January 29th, 2023 Progress Update

 Addicted to Gardes - 0.1.0a start

What's Currently Done

What I'm currently working on

Why I'm making it

N**tendo please don't bonk me and why I'm keeping it vague

What I have planned

When can you play?

 

 29/01/23

Hey hey, Kay here~

 

After way too much work I've finished 0.1.0 Alpha of Addicted to Gardes and have officially started off this project in any meaningful capacity~

I hope it goes well and that people will be willing to come with me to see this get finished~

Please don't let me starve lmao 

What's currently done

User Interface
Before I could implement the dialogue system, I had to create the VN-esque base for where all the dialogue will happen. So I quickly downloaded some free-use assets, built the UI and then programmed the text to dynamically come in, reset, play sounds, and automatically stop within a certain limit but to never cut off a word in the middle. Additionally you can fast-forward the text if the speed is too slow for you. The Dialogue Box and the Name also changes dynamically based on who's speaking. Just standard VN stuff.

In the future though, I want to include text effects, though since I'm not entering text manually in the UI it's doing to be a bit tough figuring out how to implement this. In addition, I also want to add a Dialogue History box but I think that will be a bit more difficult.

Text Blips

Nothing much to say here, but when implementing the user interface I opened up FL Studio, threw together some sounds and then added them to appear whenever a new letter pops up on the UI. I didn't only make one sound either, I made a few different sounds to correspond with emotions, then matched them up to be played when the time called for it. I kind of like it but it also sounds super scuffed. I'll probably have to toss it in favor of something better later.

 

Basic Items

Very basic. Right now you can't do anything with them except "pick them up". Though when you get close to them a little pop up sign appears letting you know they can be interacted with.
The player doesn't even have an inventory yet so it's more like you're just deleting them when you try to pick them up. As of right now they're just cute little cubes~

A Dialogue System

Right now it's very rough, and more of a proof of concept than anything. It took a lot of work, but I eventually got it working. Too bad I'll have to toss it right away in favor of something more robust.

That's okay though! I learned quite a bit from building this scuffed implementation and while I was building it came across another method that's many times more flexible and scalable. However, as a first time test, it works quite well. 

 

Start of an internal status system

Currently, I only focused on getting the dialogue system up and running correctly. However, to drive some dialogue choices, I had to add a few variables to influence the direction the dialogue tree took. However, I think most of this will be scrapped in favor of the new dialogue system, mostly because the variables and how they're used are kinda garbage at the moment.

Though the new version of the dialogue system will still keep concepts like Mood, Like, Dislike, Familiarity, ect but in a better implemented form

 Animation System

I took the totally not ripped Garde model I had and, using the Unreal Animation Editor thingy (which is a fucking pain in the ass to use if I do say so myself), made several animations. Then all that was left was to have the animations change based on the Garde's mood which was easy enough. In addition, I also made it so that the same animation wont always play, meaning the pose will be somewhat randomized each time the mood is called~

I don't expect to change this too much in the future, but I will probably need to when I encounter problems that I can't see now.

The system is easy to expand too, as the only thing that will change is to swap out the animations and the underlying logic will remain.

Start of a more anime style texture.

I've always been a sucker for a good cel-shaded style, but have hated how it's done in indie projects. Hopefully I don't follow in those footsteps. For right now I've only made a simple cel shaded material that only goes on the Garde, but in the future I plan to refine it as much as I can and have it on most characters and maybe on some items or plants. The main world though should probably remain untouched so your eyes don't hurt.

Start of an Internal Status system

For what I want to accomplish, having a status system for each Garde is a must. Although I have to admit I didn't really do much of a job in this version except when I needed to use it for the Dialogue system. So as of right now, the only thing tracked are things that will influence the Dialogue System's decision tree, mainly in the form of like and dislike. In the future though, I want to expand on it to be much more, though in order for it to be as refined as I want will probably be a ways out.

What am I currently working on?

Rewriting the Dialogue System

Based on what I learned from before, my current implementation loads the entire script at once then slowly goes through it step by step though a generous helping of switch statements. Not only does this mean that everything will be cramped up in switch statements, but could cause potential stuttering when you load everything that 99% of probably wont be used. Luckily, while I was building the dialogue system I found a way to dynamically load only one portion of the script that will be used, then when it reaches the end of the script, loads the second one and unloads the first one.

Honestly I initially planned to do it this way from the start but I wasn't able to find a good way to do it until the old Dialogue System was already mostly finished.

 

Finishing off Internal Data for the Gardes

Since the Gardes will be roaming around, doing lewd things with the player character, and being subject to dialogue choices and stories, there's a lot of every-changing variables I need to keep track of. As of right now though, there's only one or two that were needed to get the proof of concept dialogue system up and running. However, I hope to get all of them in this time so I can have a proper foundation before I begin implementing the story. I might end up doing this portion before I implement the improved Dialogue System.

 

Adding Idle Chatter

One of the many things I have planned for the game is for Gards that the player has won over to interact with each other and the player on their own terms. At this point in time, since there's realistically only one Gade available, and even as a test one at that, this amounts to just chit chatting to you while you're near them. Mind you this happens automatically, so you don't press anything to make it happen unlike proper dialogue.

 

 Writing a new test script

Nothing much to say here except that the test script will be boring and only to test out all the variables

I might have some fun with it though to make it not boring at least.

Bugs

Bugs? What bugs? There are no bugs in my code

Story

The base scenarios for each of the 6 main Gardes is planned out (Yes, even how the game ends), so I might take some time really polishing up the script once I'm sure that the dialogue system is rock solid (hehe)

then after that it will be slowly building up the town the game takes place in and filling it with fun side quests and goodies (in terms of scripting and writing at least)

As per usual whenever I need story ideas I just take a nap and see what my brain comes up with~

Why I'm making it

 Gardes are nice. It's one of my favorites in hentai, so me making this game is mostly self-serving because I want to play a good Garde hentai game.

N**tendo please don't bonk me and why I'm keeping it vague

Honestly even though  this is a self serving game, I still gotta make money somehow so to avoid being hit I'm keeping everything down-low and releasing builds making no reference to that. Though if something got out that you can install which reverses everything I took out of the game, then I can assure you I'm not involved at all, and it's totally out of my control~

What I have planned

6 gardes

open-ish world

fairly long dialogue trees

1 populated town in the mountains

The game doesn't end after you get all 6 gardes

berry farming for fun

some light rpg-esque elements

A fair bit of story outside lewd moments

it may sound weird to include but I want to put in some zelda-like dungeons since I enjoy making puzzles

sidequests

+much more that will be slowly revealed during these update blogs~

When can you play?

I want to get a playable version released before July!

Thanks for reading~
I hope you enjoy the game when a download cums out~ 👋
If you like what you see be sure to support me on Patreon~

Discord Server for those that wish to join~