theshadowwalkers

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

[theshadowwalkers]

Join The Shadowwalkers Discord!

From March 15th-25th, the official Discord will have a limited beta. The invite will be open to anyone during this time, after which it’ll close for a time as we do a test run to see if it works as we want, get some feedback, see if Discord is the way to go for this project. If we go this way, then the server will open to the public at the same time as the demo releases, which will be pretty soon after if everything goes as planned. So if you want to be a part of the limited number of people who’ll join first, click the invite!

Also, we’re looking for a couple of mods, so if this is something you’d like to do, you can say so inside the server and try it out during this limited beta.

#the shadowwalkers #the shadowwalkers IF #interactive fiction #discord announcement #discord server

[theshadowwalkers]

The Races of Enschka - Height Chart

This was created a few months ago for the supporters on Patreon and I’m releasing it in preparation for the demo release. The announcement will come very soon! As usual, I’m always up to answer worldbuilding questions if you have any, it’s literally my favourite part of creating and writing in this universe that’s so important to me.

#totl #totl art #j'kaï #ahn'né #asiki #ondine #drac #fée #worldbuilding #world of enschka

[theshadowwalkers]

🌹🌺🌸🌼🌸🌿🌻

flowers for u

thank you for sharing your game and the amazing world u've made

omg how did I miss this???? never got the notif for it, this is so lovely, you've made my entire day. I love u. Please know that today's coding session of the demo is dedicated to you in my heart

#mako talks

[theshadowwalkers]

Protecting Your Alpha Build, Early Access & Side Content

It’s an inevitable part of making an interactive fiction game that someone will, at some point, leak your in-progress work.

This sucks. It will feel personal. It will hurt. It’s not a great feeling knowing that something you’ve spent years creating, something that you’ve put your sweat, blood, and tears into is essentially being pirated. Developing an IF is demanding, to the point where many games cannot get off the ground if the author does not have enough funding to make ends meet. This is a full time job to many of us and we are dependent on Patreon and Ko-fi as platforms to make a living. Part of running a platform like that is offering exclusive paid-for content, often in the form of alpha builds, early access, NSFW content, and side stories.  

IF developers are not massive companies with billions of dollars to throw around. We are independent authors, often working alone, often just scraping by, making games that will eventually be fairly low cost to purchase or completely free. Unfortunately, some players are entitled enough to believe they deserve access to free alpha or side story content at no cost to them simply because they want it and they want it now.

These people are assholes. And, quite frankly, fuck them.

If you’re an independent IF developer making your game in Twine and releasing on itch.io, here’s a few strategies to help keep your private content private.

1) Keep Your Public and Private Builds Separate

If you have exclusive content, upload it as a separate copy of the game. Do not put alpha content in the public build of your game. Anything that is in the HTML file can be easily accessed through the browser.

When your game launches, it loads through the iframe, which will display all of the content included in in your game file. This includes your JavaScript, your stylesheet, and the contents of every passage, including ones locked behind a password. Even if you’ve password-protected sections of your game directly in Twine using something like HiEv's Simple Password Hiding, it can still be easily bypassed if it's part of the public build's files.

A solution to this is to make different builds depending on your needs. When you upload content to itch, set your builds that are not intended for public access to Restricted mode.

This will block the project’s page from being viewed by anyone who does not have the password. You can then input a password for your patrons and supporters, which will be properly encrypted by itch.

Restricted mode will prevent your game from showing up in search results and it will also not display on your profile.

In my case, I have three builds for Wayfarer:

Public

Playtester

Alpha

The top one is the public build, which anyone can access. The Playtester and Alpha builds are both in password-protected Restricted modes.

When I do my updates, I compile each build separately (I am usually changing version numbers and a few different things between them, so they contain slightly different information), treat them like three different games, and make three separate ZIP files for upload.

2) Do Not Use Draft Mode to Share Content

Draft mode is another private mode on itch.io. It is intended to be a draft of your game page, so you can get all your information, assets and files together before you hit publish. When your project is in Draft mode, it is unsearchable and no one can access it except those with Editor permissions. However, Draft mode comes with something called a “secret URL”, which bypasses the restrictions. Anyone with the URL can access the game page.

Do not use the secret URL to share alpha or exclusive content. Because anyone with the URL can access the game page, it is essentially a public link. Secret URLs should never be handed to patrons or even your playtesting team. Only use it for situations where you need a second opinion from trusted individuals.  

3) Change Your Passwords Regularly

Passwords can still be shared, so it’s a good idea to change them regularly on a monthly or bi-monthly schedule.

If you run a Patreon, keep a pinned post at the top of your Patreon that has all your current build details, the link to your alpha build (or side content) and its current password. This way it is easy for your patrons to find the access information, as well as any patch notes or game updates they may have missed.

4) Download Keys

Alternatively, if you don’t want to use passwords, you can integrate your itch.io and Patreon accounts and give out access keys to your patrons. Download keys grant permanent access to the restricted project’s page, content, and files. Download keys are associated with a single itch.io account and cannot be shared.

Information about download keys is found under Edit game -> Distribute -> Download keys. You can create keys manually, or configure your settings to generate bulk keys for your patrons based on their tier level.

However, if you do decide to go this route, you may run into difficulties if your Patreon is in a different currency than your itch.io currency. (I ended up removing the integration as the troubleshooting was too time consuming to deal with on a month-to-month basis.)

These preventative measures are not guaranteed to work 100% of the time, but it should help discourage easy access to exclusive content. There is always the risk that your patrons and playtesters may abuse their privileges and share links and passwords. Ultimately, if someone wants to pirate the alpha build of your game, they will.

This is where the community comes in. If you are a player, discourage piracy where you can. If an IF dev is trusting you—whether you are a playtester or a patron—with early access, keep it to yourself. Don’t share links, keys, or passwords.

Even if you desperately want access to alpha work and can’t afford it, please keep in mind that IF developers are indie creators struggling to make a living. We are not major game studios. Don’t steal our work and pass it around. It’s disrespectful to us, our games, and our communities.

You are not entitled to early access simply because you like the game and you want new content badly enough.  

[theshadowwalkers]

Send me a number between 1-50 and I’ll give you my favourite lyrics from the corresponding song on my end-of-the-year wrapped list!

[theshadowwalkers]

Send me an ask with an emoji and I’ll give you lore about the ROs of The Shadowwalkers

(if you don’t mention a specific RO, I’ll answer for one at random)

💚 💚

🌲 what’s their favourite place in the Continent?

🌳 what hobby(ies) do they have?

🌱 what do they think of the MC when they meet?

🌿 what do they think of the other ROs?

☘️ who do they care most about in the world?

🍃 what do they think of the Tribute War?

🍂 what age are they?

🍁 do they have a disability/neurodivergence?

🍄 what’s their favourite outfit?

🌷 what’s their favourite time of day/year?

🌹 what makes them angry?

🌺 what makes them sad?

🌸 what makes them happy?

🌼 what is their goal/dream?

🌻 how would others describe them?

🌕 what’s their blind spot?

🌗 do they keep secrets? How big are these secrets? Are they good at it?

🌘 what do they regret?

🌑 do they have scars? Where do they come from?

🌙 do they have tattoos/distinctive marks?

🌍 are they well-traveled?

⭐️ do they have family?

🌟 what’s their specialty? (combat/magic-wise)

✨ would they kill for those they love?

🔥 what’s the worst and the best thing they remember?

🌈 if they were a song lyric? a colour? a season?

☀️ what are they afraid of?

🪐 what do they fight for?

☁️ are they religious? what roles does that play in their life?

❄️ what are their turn-on/turn-off?

Ask away!!! Get to know your future romantic options ;))

[theshadowwalkers]

hi!

could you answer

🌼, 🍄, and 🍁 for any character(s) you like?

Oooh, a good mix of questions!!! Thank you for being curious about my game, and I've very excited to share more with you!

Ask me about the ROs in my game

🍄 what’s their favourite outfit?

I'll answer for Hé'noür! Hé'noür has, by far, the best fashion sense out of all the ROs. They do have it a little easier, being an irhashal, as it gives them a little bit of leeway in what they need to wear. The Ahn'né are very practical people, so you won't see much of a fashion culture from them.

Hé'noür is a Sept, meaning they lean towards blue, purple, grey and silver, colours that are light and cold. Not much leather, but a lot of fur, and very large, ample clothing.

Their favourite outfit is a short-sleeved, long dark blue robe that wraps around the torso like a qipao, with a high neckline and a looser, open bottom half. They pair it with large, high-waisted light grey pants that wrap around the waist with strips of fabric. Then fur-lined ankle-high boots in supple leather. Then, a sort of short cape made of fur resting over the shoulders.

Here's what it'd look like:

🌼 what is their goal/dream?

I'll answer for Mehetÿl!

Mehetÿl is a very insecure person, hidden under a very convincing mask of confidence. She’s incredibly competent, and absolutely deserves the recognition she got, as well as her current post in the military. But she doesn’t lack for people doubting her, and that has been the case her entire career. It got to her. Enough that she has a bad case of impostor syndrome, and an unhealthy dose of self-doubt.

For all these reasons, Mehetÿl dreams of being recognised for the highly competent soldier she is, and the strong person she wants to show the world. She wants recognition, she’s desperate for the praise she rightly deserves. After that, her ultimate dream would be to become part of the Queen’s Guard, the highest honour for a soldier in the Ahn’né military.

🍁 do they have a disability/neurodivergence?

I'll answer for Olaÿ!

Although the word doesn’t exist, and it doesn’t work the same way as it does in real life, Olaÿ is definitely coded as autistic. His personality is deeply influenced by it, as well as his decision-making and expectations of life and social interactions. It doesn’t help that he’s a massive guy, with a truly frightening amount of power compared to pretty much anyone around him.

Like I explain in the TOTL Universe section, I started writing the book series in part to cope with my own chronic illness and disability, and it’s a central theme to the books, especially for the three main characters who are all disabled in some form or another. For that reason, a lot of characters both in the books and in the Shadowwalkers game are explicitely disabled or at least coded as such.

--

Thank you again for your questions!

Anyone else, don’t hesitate to participate in this little game ♥