Love is the Way to My Heart - CLOSED

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Hello, community!

I have been asked by a few people about an update; I just wasnā€™t sure how to go about it on WG so I hesitated on releasing an update until now.

The game itself is coming along well! I have a number of volunteers helping me out and pitching in ideas and suggestions, all making the game and story line stronger. I do NOT have an update of a public release yet. This is a very big game and will require lots of time to complete (I am thinking by 2022) so I cannot say definitively when a Beta will be released, but I can say that I am pushing to get one out this year!

The game has undergone some major over-hauls and cosmetic changes, as well as story line changes and even the addition of 5 more women to choose from, giving a grand total of 13 in the roster. I plan on polishing the cosmetic part later on, when the mechanics and story line are ironed out, but donā€™t worry, we are working very hard on this game and it isnā€™t going to be abandoned. Some new variables have been introduced, such as self-esteem and health, and many more scenes have been fleshed out and/or added to the game.

Also, for those wondering, this is not a typical visual novel, but rather an interactive novel with photos and scenery and such.

I am going to make a point to post an update every month.

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Thank you for clearing this up. Luckily, as you know, patience is key with intentional weight gain. Weā€™re good. Iā€™ll be happy to offer moral support, kind of a specialty of mine. Hey, everybody else interested! I know youā€™ve shown some love with the like button, but a kind word goes a long way-I know this from the people I work with (my coworkers and customers alike!) so I like to spread the love.

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Good luck guys! Just try to not add too much complexity, Iā€™ve seen too many games that never left a pre-alpha stage while having an incredibly detailed customization system for the main character but an empty world.

I know that probably all the characters are more or less intertwined and it would be feasible only if the game was built in a certain way and Iā€™m a supporter of the ā€œitā€™s ready when itā€™s readyā€ philosophy, but you should think about releasing a demo, maybe focused on only 1 character at some point or simply a tech/debugging demo and then opening to donations or patreon. However I understand that it would be difficult to manage money with a team of people you may not even know irl and that may or may not trust you with that, plus the possibility that money could poison some minds and kill the entire projectā€¦

Also a question: realistic weight gain just means grinding, or a lot of grinding (taking many hours going through the same screens without seeing any real new content just to gain 1 kg), or itā€™s simply the theme of the game?

Iā€™ve been following this project since that very early public demo and I want you to succeed with all my heart.

In any case, again, good luck to everyone and I wish you the best!

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Thank you so much for those kind words of encouragement; comments like yours make me motivated and feeling good.

Now, let me touch up on the suggestions you have made.

Donā€™t get crazy with customization: Trust me, Iā€™m not. It is more of a ā€œchoose which girl you are partial of based on minimal infoā€, then you (the player) have to date and get to know her on a personal level. The only customization so far is player name and age of girl. The rest is for the player to figure out.

Release a custom demo for the community with minimal stuff: this is a great idea, and I am sure I could do this, but I still am working on some paths and passages and gameplay mechanics, so that is why I havenā€™t been able to release a demo; it would be another half-assed throw-together, which I do not want to do because I want people to see the potential of this game. When a player is done playing the eventual demo, I want them to say ā€œwow, this is going to be a fantastic game!ā€ instead of saying ā€œEh, kinda broken, kinda lame, not much to do.ā€

Money and funding: I started this project with the intent of having it free to the public because I want everyone to enjoy the content. I am making this game, with the help of others, to be enjoyed by everyone and I also asked every volunteer about compensation: each member declined because it would ā€œbecome a jobā€. We are making a passion project and it is being made with love and care. :slight_smile:

Realistic weight gain: Yes, it does incorporate some farming, but I get around that grind by having a plethora of options and events that can be done with and without the love interest. I am making the game to never be boring and to have replayability. The game is based on the Harris-Benedict modified formula for weight gain, so realistic in calorie count and how much the lady could physically eat, but at the same time it wonā€™t feel slow because of all the things you can do with her.

Overall, I am very happy that you are following this project and I truly hope you enjoy the demo when it makes its debut! Stay tuned, my friend, because this project is just getting started. :slight_smile:

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A kind word DOES go a long way. :slight_smile: Encouragement like this fills me with motivation! Thank you for following the project since the beginning; it means something to me :slight_smile:

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Absolutely. The reaction makes me feel like an Undertale protagonist, in the sense that it encourages me in return. Itā€™s always helpful to show support when itā€™s due, in my opinion.

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Hello again!

Maybe bi-weekly for updates; I know how it is to wait every month just to hear something, so I am going to do bi-weekly instead.

The game is progressing, albeit slowly. I am currently re-vamping the restaurant scene and giving it a more dynamic feel than the ā€œgo here; do a thingā€ gameplay mechanic. It may not seem like much, but fleshing out core scenes is a lot of work, especially when each scene is normally unique to each of the 13 girls.

Be patient, guys! I am definitely working on the game with my crew!

If you have any questions just post in the comment section down below; I am always happy to answer.

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Itā€™s probably best to keep all your updates in a single thread rather than starting a new topic each time. That way people who looked at your original post will get notified of the update rather than having to happen across a new one. It keeps the boards tidy too. Iā€™ll look at moving this later into the original topic.

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image

How do you guys feel about this as the title card/logo?

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Nice and Fancy! I like it.

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Absolutely adore the way this game is shaping up; the logo looks great, and I wish you all the best in your endeavors. Cheers! :smiley:

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Thank you! I actually made this via Notepad and Microsoft 3D Paint!

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Thank you so much for your continuous support! And thank you for your input!

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Hey, just commenting to say that this project sounds really cool, and Iā€™m looking forward to the next update and eventual demo! Even just from the screenshots youā€™ve shared, it seems pretty well put together and thought out.

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Thank you so much! I actually have a lot of ideas up in my head but could never write a linear story because of my ADHD (I always had something else to add or edit). Now with programs like Twine I can create my stories/games with every alternate ending and path for the player to choose and still have a compelling story! Other than Love is the Way to My Heart, I have another grand idea for a non-linear story that I will make after this one. :slight_smile:

Thank you for your support and input!

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Iā€™m very intruiged by this :slight_smile: If all my spare time wasnā€™t going into creating my own game, Iā€™d offer to help out. As it is, Iā€™ll be watching this thread with interest!

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Thank you! I appreciate that. Hopefully sometime this year I will have a public demo release.

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Hey, guys! I think this is the format that I will be using throughout the whole game. Thoughts? Critique? Ignore the wording and such; it is just filler to give a sense of what it will look like.

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I like ho simplistic and straightforward it looks.
Tho Iā€™m not sure what that side panel with the coloured text is supposed to display. (Itā€™s probably something that will be obvious once you play the game, but just from this screenshot it isnā€™t that clear to me.)

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