Wow, a week's gone by already? Time flies when you're smashing bugs. After spending all this time on the front lines of the war against imperfection, we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our extensive Trello list has shrunk to nearly nothing. Shy some of the most important changes coming, we could easily wrap what's left in a mini-patch.
Though, we want to be sure everything is solid before we sound the "ALL CLEAR" alarm and fully invite all you holdouts to return to the fold and (properly) enjoy your first playthrough.
So, we'd like to request anyone and everyone willing to beat the heck out of our game to don their armor and put it through its paces. Bring us your most ridiculous behaviors and unimaginable action combinations, we want to find every last hole in the hull. We'll be watching Discord and the forums very closely to gather every issue you can bring us. With luck, our next patch will be the last before we can finally start working on new content additions. We thank you in advance for this trial-by-fire.
Notice:
Players importing from ASM with "perfect" endings may still want to wait. Due to reasons we'll outline in a future post, your timeline needs a little more work before it's functioning as intended.
Here's what's in the update:
Prevented background 'crossing' character from using player's model
Disabled access to Unter in the 'return home' epilogues
Blocked players from getting on 2ELF roof by walking through walls
Corrected placement of child sprite when they're playing Fire Escape at the arcade
Added sandwich investments to the PC at home during 'return home' epilogues
Fixed some sticky chairs in the player's house during the 'return home' epilogues
Removed Mel's sprite from the window of her room while she's sleeping
Players leaving the pool in some places will no longer be teleported to the wrong fitness center
The 'return home' epilogues now accurately deduct hospital bills and deferral fees from accounts
Players can now change party members without ditching their current
Added gamepad support to the firing range at Easy Target
Ensured that your ex-wife or ex-husband never answer the phone once divorced
Fixed some hygiene items that were applying negative values to the player's cleanliness ranking
Added 'Latest Chapter' data to save screen for controller players
Prevented players from unexpectedly wearing towels after showering in prison
Replaced a missing portrait when your spouse asks you for bacon and eggs
Made extra safety checks to ensure the bus doesn't drive away before you finish your reading
Divorced players will no longer see their ex-spouse's portrait in menus
Added extra dialogue to Casey when players visit the apartment a second time
Made the couches, chairs, and television in Casey's apartment fully functional during second visits
Resolved outstanding timeline conflict for players who go to jail for trying to steal a gun
Removed lingering traces of sunset animation for a select number of players
If your husband or wife get naked in the bedroom, their reflection will no longer stay dressed
Stopped your spouse from unceremoniously responding after the 'Rival Lied' finale
Prevented players from getting stuck if stung by a scorpion at the edge of the desert maps
Edited a bunch of reported typos for Comedian, Ricky, Big Deal, DeMarcus, Shelly and other NPCs
Ended the player's cellphone animation appropriately after Casey calls without your spouse present
You must now keep chickadees in your inventory until you're out of the wastelands
Added comments before typing in jail to remind player that the epilogue is forever
Fixed some issues with the cooking system regarding ingredients, and spices
Made all BFs top conversation priority be your book during your reading event
Removed all time expense on washing a light amount of dishes at home
Reduced the time expense of washing a lot of dishes at home by half, added a comment for it
Finishing any amount of dishes will now conclude the washing machine and coffee maker cycles
Changed cooking to only expend time if you've cooked 6 or more meals in the day
Allowed laundry to resolve after cooking two recipes in a row
Deleted a problematic NPC
Ensured right type of keyboard appears for controller players during the finale
Enhanced "Controller Mode" added to the options menu
Improved callback reference of Mason's panel accusations for players with dead MC or Sam
Improved callback reference of Mason's interview for players with dead MC or Sam
Improved callback reference of newspaper article for players with dead MC or Sam
Removed conflicting dialogue in Mason sequences for players with "perfect" endings
Added functional garbage cans throughout the game
Once again, if you've got the time and energy to put Sometimes Always Monsters to task, we would greatly appreciate all of your feedback. We're very close to a clean experience for all players, and with your help we can achieve it in no time. Thank you again for all your support and passion!
- VD
Good Progress & Guides - Build Update #414
Our bug list is starting to get pretty short. Though, after 6 updates it's to be expected. Just about every bug thread in the forums has been resolved, and we're starting to chip away at the big continuity update that will resolve some lingering timeline issues for save import players.
If there are any lingering minor issues after this update, do let us know in a thread or our Community Discord so that we can address them before the big "All Clear" update. We're really trying to hammer out all these pesky little things while we prep the bigger problems that mess with storyline.
Here's what's in the update:
Replaced sprite for Alex in City of Kings movie with newer one
Edited some misgendering of the rival's corpse
Changed pass-out location for overdrinking at the 2ELF night club
Added some puke after player passes out in the 2ELF night club
Pablo's shopping list will now recognize fruits appropriately
Updated Detective Ricky's conversation to better recognize if there's been a death
Fixed the Pregnancy Test (again) so that it works for all genders
Fixed the Teeth Whitener (again) so that it can improve hygiene a lot, but only once
Updated Prison store with more items, and toiletries.
Made sure that spouse will receive the breakfasts they ask for
Interview will now automatically begin when you sit in the appropriate chair
You should now be able to leave the wardrobe in the psych ward, no problem
Players who went to jail on a specific day could bypass timeline and miss their book reading
Fixed issues with DeMarcus double-triggering his angry conversation in the gun shop
Theater films now burn an appropriate amount of time when viewing
Television shows now include a small notice to indicate the passage of time
Prevented Ophelia from reappearing once you finish visiting the psychiatric ward
Prevented some of Alexa's texts from repeating in the Haunted Mansion
Improved accuracy in the Shelly/Authors text regarding your final day in Slab Town
Made getting an Unter in Gator Bay during party night more difficult
Added new sprite and improved animation for gun store clerk, when shooting at player
Updated Steam icons to differentiate them from forthcoming LASER DESTROYER TEAM album
Also, we made a little guide:
We realized a lot of people were very focused on the writing/eating/sleeping loop of the game and not branching out in exploration as much as we'd hoped. So, we thought it might be worthwhile to make a little guide giving an overview of the potential event options players can experience on any given day.
Spoiler Warning:
This guide will spoil many events within the game, and should only be used if you're okay having a diminished sense of discovery in your Sometimes Always Monsters experience.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2051380033 Feel free to use it, if you're not sure where to go, don't like exploration, or just want more guidance in your experience. We'll consider in-game options to help with player direction, but the unguided freedom is a core feature of Sometimes Always Monsters, and we don't want to mess with it too much.
As always, thanks for the bug reports, informative reviews, and good talks in the forum.
- VD
Lots of Little Things - Build Update #413
Many people don't remember, but the release of Always Sometimes Monsters had a lot of bugs and issues when it first came out. We had some big issues to clean up, but apart from the most obvious problems, a lot of little things went undetected until much much later. That's just the way things were, back then.
This has been a really different situation for Sometimes Always Monsters, as the increased traffic on the Steam Forums and the rapid contact provided by our Community Discord is revealing all the small things at a much faster pace. It's really a very big difference for QA, and makes it more straight forward for us.
So, here's a patch with over 50 improvements and tweaks. Getting this much done in a single evening sprint back in 2014 would have been impossible. Thus, we are grateful for the ability to do this stuff.
Here's what's in the update:
Activated the water coolers in all the gyms
Fixed a bug where players would get stuck in their chair after regaining sanity in the finale
Expanded the divorce ending, including a unique epilogue
Prevented your ex-husband/wife from reappearing in your house after divorce
Added new answering machine response when calling ex-husband/wife
Re-enabled pizza deliveries in the divorce epilogue
Edited some typos in the achievements
Verified that Landry's gift achievement triggers properly for all players
Fixed a couch in the house that would leave players in sitting position forever
Added extra per-city explainers to the clerks at the gyms
Improved description texts when using gym day pass and membership cards
Removed local gym memberships from inventory when leaving town
Required purchase of new gym memberships for each unique city gym (sorry!)
Made towels free to take for all paying customers at the gyms
Fixed direction/result accuracy for the mirror in the Church of Reflection
NPCs will stop asking you for drugs all the time
When an NPC asks for a sandwich, they will now accept any variety you make
Made the stray cat lady as hard to find as her cats
Removed a sticky portrait from the town drunk in the Quarry Bar
Stopped follower NPCs from getting stuck in inappropriate walking loops
Made it easier to notice the blankets you're looking for in the Haunted Mansion with Alexa
Verified that the achievement with Yasi and the fortune teller triggers accurately
Stopped players from walking/sitting on the table with spilled water all over it in Quarry Bar
Stopped players from getting stuck when looking at the mirror in The Church of Reflection
Added some comments regarding the spilled water in Quarry Bar
Barfly's Cure All now cures hangovers properly
Fat Burner Pills now increase fitness (if at low level), but make you hungrier
Eye Drops will now prevent people from noticing that your character is stoned
Mouthwash now increases hygiene no more than once per day
Addictoral now reduces cigarette cravings by one value per day consumed
Teeth Whitener now improves hygiene by a lot, but only works once
Pregnancy Tests now provide appropriate results for all possible genders
Sleepeez now lets you ignore needs before sleeping, but may cause you to sleep in
Dookieral will now cure an upset stomach
Anvil Tablets guarantee your ability to keep writing extra, when you would go to bed
Body Mist & Body Spray now increase your hygiene a bit, once per day
Perfume & Cologne now increase your hygiene a lot, once per day
Body Mist/Body Spray & Perfume/Cologne can clash with less desirable results
You can no longer walk underneath Hung Chan while he's picking a lock
Players will now get a new notification to visit Ophelia in Portsmith if they re-read email
Shopping for ingredients with Pablo should now resolve appropriately
Pablo's shopping list can now resolve if he's with you presently, or not
Spouse will no longer have blank dialogues in the Alien Museum
After feeding your spouse, they won't ask for food again the same day
Shampoo now works when showering, and increases hygiene a little bit
Conditioner now works when showering, and increases hygiene a little bit
Decreased base shower (rinse) hygiene improvement (start using soap, etc)
Condoms will now be used during sex (if a male is involved)
Adjusted some hospital dialogue for transgender characters
Made some differences for gender-specific content if if player or spouse is transgender
Stopped household toiletries from vanishing out of the player's inventory at home
Toilet paper is now bought in packs of 15 units
You will now lose a toilet paper every time you shit, but your booty stay cleaner
Yeah, that was a lot to get through. Though, thanks to the excellent reporting the community has been delivering, it's become relatively easy for us to fix these little issues quickly. Please, keep it up!
With this update, we're starting to see the end of our laundry list and will slowly be able to get into continuity improvements, new story content, and other feature additions that you have been asking for.
Until then, keep messing around with the game and have fun!
-VD
Setting The Stage - Build Update #411
A long time ago, when we were first charting out the timelines we wanted to build for the game, it quickly became apparent that a number of players would have to play as Sam; a character that they might wholly despise. We pursued that path because of the unique gameplay opportunity we could present the player, giving them the chance to self-sabotage their rival from within their own skin.
One thing we're still trying to figure out is how to adequately communicate the type of control or freedom that's given to those certain ASM import players. We want our players to know that it's okay to hate the protagonist of this game, and to willingly destroy their life. It's actually quite a lot of fun to do!
We think that the new Continuity Updates outlined below are a good start for some of the cases.
Here's what's in the update:
Stopped Ruth from turning into Hassan when she sat down in some places
Added lottery tickets with ludicrously low odds and high payouts
Gave voices back to the unique hobos near the funeral home in Slab Town
Edited some typos in Alexa's book reading scene
Prevented the bartender in the break room from over-serving you booze
Fixed injury diagnosis from doctor after getting hit by a car
Made the hospital receptionist in Gator Bay and Slab Town actually help you
Fixed a glitch where players could get stuck in the chair during the finale scene
Stopped your spouse from walking infinitely after you smoke cigarettes with them
Added lettuce to the BLT recipe
Updated recipe for Ball Park Franks
Prevented DeMarcus from entering Easy Target anytime except during his mission
Fixed a glitch where the table could start floating in the finale sequence
Removed an inappropriate dead body from the player's chair in the finale sequence
Increased quantity of toothpaste gained through purchase to 8 units
Continuity Updates:
Applied sequence for ASM imports where Sam was killed by Mr. Parker in the casino
Applied sequence for ASM imports where you kept the book, paid Sam's debt, and got married
Improved sequence for ASM imports where you kept the book, but Sam got married
Each of these updated continuity sequences give earlier indication that your timeline is being read appropriately, and to give greater foreshadow for what's to come. Obviously this decreases some of the surprise we'd saved for the end-game, but it's worth the trade off, if they bring extra clarity.
If these scenes help clarify the storyline a little more, let us know. Since we started this process of bringing the deep cuts to the forefront, we've realized more opportunities to inject extra content like this at various parts of the game. If you all enjoy this kind of content, then we'll keep doing more of it.
Also, if you feel that we've got something wrong with them, let us know. We've both been putting in long hours for these updates, and fatigue makes mistakes. There's only two of us, and many more realities.
We really hope you like the pieces, and that they help you understand where the story is going much sooner. Also, that any major issues you've encountered have been resolved by now. Drop us a line in our Discord, on the Steam forums, or write / update your review for the game to let us know how we're doing.
- VD
A Small Addendum:
For the sequence where you kept the book, paid Sam's debt, and got married, there is still another update needed for the finale. We'll work to have that concluded as soon as the devs can get some rest.
Sorting Out Continuity - Build Update #409
There are a lot of different ways that ASM could have ended, and we've got storylines on chart for each of them. However, sorting the backend logic of all these continuities has been a real challenge for us, as one overlooked factor can cause a completely outrageous scenario to play.
We're currently working on making sure that every import is playing as intended, and that the new early-stage sequences are playing for the right players. Our update yesterday only got it halfway right and some of you saw a new scene erroneously. Apologies, we've updated the conditions in this patch.
If you think your reality isn't being respected, take a look at the cases outlined at the bottom of this post and see if there's an update relevant to you forthcoming. We've have a lot that'll be released in the next few days, and we want to make sure you understand the story as intended.
Here's what's in the update:
Giving flowers to Rose at Meaningful Motherhood now removes them from inventory
Edited several typos while playing C&C with Sheena's friends in the arcade
Moved a horse out of Kralskod's way
Removed a duplicated line from Sheena's post-play sequence talk
Made Sheena realize the day she played C&C on wasn't always last night
Fixed an animation glitch when Casey calls the player in Gator Bay
Edited a typo in Ruth's achievement "Swordsong Chronicles"
Removed a suggestion to call Shelly if you already called her while on balcony
Gave the spouse some things to say during your visit to the alien museum
Shelly now gives greater warning about the boredom/tedium of skipping the tour
Added an emergency rescue service to the phone while in the wastelands of Sequoia
Prevented people from using any cell service while you're in the wastelands
Added some additional confirmations that you've successfully imported a save in intro
Prevented the player from unintentionally rejecting their lover's kiss during TV time
Talking with bus friends now satiates loneliness
Masturbating with a rubbook or tugbook now satiates loneliness for up to 3 times longer
Dramatically decreased loneliness probability by 50%
Added extra phone calls for those who left their spouse at home
Increased duration of loneliness satisfaction after calling your spouse
Fixed the lock on calling UNTER after visiting the psych ward
Replaced missing art when Mel's paintings are put on the table
Updated conditions for the new "Paid Parker" scene we added yesterday to only play for ASM players who paid $10k, gave Larry their journal, and did not get married
We also added temp conditioning for new early-game sequences for the following ASM imports:
Sam is alive, and MC is author and married
Sam or the MC is dead and haunting the other
These new scenes will greatly improve narrative clarity for certain ASM importers. If you fit these cases, expect the next update (Build 410) or the following (Build 411). If there are other import cases you think need addressing, please comment below.
Once more, thanks for your patience and feedback while we assure everything's working as intended.
- VD
Adapting to Feedback - Build Update #408
We've been reading a lot of the feedback and doing our best to understand some of the issues people are having with the game. The largest being, people seem to be missing a lot of the game's content because they're very focused on writing their novel.
We want people to be aware that the game will not tell you to when or how to explore the cities, or lead you to the best content. If you stay inside and do nothing but write, there's a good chance you'll miss a lot of great stuff. So, we're adding a pre-game notice hinting so.
The second largest complaint was from import players who saved up the $10,000 to pay for Sam's gambling debt in ASM. Most in this case are confused about the continuity of the sequel, and why they're not playing as the protagonist they expect to be.
So, we're adding some extra content to reveal pieces of the story a little earlier in the game. This will help ensure players understand that their specific timeline has been considered much sooner.
Of course there are more complaints (many we agree with) that we'll be remedying in the near future. So, we thank you all for your feedback and helping us understand how things are presented.
Here's what is in the latest update:
Removed duplicate character from Spouse's epilogue
Added preface to vignette scenes for context
Posted a design philosophy explainer in preface to the intro
Fixed issue with epilogue spouse changing sprite inappropriately
Reverted leftovers back to their original design
Prevented players from teleporting out of the epilogue by getting too drunk
Updated prisoner "Lucy" sprite to appropriate female model
Fixes for controller users unable to leave showers
Trisha will no longer force you to smoke a cigarette after going to the club
Cleaned up some typos in the C&C fantasy game with Sheena
Allowed all gambling machines to update your status with the casino
Prevented player from eating and sitting inside Shelly, while she's already on the couch
Smoothed some party movement for groups going to the gun range
Updated flower cart store wallpaper (no longer Bullet Burger)
Changed actors in the film City of Kings
Fixed an issue where some theater chairs forced endless movie watching
Prevented players from watching a movie twice in a single theater showing
Fixed an issue in the Gun Range where your spouse's sprite would turn into Yasi
Made bus friends aware of Hermes' return after he goes missing
Recipe for PB&J Sandwich now works as intended
Prevented re-entry to Kingston Mansion once finished Alexa's adventure
Fixed a hard lock with the Kingston Mansion attendant
Once completed, book readings will now vacate from phone notifications
Enabled player movement after they regain sanity from their final delusion
Dream sequence trigger for import players who kept their book (paid Mr. Parker) in ASM
Added the ability to feed treats and food to the dogs
The update should be live now, and ready for download. We hope that you find some changes here that you can appreciate, as we continue to steamroll any more bugs.
- VD
Sometimes Always Monsters - Build Update # 406
Launch day was crazy and we're so happy that so many of you have been playing through the game. The feedback has been great, but also embarrassing. When we set to launch, we genuinely thought the game was relatively problem-free.
While there haven't been too many game-breaking issues, we're getting a lot of reports about little issues that need to be solved. So, we are hammering them as fast as possible.
We're really grateful to those of you who encounter bugs, and report them. There's only so far our 2-man team can get when testing a game with this much variance, and so we appreciate the communication (especially our Discord crew). We will continue updating the game, until the game is issue free.
Here's what is in the latest update:
Fixed librarian's inability to recognize religious books
Added new pathway in the "No Contest" path against the librarian
Fixed all the chairs in the library to work properly with followers
Added cinnamon to all Drug Stores
Unlocked the doors to the Voodoo House in New Creole
Fixed issue with incorrect Player / Rival names in finale
Removed improper follower from spouse's epilogue
Updated the portrait art of Lindsay to her final version
Added post-quest recognition for Sheena
Added extra one-time dialogue for Sheena after you play C&C
Updated the home sink to allow players to wash hands
Changed the home sink cabinet regarding permanence of toiletries
Replaced (old) clothing with proper clothing after showering at home
Slowed down some rocket hobos that caused infinite loops
Fixed broken look with Detective Ricky that caused some to quit tour
Prevented followers from re-entering the Church of Reflections
Wrote a pinch of extra content for one of the endings (sleeps)
Killed a man (or woman) named SoClose
Implemented new verification system for wedding suit / dress display
Added soap functionality to gym showers (improves hygiene more!)
Returned clothes to player inventory after they shower in the gym
Fixed the dialogue display for the jumping coach in New Creole
Fixed some dialogue awkwardness with Soleil Park ticket vendors
Reset score counters when you finish a game of Pocket Car League
Removed lingering portrait from Spouse's conversation about article
Deleted odd "shoe rack" comments from the bar wall
Added reasons for spouse to let you go to Stalker Media alone
Non-compliance with jail processing will no longer strip you naked
Added spouse / friend spotters and watchers when working out
Added new workout type Squattos on the southern benches
Gave spouse some comments about tipping the comedian in the casino
Applied appropriate portrait to Benny the bouncer
Added hair to prisoner Lucy's sprite
Game-wide fix for skipping delays during dialogue in cutscenes (sorry speedrunners!)
Expect another update tomorrow. There are still about 15-20 things in our Trello to fix.
If there's anything you want to let us know, leave a comment below or drop us a line in the Discord to keep us informed on your pressing concerns.
After 6 years of development it's a pleasure to finally release this game. We're so glad that so many of you are enjoying it, and are slowly uncovering all of the options and variety that we have baked into this crazy RPG.
We are monitoring the forums and our Community Discord daily and will be pushing updates as needed. Feel free to drop us a note and tell us what you think of the game, who you chose to take on your journey, or anything else!
Finally, we wanted to thank everyone that helped us get to this point. Whether you backed the game years ago, or just spread the word today, this tremendous launch could not be what it is without your support. We appreciate your love for this project so much.
Enough said. Go play the game!
- VD
Launch Pricing & Discounts
With only a month left until Sometimes Always Monsters finally releases, we've had a few questions about pricing. We thought we'd take the opportunity to make the announcements now so that nobody feels left out or misses their chance to get the best deal.
We’re offering Steam Key pre-orders at VagabondDog.com for $14.99 USD
During the first week of release, we will be offering a more moderate discount.
Of course, even if you're already set to get the game on April 2, 2020, it would help us a lot if you wishlisted the game before launch day. It's like blessing us with your algorithmic influence!
http://store.steampowered.com/app/441440/
Finally, we've been posting some new screenshots on our Twitter. If you're just can't wait for release, hopefully some of these will help soothe the continuing agony of waiting.
Once again, we can't wait for the big day to finally arrive. April 2, 2020 is a lot closer than it seems, and we're thrilled that all of you are so excited to play the game.
SAM Launch Trailer is Live
What's up, Vagabonds?! The launch trailer for Sometimes Always Monsters is officially live. Go check it out!
[previewyoutube="1mrSelnqaLM;full"]
Like what you've seen? Good. We've been working really hard on it for a long time.
Consider adding Sometimes Always Monsters to your Steam Wishlist. It'll remind you about release and discounts, as well as help us with some promotion.
Also, if you haven't already, consider Joining our Discord. It's a pretty cool community, and we post news there regularly.
Anyway, it's back to working on the final touches and such for us. We're still an incredibly small team and this game's gotten way bigger than we ever really intended. Thanks for your support and we'll talk soon.
Wow, a week's gone by already? Time flies when you're smashing bugs. After spending all this time on the front lines of the war against imperfection, we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our extensive Trello list has shrunk to nearly nothing. Shy some of the most important changes coming, we could easily wrap what's left in a mini-patch.
Our bug list is starting to get pretty short. Though, after 6 updates it's to be expected. Just about every bug thread in the forums has been resolved, and we're starting to chip away at the big continuity update that will resolve some lingering timeline issues for save import players.
Many people don't remember, but the release of Always Sometimes Monsters had a lot of bugs and issues when it first came out. We had some big issues to clean up, but apart from the most obvious problems, a lot of little things went undetected until much much later. That's just the way things were, back then.
A long time ago, when we were first charting out the timelines we wanted to build for the game, it quickly became apparent that a number of players would have to play as Sam; a character that they might wholly despise. We pursued that path because of the unique gameplay opportunity we could present the player, giving them the chance to self-sabotage their rival from within their own skin.
There are a lot of different ways that ASM could have ended, and we've got storylines on chart for each of them. However, sorting the backend logic of all these continuities has been a real challenge for us, as one overlooked factor can cause a completely outrageous scenario to play.
