Course of Temptation Dev Diary #132 (Patreon)

Happy Friday to all! It's time for another dev diary.

We're currently on version 0.8.2i, with another bugfix update this week. There are a few more issues solved in the current dev build, and depending on how many build up, there might (probably will) be another bugfix update before the end of the month. That's a few more than we usually get in a month, but it turns out refactoring the entire housing and inventory system is complicated.

This will probably be a fairly quick update, as I'm currently in "just plugging away" mode when it comes to adding the roommate-related events I have outlined.

This week I first nailed down roommate schedules in some detail, down to which hobbies they pursue. NPCs who like cooking will spend leisure hours in the kitchen, ones who watch streams will be in a room with a computer, and so on. This completes a major goal of this update: keeping NPC schedules consistent so that they're where they should be doing things that make sense for them and don't appear to bounce around at random.

With the schedules done, I made a sort of mini event engine just for housing, where events might be fired based on the type of room you're entering, or whether a roommate is in there, or what they're actually doing. This leads to the example event I've shown above: an NPC occupying the bathroom when you need it isn't just random, they're also trying to get ready and get out the door. You'll be competing with them during your morning routine, capturing the true annoying essence of having a roommate. Best to either get along well or rent a place with multiple bathrooms. Attempting to enter the bathroom while a roommate is doing something in there leads to an interaction, or you can just come back later.

I want to draw a sort of balance here, where having a roommate comes with both benefits and annoyances, and where exactly that lands depends on the nature of your relationship with them and how well you get along. The benefits will mostly be ways to have fun together (whatever that entails for you), improving your Relaxation and Attention needs without much effort. The downside is chores, wanting to use the same space at the same time, and other classic roommate annoyances.

One thing that I've seen suggested a few times, even before the new housing stuff, and which tentatively made it to my list, is the idea of doing chores: cleaning, tidying, doing dishes. I wouldn't want to make this actually tedious, more just an action you click every few days that helps to keep your mood up, but if I'm going to add it, this is a good time, as it adds to the roommate dynamic. Someone who is messy that you have to clean up after vs. someone who takes care of those chore tasks for you is a real consideration! What do you all think of this idea? Do you have any annoyances or benefits you want to experience with the roommate dynamic?

That's all for now! I expect I'll be writing events and polishing housing-related stuff right up until the early access deadline at the end of the month. I'll check in again next week. Have a good weekend, and as always, thank you so much for your support!