#arenacircusvn

[arenacircusvn]

💐

#ArenaCircus Devlog 11/16 #vndev #visualnovel

SCENES

1 new job, featuring variations for Natalia, Fenris, and Santana

1 Lucy/Santana scene

1 Natalia scene

1 Fenris/Leslie scene

MUSIC

And! And! The composer just finished Aldrich’s song! It is beautiful and wonderful and I can’t wait to share it with you guys. I’m going to see about getting some samples of the songs that have bee n completed so I can post them in a future devlog.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE

Programming and testing the current scenes. Some of them have already been programmed and tested, so I don’t think it’ll take long. The biggest thing will be testing the main scenes after the free roam, since I’ve been focusing on getting the free roam done. I’m thinking I’ll do what I did last week again and try to write one more scene a day to tie it all together. So essentially:

4 free roam scenes (you can follow me on twitter @capminyan to vote for which characters you’d like to see scenes of!)

2 more job scenes

2 CGs (The lineart is compelete, they just need to be colored)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m anxious to continue redrawing the sprites, but I probably won’t have time this week, unfortunately. But, I’m hoping to get at least aldrich and lilie done, along with all their outfits, by the end of the year! And that way I can start offering fun new outfit packs to patrons, since that’s been a promise long time coming.

On that note, question for you guys!

So I will be keeping most of the assets in the free version of Arena Circus the way they are. But since I’m updating the sprites, the clothing needs to be updated to. I want to just get rid of the old sprites and have them in the art book for posterity, and put the new sprites in the free version. But there have been complaints about the new sprites. I’m not sure I’ll have the capacity to draw outfits for both sets of sprites. So there are two options here.

1. Keep the old sprites in the free version but stop supporting outfit updates for them

2. Put the new sprites in the free version and include outfits as normal (patrons would get additional outfits)

So what would you guys prefer? Comment below with your choice! I’ll probably do a poll on twitter as well.

I don’t want to make three versions of the games because that would just be a lot of hassle. I can’t please everybody, and hopefully those who don’t like the new sprites will warm up to them eventually. I’ve explained a few times why I’m redoing the sprites, so if you’re curious check out former devlogs. 😊

[harlevin]

Rebranding!

🎉 Hey all~

Minyan Studios will be rebranding to harlevin! 

My little studio of one will now be known as "harlevin," or HARLEVIsual Novels. 

What does this mean? 😯

Not much, really! Link names will change, banners will change, my splash screens will change, but you guys will still get the same awesome 🎪 circus-y content you want. At least, I hope you want.

Unfortunately, I had to take down this awesome AC themed patreon banner, but I might draw a new one in the near future! For the time being, I'll drop it here so you guys can enjoy the shenanigans:

Why are you doing this?🤔

I'm just finally finding my stride as a dev and working to make everything more polished for you guys. You can read more about why I chose this name on my patreon page, which has also been revamped, so give it a look!

 https://www.patreon.com/harlevin

Why now? 🥳

Because August 5th is the 1 year anniversary of my patreon! It’s been a more productive year than I ever could have hoped for and I’m super stoked to celebrate it with you guys. I’m doing a special anniversary offer, where all patrons will get Arena Circus Golden, the Arena Circus walkthrough, and a limited edition outfit for Lilié. Read more information here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/1-year-special-28267096

And here’s a sneak peak of the outfit, as voted for by fans...

[arenacircusvn]

AC devlog 12/25

Merry Christmas (:

I've been so bad about these devlogs, but I promise you guys I'm doing my best. It's been tough finding my inspiration lately, but I really want to share more of Arena Circus with everyone as soon as possible. I just want you all to know how much your patience and support means to me.

The proceeds from my patreon go straight back into Arena Circus, helping me commission assets so I can focus more on the writing. As my patreon proceeds are still relatively low, and my current financial status, ch 5 assets will take a touch longer than I'd like, but I will try to keep consistent with writing at least. That being said, on to the update:

Ch 4 is pretty much done, I'm just adding in a few scenes to give a fuller experience for the final release. But, I would definitely say it's still in beta state. If I were to hold back until I wrote all the scenes and added all the CGs I wanted, it'd never get done. So I'm going to release it, and then add in some more scenes/art when I start releasing the updated version sometime next year.

Lilie's new sprite is complete! Patrons got a full preview in the discord, but here are a few expressions:

The total word count with ch 4 is now 178,977 words. With two chapters left, I'm starting to get an idea of the final word count. Ch 4 will probably be the longest chapter, so I estimate it'll clock in by the end of chapter 6 at 250,000 words. Don't be daunted though! A significant amount of that is free roam and optional viewing.

I think that's about it for now, guys. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and see you on the ch 4 release around New Years!

[arenacircusvn]

Hello Tumblr ;u;

I’m so sorry I haven’t been on tumblr. It’s just one of those social media places that I always forget about. but I’m going to try and get back to my weekly updates. Okay so here goes:

The next beta release is out right now, patrons go and get it!

I've been working on making sure the beta release went smoothly and continuing to plan for the next release, which will be the full chapter 4. Patrons, please let me know any bugs you find in the beta asap! I only have one full time beta tester so sometimes it's hard to catch things.

Aldrich's new sprite is also almost complete. Next I'll be doing Natalia's.

The new sprites probably will not get put in for a long while I imagine, because I feel like it would look weird to have some in my current style and some in the old style? I don't know though, we'll see how it goes.

I have about 10 more scenes planned for the chapter 4 release. Some of them will require your AP with certain characters to be high enough, but I'm trying to have a good amount that you can see even if you're not close to the characters so you can have more opportunities to get closer. And of course, eating with them multiple times will raise your AP.  Eating with them will also unlock special meal scenes beyond the general random meal dialogue.

So stat wise, here's what I'll be doing before the ch 4 release:

10 more scenes

2 more aldrich romance scenes

2 more natalia romance scenes

3-7 more jobs depending

3 more CGs

Spoiler alert, but chapter 4 is the last chapter that will follow this kind of free roam format. The last two chapters will do something different, and a lot rides on your choices in chapter 4!

Also, since Arena Circus is an in progress game, I'm thinking that I'll go back eventually and add more CGs throughout the game and more jobs/clothes to enhance the experience. But right now I mostly want to focus on getting the game done. I'm really excited to start writing chapter five!

Conclusion

That's all from me folks. I've been losing a lot of patrons lately, and I understand situations change, but I just wanted to thank everyone who's sticking around. I really appreciate your support and look forward to offering you more awesome stuff in the future.

[arenacircusvn]

Circus Summary 7/27

Let’s break it down!

One of two branches of the LAST job I’ll be putting in the next beta update is complete! Now I’m working on Aldrich's branch. This job is turning out to be more story and scene-based rather than one where you have to run around a lot of places. Variety, yay! 

I’ve drawn a new outfit for the shop, which I’ll debut in the next patreon post coming 8/1!

I’m working on the code for the special offer also starting on the first! If you haven’t seen it already check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/1-year-special-28267096 patrons old and new for a limited time will get Arena Circus Golden and all future updates for free, as well as a special limited edition outfit! 

I’m revamped my patreon page to fit with my rebrand, featuring tier pics of a lot of my characters, and Arena Circus chibis. Minyan Studios will now be known as “harlevin.” Check the page for more info! 

From here on I’ll be finishing up the job and then getting started on the other freeroam scenes! Any characters you’re hoping to have a chance to interact with?

[arenacircusvn]

Circus Summary 8/9

Hold on to your seatbelts, because we’ve come a long way this week! That doesn’t make any sense but I’m sticking to it. 

Okay, hi guys! Hi new followers! Arena Circus development is going pretty well, though I’m still busy with some other things. I’ve been doing a lot of writing! 

4.5/11 scenes are complete, with 11 being the number I’d like to have for the next beta update. I’ve been writing about 1 a day, so hopefully I can have the rest done after next week!

The scenes so far:

2 Avril scenes

1 Fenris scene

1 Lucy scene

1 Santana scene

1 Aldrich scene 

The scenes will include 1 new FREE outfit, as well as a bonus outfit for Golden owners.

Here’s a little excerpt: 

S P O I L E R S   A H E A D 

"Lucy takes my hand and places a kiss on my knuckles." lilie "Why." lucy "I could never leave my fiance wihtout a kiss." "With a wink, Lucy turns, leaving me to sputter as his cape slaps me in the face."

S P O I L E R S   A B O V E

Oh ho ho ho! What’s happening? Find out in the next beta update ;)

The AC beta is available to all patrons of harlevin (me)! The current beta includes 4 in game days worth of content, 4 CGs, and over 25,000 words! Dang. 

The next update will include over 20,000 more words.

Exciting stuff! I’ve been doing polls to determine which scenes to write next, so if you’d like your favorite character to be in the next update, follow my twitter (@capminyan) and vote! 

I’ll be doing a livestream for my patrons 8/10 10pm EST on the discord server, so don’t miss it! 

[arenacircusvn]

Circus Summary 8/4

Hello folks! I’ve gotten a lot of writing done for the next beta update. Lucy has a new scene of around 3,000 words! If I ever felt like he deserved more screen time he sure snatched it up. The scene will feature a free outfit (two for golden users), and so many quotable moments I was laughing myself silly as I typed.

Next, I’ll be working on a Santana scene, as he won the popular vote! I tweet a lot of polls to give me inspiration for scenes, so keep an eye on me at @Capminyan. 

Also, It’s my patreon’s birthday! I have a special offer going on, check it out: https://www.patreon.com/harlevin

I have some awesome new ideas for clothes for this update, so stay tuned for sneak peaks! 

(I think I’ve already posted this screenshot but it fits so well for this post)

[arenacircusvn]

Circus Summary 7/20

🎪 Hey guys! The circus is back in town!

Now that the intro of The Pretenders Guild has been gently nudged into the river of existence, I’m back to working on the chapter 4 beta! 

I’ve written about 1700 words for the last job that will be available in the first week!

And that’s not all! I’ve sketched a new sprite that will debut in chapter 5! Expect to see her in the next Ringmaster update in August! 

I’ve also worked out everyone’s schedules so it’ll be much easier for me when I start writing character scenes! 

The post office feature lets you get letters from people you’ve met before. Who would you like to get a letter from if you could in chapter 4?

And have you heard? About the word? The first week of August will bring a special offer for all patrons, new and old! Everyone will receive Arena Circus Golden and a limited edition special outfit for Lilié! Check out the details here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/1-year-special-28267096

I’m going to do a livestream when I start finishing the new sprite for my patrons! Keep an eye on the page for the poll to vote on dates. 

And that’s it for this week folks! Look forward to the next beta update very soon!

[arenacircusvn]

Circus Summary 6/29

Okay! So I’ve been mostly focusing on putting in lines for the Pretenders Guild this week, but AC hasn’t been without progress! 

I put down the framework for a new job, and have officially set things up so that Lilié moves through freeroam on her own, allowing for more freedom in who you interact with. Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of Aldrich scenes!

And, the haunted house job is finished! There are five different endings depending on who you take with you. 

I’ve moved the Arena Circus trailer to my other youtube account connected with the e-mail I use more often (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWXTHR5DuKuQFizf4OG7AQQ?view_as=subscriber).

That’s it for now! I’ll be continuing the last job for this update next. There will be a vote on patreon soon about which CG to work on for the update after this one. 

Peace!

[arenacircusvn]

Circus Summary

And we’re back! I didn’t know this tumblr had 100 followers. Hi guys! 🌟

So, this week I’ve been working on a job that takes Lilié and Aldrich to a haunted house. Well, it takes Lilié there, Aldrich refuses to go anywhere near it.

But have no fear, you’re able to ask someone to accompany should you so choose! ...I’m not saying they’ll agree, but you can definitely ask. c: I’ve finished one ending, and have four more to go. The one I’ve finished seems like it will be the longest though, so I think by sometime next week I’ll be moving on to what will probably be the last job for this next update.

I fixed a bug that was preventing letters from displaying properly.

It was a real pain. 😤 I also added code that allows you to cancel a job you’ve just taken without consequence, as well as a confirmation screen when taking jobs. After starting a job and viewing the first scene, canceling a job will remove it from the job list permanently so be careful!

Next week, I’ll be having patrons vote on which CG I should draw for the update after this one!

My favorite line of the week:

I’ve honestly been having a blast with this event. Sorry for the slump there, I think I’m back in action now! I’m not sure when the next update of the beta will be, because I want to make sure there’s enough content to cover a week’s worth of freeroam, plus I still haven’t drawn any new clothes for this chapter. 

On that note, I want to start offering seasonal clothing expansion packs! More on that later, but it’s gonna be a thing.

I’ll keep you guys posted on potential release dates. Patrons can play the current beta, which includes nearly 30,000 words of content, and 4 CGs~! Have no fear if you’re not interested in becoming a patron, once ch 4 is finished it will be released for free as usual! 

[arenacircusvn]

Apologies, and notes for the future

Hey guys! I feel really bad for being so slowly lately, and not really adding much to AC the past month or so. I’ve disappointed my patrons and my fans and I want to apologize. 

On that note, I’m pausing my patreon for July, so people won't be charged until August.

I am still going to be working on Arena Circus in the meantime though. I feel like I need to restructure my patreon to make it really worthwhile for people, so I’ll try to brainstorm more ways to keep everyone engaged. I’d love to hear suggestions if you have them. 

So I’m still working on chapter 4. I’m currently doing a summer internship and I don’t have as much free time as I thought I would, so I can’t keep my earlier promise of one scene every other day, but I’m going to try and get done two or three a week, maybe more maybe less depending on how short or long they are. 

The point is, I’m going to sit down and make some progress. 

I’m a small indie game developer, it’s just me myself and I, so sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to keep going. 

But I do take this really seriously and I appreciate all the support you guys give me. Even just a single like on a tumblr post or tweet really makes my day, so thank you. 

I WILL get my shit together, and you WILL get AC chapter four soon. 

The next beta update will include a weeks worth of content (at least 6,000 words), plus two new CGs. 

Oh, and I’ll try to post something on tumblr every few days. I feel like tumblr posts every day are a bit much.

[arenacircusvn]

April 6 Progress

So I got a lot of building blocks done today! I’ve figured out the meal system and got all the code in place. Haven’t tested it yet but I believe in my heart it will work.

I’ve finished writing meal scenes for Natalia (4) and Aldrich (3), as well as Leslie (4). There are some mini conversations for the pairs (Leslie and Fenris, Natalia and Siegfried, and Santana and Lucy). Tomorrow I will finish the individual conversations for at least two more characters. I’d like to get them all done so I can move on to implementing jobs into the freeroam, but we’ll see!