Ren'Py $$$ Welcome to Alabama! It's Legal Bro! $$$ [v0.2.2] [Black Arts Theatre]

[B4dFr3d]

I hate the lock picking mini game.

 

[harem.king]

It is a good looking game with excellent choices of fetishes and decent humor.

This really needs a house map so I can directly click to go to a room instead of taking step by step (especially since none of the arrows are labeled so I gotta memorize it)

Work takes too many clicks.
I hate the minigames, it is good you can skip the work minigames... but it needs to be set in options instead of asking me every single time in game. And should apply to lockpicking too.

I am a fan of mind control, but was a bit disappointed at how it was implemented. You are just using it as a cudgel

Overall looks like a good start with good potential.

 

[yusufqwerty4]

Thanks

 

[B.A.T/Squaround]

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

Hi! As you know, I am in a rather complicated situation following my de-indexing from Itch io, from now on, the only site that brings me enough visibility is f95zone. However, following the publication of version 0.1.6.b, I only received negative ratings, so I went from 4 to 3 stars, it’s not catastrophic, but if this trend continues, I will have less visibility on f95zone.

I am all the more worried that I cannot modify what is causing the problem in the immediate future: I cannot make the save available anywhere because I frequently add or modify variables and features, the risk of bugs is therefore very high if I do that, and contrary to what some say, some people put negative ratings because of bugs.

I also cannot remove what prevents the import of saves, because it is a feature of the Renpy version that I use, I would have to use an older version to solve this problem, but then I would have to retest ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, and I currently don’t have time for that.

As for the mini-games of work, lock-picking, and pseudo-chatbot, they are optional (even lockpicking because you can make Gwendolyn forget how to close a door), I currently prefer to devote my time to events rather than rework the mini-games or chatbot (especially since even if I modify them, nothing guarantees that everyone will like it), and since I don’t want to continue receiving negative comments about them, the only solution that I find satisfactory is to declare this content as experimental or under maintenance, which would mean that it would be locked, so new players won’t know that this content exists (however, patrons could unlock it, because as people supporting my game, it is normal that they are more involved in its development).

I wanted to explain myself because the person who gave me 1 star implies that I would do this out of lack of maturity, the real reason is that I have constraints especially in terms of time. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel like I’m listening to people, I often answer their questions, and although I prioritize the suggestions of those who support my game, I listen to criticism about bugs and design problems, for example I gave the possibility to disable the breathing effect of UIs, regarding my future update (0.2.0), for example I added “SAVE” above the laptop, and also the name of places next to the arrows.

I took the time to write this message because I think it is important to justify why I can’t do what some critics demand, and why I would have to lock some content, I also want to remind you that it is really important if you enjoyed this game to give it a positive rating on f95zone , because if I no longer have visibility on this site , and therefore almost no visibility in general , I can not guarantee you that I will continue to publish new updates of the public version (but I will continue to follow my pace for Patreon version) because I would have much less interest in continuing to publish these updates if there is less visibility , and especially much less desire , because I’m already tired enough (I had for example forgotten to indicate one of the change in the changelog of version 0.1.6), the situation with itch io is already quite heavy , so I do not want to publish the public version if it is to receive always the same criticism which I can not answer

 

[GrogGuy]

Regarding your post:

I think you've got a game with good potential, and that you've been pretty great with responding to questions, suggestions, etc here.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of people give low ratings to games that are early on in development without considering the fact that they're just getting started. Considering how important good ratings are for getting a game some traction early on, it kind of sucks to see people give 1 or 2 star ratings for things that might change in a few versions. Especially considering that most of those people don't seem to come back and adjust the rating if their complaint gets addressed. I've seen it happen a lot, and I'm not sure if there's much you can do besides keep moving along...

Anyway, I've appreciated what I've seen so far, and you seem like a nice dev. I genuinely do hope your effort is met with some success. Already gave you a 5 star a while ago, but hopefully you get some more positive ratings.

Regarding game visibility / publicity... I'm not sure why the game's being removed from Itch, but I know a lot of people get around Patreon content regulations with patches or "separate" games. I'm really not too familiar with itch's content policy though, so not sure why it's being removed. Another option for publicity is posting on reddit. There's definitely some communities there dedicated to porn games. That's all I got off the top of my head though.

 

[seronis]

Your worry is kind of silly. I mean no one gives a fuck about stars unless its hundreds of 0 star ratings and NO good ones. And as far as visibility goes, people search for their fav tags and then go through the list downloading everything they havent tried. This isnt a search engine competition

 

[Leafkiller]

Also an option to buy or remove the mask from the shop clerk and pharmacy clerk would be nice.

Your worry is kind of silly. I mean no one gives a fuck about stars unless its hundreds of 0 star ratings and NO good ones. And as far as visibility goes, people search for their fav tags and then go through the list downloading everything they havent tried. This isnt a search engine competition

Searching for tags on this site is horrible.

 

[seronis]

Also an option to buy or remove the mask from the shop clerk and pharmacy clerk would be nice.

Searching for tags on this site is horrible.

Clicking a tag will list all games that share that tag. I dont know if its even possible to get more convenient than that. I pity someone so incompetant in basic life skills that would define that as being too difficult to use.

 

[nothingreallymattress]

So there are two issues with saves.

One is inter-version save compatibility. Forward-compatibility of saves is simply something you need to budget development time for. People will generally forgive breakages in the first few versions, while the game is short enough that replaying it from the beginning isn't much of a chore; and if you're doing something complicated, it's reasonable that you'll need to shake down the bugs in what state you're persisting and how you're persisting it. (Yes, sometimes you end up having to break compatibility anyway when you find out you fucked something up three releases ago, but that should be the exception, not the rule.)

The other is intra-version save validity... and the thing is, it's actually pretty difficult to write Ren'Py code that doesn't save and restore properly: you have to break down to raw Python and then also subvert or avoid the existing Ren'Py state-persistence system. Unlike the above point, this isn't something you need to spend more dev time on; this is something you need to spend less dev time on. You've shot yourself in the foot by

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.

the real reason is that I have constraints especially in terms of time.

Yes. Therefore, you need to rescope.

What does the real-time clock actually add to the game? The "breathing" UI? The minigames? The currency system? The navigation system? More precisely: do they add as much as the features -- like, y'know, saving -- that you've had to cut in order to implement them?

Some of them are probably worth the effort. But not all.

Spoiler: Opinions

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I have not formally rated your game here. (I don't even normally look at ratings; I just search for tags.) I also don't know why it's been pulled from Itch.

 

[B.A.T/Squaround]

Also an option to buy or remove the mask from the shop clerk and pharmacy clerk would be nice.



Searching for tags on this site is horrible.

I plan to give the player the option to remove their masks, but later.

I think it's easy when you're looking for a single tag, but when you're looking to combine 2 or more tags, it's more complicated (I can only do it by logging in and going in "latest update")

 

[B.A.T/Squaround]

So there are two issues with saves.

One is inter-version save compatibility. Forward-compatibility of saves is simply something you need to budget development time for. People will generally forgive breakages in the first few versions, while the game is short enough that replaying it from the beginning isn't much of a chore; and if you're doing something complicated, it's reasonable that you'll need to shake down the bugs in what state you're persisting and how you're persisting it. (Yes, sometimes you end up having to break compatibility anyway when you find out you fucked something up three releases ago, but that should be the exception, not the rule.)

The other is intra-version save validity... and the thing is, it's actually pretty difficult to write Ren'Py code that doesn't save and restore properly: you have to break down to raw Python and then also subvert or avoid the existing Ren'Py state-persistence system. Unlike the above point, this isn't something you need to spend more dev time on; this is something you need to spend less dev time on. You've shot yourself in the foot by

You must be registered to see the links

.



Yes. Therefore, you need to rescope.

What does the real-time clock actually add to the game? The "breathing" UI? The minigames? The currency system? The navigation system? More precisely: do they add as much as the features -- like, y'know, saving -- that you've had to cut in order to implement them?

Some of them are probably worth the effort. But not all.

Spoiler: Opinions

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I have not formally rated your game here. (I don't even normally look at ratings; I just search for tags.) I also don't know why it's been pulled from Itch.

I was mainly talking about inter-version save compatibility, I don't worry about intra-version save validity because I mainly use renpy code, I avoid using python code because I've been developing games for less than a year (and I've never coded before).

The main problem is that I frequently add variables and conditions, and I don't want to have to take into account that someone could save in the middle of something that I might have to completely rework and modify.

EDIT:

Personally, I think the breathing UI and the real-time clock are active detriments. The former, I am prepared to argue, is objectively horrible; the latter merely shifts the game away from being a visual novel, and into another class of game I'm not a fan of.

This is your opinion and I respect it, however I would like to emphasize that the breathing effect can be disabled, and does not pose any technical problem

EDIT 2: What you say about intra-version save validity problems does not concern me, I never encountered this type of problem when I was developing my game and I could save anywhere. I put the normal save back into my game to check just in case and didn't encounter any issues.

 

[B.A.T/Squaround]

NEW RELEASE [PATREON] ver. 0.2.0 + POLL RESULTS

Hi! Let's talk about the poll results first:

• There are 2 "No" from the Guildmaster tier and 2 "No" from the Adventurer tier, compared with 4 "Yes" from the Adventurer tier. That's 2x2 +2 = 6 for "No", against 4 for "Yes", so "No" represents 60%. So I'm not going to add combat mode to $$$ Welcome to Alabama! It's legal bro! $$$, but I have proposed an alternative that might be interesting in version 0.2.0.

Now let's talk about the new features:

• I've indicated the place names above the arrows, and "SAVE" above the laptop.

• I've made sure that Gwendolyn always turns off the lights or the TV when she leaves a room.

• I've moved the cheat mode to the ruins, because it's more mystical, so it makes more sense to summon an entity there rather than in some nerd's bed

• I've corrected a few bugs, including the one that required at least one lockpick to enter the small pool or toilet when Gwendolyn forgot to close the door.

• I've added a new sex pose, the footjob.

• Following various criticisms, I've locked experimental/maintenance content, i.e. chatbots, money-earning mini-games and lockpicking. It's possible to unlock this content in the Patreon version by clicking on the Ruins (in the same place as the cheat mode), which will be reworked and made public when the result is satisfactory. All this content was optional, even lockpicking, since it's possible to make Gwendolyn forget how to close a door. However, don't worry, even if prices return to normal when the chatbot is deactivated, your data concerning the affection of the saleswomen is preserved.

• I've also added a first event, mainly to introduce a new character (this MILF is not yet available on the map, however), during which there will be an erotic mini-game with Gwendolyn that can be skippered. This mini-game is a kind of battlefuck, in which the aim is to click in the right place as quickly as possible. For the time being, it's only present in the event, but I'm wondering if, by improving it and making it more complex, it might be interesting to include it fully in the game, perhaps as an alternative to the battle mode that was abandoned following the poll results. Otherwise, the choice of the 1st event is just a question asked by the new character, you can save before answering.

 

[B.A.T/Squaround]

Your worry is kind of silly. I mean no one gives a fuck about stars unless its hundreds of 0 star ratings and NO good ones. And as far as visibility goes, people search for their fav tags and then go through the list downloading everything they havent tried. This isnt a search engine competition

What is true for you is not necessarily true for everyone. Personally, I keep games that I've enjoyed, which means I have limited storage space, so I tend to be more selective. Obviously ratings are not the only criterion, I also take into account tags, comments, images, and possibly the game engine used. I think that having a rating that is at least decent is always one more argument in favor of my game, and in my opinion, it is a criterion that is important.

 

[B.A.T/Squaround]

NEW RELEASE [PATREON] ver. 0.2.1.Patreon

Hi! I made an update more focused on the technical aspect than on the game, nevertheless, it might interest you:

• I made sure that there are 2 save systems: the first save system was the default save system of the previous versions, you can only save in your room and during important choices. The new save system allows you to save (and load) almost anywhere, but, in order to avoid the “An exception has occured” when changing versions (because I tend to add or modify variables and conditions), the saves of the 2nd system will automatically be incompatible with the new versions (like the game School Of Love: Clubs! by NijuKozo). However, there will be no compatibility issue with the saves of the 1st save system. You will therefore be able to, before installing a new version, load the saves that you have recorded with the 2nd system, go to the protagonist’s room, and save after switching back to the 1st save system. You can switch from one system to another from the protagonist’s laptop. I created this system in order to make a compromise between those who want to be able to save more freely, and me, who does not want to increase the risk of having “An exception has occured”.

• It is only a detail, but I also changed the sky a bit, before, it had a rather flat aspect because it was just an image that scrolled from left to right, now, the clouds above go faster than those below, which creates a little more perspective.

• I also fixed some bugs.

Otherwise, I've changed the version name to add "Patreon" at the end, so these versions are now officially separate from the public version, which means I may add exclusive content for the patreon version from time to time (feel free to make suggestions). However, due to this change, it may not be possible to update the old versions with the new "Patreons" versions on Android. If you have this problem, I suggest you go to: Storage> emulated > 0 > Android > data, then find and open the "com.bat.welcometoalabama" folder, then open the "files" folder, then move the "saves" folder out of the "com. bat.welcometoalabama" folder, then uninstall the old version of the game, then install the new version, then move the "saves" folder back into the "files" folder of the new "com.bat.welcometoalabama" folder. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, I know that a significant proportion of people download the android version, do not hesitate to ask me for help if you have any problems.

 

[harem.king]

I made sure that there are 2 save systems: the first save system was the default save system of the previous versions, you can only save in your room and during important choices. The new save system allows you to save (and load) almost anywhere, but, in order to avoid the “An exception has occured” when changing versions (because I tend to add or modify variables and conditions), the saves of the 2nd system will automatically be incompatible with the new versions (like the game School Of Love: Clubs! by NijuKozo). However, there will be no compatibility issue with the saves of the 1st save system. You will therefore be able to, before installing a new version, load the saves that you have recorded with the 2nd system, go to the protagonist’s room, and save after switching back to the 1st save system. You can switch from one system to another from the protagonist’s laptop. I created this system in order to make a compromise between those who want to be able to save more freely, and me, who does not want to increase the risk of having “An exception has occured”.

that is great. really letting us have our cake and eat it too.

 

[B.A.T/Squaround]

Summary of changelogs

Changelogs:


Version 0.1.7:

• I have added a new location: the ruins. There is not much to do there for now, but this mystical place will obviously have its importance in the story.

• I have also made the weather a bit more complex. Now, from time to time, the sky will turn gray, and the atmosphere will become darker and heavier. The weather will have its impact, but for now, don’t worry too much about it...

• I also fixed some bugs.

Version 0.2.0:

• I've indicated the place names above the arrows, and "SAVE" above the laptop.

• I've made sure that Gwendolyn always turns off the lights or the TV when she leaves a room.

• I've moved the cheat mode to the ruins, because it's more mystical, so it makes more sense to summon an entity there rather than in some nerd's bed

• I've corrected a few bugs, including the one that required at least one lockpick to enter the small pool or toilet when Gwendolyn forgot to close the door.

• I've added a new sex pose, the footjob.

• Following various criticisms, I've locked experimental/maintenance content, i.e. chatbots, money-earning mini-games and lockpicking. It's possible to unlock this content in the Patreon version by clicking on the Ruins (in the same place as the cheat mode), which will be reworked and made public when the result is satisfactory. All this content was optional, even lockpicking, since it's possible to make Gwendolyn forget how to close a door. However, don't worry, even if prices return to normal when the chatbot is deactivated, your data concerning the affection of the saleswomen is preserved.

• I've also added a first event, mainly to introduce a new character (this MILF is not yet available on the map, however), during which there will be an erotic mini-game with Gwendolyn that can be skippered. This mini-game is a kind of battlefuck, in which the aim is to click in the right place as quickly as possible. For the time being, it's only present in the event, but I'm wondering if, by improving it and making it more complex, it might be interesting to include it fully in the game, perhaps as an alternative to the battle mode that was abandoned following the poll results. Otherwise, the choice of the 1st event is just a question asked by the new character, you can save before answering.

 

[Prince Vevit]

Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, ...Sudoku?

Maybe the former demon lord's punishment is too harsh, I wouldn't wish having to play Sudoku on my worst enemies.

 

[Trap Iron]

Sounds like the dev hit a nerve with this guy. He is either a highly political person,from Alabama or both. The Alabama thing is a running joke on here. Lighten up.

It's a running joke everywhere. But it just has never made any sense.

 

[verifiedReality]

If the objective is to destroy her mentally, I feel like there should be an option to use the mind control abilities to force her to do things without changing the way she feels about it. Like forcing her to blow you without making the experience any less disgusting or miserable for her, possibly even actively preventing her from getting used to it or growing to enjoy it.

 

[illogicallity]

It's a running joke everywhere. But it just has never made any sense.

People like to pretend they are just teasing when they say it, but people actually do think that's what happens in the South, despite it being just as taboo as anywhere else.