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Mind Blind January Update
🕑 Added 2024-01-31 09:20:45 +0000 UTCScroll to very bottom for demo link (it's the same).
If you’ve played the demo this month, you might have noticed that all of Chapter 17 was quietly added to the Vengeance Route. Chapter 18V (the final chapter to the Vengeance Route) is still fractured with “under construction” signs, though, because of a character who literally speaks in circles. More explanation on that below.
Sigh. Given how often I’ve failed to deliver the last chapter, all I can do is promise to keep the demo link the same. Honestly, I’d probably have the coding all fixed if I didn’t keep rewriting entire scenes every time that I go to fix a single bug. I need someone to sit by me while I work and smack my hands whenever I start typing anything but a code fix.
I didn’t want to post until everything was updated (mostly because I wanted to say THIS IS IT, like I planned to do months ago), but I’ve genuinely given up on an ETA at this point. Every time I think the game is finally playable, I replay and find something else majorly broken. I then go to fix the scene, and in the process rewrite an entire chapter because I can’t keep well enough alone.
(One other note is that Juliette is now easier to meet with in Chapter 10. I don’t know why so many playthroughs were unable to meet her, but I rewrote the code to lower the variables and to fix any accidental spaces that may have been breaking things. If you still can’t meet Jules in Chapter 10 despite having all the other Vengeance members fall in love with you, please-please-please let me know, because meeting Jules is a requirement for the Vengeance ending and I've spent several days literally doing nothing but playing through Chapter 10 and trying to fix her. I think she sometimes bugs out in save files.)
If you haven’t played Chapter 17V already, here are some of the highlights that were added:
(Spoiler warning)
-Choose your laughter type in a DIY evil monologue
“${Kent} Zarneki, my old partner now nemesis. Ah, how the pendulum turns!”
“Pendulums swing,” Boris points out.
-Learn Andy/Liz’s full history with Reese
“Reese miscalculated.”
That small admission, although barely accusatory, drains all of ${Andy}’s previously combative energy. $!{Khis} shoulders slump, and ${khe} looks at you and Boris with an expression too hollow and weary to belong to someone in ${khis} mid-twenties.
-Watch as Romanced Kenzie realizes that you joined Vengeance in The Worst Scene Ever (Not, actually, the worst scene ever, but the worst scene in this chapter.)
You once fantasized about a honeymoon in Bali; now you’re holding the groom hostage in a basement.
-Reach a horrible realization (Or wonderful if you hate Nick, I suppose?)
No blurb for this one, because it’s a major spoiler. You can’t miss it, though.
Some things to note about the Vengeance ending chapters:
You can have a positive relationship with Nick and still ally with Vengeance. In fact, saving Nick can be your primary motive for joining Vengeance, because Button can view a permanent BRS as a way to “free” their brother.
Everything considered, I do think the changes I worked in this month are for the better. Originally, I was super preoccupied with Mind Blind feeling like a complete experience regardless of your choices. By “complete experience,” I mean that I wanted as many secrets as possible to be unveiled in each and every ending, with really on Shard’s identity being held back due to certain choices.
The result was a lot of very contrived and very forced exposition, because I wanted Button to (for example) learn the truth about Vancouver even if you didn’t go with the Vengeance ending. Even if that meant awkwardly shoving that truth in between your mother’s breakdown and Gray’s dramatic declaration of love.
After growing more and more dissatisfied with these scenes, I finally accepted that (bracing breath) it’s okay if a single playthrough doesn’t reveal all major plot points. In fact, interactive fiction’s strength is replayability, and replaying is more rewarding if each ending reveals something new.
The endings still feel complete and make for a rewarding narrative arc (I hope), but it’s now impossible to learn EVERYTHING in any single ending.
(SPOILERS)
With the reworks, you’ll never learn Nick’s Deep Dark Secret™ if you choose to ally with Vengeance. (Before, Reese awkwardly handed you a paper saying “here’s your brother’s file, muahaha.” It didn’t work. At all.)
Nor do you learn about Tobias’s role in Vengeance if you choose to go save Nick instead of taking down Vengeance. And the truth behind Vancouver is only fully revealed if you play through twice: once allying with Vengeance to learn about the culprit(s), and once if you manage to uncover Shard’s identity and motives.
Not all the issues that I’m fixing are narrative—90% of my work right now is just rewriting code. Because, unfortunately, having the code functional is not the same as having the code working. Functional code requires running tests; working code requires playthroughs, and playthroughs take a lot of time especially when I can’t fix a single sentence without rewriting it.
The reason that Chapter 18 isn’t up tonight that Tobias’s scene has looping dialogue depending on how Button tries to win him over. This conversation completely broke after I attempted to make sure it correctly reflected Button’s past interactions with Kenzie: whether you’ve read the article, visited Maria’s grave, and how you treated Tobias in the beginning. I’m working to fix the issues and can only apologize for the constant delays; I’ve also left in some of the (very broken) Chapter 18 code that you can play through to get an idea of why the structure is killing my soul.
. . . Okay, this got rambly. Sorry. I really need to stop writing posts at 3am.
My progress has has also slowed down due to external factors, unfortunately. My mom’s cancer migrated to her lungs. They were thankfully able to remove a nodule with surgery, but at this point it’s up to the universe.
The last few months have been really, really tough.
Woman is still climbing Kilimanjaro in two weeks, though, because fuck cancer.
In cuter, more uplifting and definitely cuddlier news: three years ago, I promised to reward myself with a dog once I finally finished writing Mind Blind. She arrives next month, giving me just enough time to hopefully get everything up before she arrives. She's my self-granted reward for writing the equivalent of The Lord of the Rings series (The Hobbit included) in under four years. Do I wish it had only taken two years? Yes, absolutely, but life has a way of sucker punching you in the kidney and derailing plans.
I would also like to clarify that Mind Blind is only the equivalent to Lord of the Rings in regard to word count quantity, not quality. Tolkien was a godly wordsmith capable of creating his own languages, while I snicker over the sentence:
“Boris shivers at the sinisterness of your snicker, and even ${Andy}, a consummate snicker-er himself, takes an involuntary step backward.”
It’s been a wild ride, y’all. Chapter 18V will go up once Tobias’s dialogue pathing is fixed.
Also, I promise to post puppy pics.
Demo Link: https://dashingdon.com/play/wildelight/calebisbeingabitch/mygame/
Comments
Meowzers’ Epiphany
does anyone know if the non-vengeance routes are completed? great work btw, i love your stuff >:)
Alaina
Help! I'm having an issue. I am trying to choose the line "tell mom I can't wait to see her* but get an error code line 5822: not a number: false. I tried all the other lines as well but I keep getting errors and the screen freezes.
Shelby Shao
Not sure if this counts as a bug, but even when you pick the two options of not touching Ambrose’s wooden box, the story continues like you touched it
Rafaela Alves
Just want to say here that I love your game and your work. You are incredible. I hope everything is ok.
mad_dy
Heyy, my game keeps on glitching too, and I never went further than chapter 9. Which link should I use so that I can go forward?
Also Libarator
Ah, I see, thank you.
shawneefaith
Hey, had this issue myself. Did you happen to load a play from the public demo using the patreon demo link? If so, that's the issue.
Also Libarator
Hey, my game keeps on glitching. As in, everytime I am at the nick mental breakdown part when he finds his body has been stolen, it tells me “ line 3908: Not a number: false”. Any solutions?
shawneefaith
Yes... Gosh darn it I want my Gray ending! (But no rush to Jo, seriously, I may be impatient but as a former writer I get it)
Vinny
I'm glad it's not just me then lol! Oh well, guess we'll just have to wait.
shawneefaith
Nope I had the same encounter! I believe it's intentional and Jo simply hasn't updated the demo.
Vinny
Hey, so quick question, but does the game end abruptly for anyone else? I was in the middle of the interrogation scene in chapter 16 or 17, I can't remember which, everything was progressing like normal then suddenly I'm hit with the "play again" option. I was under the impression that the game was mostly finished, but maybe I'm just stupid lol
saarebasra
I was looking at the chapter 17 code and wondering whether Dumbcrush!Buttons could have a reaction to AL's grief over Juliette, specifically "but you hadn't expected such raw emotion from ${Andy} on behalf of anyone except Reese". If it were my crush, I'd feel some way about their display of pain. (Though I'm not quite sure how rational Dumbcrush!Buttons are about their feelings because I don't have it in me to ever play that path in full.) Similarly, there's a moment during the Caleb interrogation in chapter155.txt that might benefit from a little Dumbcrush adjustment, specifically this line: "Right now, inquiring minds need to know if ${Andy} and Reese are banging it out." Also, Dumbcrush!Buttons probably wouldn't gossip "The bedroom is definitely Reese's, but I wouldn't be surprised if ${the} and ${Andy} share" (chapter15.txt) unless they are open to a poly arrangement. As an aside: I thought it was a neat little detail that Button projects the dog prophecy strategy = rotten character link on Kenzie's accusatory glare. Almost had me expecting a hot sauce reference when Megamind!Button goes on about "burning ${Kent}".
saarebasra
Managed to meet Juliette after I went through the code and checked where I got it wrong. Apparently, it cost me when I deviated from my Podium cover story. (Genuinely didn't make the connection that I should try to stay consistent on the blame front because, intuitively, Bad Opinion 1 doesn't necessarily cancel out Bad Opinion 2.) If you want to idiot-proof the whole thing, I'd suggest that Kenzie or Nick should *really* stress the importance of a consistent cover in all aspects, even if it makes Button feel one-note. My mistake was to assume that I should show Vengeance a well-rounded Button (hence, hating Unity in all directions -- more precisely: Nick or John, as an extension of Unity -- should be acceptable as long as it's anti-Unity in nature), building upon what they had already learned about my fake persona. However, it seems to be way more about confirming the surface impression that led Reese to extend the invite in the first place. Last but not least, an accessibility suggestion before I forget to mention it: Once you're strongly approaching publication, maybe consider adding screen-reader-friendly alternatives for all the plot-relevant pieces of information that are, so far, communicated solely via images (character profiles, Reese's invitation, etc.).
Ghost
yea new starting works as well. my old saves just don't work. oh well, this story is great, I don't mind playing it a hundred times more 🥰🥰
I tried restarting from chapter 13 and it managed get through it, so it’ll work
Ghost
well, I'll find out tomorrow if it works. haven't had enough time for a full run but I'll post the result :)!
Jo O'Connor
I'm still looking into the issue (error is basically claiming that I have two of the same label, but that doesn't seem to be the case). Until it's fixed, I took out the problematic coding in Chapter 18 so that you can play all of Chapter 17 using a save file!
Did you restart? Did it work?
A sandwich
Ah, that is SO much to manage, on personal and creative levels. I'm really sorry. Sending you support and appreciation!
Ghost
hm... well the save started at chapter...15? 16? at the drive to the safe house so i played from there. Last time i played/read and saved was around november, maybe i just have to play from the start again 🫣😓
Jo O'Connor
Does this happen when reloading a save? I pulled most the broken code from Chapter 18 but will double check to make sure I uploaded the right file 🤔
Ghost
Thank you for the update :)!! no matter what i do, I get an error that says: "Uncaught Error: chapter18V line 544: label 'winnerdinner' already defined on line 500" :(
Niamh
That's incredible! Your mom is a boss!!
Jo O'Connor
Thanks! She's taking a fuck cancer flag to the summit of Mt Kili. Woman is unstoppable 💪
Pegg
My mother will likely disown me, but unlike Tolkien whom I have only read in his entirety once, and afterwards used to skip large swaths (songs and council of Elrond usually...), I regularly replay and code dive with Mind Blind.
Niamh
I'll be praying for your mum, fuck cancer. Congrats on the puppy and 4 years to write a branching work of fiction is nothing! You're amazing and thanks for all your hard work.
