not sure the following choices mesh well with it. I tried the “sympathetic” option and the tone of that one felt very clearly pro-Ment with Button “trying to understand” the perspective of the other users. - Is “biographically programed” new? It’s terrible (affectionate). - Not a fan of the bold font for Podium postings. - I appreciate the bits about Nick’s dating history, the new ”save the people from Nick” option, and the height reference in Rosy’s training scene. - The last sentence of this choice is incomplete: “I need to look at this as an opportunity. Helping apprehend Vengeance would prove that I’m qualified to be an AMO, which is what I’ve.” - “Thanks for looking out for me, Rosy” made me laugh. Even more so when I noticed that it (probably?) cost me the first-name address at the end. And I got that one even when my Button lunged at Rosy. Which is downright ridiculous. Also: Really a Sophie’s choice situation here. I want to call them by their first name but I also want to get the “survivor” talk. Please tell me there will be another opportunity to get to first-name basis with them. Doesn’t have to be in the next chapter. As long as I call them by their first name before we both confess our feelings for each other, I’m happy. - This line doesn’t work for the ace Rosy training fantasy: “Your breath catches: this is happening almost exactly like you’d imagined.” - Wanted to test the Gray ace training scene but I guess my Graycrushing Button in denial somehow prevented the romance route from firing. Will have to look into it tomorrow. Oh, and I got “surety”. I have to admit, it cracks me up to imagine that Nick pronounces it like “shawty” despite the genuine compliment he gives Button here.
Jo O'Connor
Your Goya suggestion was pure genius ^_^
saarebasra
I get the following error message during Rosy training while attempting to choose "Thanks for looking out, Ambrose": chapter8 line 4020: It is illegal to fall out of a *choice statement; you must *goto or *finish before the end of the indented block. Edit: Maybe I should mention that I was able to choose "Thanks for looking out, Rosy" in another playthrough without encountering any problems.
saarebasra
More foreshadowing! More Rosy past! More art geekery! *hyperventilates*
Jesse
if you say that your relationship with nick hasn't changed during podium creation, it cuts to the play again screen
Fiax
When you ask sally ,,come here often" the play again Screen opens
of_Fae
Found a glitch (haha) that when you choose the option “Are Ambrose and Gray going to be okay?” it just takes you to the end screen where you select ‘play again’ etc
august
the nick + branham sequence is making me actually lose it. truly, THE rosymancer hypocrite
