courseoftemptation
patreon
Course of Temptation Dev Diary #66
🕑 Added 2025-01-03 20:44:13 +0000 UTC
Happy new year!
The holidays are behind us and it's time to get back to normal, starting with the usual Friday dev diary!
First of all, the update schedule. In December I released both 0.6.0 and 0.6.1, the latter of which would ordinarily have been the January update, but it contained seasonal content so it was essentially released early. This means that my current plan is to have the next update enter early access on January 31st, then public release on February 7th — back to the usual schedule.
I prefer a regular monthly schedule and I think most of you do too, so that will probably be the only time I intentionally disrupt it. I just really wanted the Renewal Festival stuff out in December!
As for the next update, I plan to do a lot of general polishing and some extensions here and there. As I've expounded before, I think a pitfall that projects like this can face is the temptation to just always be adding all new content, and forgetting to address existing content that could stand some polish or doesn't meet current standards. Especially following a major update, I like to take some time to revisit what's already here and see where there's room for improvement. I view every part of this project as iterative, something I may have set aside for the moment but can always be revisited.
In this first post-holiday week, I've been easing back into things by going down my sizable list of small polish tasks, most of which have originated from player feedback.
For example, a common suggestion since in-person dialogue was introduced is the option to be mean!
This won't make you any friends, but then that's sort of the point — once your Charisma skill gets high, sometimes a really annoying NPC can't help but like you when you'd actually rather build up a rivalry. Annoying them regularly will, needless to say, solve this problem.
And speaking of common suggestions, a list of inclinations that the player can unlock will now exist within the game. I hesitated to do this in early releases because many inclinations didn't yet have ways to unlock them, and I didn't want to steer players toward something they couldn't attain yet. But almost all inclinations can be unlocked now, so there it is.
I've also reworked a bunch of existing events with what I'm calling the "uncharacteristic action" mechanic.
Basically, inclinations are meant to be what defines who your character is — so, if you pass up an opportunity to behave as your character would, you're hit with a bit of a Composure penalty.
The strength of this Composure penalty will be adjustable in the difficulty options, including turning it down to zero if you don't like it, which will make this mechanic disappear.
The purpose of this is to provide a bit of a push to get deeper into lewd content. The basic design pillar of this game has always been "temptation, not corruption" — hence the name — but a purely player-directed approach can sometimes lack a certain pressure. For example, it can be hard to reconcile why a more innocent character would take the lewd choice when the non-lewd choice has no downsides. So, this mechanic will tend to steer your character toward more lewd options, especially when coupled with the relatively new starting inclination mechanic.
Another thing you might have noticed lately is that I've begun having fallback skillgates in some events. For example, if your character can't or won't take a choice gated by Disinhibition, then an NPC may instead try to appeal to your submissive nature. If you have Submission skill or the Accommodating starting inclination, then you can get deeper into the scene even if your character is still fairly inhibited. This gives you more choice in how you progress your character and often less dissonance between your character and their chosen actions, and when combined with this new mechanic, helps steer more innocent characters into acting lewd.
Anyway, that's the intention behind it. I'll have to see how it feels in normal play, and it's always subject to further changes.
As for larger extensions I hope to get to this month, there are three main ones. First, the bartending job at the River Rat still needs some more love and some more events added to its set. Second and third are options that did well in the last poll that I haven't addressed yet, which are both basically extensions to encounters — condoms/birth control and NPC preferences regarding sex.
I'll talk more about those later. For now, my plan is to finish out this week by going through items that have lingered on my todo list and seeing what I can knock out relatively quickly.
If you have any suggestions for quality of life changes, small changes you'd like to see, little things that bother you or could be easier to manage... this is definitely the time to hit me with them!
In any case, I have definitely rambled enough for one week. Thanks for reading, and thank you, as ever, for your support! I hope you all have a great year!
Comments
Anarchothaumaturgist
Sorry, I missed this when it was asked. It may be a candidate for the next major update — I still have to give that some thought — but the final decision usually comes down to a poll.
CRNilsen
Well, you can elbow your love interest when they try to sneak up on you, but that's the closest thing.
possgamer
When It comes to quaility of Life I have Three consernig apperance, and two conserning player choice. The First three wrap together 1. The coverage menu is confusing and not a 100% clear. A silhoet outline showing layers and coverage and how much( probably using oppasity or a color), think Da Vincis' Vetruven man. 2. In the upper left corner, next to the time of day & Location, A PC Image displaying what you looks like. This at the bare minmum a silhouet that fits the various discriptions( Curby, Brawny, Tight,ect.) this can be used to visualy give us the player an idea of how our PC looks. again slihout showing more definition or plumpness depending on choices. Think a Maniqen posed I'm sure many would like this to evolve to something to see visualy see our costumization choices in the style of the tile screen. This later part is more than a small QoL change, and it would take quite bit of time and effort, but Food for thought. 3. Better Clothing discriptions, they often are just the name and I often find my self looking up what they look like. Educational but still a minor Hassil, Tighing it back to two if the silhoute Maniqen idea to visualy try on or see the idea of the clothes would be helpful. Now to quickly wrap up this already long post I'll summerize the player choice QoL. 1. It might seem wired to ask for more difficulty but, clothes that can cause Wardrobe malfunction seem to barily if ever flash. 2. Player choices like Blowing the Burger Joint boss, seems to lack consistancy when playing a more laschivious character in the dioluge, Like being more confident or even the choice taking "control/Dominince" in such situations. Ex. Stepping up to blow the Franchise owner(abilty to do so dependent on stats of course or uncharacteristicly take a heavy penalty.) The Cheer gangbangs seem to have the same problem. With all that said, Sorry for the Long post Hope your year is great as I'm exited to see more from your uniqe game in a very niche and hope to be soon growning genre. P.S I would also like to add that Exabition runs when dealing with a large group dead lock into the Campus park. I would suppose the point was to take a longer way around but it can lead to an annoying amount of clicking diffirint directions to leave. I think waiting for them to leave with a heavy stealth penalty would work or a hard Skill check to get past them. Also with long coats in the game flashing Exibitionism late in town or anywhare would be an intreasting Addition
zhou zhou
Thanks again for the great work and happy New Year to you
zhou zhou
Hello, thank you for your efforts. I am a Chinese player, so my English is not good. If possible, I hope I can join the linear addiction and sex addiction system, and it is exciting to detail the porn part. For example, liking large sizes, or getting more satisfaction in the best fit with a bully's sex organ, etc., will be exciting to get different feedback in the face of different sizes in detail
Mixilainen
The "go to work" option is a great idea!
Azure
This all sounds like great improvements to the game. I wanted to ask though, when the frat stuff will be moving forward?
Bimo Bimo
Would have been great if there was a full window where you just work on the encounter mechanics. They are simply bland. Right now the game feels like an RPG with full on questlines... and literally no battle or progression mechanics. Or a story full of characters and no conflict or resolution in sight. There is frankly no payoff.
Triton
Welcome back! As soon as the birth control stuff was mentioned I just had a neuron activation moment, one of my the things I’ve most been looking forward is the mechanics relating to birth control / pregnancy so any updates on that I will die for. Thank you for your continued hard work and efforts into making this a really fun experience
Avendros
A great post, i can't help but applaud you for this mindset. Looking at other games and recognizing their faults to not make the same mistakes is a big deal. Furthermore, i like your approach of trying to enhance the immersion of your game, putting on "pressure" as you called it to encourage behaviours that suit the PC that has been built. This is especially great in combination with the 'Accomodating' or 'Submissive' inclinations, their very nature meaning that the PC is coerced into acts by others. This is the best way to go about your game and makes me excited for the future.
Gamercomander
I hope you had a nice holiday. I would like to ask again if you could make an option to get out of control while watching porn in the launch and have an orgy with the people there and to have more options to whore around for money (peferebly the more assertive ones). To have more Sex options before lunch (12 am/pm dont know) would be nice, it is sometimes hard to manage hornyness in the morning for a horny slut/whore character. Have a nice day or evening❤👍🏻
Ysabella Reynolds
So after grinding the bartender job a lot, new events would help for sure. However, the biggest grind reducing thing wouldn’t even be the sliders for advancement. Even on max, still feels slow when you spend so much IRL time clicking repetitive options. My suggestions are to do something like: 1. a “go to work” option from your dorm that fast travels direct to whichever location is your primary job. Or heck just the river rat. It takes 8 or more passages to get there. 2. A half ass it option that passes time like sleeping. Full shift, half shift, hour, etc. It would help to reduce the repetitive nature of the events if once you saw enough you could fast forward, so to speak and only get a “highlight” event option with a customer or coworker. Hope this helps!
Nemurusuki
One thing I would love is some indication of like/dislike when a character interacts with you so that you don't have to click their name to find out. Say for example I don't wanna make out with people who dislike me, seeing an indicator that the stat is in the red would be helpful. No idea how to show it though, just something that's been a slight bother for a while.
Anarchothaumaturgist
I do have some ideas for a generalized dialogue system for encounters and some events... I hope to get to that this month too
Rotisserie potato
Welcome back! Hope you had a nice holiday break Anthaum. I've suggested this before in the server, but I'd really love to see more flavor text during encounters and talk options in general, for example new dialogue an npc can say during sex that may correspond with their sex traits. Even better I'd like if MC could dirty talk! ❤️
THAbombaa
Welcome back! Hope you've had a nice break and of course a happy new year!
Ludociel
Welcome back. Hope u enjoyed ur holiday, I already have a couple suggestions for you; Have you thought about npcs interact w mc like using "talk/flirt/ask to date/become friends/propose relationship" options just like mc does w them? I think this could help the game be more lively. Another one is npcs' top/bottom preferences in encounters, apart from dom/sub content. I mean npcs might be forward/sadist etc. but also prefer to be bottom. Excited for polishing update, love u ❤️
Anarchothaumaturgist
Sounds like something I should look at!
Anarchothaumaturgist
Yep. I plan to do it in smaller pieces — NPCs will worry about this stuff just sort of as a preference, even though technically there won't be any consequences yet
Enginerd
One thing I've been wanting is an option to go directly to an encounter with someone you interact with out in the world when you chat with them assuming you have the appropriate stats/inclinations. You can set up a future hangout or date, but I think there should be an option to initiate an encounter right then and there, assuming a nearby private/semiprivate location can be found. Especially with people you are already in some kind of relationship with.
Marius Speider Sørum Moe
Polish sounds great! I have a suggestion for encounters! When trying to change positions, or resisting a change of position, it FEELS like this is almost exclusively a contest of physicality, and rarely/never a "charm" or "genuine request being considered". Can the language of encounters be updated to show what happens here more clearly? Also: when asking partner to do something during encounters, I tend only to get responses when asking them to be rougher. Am I missing something?
BlueJayX2
Ooohhh. Condom/birth control. That could be fun. 😂 Ship them off back to Mom after they're born or take some time off and let your grades suffer.
