Love the Guard, Be the King
The Extra Story is here!
Thank you all so much for your support and for waiting for this update! I'm honored you're letting me share my stories with you, so I hope you'll enjoy this "tidbit" (it's actually a 19k words monster heh) of story I'm bringing today. It's a pleasure to have you beside me on this project, so don't be shy! Share your thoughts with me! ♥
Now, for the update...
- Age suggested: 16+ for non-explicit sexual scenes and some soft swearing.
Content in this post:
- What you'll see in the extra story.
- Why an Extra Story and not Chapter 3?
- Where to get it.
- How to quick-start your game and choose a new personality and relationship with Mathias for the Short Story.
- Questions!
- When to check for more info and constant dev updates?
- Where can I see the full Update Notes?
- I've found a bug! / I have a concern about the story / I want to chat and say hi! Where can I get in touch?
- WHAT you'll see in the extra story.
"These words which ail me" is set 5 years before the main story began, one week before you and Mandra leave for Oscanza, the territory in which you suffered the biggest defeat of your career. By this point, Mathias still hadn't made the choice that creates the chasm between you two, and Mandra is still the loyal and combative sibling they used to be.
The impact of the personality-related choices you made in the main game will be *smaller* (although still present) in this short story since your Dragon Commander's personality is still developing. This time, the way you, Mathias, and Mandra interact is closer to the relationship you had as children. But beware; you're all adults, which means certain feelings, fears, insecurities, and desires are all present in this story too.
You can also expect a possible romantic rendezvous with Mandra, in case you're curious about this Chaos-bringer enigma. ;) Depending on your choices, you'll see firsthand one of the biggest mysteries in the Opalean Castle's modern history.
If you decide to spend the night there or not, I just hope you'll have loads of fun with this new adventure I prepared for you. ♥
In short:
- A new exclusive menu art that will be removed in the next update,
- New Sprites,
- Six new Backgrounds
- Three new black and white CGs
- New "Quick-start" tool so you can experience all the Short Story's routes easily
- Some code improvement in general
- Plus more world-building, elements of the Magic System in Five Kingdoms, and more character development.
- WHY an Extra Story and not Chapter 3?
As I expanded the outline for chapter 3 and began working on it, I realized there were many minor details of world-building and the shared history between Mathias, Mandra, and the MC that didn't fit the tone I was going for in the narrative.
To make the story as concise as the first two chapters, I decided to separate all the info I couldn't place in the main game and create a softer, more relaxed short story that could give the player all the info they'd need to really (hopefully!) enjoy the 3rd chapter while also having a great time! :)
- WHERE to get it.
"These words which ail me" is free and already part of the new game. All you need to do is to update your game, load your latest save for the character you want, then press Esc and choose "Extras" / "Extra Stories":
- HOW to quick-start your game and choose a new personality and relationship with Mathias for the Short Story.
You can now quick-start a new game to experience all the Short Story's routes easily. :)
This means you can choose what kind of relationship you and Mathias have + what type of personality your character is more inclined to have in the future. To access these choices:
- Start a new game in the Main Menu
- Choose a different name for your character, so your past choices won't be erased.
- Once you've chosen your name and gender, press Esc and start the Extra story.
You'll be prompted to choose your personality and relationship with Mathias on a screen like this:
To know more about the Personality Archetypes, you can check my Ko-fi! I'll be soon making a new post there with the complete update notes plus loads of goodies. :3
- QUESTIONS!
Wanna comment, but you're not sure what exactly to say? Here're a few things I'd love to know:
- Did you enjoy having a more intimate look at your Dragon Commander's past? Should I make more of this type of thing or nah?
- What was your favorite and least favorite thing about this update?
- Which character would like to learn more about?
Bonus Question! This one is for those of you who enjoy creating loads of content for your MCs/OCs:
- Do you feel you're having enough space to create your own Dragon Commander?
- WHEN to check for more info and constant updates?
From now on, I'll make updates on my tumblr and on my ko-fi page every two or three weeks at least, and monthly updates here on itch. If you'd like to keep tuned on what's happening or if you just want to say hello, you know where to find me! ♥♥♥
- Where can I see the full Update Notes?
- I've found a bug! / I have a concern about the story / I want to chat and say hi! Where can I get in touch?
On tumblr, itch, and ko-fi! ;) You can also check my Wattpad page to read my books. :3
Thank you all soo much for playing! I hope you have fun. :)))
Ligia
Comments
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This is really a beautiful game and i'm glad i found iy and got a chance to play it. I can't wait for the next update or the finished product. Thank you for giving us such a breathtaking story!
Yes, most definitely. It was really lovely, I like these types of special short stories, they give the main plot more life and gives it depth. Yes you should most definitely do more of them if there ever comes a time where you want to add more depth, life, or give certain main characters a chance for the player to get to know them etc. Would be really cool.
Everything about it was my favorite, my least favorite would have to be that when the game ended (nothing bad its i couldn't believe i played every route and still wanted more)
I think all of them, all of your characters are lovely but the queen, master curio, and the doctor, mandra as well, i want to see more of their story. But i really want to get to know more of the dragon commander themselves and how the choices that they make in the story would effect them and the other characters in the long run. I want to also know what was up with the queen in the past and if she really brought the mc to the palace knowing their fate. Also even hell , I want to see what was up with the dead king, (thank god he's dead).
Yes i do, everything about them feels so natural to the story. There wasn't a point in the story where i was like the choices provided to the player was limited etc, all the given choices fit the character and their personalities.
Late to the party, but...
Hello, thanks for the Extra Story. I really liked it, just finished plaything through all the paths/choices.
Oh wow, you're fast! haha Thank *you* for playing and for taking the time to comment. ♥ Btw, I'm so excited to see so many people interested in Curio! I can't wait to show more of him to you all.
Mandra is still not an LI in this first part of the game (Book #1 has 4 chapters in total), but I'm still thinking about what to do for what comes next. If there are enough people interested in a romance with them... who knows! haha
my god, how is it with every chapter i find myself tearing up or in tears? the way you write makes me fall into the world and its characters so well - i can't even describe it. the music you chose REALLY brings the story forward and adds a sweetness, warmth, yet also a bittersweetness.
those three little words...MY GOD HOW WAS THAT SO IMPACTFUL. you are a treasure, and i can't wait to read more!
-Spoilers below...-
please do! i really enjoyed unpacking my character more - that while they do have a set background, i feel like i still have enough say, and can even expand upon it.
i don't think their was a least favorite thing, aside from just how to get to the story itself was just a little confusing. i don't know a thing about renpy, so i'm not going to pretend to know how to code or what works for you - but i do wonder if this extra story should just be an in-between chapter, this way we don't have to load a save, then click extra. idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
my favorite thing though was learning that mathias is very aware of his power, and is very much willing to screw up someone's life to protect them (brat XD). i love that even though he and the dragon commander both spoke about it, and he acknowledged it, he still did what he said he wouldn't do, even though he ended up saving the commander's life. i personally would LOVE to explore that more!
i think the queen at this point! i want to see more of her and the commander interacting, especially in the early years.
also, of course, learn more about the dragon commander. i'd like to see a scenario where they were fulfilling their duty as mathias's whipping boy; i want to see how everyone coped with that! because obviously everyone is glad the king is dead for what he's done.
Yaay, I'm so happy you liked it! Thank you for playing and for your kind words! ♥ I'm touched you feel that way about my art *-*
I agree with what you said about how to get to the story, btw. I wanted it to be like a DLC, but keeping it in the main game rather than having different game files and download pages hahaha. But I think you gave me an idea of how to make it simpler for the player. I'll run some tests here, and if everything works well, I'll soon implement it in the game *evil grin* My programming fingers are itching to try this! xD hehe
Thank you again for your comment! You'll definitely see more of the Queen and your Dragon Commander's memories + the incident at the Battle of Oscanza in the next chapters ♥
Did you enjoy having a more intimate look at your Dragon Commander's past? Should I make more of this type of thing or nah?
I absolutely love it! I want to know so many things about their past... And this glimpse was very good.
What was your favorite and least favorite thing about this update?
My favorite thing was discovering the words™ and least favorite was that it ended lol
Which character would like to learn more about?
I find all of them super interesting, but I want to learn more about the Queen and her youngest child, if I can choose the ones that didn't appear hehe
Do you feel you're having enough space to create your own Dragon Commander?
I do think so. More so because the Commander have a history already, so I think we have a good amount of choices to lead them in this point of their lives
Aww, thank you for playing and for your comment! ♥ I'm so glad you enjoyed the update 8D I'll definitely add more about Queen Yvanna and Melike in the next chapter ♥
Seeing the shift from past "destroyer" MC (and their relationship to Matt) to present one is HEARTBREAKING I need a moment
Yes. This. That was SUCH a good ending that explained SO much about the potential antagonism and/or lingering spite that our Dragon Commander shows towards Mathias in some paths of the main story. I loved it. I really hope this gets addressed and/or comes to a head at some point in the main story plot too, it seems hard for such a huge detail to be glossed over. :)
*-*# You're angels. ♥ I'm glad you noticed that... can't wait to see what you'll think about the next chapter *evil grin*
You do realize it's already hard enough to wait for the next chapter, right? xD
Can't wait - bring on the evilness, my body is ready! :D
I loved this type of content, so the answer is definitely 'yes!'. I mean, I still prefer the main story because I'm a sucker for plots/relationships that take longer to develop, but these side stories are a great way to give background on certain characters and events in the past. I feel can only enhance the overall story in the end. :)
My favorite thing was learning more about your lovely characters and the exploration of their relationships for one another; especially the sweet, often unspoken feelings and sexual attraction between them. I continue to enjoy the MC having a shape-able personality and interesting dialogue. My least favorite was reaching the end of this little side story and having to wait for more. I'm really hoping for more on the main story in the next update though! :D
My favorite dynamic so far is Mathias x MC, but that was only because I didn't feel I could RP my MC quite as well with Mandra this time around.
I'm also interested to know if the younger sister is going to be available as a LI in the main story in future? I mean, providing she's not underage in the main story or something.
Mostly, yes. The only thing I'd love to see on that front is the ability to actually top Mandra during intimate moments with them. Especially if I play the more demonic/erratic (middle) personality type that would thrill in undermining them. But otherwise I think it has a very nice mix of submissive and dominant options to suit the three personality types. :)
I'm so glad! Thank you sooo much for playing and for your detailed feedback ♥♥♥
About Mandra: To be honest, my initial plan was to show this lack of dominance as a lack of experience and a personality that's not fully shaped... but considering the other dialogues, the elements for a more dominant side were already there, right? :'((( Mandra's scene must've felt quite jarring because of that.
I'll go back to that scene and implement it a little so it can still show we're 5 years in the past (so a less experienced MC), but still considering the dominance inherent to them.
Thank you again for pointing that out! ♥ :)
The fact that it happened 5 years in the past and MC may be less confident in what he/she/they could get away with in the face of royalty is an important point to consider, which I sort of hadn't. Although as you said, I was going with the dialogue indicators that RP'ed that personality best, which is why that bit stood out to me. Anyway, thank you for taking my feedback into consideration! :)
Also, I wanted to say, being able to get closer to Mandra in this side-story has made me even more interested in doing a main-story play-through focused around romancing them. I really hope that will be a possibility at some stage. I've always liked Mandra and their personality, but experiencing the moment that lays bare their insecurity and vulnerabilities, and what MC and they have in common in that way, was so beautifully done. I just want to explore so much more of this dynamic between them, and perhaps how their shared experience fighting in the war, and MC's (potentially) still existing grudge to Mathias's betrayal, bonds MC and Mandra in a way Mathias can't touch no matter how much he may want to. <3
In any case, you've really got me hooked! All love and good vibes to you as you continue with this charming story! :)
Of course! I'm glad you pointed that out, actually. Please continue giving me great feedback; I want this story to be the best it can be ♥
And I can't express how happy I am that you feel that way towards Mandra. ♥♥♥ The whole 1st book (the first 4 chapters of the story) focuses on Mathias as an LI and the blooming ceremony--when he'll receive his crown. The story itself happens in a 4-day span xD so there's a lot of opportunity after that for a different focus. I'm still wondering how to deal with Book #2, but people rly seem taken with our Mandreis, so... it's definitely a possibility haha
I can't really blame people being taken by Mandreis - especially after everything that went on in that side-story, and that personality! In the main story I liked Mandra's sassiness and daring nature next to the MC, and the clear bitterness they hold towards Mathias for all their older brother's pampering and naivety - the flaws and complexity in this character made them fun to get to know, and I wanted to learn more. However, it was during the newest side-story that Mandra truly captured my heart, to the point where I knew my MC would probably go as far as forsaking his precious knightly vows (in at least one playthrough, if possible), just so he could give Mandra all the love and care they'd never had for all those years. Corny af? Yes - but every word the truth. xD
I also wanted to say, it doesn't take much to recognize the care you put into creating these characters and the story surrounding them, nor the deep love you have for your characters, nor even the attention to providing the reader with an experience they can really make their own and feel connected to. The (potential) LIs quickly feel precious to us, and there are not many MC's that feel as attractive to embody as the Dragon Commander, who you've given so much roleplayability, while never sacrificing the character's soul. That takes some skill, and is worth recognizing. I know you're already getting a lot of love for your good work, but hey, you deserve it, so have some more anyway. Never have enough love~ :D// <3<3
Loved the side story. I'm a huge sucker for Mathias, so it was nice to be able to see those romantic feelings actually lead to something. I think the character that I'd want to learn more about is the MC, especially past events, but I'm sure some of that mystery about the past is intentional. Another would be Curio (mainly because I'm skeptical of him for some reason) I can't really think of a favorite/least favorite thing; I enjoyed it all, I guess?
I'd like to see more side stories, as long as creating them isn't a detriment to progress in the main story. I know sometimes creators start putting out additional content and then end up feeling overwhelmed at some point.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :) Oh, I can see why creators would end up feeling overwhelmed. It's so tempting! haha. It's a lot of work, though... I'll probably just write posts about the MC and Curio until I finish chapters 3 and 4 hehe :3
Thank you so much for playing! ♥
I'm happy I'm not the only one that feels this ways towards Curio lol
Lol, idk what it is, but as soon as he showed up I was like "Nope, I don't trust him."
omg ❤️ i'm so excited to play it!
I hope you enjoy it! ♥
eeeeeeeeeek so excited
*-* hope you enjoy it! ♥
loved it