The Bathtime Release - Version 0.19.0

You can download the full change log HERE.

Bathtime Release - Version 0.19.0 

Hello everyone,

This has been one hell of a month, with plenty going on… but I believe version 19 is a solid release. This month I had to contend with that record-breaking government shutdown, which made my life extra hectic as a government employee (basically: more work, no pay). I also managed to rupture a finger tendon sheath in my wasd hand, which hasn’t been the most pleasant thing. The extra work that went into the successive releases in the 18 series, culminating in 18.6 also delayed my start on the work for version 19, and that was part of the reason I decided to focus more on old code rather than writing new. 

Besty survived the long Russian New Year holiday, which involves insanity-level drinking. The Russian medical ministry estimates that Russians have only just now managed to reach sobriety in February, after drinking nearly 500 million liters of vodka—and another 1.5 billion liters of other alcohol—during the 10-day holiday. That’s nearly 14 liters of alcohol per Russian, and enough bottles to wrap around the world 17 times (standing up, not laying on their side). Apparently the only thing you’re able to buy during this nationwide party is possibly more alcohol.  

New Stuff Summary

This release has focused heavily on bug fixing, integration, the build process, SugarCubeAW, testing, and more bug fixing. I also added more mod support, 2 official mods, and lots more documentation. I also set up and tested a new structure to improve stability and reduce the impact of bugs, which basically involves in-class data validation. The build process had a lot of changes, we now compile our JS into a single merged ES5-compatible JavaScript file, and minify the data to reduce size and improve efficiency at runtime. The game should now be more consistently reliable across browsers, though I would still recommend avoiding anything that isn’t Chromium-based or Firefox.

The in-class data validation has been a success, so I’m hoping to roll that out to the other primary classes soon. We also did a lot of playtesting, and even had a volunteer (Omi: Secretary of Large Tits) start working on proofreading/editing existing game text. We fixed every bug that was reported, and plenty more that weren’t.

Of course, this release isn’t devoid of content! The highly-anticipated addition of shoes has happened, as well as nightwear (lingerie, pajamas, etc.). There’s a new shoe store, and both shoes and nightwear can be found in several other locations. There’s also an improved wardrobe menu, that allows you to equip shoes and overwear, and save them as part of your clothing outfits. There is also a new school and new job option to explore. Both have content comparable to the existing jobs and schools, but come in the form of mods. In addition to the ability to create your own schools and jobs, there is extensive documentation covering how to do so. Just about anyone should be able to make their own mod with zero programming (though options to include JS are there for those that do wish to venture into advanced territory).

Along with the mod interfaces, we have a new menu setup for acquiring a new job. It provides more information about the job up-front, and standardizes the process across the game. You can visit the R.A.P.E.S. office at the town hall building downtown if you want to change jobs. (Only Institute Jobs are available in the prologue, this is the planned behavior.) There’s also a new school location, the Red Light Education Center, available in NW downtown. That’s where you’ll find any mod schools you wish to attend. There’s some new TV to watch, and there’s a few other odds and ends as well.

I really hope you enjoy version 0.19!