A major roadmap update is here, adding relationships to the game (platonic, romantic, and more) and changing how you interact with NPCs. You can now officially have an exclusive romantic partner, regular FWBs, ongoing rivalries, and more. New date/hangout types have been added, NPCs now have more predictable nightlife schedules, and you can now approach and talk to any NPC at your current location.

This update involved extensive changes to core systems and intersected with basically every area of the game. As we move forward, relationships and NPC interactions will continue to be fleshed out within this new framework. Extending relationship and NPC interaction content will continue to be the focus as we move on to developing the July update.

Thanks as always to the contributor team, who added quite a lot to this update!

If you're not aware, we're maintaining two parallel development cycles:

• The monthly update might contain new event sets, new locations, or new mechanics, but usually focuses on extending existing content or polishing existing systems. It comes out once a month with whatever we got done in that time period... hence the name!
• The roadmap update checks off one or more items on the roadmap, adding extensive new mechanics and a bunch of related new events in one go, often fundamentally changing how the game can be played. It usually takes multiple months.

Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

v0.5.0h release notes:

• Over a hundred new events scattered basically everywhere throughout the game
• Friendships and romantic relationships are now a two-way street and are no longer simply defined by how an NPC feels about you — you decide whether to count them as a friend, or decide together whether you’re going to date officially
• Similarly, you can choose to have an ongoing rivalry with NPCs who dislike you
• Lust-based relationships can also happen, with both friends and enemies
• Form friendships and experience positive events that help you manage your needs
• Form more lustful relationships to get more easy and casual encounters
• Form romantic relationships, including the ability to have an official boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
• Form rivalries to have regular confrontations with others, with a boost to Composure if you come out on top
• Dates, hangouts, and booty calls are now more important than ever, and help to nudge an NPC toward the type of relationship you want to have
• Romances can be advanced through hitting particular milestones: the first date, the first kiss, and others. These can be done in any order
• Each NPC has a favorite date location depending on their personality and interests, and taking them there is one of the milestones!
• You can now choose your character’s turnons and turnoffs, which can impact your character’s reactions at times
• Your character may develop crushes on NPCs if they match your turnons. You can follow your character’s whims or ignore the crush
• Many romantic relationships are exclusive, but some NPCs are willing to have open relationships or may be polyamorous
• Cheating on an exclusive partner is tracked, and if you’re observed, your partner’s suspicion may grow — assuming you’re not caught outright!
• When suspicious enough, your partner may confront you, at which time you can confess or continue to lie. Results vary depending on the partner’s inclinations, your ability to lie, and whether you’ve been caught cheating before
• If you displease your partner, they may break up with you, though there’s often a possibility of talking your way out of it. Similarly, you can choose to break up with them by first texting them and asking them to meet you
• New date/hangout type: dorm study session, a way to get homework done while also advancing your relationship with somebody. And if you have a FWB relationship… it’s a classic pretext!
• New date/hangout type: the Arcade. Good for fun, games, and romance!
• New date/hangout type: the gym. Get a full workout while also having fun with a friend or date
• Some NPCs are inclined towards D/s relationships in which the dominant can set rules for their submissive to follow
• Some NPCs will be in exclusive romantic relationships of their own. This doesn’t make them off limits, but you’ll have a harder time tempting them, depending on their inclinations
• New Cheater and Loyal inclinations affect how an NPC will respond to your advances when they’re in an exclusive relationship, and you can also unlock them yourself depending on your behavior
• Existing relationships are now favored when it comes to socializing at the park, in dining halls, or at the bar, as well as picking NPCs for events in general
• A portion of NPCs have never had sex before, and you can be their first time!
• Added Demisexual, Asexual, and Aromantic inclinations that the player can choose at start
• The Best Friend’s storyline has been slightly revised, giving you a path toward changing your relationship that does not require completing the quad party storyline
• The Classroom Harasser and The Classroom Admirer storylines have both been revised, fleshing out their characters and giving them each a new event set at their own location where you can choose to interact with them daily if you want
• Best Friend, Classroom Admirer, and Classroom Harasser storylines integrated with the relationship system
• Attitudes will now gradually decay with people you haven’t interacted with recently
• The Legislator menu has been refactored, making it easier to add new foods and have NPCs pick sensible items. No more vegans ordering steaks!
• The inclination system is now smarter about prerequisites and opposites. You cannot embrace an inclination that’s the opposite of another that you have, and you cannot reject an inclination that’s a prerequisite for one you have
• Though the River Rat is the place for casual hookups, you now have the option to ask someone for a date as you’re chatting at the bar
• The much-asked-for ability to go for round two when you stay at an NPC’s place overnight
• Ongoing saves will be populated with a few official friends and rivals to get things rolling
• Gloryholes now become accessible once you have done the gloryhole dare (other ways to discover them will be forthcoming) (contributed by Meat Glacier)
• Alternate way for male characters to become suspicious about the quad party milkshakes (contributed by sleepy)
• New toy site added that players can discover in various ways (contributed by Enigma)
• Added some variations to watching adult streams with different skills raised (based on contributions from Shiro)
• NPCs now have predictable nightlife schedules, places they’ll be hanging out in the evening, that you can discover over time so you know where to find them
• You can now approach and speak to any NPC at your current location. You can build friendship with them in this way as well as steer your relationship toward various less platonic goals, and... you can ask them their name!
• Phone numbers are no longer automatically gained as you learn an NPC's name. Though you'll often still be given an NPC's number freely as you build friendship with them, you can also ask for their number as a separate interaction. This has also made your list of NPC contacts more consistent and less bug-prone
• You can now discuss and renegotiate your ongoing romantic relationship with an NPC (contributed by sleepy)
• Misc fixes, tweaks, and a bunch of other stuff

Note: If you were part of early access, a reminder that the early access version will no longer be updated (until the next early access period). Please migrate your save to the current public version using the save export/import function (instructions are on the early access page).