Straight!? v0.14 Release!!

Ok folks,

So here it is, after about 1.5 months, we're looking at one of the biggest episodes we've ever released. Emphasis on the we here because this is also the first episode I've done with my buddy, Blayke. As with all the updates, links are below. Please do not share this as we release it for free in a few weeks anyway (this includes the guy that keeps posting it on gaytorrent). The financial support from Patreon is actually going to be the key to further expanding the team at this point and taking this game to the next level. This update should give you a taste of what we can do with a team model vs me doing stuff solo.

 Normal Version (4.5gig)
PC: Google Drive
MAC : Google Drive 

Crunched Version with reduced image quality (500mb
PC: Google Drive
MAC: Google Drive
 

Dev Thoughts

One thing I do want to draw your attention to is when you boot the game up. You'll notice a shiny new Warning screen, custom made by Jordyn that's hella better than the Google search bullshit I had since launch. I'm also going to ask that you take your time before you click "new game" on the main menu because there's a little something something on there that almost made me fucking cry. I wanna give it this big long introduction but shit speaks for itself. So the new main menu was designed by Lazy Jake and it's amazing. We'll have more on that later...

So, as I've discussed in the past teasers for this update, giving actual information on this update is tough because everything is a spoiler but I really am kinda sorry I've been so vague on this one. I will say, this is the biggest update ever and I'm fucking tired. The dev team is tired and we're anxious to share this one. The story is pretty linear but it's massive so basically you're getting a majority of the content in one playthrough, which makes for a longer update overall. This one is just big on every level in terms of graphics, new environments, and changes. I feel like a lot happens. To the point that some of you may actually play it through twice just to take it all in. By the time the screen fades to black, things won't be the same and I'm really excited for the next steps. This is probably one of the most powerful transitions since the bar/park and one of the most important moments in the game. There's a ton of setup and a ton of little symbolic, subtle things between characters that really push things forward. I also wanna thank Blayke for being my guide, confidant, and a brutal critic throughout this whole process. God, I know I drive him crazy but it was fun to rock this one out with him. This update is better because of his suggestions, his insight, and--quite honestly--his accountability for calling me out on the purpose of things. This is likely to evolve as we grow as a team and I'm looking forward to Round 2.

On a personal level, I seem to always compare everything to the bar/park update, now. It was the apex of everything and probably my favorite moment to date. I will say this one is growing on me. After a few playthroughs, I'm pleased with this update and feel that it will be a strong contender for favorite updates--at least in the top three for most of you. It's nice to just see new things and expand the horizons a bit. Hopefully, you'll see more of the "why's" from the previous update and some of that past setup and hints will come to fruition. It was also fun to work in a team. It's weird how you work solo, in isolation, for so long on something like this that you forget what you can accomplish when you have people around you that have your back; that both challenge you, but ultimately leave the decision to you to make. 

In short, we feel good about this one and hopefully this new direction will leave you wanting more. I know I smiled when it faded to black...

As always, feedback is welcome and encouraged. Let us know your thoughts below. Spoilers are allowed. Just post a warning if you're going to include spoilers. 

Also, feel free to hit us up on the Discord too :)

-The Crew 

Change Log v0.14

-Continued the plot line of Chapter 7: Deeper with 5 new environments and over 200 new pics that expand the world our further than we've gone before.

-New custom made adult warning screen that's light years ahead of my google image from before (Thanks Jordyn!)

-New custom made main menu screen with movie that beyond kicks ass! Like, this shit almost brought me to tears the first time I saw it. All praise goes to Lazy-Jake!

-Corrected some CGs that still had fireflies in them from v0.13 (Thanks to supporter lex0 who did this for me)

-Prophetically, there was a great battle over the game name given that it had somehow appeared two different ways "?!" vs "!?" over the past year. It's now "!?" so Blayke will stfu.

- Dinner Conversations are now denoted with orange text so you can tell the difference between them and normal conversation choices cause they special.

-Added an obscure literary addition that I've wanted to for a long time. Based on the name of the game, the word "straight" will always appear in red text throughout the entire story. It's an idea I got from one of my fav books.

-Began optimizing image files in the game to reduce file size by 15%. Thus far, overall game size was reduced by 500mg in the standard edition.