Development Update #6 - Leveling Up & Spellcasting (v0.6.0) (Patreon)

Hey all!

It's been a few days since the v0.5.0 launch, so I think now is a perfect time to lay out expectations for v0.6.0 and the features it will bring to the game.

I've mentioned this across my platforms, but the v0.6.0 update will focus heavily on the introduction of the Leveling System. You have probably asked yourself what "leveling up" actually looks like in a game like this. Well, I'm hoping to offer some clarity today by sharing a sneak peek into the progress I made during this past week!

To start, the player will level up in two distinct tracks that unlock completely different abilities: Magic Proficiency and Demonic Lineage.

The Magic system is practically 100% done, so let's start there.

📖 Magic Proficiency

There is now a new button on the HUD: the "Spellbook". Clicking it opens a screen that displays the player's Proficiency (PRO) level in each of the six magic schools (Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation). You can gain PRO by studying at the library, attending classes, or using the new "Textbook" consumable items, which can be ordered online from the MC's laptop in their dorm room.

Reaching levels 5, 10, and 15 in a specific school unlocks new spells. This means there is a total of 18 spells* to unlock!

* Technically 17 functioning spells, and 1 dummy spell that relies on planned mechanics that haven't been implemented yet!

I won't go into detail on every single spell because I don't want to spoil them. There are some really cool features here that will be much more fun to discover on your own. But to give you an idea of how magic alters the gameplay, here is a sneak peek at a few of them:

👁️ Divination: Scrying

Curious what goes on behind closed doors? This spell allows you to peek behind locked room doors (and eventually, shower stalls!) to see a Love Interest most... intimate moments.

✨ Enchantment: Lesser Charm

A subtle weave of magic that makes you inherently more agreeable. As long as you have this passive spell unlocked, you effectively gain a +100 bonus to all Affinity checks, essentially allowing you to access certain affinity-locked interactions earlier than normal!

🛠️ Transmutation: Alter Self

Learning this spell allows you to create a permanent arcane circle in your dorm room. You can use it at any time to magically alter your physical frame and swap your genitals at will!

Oh, and speaking of Divination spells... if you unlock Locate Creature, the map screen will dynamically update to show you exactly where every Love Interest is! Did I mention the map screen has been completely overhauled? It is now a fully visual interface instead of a text-based button list! Huge shoutouts to macrovector on Freepik for the incredible isometric vector assets I used to build the new map screens.

😈 Demonic Lineage

The MC's Demonic Lineage acts as their "main" level. It follows a more traditional RPG-like progression, where the first few levels require less EXP than later ones (unlike Magic Proficiency, which has fixed level thresholds).

Since the player's demonic lineage is that of an incubus/succubus, improving their physical body and leaning into their lustful heritage is how you level it up. The following activities will now reward the player with EXP points:

Working out at the gym

Swimming at the lake

Having sex

Leveling up your Demonic Lineage will unlock Perk Points, which you can spend on a traditional skill tree. These perks vary wildly in what they can do, but in short, they allow you to customize your gameplay loop.

For example, you can invest in Tier 1 perks like Stamina (which permanently raises your max AP) or Vigor (which raises your max Climax charges). If you invest deep enough into the tree, you can unlock incredible Tier 4 perks that will be unique to each girl, and will unlock by having sex with them while at 1000 affinity and kink. Verity's perk is Drain Vigor, which restores 10 AP and a Climax charge to the MC every single time you make an LI climax during sex!

Bonus features:

👥 Two Heads Think Better Than One

You can now ask Verity to join you in your daily activities, like studying at the library or working out at the gym. If she accepts your invite, you will gain a boosted amount of EXP or PRO points for that session! Plus, if you study her favored magic school (Necromancy) together, those gains get boosted even further.

🚿 The Hygiene System

To add some variance to the gameplay loop, and some functionalities to rooms that were previously unused, v0.6.0 also introduces a Cleanliness Stat (from 0 to 10). Doing physical activities (including having sex) will drop your cleanliness. If your hygiene drops too low, a new indicator will appear on your HUD, and Love Interests will actually start penalizing your flirt attempts. Nobody likes a smelly demon, so remember to hit the showers!

💰 The Economy Hook

As a final note, these new progression systems tie directly back into the v0.5.0 economy. Leveling up your Demonic Lineage and your Magic Proficiency will naturally raise your daily token allowance, and it will unlock new, highly-paid part-time jobs that aren't available in the early game!

📃 Name and Pronoun Selection

Need to make a change? You can now update your student profile on the official B.W.U. online platform by interacting with the laptop in the MC's dorm room. This allows you to change your character's name and pronouns at any time. (This pairs perfectly with the new Alter Self transmutation spell!)

🛑 A Note on Verity's Doggystyle Scene

Oh, and one final thing: I know I mentioned on other platforms that I was planning to add Verity's doggystyle pose to this update. However, I am currently leaning toward pushing it back to a future, separate update.

The v0.5.0 release taught me a valuable lesson about scope. Because it was so huge, it was incredibly difficult to test thoroughly, which is why it ended up needing three separate hotfixes. Moving forward, I want to stick to slightly smaller, more focused updates. It leaves fewer things that can break at once, and it makes it much easier for me to track down bugs when they do pop up.

Since v0.6.0 is already massive with the new Leveling and Magic systems, I think making an update that focuses solely on adding and polishing Verity's new position is the smartest move for the health of the game. I hope you all understand!

I am incredibly excited about how these systems are coming together. I'll have more details for you soon, but for now, back to the code!

Cheers,

Mister Crowne.