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Grindwheel Games

Grindwheel Games

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Speaking of things to enjoy...here is the final page!

As with the previous games, this is the 'Game Over' image. As you can see, we stuck with the running theme of books and writing for this one too.



A hunter's story quite often does not have a happy ending. Injury and death are a constant danger in their profession, as are more subtle foes like madness and despair. In many cases the best that they can expect is a temporary reprieve from the gruelling combat and soul-shredding darkness. A morbid sense of humour always helps, of course.

My plan for the day is to transfer all the text in the PC build of Red Ripper over to be text meshes, then get on with the editing and QA pass. That and update the menu to include the copy describing the Heirloom system. I hope you guys enjoyed the page images so far and have a great weekend! By the way, I have decided to release one non-general image per book on Halloween. ;) If there are any gaps in your gallery you want to see, let me know.
 
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Grindwheel Games

Grindwheel Games

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Well it took a little longer than expected, but I got all the PC build's core text over to text meshes. It all seems to be working too, which is a plus. When I am done with the QA pass I can make a tablet build based on Blissful Ignorance and update it as needed.

I also took a quick look at the back-end of Steam earlier. I wanted to give a review copy of the games to a curator who reviewed Pale Harbour without having been sent a key, which was nice of them. Apparently, yesterday, Pale Harbour had a little over 2k views. o_o Hopefully they will come back when the Halloween sale starts!
 

lashman

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Well it took a little longer than expected, but I got all the PC build's core text over to text meshes. It all seems to be working too, which is a plus. When I am done with the QA pass I can make a tablet build based on Blissful Ignorance and update it as needed.

I also took a quick look at the back-end of Steam earlier. I wanted to give a review copy of the games to a curator who reviewed Pale Harbour without having been sent a key, which was nice of them. Apparently, yesterday, Pale Harbour had a little over 2k views. o_o Hopefully they will come back when the Halloween sale starts!
wow, that's great to hear! :D congrats

:wd_praise:
 
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Grindwheel Games

Grindwheel Games

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Well, time to see if those views and wishlists translate into sales. ;) Because Grindwheel Games is now part of the Steam Halloween 2019 promotion!




If you have not bought the games yet, now is a good time to pick them up and get ready for the release of Blissful Ignorance on the 31st. Curators have been really hyping the games up and posting some glowing reviews. I am still aware that I need to do something about the UI, and have made some progress towards that in book 4. Sadly, Carlos is still unable to settle in and do any work as he job hunts, so we'll see what happens in the new year for a 'HD' collection update if I have to get a whole new UI commissioned. :S Hopefully it won't come to that, but I also know I can't leave these issues floating around forever.

But, on happier news, the games are on sale and hopefully that will see some decent movement over the next few days! With new sales comes the chance of more word of mouth, and that will lead to more sales down the line. Hopefully. :p
 

lashman

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Well, time to see if those views and wishlists translate into sales. ;) Because Grindwheel Games is now part of the Steam Halloween 2019 promotion!
oh dayum ... good luck with the sale! :D

But, on happier news, the games are on sale and hopefully that will see some decent movement over the next few days! With new sales comes the chance of more word of mouth, and that will lead to more sales down the line. Hopefully. :p
i really hope that happens ... those games definitely deserve more people playing them! :D
 
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Grindwheel Games

Grindwheel Games

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And we are live!

Blissful Ignorance is out on Steam and Google Play - links below. It was a bit of a squeeze with the art coming in late, but we managed it!

As I mentioned previously, I am going to post some in-game art that you may not have unlocked yet here. What I didn't tell you is that I have written a piece of short horror fiction to go with each of them. Those will be going up on the steam community pages for each game, as well as being posted here. ;) Keep an eye out for them through the day!

Happy Halloween!


 
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Grindwheel Games

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Jonah's Albatross



When sailors who ply the Sea of Rust put in to port, the first thing they usually do is purchase a fistful of lucky charms and trinkets. When the crew next gather to set sail, whether it be to haul cargo to the Coastal Kingdoms or simply go on an extended fishing trawl, they will present these objects to the captain. Those deemed most auspicious will be nailed to the mast and rails. The rest the sailors can keep for their own protection.

The reason for this strange custom is the Jonah's Albatross. Considered a beast by scholars, this four-winged bird of ill-omen is hated by all seafarers. They are, by some supernatural means, capable of stripping a man of balance and common sense, as well as affecting the laws of probability in an unusual manner. This can cause even an experienced captain to steer through a dangerous reef, or a veteran sailor to lose his sea-legs and go tumbling overboard. Ropes that were sound a moment ago will snap, the wind will gust in just such a way as to carry a man over the rail, and so forth.

Sailors believe that the birds are the spirits of men who have died at sea while neglecting their duties through drunkenness, idleness or foolishness. They seem not to eat fish, instead feeding exclusively on the carrion of those poor fools who die as a result of their influence. The superstition goes that someone who perishes this way will themselves return as an Albatross and haunt the ship they sailed on. This in turn has led to the practice of renaming and repainting a ship if there is a death on board, regardless of the cause.

The only proof against these cursed creatures is to find a way to drive them far enough away that they can no longer exert their baleful influence. Brandishing a genuinely lucky item at them is considered to be the easiest way to do this, as they cannot stand such things. Many a voyage which has been plagued by these beasts has ended with the captain returning to port and exacting vengeance on some poor pedlar when his charms have proven ineffective.

Extract from 'Odd Customs and Habits of the World' – Capital Press
ok, now i'm excited!

Ask and you shall receive. :) This is the first story of the day. Have you managed to find the beast in question on your runs, or have you avoided them so far?
 
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Grindwheel Games

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Fog Warden



The old man nodded as the logs in the grate crackled and popped.

“Yes, I remember it well. There were seven of them, good hunters all. The marsh-folk had been plaguing travellers again, so they gathered up their followers and headed out onto the moors. This was at the height of the suppressions, you see, so there was still some fight left in those damnable mutants. I can't remember their names, but I remember their faces. They were smiling and joking as they set out in a great cavalcade.

“Seven hunters and two dozen soldiers, plus all the staff and porters for their gear. I waved and cheered with all the other children. It was like a festival, yes? The roads were almost clear for the first time in living memory, and these heroes were going to show the last of the bandits what-for.”

He paused, his blind eyes gazing into the fire.

“The one that made it back...that poor girl. She was so badly burned they thought she was a beast at first. The acid and poison had ruined her. But she returned to tell us all about the disaster. My father, the doctor, treated her wounds as I listened at the door.

“Something came out of the mist, she said. Tall as a tree and about as hard to topple. Spindle-limbed and hooting like a fog horn. Dressed like a soldier too, like it was mocking them. Like it was deriding our pogrom against the mutants. It melted men and animals, even the tents, as it moved. Nothing could stand that terrible miasma.

“Seven hunters faced it, and six died. The soldiers fled or were rotted where they stood. The porters died screaming. But she fought it, even as it burned her skin away. She cut it down and brought its head back as a trophy. Carried it in her fleshless hands for mile upon mile through the fog.

“But when they opened the sack she had dragged across the moors, there was nothing inside but filth and bog water.” He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “She laughed when she was told. Kept laughing too, all the way to the Bedlam House. Poor girl.”
This picture happens to be my wallpaper too. ;) Has anyone encountered them yet? If not...do you want to?
And here is the last story, along with a page from the new game. I hope people have enjoyed these Halloween tales!

Harpies



Ten little pilgrims!
Ten little pilgrims!
Climbing up the stair!
Down come the Harpies!
Down come the Harpies!
Catch them unaware!


Bekka's breath came in hard pants as she sprinted back to town. Toben had stopped screaming, which was a bad sign. It meant that the rest of the cacophony would be hunting for fresh meat. The next verse of the childhood rhyme ran through her mind, and she thought she would go insane.

Nine little pilgrims!
Nine little pilgrims!
See how they run!
Down come the Harpies!
Down come the Harpies!
To snatch another one!


She and her friend had gone to the edge of the steps to smoke stolen tobacco and talk about what they would do when they finally left Pilgrim's Progress. They had done it so many times over the years that they had forgotten the warnings, or just dismissed them. They were teens, practically grown ups, so what did they have to fear?

The cawing got louder, and Bekka tried to run faster. She heard Lissa trip and fall a few paces behind her, but didn't turn back. Instead the words of the song leapt into her head like a maddening mantra.

Eight little pilgrims!
Eight little pilgrims!
Hiding in the night!
Down come the Harpies!
Down come the Harpies!
Giving them a fright!


As her heart thumped in her chest, the verses kept coming. Seven little pilgrims, praying to survive. Six little pilgrims, sitting in a cave. Five little pilgrims, four, three... Lissa started to weep and howl as the flock of harpies descended on her. Bekka's eyes were blurry with tears, but she didn't stop running. The town gate was not too far now. If she just kept ahead of the beasts she could make it. If she stopped...there would be no little pilgrims coming home that night.
 
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Grindwheel Games

Grindwheel Games

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We have fan art!

A good friend of mine (https://twitter.com/emjrabbitwolf) who has played the games commissioned some images of her hunter - Liliana. The first is by Part Time Pixie (https://twitter.com/Part_Time_Pixie)



The second is by Rosekasart (https://twitter.com/rosekasart)



And the third, chibi-est image is by Ryn (@_Rynnu)



I'm currently discussing with her how best to get them into Steam. While I could post them all as an announcement it seems better suited for the community hub. However, that requires you to tick a box claiming ownership of the art you have posted, and without the artist's permission I am uncomfortable doing that. So we're seeing what's up, and in the meantime you guys can enjoy it here!
 
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Grindwheel Games

Grindwheel Games

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Nice art there, Grindwheel Games . (y)

And I hope the Steam sales have brought you a few more sales.

I picked up the new game. ;)
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it! There has been a little bump in sales over the week. I am hoping that people who get paid today will take a peek over the weekend too.

I think that if the sale had a 'theme' then there would have been a bit more action. I guess after the whole Grand Prix thing Steam is just having sales that are sales, but a promotion that goes with the sale would probably see more people who have it wishlisted pick it up.
 
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Grindwheel Games

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So I am going to throw this out here, then maybe try it on Steam. If people liked the Halloween lore stuff, would there be interest in maybe having a monthly update where I expand on or explain elements of the world not covered by the games? IE - the three empires that make up the UIC, what the hell is Witch Silver, etc?
 

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So I am going to throw this out here, then maybe try it on Steam. If people liked the Halloween lore stuff, would there be interest in maybe having a monthly update where I expand on or explain elements of the world not covered by the games? IE - the three empires that make up the UIC, what the hell is Witch Silver, etc?
Sure, I'm all for it!

And, it's something that would be great to post on Steam as well, for those who follow the games.
 
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lashman

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So I am going to throw this out here, then maybe try it on Steam. If people liked the Halloween lore stuff, would there be interest in maybe having a monthly update where I expand on or explain elements of the world not covered by the games? IE - the three empires that make up the UIC, what the hell is Witch Silver, etc?
ooooh, that's actually a really great idea! especially with the new library update and the new events thingy! :D
 
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Grindwheel Games

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Good morning and sorry for the delay to the update! I have been having a hell of a few weeks, including a trip down to Wales to see my relatives, plus dealing with a load of domestic issues and some job hunting.

On the plus side, I am now down to the last handful of pages in the testing process for book 4. This time there have been very few errors and bugs, which is nice. I am just doing the usual thing of re-reading what I wrote less than 2 months ago and thinking 'man, what edgelord spammed out this garbage?' :p I am also trying to re-balance the critical path a little. This one is going to be a bit harder than the previous titles, partially because you will be in a stranger land with little help, and partially because of the overall theme. I want people to be able to finish it, even on easy, but still feel run ragged by the time they hit 'The End'. ;)

In any case, now I am down to the final stretch for Red Ripper, I wanted to kick off a little poll here which I will then move to Steam on Monday. I intend to write some more stories to post up at Christmas, and wanted to ask people what they would like to hear about the most. If this gets a good reaction then I will try and roll this out to a monthly thing.

So, what aspects of the world would people like to read more about? The world, the monsters, or the hunters?
 

lashman

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Good morning and sorry for the delay to the update! I have been having a hell of a few weeks, including a trip down to Wales to see my relatives, plus dealing with a load of domestic issues and some job hunting.
no worries ... and no pressure :) we'll always be here for the updates :D

So, what aspects of the world would people like to read more about? The world, the monsters, or the hunters?
ooooh, the monsters ... the monsters!!! :)
 
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Grindwheel Games

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Well, that's one vote for monsters!

Do you want to hear about monsters that appear in game but have no lore attached to them at the moment, or something unique to the world?
 
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EdwardTivrusky

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I'd find stories about the World and Monsters more interesting or maybe i'm just more curious about those things than the hunters. Unique monsters are good because there's space to be creative but i also like alternate/analogous versions of existing folklore and myths.
 
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Grindwheel Games

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So it looks like people would be more interested in hearing about the monsters, with the world in general trailing behind slightly. Ok, no worries. :) When I get a chance this week I'll try poking around the Steam community stuff to post polls on all three games and see what happens.

By the way, now we're into December, I have been able to put Blissful Ignorance into the autumn sale. So if you want it at a discount now's the time to get it! Unless you are waiting to see what event they have for Christmas too. Hopefully it'll be in that one as well.
 
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And...done!

I got Red Ripper squared away last night, meaning that it is ready to go into editing in January. This means that, currently, I have a PC build of the game with all new mechanics added and working, plus all content written, given it's second editing pass, and hopefully all links now point to the right place. For reference, usually the editing/QA pass would happen while the lore entries are out for editing, as that means I can plug them in while the main story is being edited. So we are well ahead of the place there book 3 was this time last year.

I do have an announcement for tomorrow, which I need to take care of, but for now, book 4 is pretty much in the bag! I may try and get the tablet build ready and using the new text meshes over December, or I might take a little time out to relax. It all depends on how things are looking next week. :)
 

lashman

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This means that, currently, I have a PC build of the game with all new mechanics added and working, plus all content written, given it's second editing pass, and hopefully all links now point to the right place.
ooooh ... now i'm getting excited! :D

I do have an announcement for tomorrow, which I need to take care of, but for now, book 4 is pretty much in the bag!
that's great to hear! good job :) can't wait to get my hands on it
 
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Grindwheel Games

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that's great to hear! good job :) can't wait to get my hands on it
I do need to make sure the balance is right. I want this to be completable, but possibly as hard as Deathtrap Dungeon or the equivalent. Like I said previously, given the strange land you find yourself in, players should feel run to the bring of collapse when they earn that good ending. ;) But otherwise, the game is sorted!
 

lashman

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I do need to make sure the balance is right. I want this to be completable, but possibly as hard as Deathtrap Dungeon or the equivalent. Like I said previously, given the strange land you find yourself in, players should feel run to the bring of collapse when they earn that good ending. ;) But otherwise, the game is sorted!
no, no, definitely - take your time, no need to rush! :)

i'm just excited, that's all :D
 
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Grindwheel Games

Grindwheel Games

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no, no, definitely - take your time, no need to rush! :)

i'm just excited, that's all :D
Well in the meantime, would you like to get a sneak peak of the Heirloom system? ;)

I am in the middle of writing up the Traits system for Tattered Sails, and as this seems to be one of the most focused placed for people who have played the game, I would value your feedback.