Post-Comp SCARLET SAILS (twice as long) looking for betas

So I’m finally happy with the post-comp version of SCARLET SAILS (and in fact it’s waiting for its time of official publication over at Choice of Games/Hosted Games in a highly non-piratical manner), and ready to have some players rip it to shreds.

There’s more branching (which will be very obvious from the first choice), an optional hint system, more sensible magical goings-on, and hopefully better writing.

If I’ve missed a reviewer or a beta, I’m interesting in knowing that too.

You can play it at fellissimo@hotmail.com. Public comments are fine by me.

The link above will be taken down in a few weeks so the game can actually be sold (the competition version will stay free).

Nice. I was really enjoying Scarlet Sails, until I chose an option that had unintended consequences.

It was around chapter 9. I chose an option that would, I though, freely dispense booze to get people drunk, but I hadn’t realised I’d have to drink as well; if I’d known that I wouldn’t have chosen that option, because I was well aware I couldn’t hold my drink.

This made me quit, unfortunately; I felt that if the options had made it clearer, I would not have chosen that one at all (and up until this point the options had been particularly well written). But I was thoroughly enjoying the game up until then - in fact, it’s because I’d been enjoying it so, and feeling that my choices mattered, that it felt so bad when this happened.

I haven’t finished playing it through, so most of the things I’ve spotted are really minor cosmetic things. But there’s a thing which happened which feels like a glitch:

[spoiler]This is just after Jalu has become captain and I’ve asked what he’s hiding. I was then prompted to choose a skill I wanted to practice, and I chose gunfighting. I then got the passage starting with:

Was this intentional?[/spoiler]

I like the hints-giving - it shifted the focus to managing stats instead of worrying whether I was going to fail in a particular stats challenge.

Also: minor typo in

I remember the description of Jalu was repeated word for word in two places (the thing about his brand being sloppy and off-centre etc.). Felt a bit like déja vu.

ANOTHER EDIT.

[spoiler]I’ve just hooked up with Truman, kinda, and now the mermaids are attacking. I get this:

[/spoiler]

Thank you for this opportunity to play a preview.
Playing on my mobile. I played the IF Comp version on my mobile and rated it highly. Spoilers!

Online only. Right from the start stats show blank name under rapport for second entry.

After buying a hat, the option to buy a tricorn is still available. Repeat choosing loops draining 2 gold each time. The fresh fruit and vegetables option also loops. But can you stock multiple items?

I picked the name “fox”. But it doesn’t appear. It is in stats. Name: Fox

Stats show 0 gold but the option to fetch help is enabled.

I thought I would have to pay for help. I see it is a fee the victim must pay!

Typo. Too many apostrophes.

Doesn’t fit after choice to merely whip him.

As captain of the scarlet sails should it read 1 ship in fleet? Still shows 0 in stats after capture a ship.

It does update stats to 2 on the next page:

Suggest use “his” for “Jalu’s”.

(My bold emphasis.) I found this ?Landlubber hint a bit strong. Could cause offence.

Stats dump:

[spoiler]Morality: 33% Malevolence: 67%
The value you place on human life.
Truthfulness: 53% Treachery: 47%
Your level of deceitfulness.
Skepticism: 69% Sweetness: 31%
Whether you trust in the goodness of others.
Sober: 55% Sozzled: 45%
Your ability to handle strong liquor and/or become an alcoholic.

Swordfighting: 33%
Brawling: 34%
Gun Fu: 10%
Magical Skill: 27%[/spoiler]

[spoiler]People on both ships are getting friendlier and friendlier. A pirate’s life is short, but it’s merry. Why not fall in love at first sight, when you might die the next day?

It’s an effort to keep from using your magic, but you’re getting more skilled at remaining in your own skin these days. You sense someone watching you, and…

Been at sea a while, haven’t you? As long as the relevant rapport statistic is decent, you’re probably not imagining those tender looks. But be aware that Captain Blood won’t get involved with someone who’s too moral, and Truman won’t get involved with someone who’s too malevolent.[/spoiler]

Landlubber comment mentions Captain Blood but I chose to set out on my own leaving Blood. There is an option to kiss Blood but therefore Blood must have been on the merchantman (dressed in white?) which is surprising. Continuity!

You could use “Nature”. On my path I was kissing Firebird.

Suggest use “end here” for the present tense.

On this path I met her earlier during training with a blunt sword. So: the new kid called Nara…

:smiley: I love that you can resist the mermaid’s enslavement by true love.

?typo along (alone)

[spoiler]Some days later, it’s Jalu’s turn to take you aside. “May I tell you my real name?”

“Go ahead—Kallin.”

For the first time, you get to see him taken by surprise. “You knew?”[/spoiler]
Continuity. Jalu already revealed his secret identity much earlier ?after I defeated him in a duel. On this path, Jalu knows that I know his secret identity.

In the fight chapter, the option to call on Captain Blood doesn’t fit on this path without Blood.

Thank you everyone. I’m setting aside at least a full day to try and sort out all these glitches! Who knew pirates could cause so much trouble?

Okay! It’s thoroughly re-edited and re-tested. Given how many glitches testers found last round, I bet there are still more. Hopefully just one or two tiny ones sigh.
It’s playable at dashingdon.com/play/Felicity/sca … mp/mygame/ if there’s anyone who isn’t heartily sick of the darn thing.
For the greatest amount of original text, try stealing your own ship or stowing away, both of which are options in Chapter 1. For the greatest amount of potential bugs, take every opportunity to kill people and/or romance people (it turns out love and murder are both tricky to code when you do them more than once).

And, once again, thank you SO MUCH to everyone. As they always say, it takes a village to raise a pirate. (That’s what they say, right?)

There’s a typo in “The others don’t question the precense of two more crew members at all, which gives you a delicious taste of captainhood.”

I found it weird that the game said “You never noticed how much your hands shake when you attempt to focus on a task. It couldn’t be all that rum you constantly drink… could it?” when my Sober was at 60+%.

In the bit where you have to kill the sea serpent, on Landlubber mode the notes say you have to have “Truman Rapport over 140”, but the relevant statistic is given in percentages.

I liked how subtle the romancing was, too. It was a pleasure to test the game, and also pretty awesome to finally kill the sea serpent :>

hurrah! minor errors! this is progress!