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ShadowRx In reply to ShadowRx [2018-04-04 20:06:31 +0000 UTC]

That's right, folks, we're teaching dA hacking 101... come on down! Bring the family! (or not... even though this version is not mature, future versions of this game will likely be)

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ShadowRx In reply to ultimaweaponffx [2018-04-04 20:00:18 +0000 UTC]

-Yes, and let me explain why: the duration of the exercises is based on your stats, specifically it is the triangular stack(1+2+3+...) [which is just a hair above the 1.5th power if you want a faster approximation] of your primary stat average. This means at her low starting stats of 3, she can only work out for about 6 minutes; at the average stat level of 10, it becomes 55 minutes; once her stats get truly exceptional, she may be working out for days or even weeks at a time.

The amount of resources (secondary stats, and nutrients) required/used are multiplied by the number of hours performing the activity. (as well as weight and metabolism, for the nutrients)

Currently, there is no way to select a shorter workout (but I think I should add that option), based on the amount of resource you have left.

Each activity uses a different balance of resources, running and jogging are especially taxing on health and regeneration. Currently, resources only recover during rest- they should have a gradual passive "drip" over time, something I will have in the next version. The (primary) stat boost for each workout activity is directly based on how much it depletes each resource (secondary stat); Health is END x PHY, Regen is END x SPD, so by taxing these, running and jogging also build them.  Part of the idea here is to have you switch up your workouts to train some stats while still resting/recovering from others- unfortunately, that is difficult to do in the current version (since you can't chose workout intensity, and there are many exercises you can't do in the parking lot~ so until other locations are opened up with the next version...)



-Indeed, its not implemented yet. There are meant to be many different ways to earn cash, working there will be one of them; it will be easier to get the job after you move, as living in their parking lot doesn't look great on the application. I also plan to add a few random opportunities, such as finding a wallet or larger bill in the lot, or coming across a potential mugger and taking their cash. Almost anything is better that the $1/hour you can earn by scrounging the lot (it takes 30 minutes and yields $0.00-1.42 each time)

One major thing I need to do is allow you to consume a full package at a time, not just a single serving. I should also let you see the nutrition information before buying or eating something. Also, once you have better accommodations, it will be easier to cook and have healthier and more filling meals.


-Yes, I'm replanning the way the aisle system is displayed, it definitely gets crowded fast. I'm thinking that only one aisle should be open at a time (have it auto-collapse the others). This is something that was painful to work on in twine (creating links in a for loop is very messy, as the link-contents don't process until clicked... this means that by default every link is the last item in the loop instead of what it should be), to get around this they tell you to run the link through a print macro, which will write the current value instead of the last when clicked, but that is where it gets rough as you are toggling in and out of quotes and the slightest thing can throw off the parser. (the code can look identical, but something as small as an apostrophe in a comment section in another passage can cause this to spit out garbage) Not making excuses, but that's why I didn't rework that before this release, it simply would have taken to much of my time and patience, and would have pushed back the launch by several more days.



-Also yes, while I have made stats front-and-center, I do also need to describe her appearance and add a lot more narrative passages. At some point, I plan to add renders as well.



I know you had been waiting patiently for over a week for this upload, so I didn't want to postpone this version any longer. (but I also knew I couldn't post this until the body size calculations were available, so again I was up till 4 rushing to get this posted.)



Thank you



I plan to add more options for karma as well, especially the ability to use it to raise core stats.

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ultimaweaponffx In reply to ShadowRx [2018-04-04 22:13:10 +0000 UTC]

Wow, thanks for the in-depth reply!

Now that I see how the stats work, I think you should go ahead and add the option of selecting how much time we can spend working out. While it would feel accomplishing reaching a point where you can train for multiple hours (or days) on end, the sheer effort put into preparation for the exercise would kinda kill the momentum of the game. I mean, by that point, Cindy's ATP would have to be in tens of thousands - if not more - if she doesn't want to suffer weight loss after completing the workout? That's like, a whole truckload of gummy bears to eat. (btw, gummy bears with mixed nuts are, in my opinion, the most versatile combination of food for now)

Hmm... so the supermarket job would be available after getting better accommodations. That's fine and all... but even the crappiest place has a rent that someone needs to pay. So maybe the first job option should be something really bottom-tier, like a street sweeper. Hell, maybe even a lemonade stand if things are really that desperate. ^_^;

Oh, and thank you for explaining what karma is. I assumed that it was the game's version of a luck stat, rather than a second type of currency. Like, I honestly thought that it gave me a higher range of money found while scavenging and better results when working out. Didn't realize that it would be more like "skill points" in its utility...

Lastly, one question I forgot to ask earlier: do you have any plans of maybe adding a metric system for the measurements or will it just stay in imperial?

That's it for me! I'll be sure to follow how this game develops in the future!

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ShadowRx In reply to ultimaweaponffx [2018-04-04 22:59:35 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, I need to add a way to increase your ATP reserves with stats, will probably be PHY based. Might change how weight gain works a bit... as anything up to the reserve wouldn't count toward the gain. Actually, maybe the change is even subtler, I mean, up to now we aren't accounting for her Creatine store, which converts spent ADP back into ATP.  And high protein foods are the best source of Creatine and its precursors...

Its not so much better accommodations as it is different ones... perhaps if she parks/sleeps somewhere else they won't count it against her. (might also help if she gets a PO Box). I'll have to tinker a bit, but under certain circumstances they may overlook her staying there as well. Plus, there should(will) be a lot of other opportunities to make money besides a 9-to-5-er. I'll try to come up with several options for the next update.

Karma does open up new opportunities, so it will likely factor in triggering lucky finds as well. (such as a $20, $100, or abandoned wallet) But, aside from the "look for change", the current version is lacking such opportunities.

Working out/or otherwise doing difficult/challenging tasks is the fastest way to earn karma in HardLife.


And, as far as currency, the core role playing engine/rule-set I've been working on for the past 20 years (PSL) uses Karma as a universal currency and form of energy, to and from which any other energy can be converted. The idea there is you can use it to reshape the world, or yourself, or push beyond normal limitations using this alternate fuel. Anyway, the core for this game is (very) loosely based on PSL. Expect to see more versatile
implementations of karma in future games.


Yes. Metrics is a good idea. I've been wondering what to place into the settings menu, an imperial/metric toggle would be a brilliant first option.
Ironically, in PSL I use metrics for the core, then convert them to imperial for player convenience, while in HardLife I actually based some of the core on the relationship between Imperial measurements (like using height in inches as theoretical minimum bodymass for skeleton, organs, etc.)


I'm glad you like it, hopefully I've reflected her challenge in the beginning without making it too difficult. (will definitely add better ways to earn money and faster ways to carb-up, such as eating the whole bag)

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ShadowRx In reply to chorcen [2018-04-04 19:13:31 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, that is a bit extreme... but, looking at your weight, you've been starving yourself.

Many of the measurements, especially waist, are very dependent on weight. Its difficult to get enough calories in to keep weight up, especially as her metabolism increases. I might add something that increases weight slightly with some stats, but right now weight is based entirely on calories in vs calories burned. (and actually, you're getting credit twice from the calories on food, since it adds both the raw kcal number and the protein/sugar numbers, which equate to 4-4.5 kcal per gram).

I plan on adding an option to consume the whole package, not just a single serving, and I do need to further test and possibly refine her metabolism- the game should probably display her RMR - Resting Metabolic Rate, so we know how many calories she needs even before exercise.

It looks like you were on the edge of getting the nominal debuff, "dead from starvation", which happens when weight is less than height (in inches).

I see the regen is still slow to fill, I ramped it up, but perhaps not enough. The Run and Jog exercises drain this stat fast, and Calisthenics uses a fair amount. The idea is that they help raise it quickly. Every action uses ALL of the secondary stats/resources, and the amount of primary stat gained is directly proportional to the amount of related resource it depletes. The max for those resources is the product of the two stats that make it; regen, for example, is END x SPD , which means your maximum for that resource is about 185.

The intensity of the exercises automatically scales as your stats increase. (the time spent is calculated as the triangular stack of the average, in minutes. This means that at stats of 3, she works out for 6 minutes; while at stats of 10, she works out for 55 minutes. At you current stats, her workouts are over two hours long [123.159 minutes], so they will take a bit longer to recover from. Unfortunately, with the current content, the game doesn't give you much to do for that time besides working out and sleeping.)

I definitely need to work on how the measurements were calculated, I rushed them a bit last night trying to get the game ready to post. (I'd been promising to upload this "soon" for over a week, and in that time I've had little sleep... been working past 4am every night on this.)

In the next version, you will be able to use karma like experience points to raise stats directly. For now, karma has two uses:
1. gives you opportunities that might not otherwise be available (for the moment this is limited to searching the parking lot for change, which takes about 1 point of karma to find $0.00-$1.42)
2. creates a bit of padding for dangerous activities (for the moment this is limited to stealing from the store without being caught, which takes roughly 3x the item price in karma to do. Getting caught, in theory, is quite bad as she is dependent on that store for all her food/needs)

I've been toying with the idea of having hygiene products (which are not yet programmed) help refill the regen resource, which in turn refills the health resource.

And, yes, I plan to add many more ways to earn income in the next version, along with some other housing options and better resting conditions. (sleeping in the car is rough)


When calories, sugar or protein fall too low, you will lose weight; when they are too high you will gain weight. Currently, that is the only way for weight to change.



Regeneration helps recover Health
Metabolism helps recover Stamina

otherwise all the resources recover based on their parent stats, albeit slowly.

Perhaps the exercises are taxing this resource too much (to build on it)... well, its early and the game will need a fair bit of rebalancing.

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ShadowRx In reply to Capt-Pun [2018-04-04 18:30:35 +0000 UTC]

1. click the link/thumbnail in the description, that takes you to sta.sh

2. once in sta.sh, the download button should open the game in the browser,

3. if not, then save the file and open it in a web browser
(the twine editor is webkit based, so Chrome is probably the best browser to run it in, but it should work in anything but older versions of IE)

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