This is a Remake

Hello there:)

So I've been keeping this a secret for the past few months, mainly because I first wanted to be sure I could actually do it. I have learnt a lot of stuff ever since I started making Domina, especially during my time helping out with Rose Grove's new Maple Hills College, and returning to Domina was always a bit of a pain. Code was a bit messy, most graphics were using base RPG Maker assets, and the game was built on RPGM MV, which isn't all that different from the newer MZ, but the small quality of life features of MZ are hard to go back from. So I decided to try my hand at rebuilding Domina from scratch in RPG Maker MZ.

The story arc is still mostly the same.

Most dialogue and scenes are reused. Some dialogue is rewritten. Some new dialogue options and paths here and there. The world's lore has been refined, cleared of some of the random bloat I've been doing, and implemented in a natural way into the game world.

Graphics have been overhauled from scratch.

Base assets aren't bad, but definitely reduce the professionality of the game, especially if you get to play other RPGM games and realize they're all using the same free assets. All base assets have been replaced with professionally made, purchased or commissioned art from real artists. All maps have been remade. There is now proper lighting in every scene (this alone elevates everything more than anything in my opinion).

All AI content is gone.

I jumped into the AI craze 2 years ago mostly because the game would die otherwise; our artist was gone, the new artist wasn't sufficient, and I couldn't find a suitable replacement in a timely manner. Throughout the past 2 years I have picked up a Huion tablet and attempted to become my own artist, and I have made great progress, but some AI was still used to fix my shortcomings. Being responsible for both the art and the writing and the game itself has been way too much though, slowing down progress by a dramatic amount. Thus, I have decided to get an artist again, and do it properly this time. After months of research, I have a top 5 list of my best picks that suit the game (and perhaps improve on it) and am already working with my top choice for some time. If they prove insufficient (or vanish), there are 4 other backup artists, so we should be safe in that regard.

I'm not going to sit and preach to anyone about AI, especially since I've been using it, and you are free to enjoy whatever you find enjoyable. But I have found myself ticking the 'Ignore AI' option in most NSFW sites I go to, and it really hammered in the point that art is innately a human experience, and removing the human part ultimately reduces its value. I now believe this is even more prevalent to NSFW art, since it is designed to stimulate your desire for human touch and interaction; personally my dick just gets harder if I know a goober on the other side of the world was so horny they sat and spent days to make the art I'm seeing right now. Again, you are free to enjoy whatever you wish, I am just notifying you of the direction I am going to follow for all my future (and past) content. All my half-AI art is gradually getting replaced with new, human art. Other misc AI content, like the lore book graphics, or the JOI vids in Ruby's Circle of Lust have also been replaced/removed. If you still want the vids, let me know and I might upload them in some site.

There are brand new additions.

I mentioned all maps are recreated. They generally follow the same patterns, but new locations, encounters, interactions, enemies and mini-bosses are added. I will break down the new additions in future breakdown posts.

Gameplay systems are redesigned.

You already know I've been remaking the skill system. Ultimately, the skill system ties into most other aspects of gameplay, so a lot of it has been rebuilt from the ground up. Health management is now a thing as stats no longer completely restore automatically after combat. Stress has been rebranded as Sanity, and the lower it gets the more submissive you become, affecting your dialogue choices and the outcomes of your combat skills. 'Foreign Soul Shards' are no longer a thing. The crafting system has been refined and made actually useful. The Memory Crystal, which was previously your way of replaying old scenes but you can now do that naturally by just returning to the Domina, is now a 'Mind Palace' type of thing that acts as a mini-museum of your achievements and the choices you made along the questline.

I am going to delve deeper into all of the changes gradually in upcoming posts.

"But Deka, all this sounds nice, but it will take ages to do!".
Most of this stuff is already finished:). I'm waiting for all the new art to be done so I can push the remake out. I will likely split this in two, first update goes up to Rosita, second update up to Ruby.

Anyhow, all this to say I've been off my antidepressants for a few months now😆. Cheers.

kat (Streamable)