Heileen 3 now available for preorder!

I put up the preorder page here: http://www.winterwolves.com/heileen3.htm

Please note that the game beta demo is not yet available for download!

However, it should be this Sunday, 9th December 2012. Once the demo is available, you'll only have to download it and enter your email to activate the full game, and start playing the beta version.

Of course if you prefer you can preorder and then wait for the game to be officially released since during the beta there might still be some bugs present.

I decided to put the page up now since I got some requests from people to be able to preorder earlier, so there you go. I also put a special version with extra bonus content, since the game has 6 custom audio tracks (1 theme song + 5 audio tracks). In the bonus content you also get the game chibi at higher resolution, several wallpapers images, and some exclusive images from Heileen 2 at higher resolution. The extra content is immediately available, so you can listen to the music while you wait for next Sunday ;)

Apart the extra content, there is no difference between the base game and the one with the bonus content.

In the video above you get an idea of the gameplay including the raising sim, the Virtues/Sins system and more.

Excuse me for the very short post, but I'm going back to work now to make sure the demo is available next Sunday!! :)

Deadlines

If you follow Loren RPG development on twitter and in my forums, you already know that I failed to met the deadilne of the new version for the 1st March. It was a self-imposed deadline, but I wanted to met it because I am used to keep my word, so I am a bit disappointed at myself...

However, I have a pretty good excuse for not meeting it! The version 0.8 which will be online maximum next weekend (10-11 March) will have LOTS of new features!

Just to name a few major changes (but there are many others):

- new resistance icons, say goodbye to my poorly drawn ones!
- new quick equip item from the character inventory (drag&drop would be too much, better to just use 1 single click!)
- you can now access inventory from the battle. Maybe less realistic, but many people asked for it and I admit is bad to restart a game/load a saved game only because you forgot to equip your character!
- new minigame by the writer Aleema, when you select your character: PC will tell the backstory of his/her slavery, and you choice will determine the starting statistics (a bit like my other game Spirited Heart)
- new redesigned battle UI. You can choose between big or small icons, and the left panel now shows target statistics or resistances. Added tooltips all around the battle to help players understand what's going on.
- added new playing style "Tactics". Player starts with 5 skills but get a new one every 3 levels rather than 2. Also eliminated all the level restrictions for the skills, since they higher ones are balanced by the higher SP requirement
- new "smart slot" system, so that you have a slot for weapon, a slot for offhand/shield, and a slot for ranged weapon. During battle you'll be able to attack (with appropriate penalties) using melee or missile as you prefer
- added city tasks and Fame system. Perform city tasks (predefined battles with specific rules) to get Fame. Fame helps in getting a discount on buying/selling items in the respective town's vendor
- added double-click to repeat the last action. This works both with offensive but also defensive skills, making the battle flow much faster!

I also made a video showing the new "Character Creation":

So that's all for now - stay tuned because next friday (if not sooner!) very likely version 0.8 will be out.

Heileen 3

I also want to talk about my other games, otherwise you might think that in 2012 I will release only Loren. But don't worry, have other more "casual" and "girly" games in the work! One of them, probably the most awaited, is Heileen 3, which is coming out very nicely. The dialogues are totally hilarious, and I can already say that is going to be one of my most funny games ever.

The artist Rebecca sent me also the last two romance endings, with Marie and Lora, and they're beautiful. Unfortunately, to see them you must wait until this summer when the game will be out! But I can already show you a sneak peek:

The one with Lora is really beautiful, with a field of sunflowers as background :)

Spirited Heart Girl's Love: the elven girls

It's now the turn of the elf girls. In the video below you can see Thym: I'm sure that many people will consider her the most annoying of the characters, since she is quite snob and spoiled. However, the romance plot with her is full of cool moments (like "impossible love"), because in the second part of the romance (when you work as maid in her villa) you discover that you have some "serious competition"... :)

Leah's path instead is very different. I think is also probably the most original character of the game. She's older than all the other girls, and I think the sprite manages to picture her perfectly, a very classy and cute person who is excessively obsessed by her age, thinking that she doesn't look attractive like she once was... Also Leah's personality is dominant, and this will lead to very interesting (and different) choices in particular if you choose the elf (she will submit to her) or the demon (she will become the dominant one, obviously!).

I also got some very good news related to my other games in development. Not only Flower Shop: Winter In Fairbrook should be out at end of this month, but the artist of the game Queen Of Thieves, which I announced back in February (time flies!) is finally back and he is working fullspeed to recover the lost time. Below you can admire a few of the many clothing combinations possible for Joanne, the wizard:

Spirited Heart Girl's Love: the human girls

As the official release of the yuri expansion to my game Spirited Heart approaches, I'll make three blog posts featuring short videos of two character of each of the three available races (Human, Elf and Demoness). Today I got the last girl, I am thinking if to commission a few more secodary characters but they're not really required for the expansion. This means that it will be out for sure in August (probably at the end of it).

In this blog post, let's see the human girls:

In the video above, Ria is the first human girl I wrote for Spirited Heart Girl's Love. She is a "tough chick", and apparently also a tomb raider. But as you'll get to know her better, you'll find out that down deep she is a very different person than what she appears at first glance. This character was particularly interesting to write because the Elf or Human are very scared / intimidated from her aggressive behaviour, while the Demoness is the only one that can keep up with her.

In this other video instead one of my favorite characters of the whole expansion, the always day-dreaming all-around artist Yana! At first she seems a lazy, spoiled girl that sleeps all day while his father has to pay other people to do the work that she was supposed to do. Later in the story, she will reveal the true self, in all possible meaning (by this I mean there will be a more transparent version of the actual dress, but no nudity!).

Winter In Fairbrook – Meet Ryan

This is the last blog post about Winter In Fairbook cast, and I'm pleased to introduce you Ryan, the only male character what wasn't present in the main game. As you can see from this video, he doesn't seem to take himself in much consideration, thinking that talking about his personal life is not an interesting subject. I have the impression that Natalie will have to try her best to get something out of this boy!

Anyway, we discover some information about him: that he studies biology in a college out of state, and he doesn't live in Fairbrook all year round. Since he runs the general store of Fairbrook, and that's where Natalie can buy lots of stuff including flower seeds, I'm sure that our heroine will have many more occasions to talk with him again.

Lastly I have some good news about the game release. Since Sakevisual wants to sell this one at the June conventions in USA, is very likely that a pre-order version will be available before next weekend. Of course, the best way to keep up with the latest news is to follow me on twitter or facebook.

Winter In Fairbrook - Meet Trent

Trent is Susana's "big brother" (in all senses!) and when Natalie first meet him we discover that now he works at the library, helping Marian (one of the dateable characters of the first game) in her duties. Though as Natalie immediately notices, he seems a bit too happy for someone that's working! Right, usually people who work are not in a such good mood... there must be something else! But what? ;) Sorry I think you'll have to play the game to discover it...!

With this video we have almost discovered all of the characters of Winter In Fairbrook. The only one left is the "new entry" (not seen before in the first game) Ryan. Watch this blog next Friday to see who we're talking about. I don't want to reveal too much but his ending scene (maybe because of the setting, or the situation itself) is one of my favourite of the game :)

Winter In Fairbrook - Meet Jacob

After Steve now it's the turn of Jacob! This very nice, polite, shy guy was present in the first episode as well, and he had a crush for another member of the cast... (won't say which one just in case someone still haven't played it. By the way, what are you waiting for?).

In this scene, you can already feel how innocent and good he is. Natalie seems not to understand his reasons, why he always must help everyone, why he is doing it for free... and it's just my impression, or Natalie is a bit jealous of Susana? ;)

I also wanted to answer some questions that users made in previous blog posts or on Youtube. Even if Steve scene has mouth animation, the game won't be voiced. The lip animation was added at last minute as test, so we're not even sure it will be present in the final game! Indeed today's video with Jacob doesn't have it. About the length, it's slightly longer than the first game, so if you played it you have a good idea of what to expect. The farming / flower raising sim will be easier and differently from the first title won't have an impact on the endings.

About the release date, we're trying hard to release the game for the end of this month, or at least the pre-order version, since indeed there isn't much time left...! :)

Winter In Fairbrook - Meet Steve

Here it is! The first video I want to show you of Flower Shop: Winter In Fairbrook is about Steve, the character who was the protagonist of the first game:

When I first wrote the main plot draft of the first Flower Shop (Summer In Fairbrook) game, Steve was the typical lazy, playboy, irresponsible boy who every girl is mad for, but very few girlfriend would want :) And it's fun to see how it has changed in the sequel. This second game is completely written by Ayu, even the plot, and when she told me how Steve would be different, I thought "that's a nice idea". Natalie (the main character of Winter In Fairbrook) meets him in a funny way, as you can see. From the first dialogues you immediately understand he is another person now: not only he tries to come to Fairbrook as often as he can, but now he really cares about his uncle Sam! Those who played the first game know how much conflictual was their relationship, especially in the beginning.

And while he still has unsolved issues with his father, he is much more responsible and helpful to the others than what it was before. I'm really curious to see how the Steve-Natalie relationship will blossom... ;)

p.s. as you might notice this time I made the usual "Friday post" one day late. I had some serious problems with PC and the only solution was to reinstall Vista. I used to brag that I never had to reinstall Windows in the last 4 years, but seems like yesterday my system had enough and wanted a "clean install". Was a good test for my backup/restore system though, since I didn't lose a single email/file :)