Hey! First of all, let's get things right off the bat.

Whether you've already played the interlude, "The Assistant", or simply just waiting for its public release on the 25th of November, I hope you all enjoy it regardless.

It's been getting mixed reviews, and I understand them completely. To be honest, I had my reservations about it as well, but in due time I realized making it was exactly what I needed.

First, it was a breath of fresh air. Creating The Arson Betrayal was starting to burn me out and was killing my ideas (too much ideas can drown anyone out). I know the story and the characters, but working on something, no matter how much you love it, starts to get to you as time passes by. "The Assistant" gave me a chance to recover from said burnout and gave me a sense of renewed hype in creating the main game. It gave me fresh ideas, several new things I want to try putting in the game, and overall, it helped me iron out a few writer's blocks I've been having the past months. Least to say, I am now prepped and excited to work on Act II, more than ever before.

Second, it helped me test the limits of the laptop I currently work on. You all know I've worked my old laptop till it eventually just gave up spontaneously (may it rest in peace). Now, with the help of "The Assistant", I managed to see just how much I could do with this in the future chapters of The Arson Betrayal. You'll notice it from a wide array, such as that there are now more characters in a single scene, or even the laboratory, which was made using different assets, meaning I don't have to rely on premade maps anymore (imagine the possibilities and fictional places we can create!)

Lastly, it helped out clear up a few kinks and holes, or even questions, in the plot. Having a character explain every bit of plot in the dialogue, for me, would be just too tiring. It's the main reason why I opted to, instead of having this huge block of text be delivered by a certain character, I decided to go with storytelling. As they say: "The best way to tell something is to show it."

Nevertheless, whether you've loved "The Assistant" or not, I still thank everyone for their continued support on the game.

Now for future stuff!

Alice and the gang's story continues in Act II - Chapter I. I'll be announcing the release dates in the following weeks. As for the content? It'll be long and worth the wait, I promise!

"How about reworks of earlier chapters? Will it come in between of updates?"

Nope. I'll rework chapters 2 and 3 but I'll be doing it with the new updates of new chapters, to make sure there's new content for everyone, but at the same time, reworked chapters for those who want to make a new playthrough. Again, my reworks are mostly just dialogue and visual changes, so no need to worry about needing to play the game again.

"How about future interludes? Will we be having non-main characters like "The Assistant" again?"

Again, nope. "The Assistant" served its purpose, both personally (for me) and story-wise. Future interludes will be literal interludes featuring our main cast and harem!

That's all for this developer's log. Cheers, and I'll see you all on the next chapter!

~ Crispy