Hey everybody! I have spent several weeks working on the conversion of “Soundtrack of My Life” from React/Node.JS to Ren’Py, and I will no longer work on, update, or support the old version.

Why did I do this?

1. Python (upon which Ren’Py is based) is much easier to code than Node/React.
2. Ren’Py’s purpose was to facilitate creating visual novel games, and that is precisely what SOML is.
3. Adding, positioning and updating character and game art is massively easier.
4. Adding music to set the right mood is so much easier.

As you can see, there are many reasons why this is an excellent choice! I have already seen a massive uptick in the immersion and environment of the game by including such items. This is, honestly, what I should have done in the beginning.

So what’s the status on the remake?

1. I have converted all the old functionality in the original to use Ren’Py so all of the elements that were available in the original are now available in the rebuild.
2. I have added extensive music to the game to set the environment and mood.
3. I have significantly fleshed out the backstories of all of the main characters.
4. I have implemented significant changes in the “Deep Conversations” action for two characters (Heather and Jessica) and will add many more later.
5. I have added EXTENSIVE art assets to the game, including multiple outfits for all the main characters, multiple backgrounds for events, and so much more.

What I am currently working on:

1. Finishing out the “Random Encounters,” such as when Sean Williams takes over an event
2. Fleshing out the backstories of all the romantic interests using “Deep Conversations”
3. Added a new character to help you improve your guitar skills.
4. Much, much more.

Future Work:

1. Finish out all the Random Encounters
2. Finish fleshing out the character backstories
3. Implement money usage into the game
4. Adding new characters that are only found in special interactions.

I hope you all are excited to see the game! As soon as I reach a solid beta release, I will share it out to a few places.

Oh and I am officially a doctor now!

Toodles!

I have spent a considerable amount of time working on the code for Soundtrack of My Life (SOML) and continue to work on it as time permits. However, as I have been changing the game to operate more like a visual novel game, the art and positioning have become more challenging. It seems like the limitations of CSS and boxing are coming back to bite me. I am considering converting the game to Ren’Py, similar to my other active development title, Threshold.

After reviewing the code, I believe the game will function quite well in the Ren’Py engine, eliminating some of the annoying bugs related to image positioning and other issues that have plagued the game in recent weeks. However, there are some more complicated actions, such as the day and time management functions currently active, and some of the more unique musician mechanics.

But there has been another issue that has been plaguing me – audience target. This game is a beautiful story with an engaging narrative and choices that matter. However, upon reading some online discussions, many people who have released visual novel games on Steam and other platforms have complained that players tend to rush through the game content in hopes of reaching the sex scenes. Once they collect all of them, they are done with the game and may request a refund from Steam within the first week, destroying all profits. I did not write sex scenes in my game, and I do not plan to. Yes, there is a PG-13 scene for each love interest once you reach a certain point, but that’s as far as I’m willing to go. I worry that people will rush through my game and get frustrated when they can’t have erotic encounters with the character, and then request a refund. I will need to determine how to accommodate this, which may affect the length and style of my game in the future.

The game is currently under active development, and I intend to decide whether to offer either a Ren’Py port while maintaining the original game or replace the entire game with a Ren’Py-driven system. Stay tuned!

Well, hello friends! I apologize for taking so long to update; It has been a hectic period in my life. Not hectic in a bad way, just very busy! Despite all the crazy life activities going on, I have actually managed to make a lot of progress on some exciting things.

Soundtrack of My Life (SOML)

One of the greatest successes during this time of busyness has been the birthing of “The Soundtrack of My Life.” A game that I did not even know I wanted to make, but can now no longer imagine not creating. I have always loved to tell stories. I have written a fair number of short stories and even a few books (though none have been released to the public). I have a somewhat prolific career of playing in and running a wide variety of tabletop RPGs (TTRPGs), but where many of my friends’ games focused on combat or puzzles, mine always focused on telling a story. So I wanted to make a game that tells a story, but which one?

I finally settled on the story of Reuben Sterling. He is a character that I created many years ago during my gaming days on Gaia Online. Though he did have magical powers and a penchant for getting into trouble, he was more of a struggling musician trying to write music that he loved, finding his muse, and trying to run a tavern and inn (often serving as the place’s sole entertainer) in the middle of nowhere. I played him for enough years that he had an entire backstory and various friends that interacted with him (some real and some imagined).

So, I stripped out the magical aspect and the tavern/inn (still an idea I may one day revisit) and decided to drop him into a modern world. He is now a struggling musician with a variety of friends and a few girls who are interested in him. He has to balance making money, practicing his instrument, visiting friends, and considering romantic interests.

If this idea sounds appealing to you, check out the publicly available Alpha: http://darkseas.net/soml.

OrionMUCK

Another love of mine has always been multi-user dungeons (MUDs). They had quite an impact on my formative years before online chat rooms became a common occurrence. Yet, these were dated systems that required the user to use a Telnet client and the host to use a Telnet server, allowing users to interact with each other. Obviously, in the years since, the technology evolved. So why couldn’t a MUCK system?

That is the guiding point of OrionMUCK. I am developing a fully web-based application that will offer all the features of traditional MUD/MUCKs with modern technology. Once I have it ready, I intend to provide it as a free and open-source application that anyone who desires to host one of these games and is willing to do so on their own infrastructure can use. I may eventually offer a paid version with support and/or hosting. For now, it is just a work in progress.