Devlog #5 — Chapter 7: So... What Did You Think?
Hey, everyone!
Another chapter, another update, and another opportunity for me to ask you guys a bunch of questions!
First of all, thank you so much for all the support you've been showing Spermatosis. Seeing people discuss the characters, share their favorite moments, and even notice little details in the artwork has been genuinely amazing.
And now that Chapter 7 is out, I'm dying to know what you thought about it!
I feel like this chapter was a little different from the previous ones. There was more room for character interactions, more information about some of the other characters, and all that good stuff!
CHAPTER 7 SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
So... About Sophie!
Remember how I said Sophie would become an important part of the story?
Well, now that you've seen a little more of her, I'm curious whether your expectations have changed!
I had a lot of fun writing the interactions between Sophie, the MC, and Brian. There's something about their dynamic that I find particularly entertaining.
But what about you?
It's not like we got to spend that much time with her, and as I've mentioned in previous comments, she's not exactly going to become part of the main cast or anything...
Still, are you starting to see where I might be going with her?
And speaking of the chapter itself, even though there weren't any sex scenes per se, there was still a little something-something here and there, right? Hehe.
I personally really enjoyed the moments between the MC, Brian, and Rick in this chapter. There's something about their interactions that I just love writing!
A Little Something About the Artwork!
You might have noticed that I've been experimenting with the art!
For Chapter 7, I tried giving Kevin and Liza a slightly more anime-inspired look, particularly when it comes to their facial features and expressions.
Meanwhile, I've been keeping Rick and Brian a little more rugged and realistic.
I'm still figuring out exactly how I want everything to look, but I feel like I'm slowly finding a style that works for the characters.
And honestly? Looking back at some of my earliest drawings already makes me want to redraw everything!
I'm kidding! Mostly... xD
So I'd really love to know:
What did you think of the new expressions and the artwork in general? Did you notice any improvements? Is there anything you think I should work on?
Don't worry about being critical! (Well, you can worry a little. Don't hurt my feelings, LUL.)
As long as it's constructive, I genuinely appreciate it!
And That Ending...
Now, I couldn't possibly finish this devlog without mentioning the ending, could I?
I'm actually very curious to know what you think about having the option to wake Brian up before the MC starts having their little nighttime sausage snack. Hehe.
Not gonna lie, I'd love to be woken up like that! But I feel like that's too important a decision not to give you guys a choice. So there you have it!
It's similar to the choice of whether or not to let Sophie kiss you. I feel like certain moments should be up to the player, even if the story itself is still fairly linear for now.
I've been looking forward to reaching this part of the story, especially since we're about to meet even more characters!
So let's gooo!
Your Turn, You Filthy Little Degenerates! (No offense! )
I want to hear everything!
What was your favorite moment in Chapter 7?
Did you enjoy the character interactions? The humor? The story developments? The artwork?
Was there anything you didn't particularly like?
And, of course, what are you most excited to see in Chapter 8?
I read your comments, and they genuinely help me understand what you enjoy most about the game. Even when I don't respond to every single suggestion, I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
Thanks again for sticking around and supporting this weird little project of mine!
Stay safe, keep those ropes flying, and I'll see you in the next update! 💜
P.S. If you're uncomfortable leaving a comment here, feel free to message me privately!
— RopeShooter
Comments (8)
Hi, Ropes! This one felt like more of a setup chapter, but there were still a lot of fun moments! There was a stronger focus on the mental corruption of the MC. They seem to be struggling a lot more with intrusive thoughts. Rick, at least, seems to be picking up on it. He had a smaller role this chapter, but I'll admit he's become my favorite character. I like how he's getting comfortable telling the MC exactly what he wants, and doesn't care if people around start to catch on to what he’s implying. It’s hard to pick out a favorite moment, but my favorite part of the chapter was watching Rick and Kevin’s dynamic evolve. I loved watching Kevin stumble over his words to Rick’s quiet amusement. Sophie seems cool. I like her dynamic with Brian. The poor guy can't catch a break! I could easily see the MC, Sophie, and Brian bantering with each other over a shared plate of chili cheese fries at a skate park or something. The big question mark is still how she’ll react when she finally gets up to speed with the MC’s condition. It could easily be a lot of drama, but you’ve said this is a comedy VN so I’m curious to see what you have planned. I like having the choice at the end of the chapter, even if you did leave us with a deviously placed cliffhanger! I'm curious to see how Brian’s… unique, we’ll call it, brain will process either choice. Given what he tried to pull at the beginning of last chapter, I suspect the second option is what he actually considers a proper "good morning!" I certainly noticed the improvements in your artwork! It’s been fun to see you grow over the course of the updates. The new character select screen is awesome! I love the little animation :D One thing I did notice is that some of the sprites have some white pixels around them where it looks like maybe you erased the background. It’s noticeable when the sprites transition from one with the stray pixels to a cleaner one, for example in Brian’s sprite at the dinner table. I feel like right now there’s a good balance where all the characters look like they’re from the same world. I see what you mean with Rick and Brian looking more rugged but if you’re looking for feedback, I’d say make sure that you don’t stray too far into the realistic territory that you lose cohesion. The rakishly handsome while still anime-inspired look you have for those two right now is great! For chapter 8, I’m mostly excited to see where this “midnight snack” goes! We’ve seen a shift in the thoughts of the MC, but Brian hasn’t been privy to those. I want to see him react to how hungry they are. Thanks for another great update, and a surprise one at that!
Hey!! I was wondering when you'd show up! Haha. Thanks again for another great review! I don't know if Rick would be quite so blunt around other people, but c'mon, it's Brian we're talking about. He wouldn't catch on anyway! LUL I'm really happy that, even though this is an AVN and people are mostly expecting to have the MC's tonsils hammered by the head of some cock every other scene, they're still able to enjoy a chapter with a few horny moments here and there, even if things aren't quite as extreme! As for Sophie, like I mentioned in another comment, I think I've got a pretty safe direction in mind for her. Something that I hope will make most people happy, especially since I know a lot of you would rather see more cock-sucking action! Haha. And yeah, I know I've said it's a comedy, but I don't want the game to be defined by that alone. That's why there are moments when the story gets a little more serious. At the same time, I don't think I'd ever want to end a chapter on a completely depressing note, if that makes sense... I'd say it's more of a mix of porn, slice of life, comedy, and just a sprinkle of drama. LUL Now, about those white pixels... I totally know what you mean, especially with Brian's sprites! I made a bit of an oopsie when I first started working on the project. Basically, I didn't make the backgrounds transparent properly, and I had to figure out how to fix that afterward. It was a complete mess! Believe me, it used to look MUCH worse than it does now. xD Every now and then, when I notice the white edges are too noticeable, I go back and fix them manually. Just to give you an idea, I've made five different poses for Brian, and I'd have to go through all of them to fix the issue properly. I've tried looking into ways to automate the process, but running a program to clean everything up isn't always reliable, so it's not quite that simple. Sorry for rambling about all this technical stuff! Haha. I'm definitely aware of the issue, though, and it's something I'll know how to avoid from the beginning in my next project, or if I ever decide to remake some of the artwork! And please, keep letting me know what you think about the art style! Sometimes I compare how Kevin and Liza look in certain CGs, and I get a little nervous because the differences in style are pretty noticeable to me. Hopefully, though, the story and writing will always be enough to keep people interested while I continue improving! And as for that little midnight snack... You can be sure I'll put all my degenerate capabilities, I mean, writing skills, to good use and make it as kinky as I possibly can, while still keeping everything consistent with where the characters and the story are at this point. Hehe. Thanks again for another great review! You've created a problem for yourself now, though. I'll be expecting one from you after every chapter! LMAO Stay safe! :3
Goodness apparently gardening after work was a uhhh choice cause I’m having to read each question again lol as far as Sophie goes, I’m not sure how I want her to be involved for my head canon, it’s obvious she shouldnt be excluded but just how important do we as a community of this game want her is the question, I’m sure you have your own ideas as creator but I personally think her best role would be that of EITHER the girlfriend that stays clueless, (this is supposed to be a comedy as well boom perfect comedic effect is how many ways could something subtle happen before she asks the hard hitting questions and do we want her to find out?) OR possibly the girlfriend finding out and being supportive or oooooh a reverse cuck situation where she gets off on watching him fool around with other men?????? And for season 8 finally I’m looking forward to more Rick and the new potential bachelor Jimmy, also wondering are we going to get four all together or will there be the magic number?
Hey! love the energy! Haha. Thank you so much for all the suggestions! Honestly, I can't really decide which of those ideas I like more either! But let's see what you think about some of the other characters who'll be making an appearance in the next chapter! As for the upcoming chapters, whenever the story reaches a point where it could branch, I'll probably give you guys two options and work on one path first before coming back to the other. I know a lot of people don't like seeing things like "This option isn't available yet," but I feel like that's the most manageable way for me to handle branching paths for now, especially since I'm developing the game on my own. When it comes to Sophie, I think I've got a pretty safe approach in mind. I know a lot of players aren't particularly interested in seeing too much of her, but I still want her involvement to feel natural and make sense within the story! Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts! I really appreciate it!
Ooooops forgot to save as far as favorite character goes, it has to be Brian only because Rick doesn’t have the body hair I was expecting lol his legs however have Brian beat but until kev is beneath Rick’s muscled thighs of Justice, Kevin having Brian pound his throat for a nightmare takes the cake lol
So far loving the pacing and the story so far. Genuinely love the subtitle changes and I personally loved the changes to facial expressions however I do wonder if maybe Kevin and Liz should get maybe a realistic dream sequence (that way if it gets popular at the very least boom now you could do a dream sequence story line or…. Something like that
Perhaps she after she learns about his condition and what it takes to cure him, she can get a pill from the doctor to “grow” a cock and balls to help aid with his treatment
Thanks for the idea! Actually, for quite some time before introducing Sophie, I considered giving her a cock, since she and the MC hadn't really gotten that far into their relationship yet. But for some reason, it felt a little too unrealistic. I know, I know, swallowing cum as medicine isn't exactly realistic either, by any stretch of the imagination! LMAO But I feel like everything else about the story is still somewhat grounded, despite its ridiculous premise. And even though I absolutely love the idea of the MC's girlfriend having a big, veiny dick to play with (and, of course, being able to help with their treatment. That's the main point, right!?), I'm not sure it would fit naturally into the story. I'd probably save something like that for a dream sequence or something along those lines, but I feel like I've already played the dream card, so I'm not too sure about that either. Haha. BUT! If it's a girl cock for our MC to slurp on that your heart desires, fear not! I might just have something in store for you, hehe!