ALPHA 0.6.1: "As Seen on TV"

As expected, this update is mainly bugfixes and content filler for mechanics added in 0.6. However, it does make a couple of significant changes. One of them is likely to prove at least a little controversial: the promenade has been rewritten into a nightclub. Some new mechanics just weren't working with the promenade from a description standpoint, and I had long felt it was a dead end thematically. The promenade girls' roles were starting to overlap with future society upgrades, and the Concierge was starting to overlap with the Concubine. No longer: the girls are clubgirls now, and the Concierge is the FC version of a DJ slash club personality. The mechanics of the promenade are the same, however.

The new club and the preexisting brothel have a new feature, though: ad campaigns. It's now possible to spend ¤ advertising these facilities within the arcology. Veteran players may recall the variety bonuses available at the brothel and the old promenade. What advertising does is disable the relevant variety bonus and replace it with a larger bonus for slaves of the advertised type. For example, without advertising, brothels get a bonus when they have a balance of slim and stacked slaves. If you focus advertising on stacked slaves, though, you can build a purely stacked brothel workforce without sacrificing profits. Generic advertising can also be used if the player wishes to leave the variety bonuses active.

Several comments here and elsewhere asked whether Trust is simply another Devotion stat. Mechanically, that's a fair question; there are some nuances, but the two stats work together to do one thing. From a gameplay and writing standpoint, however, I'm deeply pleased with the change. Both revisions of old scenes and new scenes can now present a real gameplay decision ("Do I want to make this slave like me, or trust me?") rather than a purely flavor decision.

On suggestions and bug reports, I've always been willing to take feedback of any kind via email. (Time to reiterate that, apparently.) I understand Blogger's comment functions aren't the best, believe me. I'm realizing that bug reports in particular are often better by email, since they're easier for me to sort and address; commenting here will still work, of course.

Download: Dropbox, Mega. Previous saves will not work. If you have not started a new game with a fresh download, please do not report bugs.

0.6.1 Changelog

Major additions:

• Expanded voice stat, with deep, feminine, girlishly high, or mute voices rather than simply mute or not. Voice has a minor effect on beauty, can be raised by surgery, and can be affected by hormones.
• Remodeled the promenade into a nightclub, since the promenade was not up to standard, was difficult to bring up to standard, was starting to overlap with cosmetic arcology upgrades, made little sense with the ad campaign option this update implements, and was less interesting than a more defined location. Partially inspired by suggestions from Boney M.
• Added an ad campaign option to the brothel and the club. When active, the campaign replaces any or all of the variety bonuses with bonuses for slaves that match the advertised characteristics.
• Extended the option to sell acquired slaves immediately to cover most enslavement opportunities, with reactions from the slaves, and added many unique induction options specific to an acquisition event.

New events:

• Three new recruitment events for different specific configurations of the player character.

Balance changes:

• Most obedience tests can now be passed by slaves who are at minimum either devoted, or frightened and resistant, or terrified.
• Revised the way entertainment and whoring skills apply to public service and prostitution, respectively. Both skills improve performance at both jobs, but the matching job is much more important.
• Curatives now synergize with rest, keeping the slave asleep most of the time to maximize health gains.

Minor updates:

• Numerous minor mentions of the player character's characteristics.
• New slaves now receive a devotion and trust effects from attraction to, sympathy for, or dislike of the PC's characteristics.
• New slaves now receive a devotion and trust effects from their initial reaction to the arcology's culture, if one is well-established.
• New slaves now receive a devotion and trust effects from seeing how other slaves feel about you, if the average feeling is strong either way.
• Gender Radicalist and Gender Fundamentalist future societies approve and disapprove of PCs with female characteristics, respectively.
• Asset Expansionist and Slimness Enthusiast societies enjoy high-voiced slaves of their preferred body type.
• Changed Degradationism's focus to slave intelligence, not education, since education cannot be removed. Head Girls and Recruiters remain exempt.
• Rules assistant handling for brands.
• More conversational topics for slaves asked about their feelings.
• More and better explanations on how to play in the Encyclopedia.
• Bugfixes.