A High Stakes Game v1.993 **Updated 12-10-2021**

[UBFanDrake]

@Veswell,

Thanks for playing, and for your review!

Currently, the last progress game is the meeting with Gwen. The next is being worked on, but I can't give an ETA yet, as it is in the writing stage, and inspiration/motivation happens, or not, at the whim of, well, just about anything. There are however a few scenes you can still unlock after meeting Gwen. To wit: An Unbirth scene with Eva, an observation scene with Gwen, and a new practice game with Eva. Depending on what you've seen and done, I think that is it for the current content., aside from the unlocks via Gwen's shop, and the secret outfit to be unlocked via alternate means.

As to Eva's character progression, yeah, I'd originally wanted to keep her lighthearted and having a bit of fun with the digestion aspect, but found myself unable to develop Alex and Eva's relationship without having her develop and change as a person. I do have plans to bring her back to her roots a bit in the epilogue, but that is a little ways out from where we are currently.

--Erecant

Hey Erecant is that Unbirth scene the one from an earlier release or an additional one added in? also what do you mean by observation scene?

[Erecant]

The UB scene is the old hidden scene, havent added a second one.

As for observation, in an optional scene, Alex can watch as Gwen has a meal, with the goal being watching to the end to build up some empathy with preds.

--Erecant

[UBFanDrake]

The UB scene is the old hidden scene, havent added a second one.

As for observation, in an optional scene, Alex can watch as Gwen has a meal, with the goal being watching to the end to build up some empathy with preds.

--Erecant

oh right so I seen both those scenes

[chance10]

The UB scene is the old hidden scene, havent added a second one.

As for observation, in an optional scene, Alex can watch as Gwen has a meal, with the goal being watching to the end to build up some empathy with preds.

--Erecant

how do i see the ladder scene

[Erecant]

You need to have a fair bit of affection built up with Gwen, eventually, after playing a game with her, she will ask Alex to get in touch with her on his own, which will lead to unlocking the scene.

--Erecant

[Katana70065]

Is it not possible to attain an empathy score higher than 10? I keep visiting Gwen, and Alex either freaks out and bails on her, he decides he'd rather be digested by her, or he makes it through her lesson, and she tells him that he'd better try harder.

[Black_Knight]

Is it not possible to attain an empathy score higher than 10? I keep visiting Gwen, and Alex either freaks out and bails on her, he decides he'd rather be digested by her, or he makes it through her lesson, and she tells him that he'd better try harder.

From what I can tell 10 is all you need, because if you have a VP higher than 10 Alex starts getting suicidal despite your empathy level... I know I did not actually "answer" your question and may have told you what you might have already known but just in case you did not or just in case someone else might find this tidbit useful... but it does sound like a soft cap of some sort... are you capable of making empathy actions every turn? this is the only thing I can think of that might work...

[Erecant]

10 should be the theoretical cap to empathy, assuming you do nothing but empathy actions during the scene. You might be able to squeak out 11 if you start the scene with Alex helping Gwen have her snack.

This is mostly by design, as each action takes one block of time, and the scene last for 10 blocks.

Currently there is no indication that you have capped out, though that may change down the line.

--Erecant

[Katana70065]

Okay...cool. If I might make a suggestion. Since you've included a "vore watching" scene with Gwen. Maybe you could set a similar "unlockable" scene with Eva. Maybe once you reach an empathy level of 10, you get the option of watching Eva devour someone and not hold back. This could also come with an increase in either affection or experience, or both.

[Allenstarflight]

I agree with the above comment. I've been waiting for a scene like that, and would really like to spend some time with Eva while she has a belly stuffed with someone other than Alex. And after you unlock this scene, at random times, you could come in on her digesting someone on the start of the day screen? Just a thought.

[TheBlueOne]

I like the ideas posted above, but iirc Erecant has stated interest in finishing the main story before more peripheries

[l371c4]

So I've been trying to farm Zoey to build up my stats, since building EXP with Eva is extremely slow and the EXP costs for stat building keep increasing. I noticed that the more you train with Zoey the more EXP you lose from Eva - is there a way to decrease this number? I had a look through the game files and found where it increases, but not where it decreases.

[Erecant]

In the current build, there is no way to reduce the affection lost from playing around with Zoey. This is by design, as a way to express growing stresses on Alex's relationship with Eva caused by his willingly spending time in another woman's belly. Additionally, it serves as a bit of a balance. Alex's stat progression through Zoey's scene is exceptionally faster than the base Exp expenditure growth, and it isn't terribly well balanced. As an additional cost, I've kept the Affection loss unmodifiable by the player, forcing you to actively spend a great deal more time with Eva in order to recover lost affection when you've been less than faithful.

Down the line, I may have some fun interactions at high levels of Zoey affection and low levels of Eva affection. But as TheBlueOne mentioned above, I am close enough to a finished product now, that I am loathe to diverge much until I have put a bow on the project's principle storyline.

--Erecant

[l371c4]

In the current build, there is no way to reduce the affection lost from playing around with Zoey. This is by design, as a way to express growing stresses on Alex's relationship with Eva caused by his willingly spending time in another woman's belly. Additionally, it serves as a bit of a balance. Alex's stat progression through Zoey's scene is exceptionally faster than the base Exp expenditure growth, and it isn't terribly well balanced. As an additional cost, I've kept the Affection loss unmodifiable by the player, forcing you to actively spend a great deal more time with Eva in order to recover lost affection when you've been less than faithful.

Down the line, I may have some fun interactions at high levels of Zoey affection and low levels of Eva affection. But as TheBlueOne mentioned above, I am close enough to a finished product now, that I am loathe to diverge much until I have put a bow on the project's principle storyline.

--Erecant

Makes sense. Was just getting a little tired of having to complete an Eva game 5x or more just to raise one stat by one point when there are five different stats to raise, but I guess I'll just deal with it.

[Erecant]

If it is any consolation, in my testing saves, I tend to run with as low of stats as possible to ensure things are possible at even low stat levels. Dont feel pressured to grind out stats if it isnt your cup of tea.

Oh! Also, Eva practice games do scale up their exp rewards as their difficulty rises. I think you can get 5 exp per game without too much strain.

--Erecant

[Black_Knight]

Oh! Also, Eva practice games do scale up their exp rewards as their difficulty rises. I think you can get 5 exp per game without too much strain.

--Erecant

Yeah and if you add in your empathy lvl with a balanced VP lvl her practice runs usually hold no real danger... unless you get unlucky with rng; but the safest bet when it comes to practice is the endurance one... at least for me... so in the end with Eva it is just a bit more tedious to lvl... now if you will excuse me... *lurker vanish*

[Psycho_wolvesbane]

I find the Concentration one is the best one for Exp rewards at 10 per game at the hardest difficulty, I can run through that with no problem now to grind.

[l371c4]

Oh! Also, Eva practice games do scale up their exp rewards as their difficulty rises. I think you can get 5 exp per game without too much strain.

--Erecant

Yeah and if you add in your empathy lvl with a balanced VP lvl her practice runs usually hold no real danger... unless you get unlucky with rng; but the safest bet when it comes to practice is the endurance one... at least for me... so in the end with Eva it is just a bit more tedious to lvl... now if you will excuse me... *lurker vanish*

Empathy level? And yeah, I noticed that the exp rewards scale up, but that happens because the difficulty also scales up. i haven't quite figured out what a good balanced VP level is, right now I try to keep it around 4 but it keeps getting pushed to 5 during practice games. Currently trying to increase my HP and acid resistance so I don't make the mistake of challenging the Gwen progress game while grossly unprepared again.

[Psycho_wolvesbane]

With a high enough maneuver bonus I would recommend rocking around 8-9 VP, if you get to 10 them you can always reset it for -2 affection. The benefits of high VP is the bonus damage multiplier gained from multiple massages in a row followed by a maneuver with greater strength.

[l371c4]

With a high enough maneuver bonus I would recommend rocking around 8-9 VP, if you get to 10 them you can always reset it for -2 affection. The benefits of high VP is the bonus damage multiplier gained from multiple massages in a row followed by a maneuver with greater strength.

Does that typically offset the random chance for minus in maneuver strength caused by having VP overload? What would you say is a high enough maneuver bonus? I think mine is sitting at 5 right now.