Hello everyone!
BeerBrew here! First off. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to our current and past patrons for making all this possible. My apologies as well if development didn't run as quickly as some of you had hoped. We're only a duo, with me mostly doing everything else other than the writing on our spare time.
It's been over a year since we updated the demo version of the game and we're happy to announce that the demo version hence forth will be a free version of the game that's based on an earlier release several versions down. We'll update the free version when the main Patreon build gets updated! The Patreon version will remain several versions ahead.
If you noticed, the game starts on v1.0.8 and not v1.0.0. The game is still undergoing changes and we started on v1.0.8 so that a lot of the key bug fixes have been applied already since there were many changes and game-breaking bug fixes since v1.0.0.
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Before anything else, if you like the game and want to support us, please head over to
https://www.patreon.com/paperwaifu
Your support is very much appreciated and to be frank, we really need it to continue! I've mostly refrained from asking for support these few years, but I really have to ask this time around because the post v1.0.0 major updates need a ton of time and effort to continue making!
The following will explain in Q&A format what is in this version of the game, and what's in the current version of the game and what's happening moving forward.
*Special scenes = raunchy animated semi-interactive scenes ;)
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Q1. What took so long for another update?
So you may be wondering what took so long for any update to the demo version. The Patreon version has always been kept up to date, but we stopped updating the demo version at that time... to simply save on time from making specific demo builds. For some of you wondering why the game is under a slow and steady update. Several factors came into play in the past year: The size and age of the game, increasing complexity of new features, the lockdowns, and our new game Runicca.
Ramen no Oujisama is a large enough game that I felt was quite difficult to casually update considering we animate sprites and special scenes in the game. And there was a short time when I took several months to prepare our new game, Runicca using new know-how that we got from Summer in Springtime. So I wanted to get Runicca out there first, before taking a look at Ramen no Oujisama once more. When that happened, there were several things I got from making the new game and bring it to Ramen no Oujisama, at the same time, the content needed for Ramen no Oujisama's updates and graphic upgrades was coming in slowly and steadily. The lockdowns added to our burdens especially to Sharkie, so the writing had to slow down to deal with other unexpected IRL things brought about by this global problem we're all facing. This is on top of the secret route being done at the same time (which was supposed to be a secret, but due to how many things I'm juggling and how updates needed to happen each month....)
On my side, I tried to keep updates steadily on other fronts like the coding/bug fixing, graphics, and animation. The game was getting bigger, and so the complexity of some of the features I wanted to put in with the upgrade. Bringing in our artist, Ukyu's new sprite artworks to life in Ramen no Oujisama was part of the preparation that took some time to do, for example. In other words, if something like the next chapter wasn't available yet, I look for other things that need working on in the game.
Despite this, here we are, finally releasing Ramen no Oujisama v1.0.8 as a free game. The Patreon version as it stands, is at v1.1.4 and will always be several versions ahead.
Q2. What am I expecting from this game?
- All 10 routes are unlockable and playable fully until the end
- An 11th route is available (a WIP in this version of the game) as a game secret.
- If you're a patron, you can access the secret codes specific to this game in this build
- Expanded save slots
- New multi-scene Omake Scenario starring the game's starlet.
- The full gallery available in this version.
- Partial implementation of the V3 sprites
- Partial implementation of The Genius Chef's V3 routes and special scenes.
- New MC male/female animated sprites
- Genderbender implementation in relation to the new V3 special scenes
- Audio update and many bug fixes relating to this.
Q3. What's in the current version v1.1.4 (patreon build)?
- The 11th (secret) route is finished in the new V3 style.
- The Genius Chef's V3 route and accompanying V3 special scenes are done.
- The Ice Chef's V3 route has started up to the first special scene encounter.
- More bug fixes
- Option to hide MC's V3 character sprite for those who prefer this.
- Neutral pronouns added in genderbender options
Q4. Why the V3 artwork upgrade?
I simply felt that the game needed it and I wanted to do it for you guys, the fans of the game. There was a lot of inconsistency with the old art style because of the length of time between the earliest and most recently done artworks (including changes in my style), that I wanted to make the upgrade worth it because if it's going to be done, it's really going to be quite heavy to do. For those that loved the V2 artworks, thank you, that means alot. I hope I was able to get the message across why the V3 artwork update is necessary.
Q5. What's this genderbender feature?
We always received requests to make a GxG version of the game, but at that time, the request was not possible and we could only do a partial implementation of a gender "swap" through the dialog. It's only in this recent upgrade effort that that has changed. The new MC has a male and female/futa version and the animated special scenes is being worked on to support this and this is part of the reason why this major upgrade is heavier to do.
Q6. What's the Omake Scenarios about?
Most of the future content updates to the game will be accessible through here. Think of it as playing quite about any scenario (within limits of course) with our games' characters and maybe more. If you want to participate in our omake scenario polls, we do them from time to time (I expect we'll do them more often this time around), please consider becoming a patron! <3
I'm still trying to find my rhythm between juggling the V3 updates and Omakes, and I'll get it eventually.
Q7. What's still being worked on in Ramen no Oujisama?
It was only recently that I had enough materials ready to proceed with the main massive post-v1.0.0 Ramen no Oujisama update. I'm not exaggerating about the level of difficulty this will entail because it is almost as much as re-creating the game plus more. There are several things that are being worked on as of v1.1.4 (the patreon version):
- With the secret route's V3 path completed, I still need to do part of the old version just for completeness' sake because it's in this route that the V3 sprites were first implemented halfway through the route (I needed to test things out at the time).
- The game will have V2 and V3 routes you can play and the V2 special scenes will be kept there and playable in the gallery in case anyone wants to play through them.
- The Genius Chef route's V3 route and her 12x V3 special scenes (with genderbender variations) are done.
- All the other routes will be updated with the new V3 sprites, including the MC sprites, and special scenes.
- All V3 routes in the main game are compatible with the genderbender and MC artwork implementation.
- All special scenes found in the main game's routes are updated with reworked special scenes in the V3 style.
- All special scenes in the V3 route will have its own version or variation fitting the selected genderbender secret option. (This means each special scene has a very specific version for an MC that's assumed male, female, and futa.
- Omake Scenarios will be given priority when they are ready to be made. Currently a harem scenario is the most voted one and that's one of the things we'll be looking at. I'll be flipping between the V3 route updates an the Omake Scenarios. Omake Scenarios will assume the default gender as the MC for now.
In a nutshell, here's what we're now focused on the game:
- The V3 route and special scenes upgrades (including support for special scenes specific for the genderbender options)
- New Omake Scenarios in the new V3 artstyle
The main game currently has around 50+ animated special scenes in the game, the current V3 update with the genderbender upgrade effort will mean over 150+ animated special scenes that will need to be done to bring this to life. You can look at the Genius Chef's V3 route and enable the genderbender secret code using [genderbenderxyz], you'll see what kind of updates are being done. Omake Scenarios are add-on playable scenarios (one-off or not). We will mostly add new content (stories, special scenes, etc...) to the game through this. The Omake Scenarios will bring a lot more special scenes into the game on top of the 150+ special scenes to be done, and the 50+ V2 already accessible.
If you want to play the latest version of the game and support the upgrade and the new content we're making, we'd really REALLY appreciate it if you became our patron over at
https://www.patreon.com/paperwaifu
So please, even if it's equivalent to just a cup of morning coffee each a month, your support means a lot, especially during these trying times!
Thank you for taking the time to read this, we hope you enjoy the game and we really hope to see you as a patron!
xoxo,
BeerBrew
