Straight!? v0.11.1 Release! (Patreon)

Hey all, 

So here's the next installment. I don't usually mention this but I'll kindly ask that you don't share the link or post publicly. I do that, myself already within a few weeks. Basically, this is what helps attract people to the Patreon site, allows me to purchase upgrades for my decade-old computer to improve the game, and also helps to compensate the hundreds of hours that go into each release.

As always, if you wish to discuss, you can in the comments, If you include spoilers, just please post a spoiler alert at the beginning of your post. 

Normal Version (3.46 gig)

PC: Google Drive 

MAC : Google Drive  

Crunched Version with reduced image quality (236mb. Thanks to Bossapplesauce!) 

PC: Mega 

MAC: Mega 

Dev's Final Reflections

As this game continues to grow, I've decided that I'll include a final reflection on the update in the release post. For those of you who don't care about behind-the-scenes, you can ignore it. It won't impact the gameplay. However, people frequently send me messages and reactions to the game and how it personally affects them. So I thought I would reflect and do the same. If nothing else, it may be something to read during your download...

So this was an impossibly difficult update for me in all aspects. Since the game's inception, the events that take place in v0.11 and v0.12 have been a dark prophecy. Something that was in the distant future that has slowly been approaching with each release. When it was finally time to write this, I was absolutely terrified. So much of what we have seen, hinted at, teased, and foreshadowed come to a crescendo in this update. This update also will address many of the questions that people raised from v0.10--in particular, aspects of the characters that seemed out of place or inconsistent, and why there were no choices on behaviors for the player. When this update ends, a majority of those questions will hopefully be answered. Those questions not answered in this update will most likely be addressed in the next one. However, there are still lingering events and behaviors that will remain a mystery for awhile.

Despite the significant length of the game thus far, we also see some major character steps taken in this update that will fundamentally change things moving forward forever. Events that took place from literally the first line of the game text will come full circle and impact future interactions with the characters. Just when you thought you understood each of these characters, they're all about to flip.

That being said, trying to accomplish and effectively incorporate everything that I have hinted, teased, and twisted here is ambitious to say the least. The writing for this update--for a complete amateur--seemed impossible and I have no idea why I did this to myself in the first place! This is why I've dreaded this update; not because it is tragic or depressing but because it is the most emotional and the most technical in my opinion to anything I've attempted so far. I've tried to pull some serious tricks off here and it's intimidating, to say the least. To truly breathe life into these characters, I have to become them in the writing process. I individually feel each and every moment from the anger, despair, lust, vulnerability, and heroic feats that we see in v0.11. Because of the realistic and mature content the game has touched on, it further opens itself up to difficult discussions between the characters regarding sexuality, culture, personal acceptance, etc. All very personal and touchy topics that influence our reactions and self-appraisal; those things that keep us awake at night and truly fuel a coming of age tale like we're seeing here. I've tried to capture this essence without becoming preachy or losing track of the focus and context of the game. There is a balance to incorporating these volatile issues into the text without taking sides or pushing an agenda. However, they are difficult issues that play a role in our development, acceptance, and evaluation of the world around us and we will see that in our characters as well. Because that's real life and people question these things; particularly at the age of our characters.

Needless to say, this one was a roller coaster but I'm proud of what I've tried to do. Not because it's perfect but because I think it works and frankly, it feels good to have this one behind me. I was physically and emotionally exhausted when I completed it simply because I have to go to some pretty dark places to write dramatic events like the shit that goes down in v0.11. Shit is taxing for real...and I'm probably gonna take a little break before the next one--just because I didn't take a break at all between v.010 and v0.11. When you spend so many hours a day; hundreds of hours a month; breathing life into these characters, they sorta become a part of you--some parts much more personal than others. The flurry of emotions it took to write this one will fuck a dude up, though.

Thus, I humbly lay this update at the feet of the masses with trepidation. Cause this shit is either gonna work or it ain't. 

Thank you all for the continued support and don't ever spare my feelings in your feedback. 

-Aaryn-

Change Log v0.11.1

-Typo/Grammar changes based on beta feedback

-Tightened up a little of the writing

Change Log v0.11

- Massive typo overhaul! Thanks everyone for the feedback. In Particular, Timmy, who took the time to make me an actual word document with all the typos he found that was 20 fucking pages long! Thanks, Bruh! and Barbara who sent me about 400 individual messages with typos (not really but it was a lot :p  ). If you guys didn't know "embarrassing" has 2 r's in it. Apparently, I graduated college and never figured that out...

-Chapter 1: Fixed a mislabeled line of text while Zack is fixing the shower light. Text mistakenly had Braden's voice rather than Zack's.

-Chapter 2: Fixed the intro for Chapter 2 where the black background appeared to have disappeared.

-Chapter 3: Fixed an error with a missing graphic when Braden comes out of the shower. Seems this was causing some error with MAC versions.

-Started writing Chapter 6 which pics up right at the end of the events of Chapter 5