Close to the end!

That was interesting.  Both Sarah and Noemi had a clear lead, but were incredibly close to each other.  Looks like Sarah won, I'll be adding her to to 0.6b as we go.

There is one thing that I could use for 0.6b.  For one of the fights I have in my mind, you'd have to be able to see the HP of the enemies individually.  So far we haven't been able to find or create a script that would let us do that.  Beyond the function of displaying health bars, it would need to do the following
1 - Be compatible with existing saves, or come with a secondary script to make old saves compatible with it.
2 - Be fairly easy to implement.  I don't want to have to recode the entire game to make it happen.
3 - Not to have a restrictive license.
4 - Be able to be turned on and off with a in-event or notes command.

If you know of a script that would do all these things, please let me know!

Also a team member brought up a cool idea for a donation option.  A custom sprite/face file for the main character in Harem!  Play yourself in our merry little adventure :).  It would require an unencrypted download and be a $20 commission work, so it'd should be prices at $50 (unencrypted + custom sprite/face), $70 (non-canon + custom sprite/face) and $120 (non-canon + commissioned scene + custom sprite/face).  The prices feel a bit high, but the unencrypted is just required for to insert a sprite and the additional cost would go directly to Neman who would be creating the graphics.  Tell me what you think of the idea and what you'd be interested.  I'm still fighting to find a way to get the store existing, so it'll still be a bit before anything is available. 

And a few teasers as 0.6b is coming along nicely.  Hopefully begin testing within a month or so and then release a few weeks after that.

Vote!

Bringing back one of the harem in 0.6b has been bouncing around in my head but I can't decide which one should.  So I've decided to leave that up to you.  Which of the slaves currently unavailable should return in 0.6b?  There should be a poll on the right within a few minutes to vote.  The highest vote-getter will make a cameo at least in 0.6b.  Keep in mind that Jessica, Angelica, Terra, Donnie/Tomas, Rhea/Alena and Cecilia all have roles already so they won't be choices.

Don't worry about the 'how' part of it.  This is simply a 'who do I want to see most' poll.  I can figure out that side of it for just about any character.

Thank you for all the feedback on the Harem "store" for donations.  I'll be working on it over the next few weeks, getting more feedback (feel free to contact me at haremrpg@gmail.com) both internally and externally and hopefully it'll go live around the 0.6b release.

0.6b is going well.  Just finished up 'rescuing' Terra on both paths.  Have to combat, write some conclusion dialogue and then wrap out some side arcs.  Planning on addressing Vanessa and Cecilia as well as creating some side quests/PoI's in the zone as well.  Still hoping to be testing in February.

There's a pair of retcon's introduced in 0.6b both involving what happened when you got off the Tram.
-Vanessa met you in Denai on either path, and ordered you to flee when ambushed by Betsy or Melony
-Denai wasn't burned to the ground, you just fled and didn't return until after Terra was recovered.

I'd also like to highlight a few of the other games that I've been playing recently.
First, a pair of Brothel/Whore management sims
Brothel.sim - Early in development, but very promising so far.  Starting with one whore and the streets, you slowly build up your employees and buildings trying to pay off an old debt.  Good dynamics, does a far better job than most of these types of games in giving the characters personalities.  Playable directly at http://brothels.im/ and give feedback and/or download the game over at https://www.futanaripalace.com/showthread.php?50732 (registration required).  Lots of promise and fun already.
Mission Brothel - Further along in development.  Many more characters, actions, and items but doesn't have quite as much personality.  Definitely worth a play.  Go to https://www.futanaripalace.com/showthread.php?41535 (again registration required) and then go to page 32 to grab direct download links for the game.  Don't do the firefox loading thing, not necessary in the newest version.

A few RPG maker games that look good but I haven't had time to play yet.
Invasion D http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php/413464 http://invasiond-e.blogspot.com/?zx=f8e6c0c80bcb48db
Overwhored http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php/403147 http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php/403147
Bonehead http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php/352093 http://regless.blogspot.ca/

The Harem "Store"

So the paypal donation thing didn't work.  Evidently while I have no issue giving things away for nothing, they have quite a bit of an issue if I take something without giving something immediately back.  And their usual 'There are no appeals' sense of customer service leaves quite a bit to be desired, so I've decided to say 'Fuck them' and try again somewhere else.  I'd recommend that everyone else do the same.

I've been thinking of doing a store concept, where if you donate you get access to some secondary things to go with Harem.  Nothing critical or game affecting, but either additional content or easier access to existing content.  It's not live at the moment, but what I'm really looking for in the next week or two is feedback. 

Do you think that these things are enticing and fairly priced? 
Is there any thing which you think I missed?
If you were on the fence about donating, will any of these incentives sway you?

1.  100% CG mode unlock.  Fairly simple for me to create and maintain.  Simply unlocks every scene available in current content for viewing the CG mode.
2.  Unencrypted download for Harem.  I usually use the standard encryption routine in VX when I release Harem, mostly just because I think that it's a cleaner way and that if I give direct access to the code it might tip my hand a bit early.  But it could definitely be a donation item.
3.  Non-canon scenes.  I occasionally have ideas for scenes that don't really fit into the storyline, or the storyline moves away from them after I create them.  Usually they just get left on the cutting room floor.  You'll occasionally see evidence of them in the CG packs where there's pictures that don't correspond to any scene.  I would maintain a separate, private download for Harem where those scenes exist through the CG mode.
4.  CG packs.  It feels odd to take something that's free and put it behind a donation wall, but the CG packs are kinda of a perfect example of something that could be donation only.  Looking for feedback here, if you all would hate it, it won't happen.
5.  Commission scenes - I'll write a scene for you, whatever you want.  (Normal no loli, guro, scat rules would apply).  Give me a plot line, as detailed or general as you want and within a few weeks I would have a new Harem package for you where that scene is accessible through the CG mode.  Something which I think might also be very cool is that any commissioned scene gets put into the non-canon package, so anyone that commissions a scene or donates enough to get the non-canon scenes also gets access to everyone else's fantasy as well.  Very much up to the buyer though.

What I would think of for a donation level would be something like
$10 - 100% CG
$20 - CG packs
$30 - Unencrypted download
$50 - Non-canon scenes
$100 - Commissioned scene

Please let me know what you think about the idea.  The store is definitely not up yet and the non-canon/commissioned scenes may take a while to develop.


Beyond that, general news.  With the holidays finally ending, work is starting to resume on Harem.  The trip up the mountain is done in terms of plot/writing/scenes.  Rescuing Terra is 90% done for light path for plot/writing/scenes.  The dark path mirrors in this chapter so writing that will be fairly simple as well.  Vanessa's arc is almost entirely plotted in my head, and Cecilia's arc is mostly figured out as well.  I have a few ideas for some side-events, maybe even a quest or two in the Western Rata zone as well.  Probably start testing in February/March but don't quote me on that.

And I suppose that I could do a few spoilers as well.

Happy New Year everyone!