Hey folks!
The Scarlet Hollow Rumors Update, a 60,000-word expansion to Episode 5, is out now! This is the last major content update before the release of the game's final chapters. If you've yet to play Scarlet Hollow, the release of this update is the perfect time to catch up, and the game is 25% off on Steam for the next two weeks!
On top of this, we've also just released a new Supporter Pack DLC on Steam that contains a lossless version of the game's soundtrack (over 80 tracks), 34 pieces of concept art, and over 85 HD wallpapers. This DLC will continue to update with additional tracks and art in the future.
If you already own at least one of the (now retired) soundtrack DLCs on Steam, you've either already received this new DLC as a free upgrade, or will be receiving it shortly.
As for what's in the Rumors Update...
SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT
The Episode 5 panic sequence now has an option to visit Scarlet Hollow's First Baptist Church if certain conditions have been met.
We've gone to great lengths to expand the lead-up to Episode 5's farm sequence across most methods of reaching the farms, this includes:
If the player travels with Avery to the farms, there's a new transition scene that takes place during the ride over.
If the player travels with Doctor Kelly to the farms, there's a new transition scene that takes place during the ride over.
If the player was arrested, there's a brief transition scene that takes place during the ride to the farms.
Stella's farm sequence has been greatly expanded.
For players reaching the farms alone, with Reese, with Doctor Kelly, with Tabitha, and with Stella, there's an opportunity to discuss the situation with Irma before continuing forward.
The player's rescue from the squad car has been expanded.
The Tabitha office confrontation has been rebalanced. Overall, it should be more difficult to get the "breakdown" resolution than it was previously, though it should be a little easier for builds that were underpowered for this confrontation.
Keen Eye has received significant buffs, including access to new information in the Estate, unique dialogue options for the Tabitha office confrontation, and gentle social cues that give the player a sense of what actions might be received well or poorly in high stakes social situations.
If the player is romancing Reese in a worldstate where they used the (Hot) trait save in Episode 4, they will now have an option to insist they talk to Tabitha instead of being forced to go to the farms.
The Fusion!Avery sequence has been reworked for greater visual and textual clarity.
Added a confirmation screen before taking The Roads Untraveled route in Episode 2, with in-universe narration suggesting that the player might miss out on things by staying at the Estate.
We think this route provides a compelling perspective on certain characters and events, but it also makes the game’s social elements harder to navigate, and it makes it easy to miss context around Avery and Julius. We think it’s best to take on a second playthrough, but we also don’t want to fully restrict players from taking options that feel correct for their characters. Hopefully this nudge balances things out!
Expanding on the above, the player now has the option to return to the Estate in Episode 2 after visiting town, allowing for more exploration (General Store + Diner) without committing to the Stella/Kaneeka library route. This opens up Avery’s content and Julius’ introduction in the diner while still allowing the player to roleplay as avoiding danger and respecting Tabitha’s wishes.
Removed the Street Smart requirement for giving Isaacs the player’s contact information specifically for The Roads Untraveled mines route. This should both open up more story avenues for players taking this route, and serve to boost player relationships compared to the default route. Snitching on the strike should give the player an opportunity to avoid Tabitha’s hangout without taking a further penalty to her relationship, and also opens up an opportunity to take a hangout with another character.
Avery’s brief scene in the general store in Episode 3 now occurs across all playthroughs. Previously, it only occurred if the player missed Avery’s introduction in the first two chapters.
Powerful Build can now prevent Tabitha from sacrificing herself in the player's stead.
Our original plan for this update was to add an extra resolution to the clinic conflict where a player with Powerful Build could use the axe to subdue Reese, allowing them to replicate the outcomes of calling Tabitha to the clinic without her presence. We ultimately decided to cut this addition because it wasn't meeting our quality standards, and it felt like it undermined the development of other characters in the scene without meaningfully heightening the narrative in other ways.
Instead, we've removed the interaction where the player can pick up the axe during the clinic conflict.
Loosened the restrictions on starting Oscar's romance.
There's plenty of other small changes sprinkled throughout the text for you to find as well
Happy hunting!
Tony and Abby
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