Patch 0.4.04: Now And Forever

Hey guys,

It's time for another update, and this one is extra special. It is something that I've been running towards for so long, and now that it's here, it's almost hard to believe. Transylvania has an ending. I want to thank each and every one of you for your amazing support through the years, without which we would never be at this point, in this state.

Now, on a less solemn note. It's just one possible ending, the first one to be written, and more will be coming in the months ahead. Right now, my main goal was the sketch out Chapter 3 to have a skeleton and a structure to work with.

The Chapter is lean. Many things have been cut out to avoid dead ends. Even in the current state, there are 20,000 new words and multiple scenes to sink your teeth into, including choices and flavor, but it's still in a very linear state, compared to the usual freedom you've had so far. I have been hyper-focused on pushing all the way to the end in this patch, so that was the main priority.

A few more things I would like to address:

Save data corruption: I've seen the reports, I hear you. I know it's highly unpleasant. It's also damn difficult to fix, because I'm calling the save/load functions right from the engine, it's not code I have direct control over. Right now, what I've done is migrate to the newest version of the engine, which has some improvements to save data stability. I hope this will help, but I'm not 100% certain it will resolve everything. I'll be keeping a close eye on the situation.

==>If you just want to see the new content without save issues, you can always use the chapter select from the main screen.

The Gwyllgi Scenes: for those of you who follow the Discord, you've seen previews of a major new scene in the works. It's complex and very ambitious - almost 30 moving parts to push our ability to animate interactive scenes even further. Unfortunately, I didn't make the cut for this patch. It will be added in February, when I have the time to finish everything needed for a smooth implementation. 

Now, the patch notes themselves. I have to warn you, this time they are spoilery. Very spolery.

SPOILER AHEAD SPOILER AHEAD SPOILER AHEAD

For those playing with a key, this patch's activation is "I am yours, Master"

Chapter 3
-Chapter 3 can now be completed with 1 True Ending, and 3 variations;
-added the Elder to Chapter 3, with a new scene for Elder's Impregnation with 3 variations;
-added Ionut to Chapter 3, with 2 new scenes;
-added Felicia to Chapter 3;
-added a new task: The True Wish;
-added a new location: the swamp;
-added a new scene- True Wish - Demon;
-added a new branch: The Trial, with multiple choices;
Art updates
-new character art for The Elder in advanced stages of Chapter 3;
-new character art for The Wolf in advanced stages of Chapter 3;
-new illustrated scene: Elder's Wife;
-new background: The Swamp;
-new background: The Totem;
-background variations: The Totem;
-added a background for resting in the forest;
-added a background for the back of the cabin and the opening of the secret entrance;
-new UI element for rebirth: The Hourglass;