faith of gods

{ aven | they/them } a tale of memory, identity, and the tangled meaning of divinity [demo on hiatus] | [about] | [links + tags] spoiler tag is ' fog spoilers '

[faithofgods]

Happy New Year! I hope things have been going well with you. Do you think you'll reupload the demo or come back to the WIP? I loved the fantasy world you created, and the characters (especially Sol)!

happy new year !

the game isn't abandoned and yes I'll be coming back to it / reuploading. thank you to everyone who has sent well wishes, I'm sorry that it's taken so long to return to the blog, and I'll be back to writing regularly as soon as I'm able to❗

in the meantime (spoilers below):

[faithofgods]

Hii I just wanted to check if you know that dashingdon is shutting down? I’m sorry, it’s been a while, I don’t remember if you already mentioned that you would be moving FoG if you decide to reupload it, but do you have an idea of what site you would use if you do? They were saying cogdemos.ink or of course, itchio. Anyways wishing you good luck and I hope you’ve been well! I miss you and your game ❤️

I've heard + thank you to everyone that's been letting me know !! ❤️

I'm not sure atm which option would be best for fog+future, but I'll look into both !

[faithofgods]

why would sol be upset if we ask if they slept through the night or not??

So these kinds of asks frustrate me a lot

While I'm sure it wasn't your intention, by sending me this, all it tells me is that you didn't bother with playing through the game and would rather just be told directly the context that happens within it instead of discovering, seeing, and understanding it for yourself

I love talking about the characters, I love going into motivations and intentions, all the reasons they react certain ways, how it's built up throughout the story, but I will not do the work for other people. It feels disingenuous to have that constantly asked of me as the creator, and it comes across as though the effort that's put into the game, these characters, and in laying out the pieces and building up the subtext behind their actions is not worth an equal effort in exploring any of it on your own

[solarisrenbeth]

I’ve let this sit for a couple days deciding whether or not I wanted to say anything, but as someone who has spent a lot of time + loving attention engaging with this story + these characters, I do share in the frustration expressed here.

There is a pattern on IF tumblr of expecting authors to essentially give Spark Notes-style explanations of content that can either be easily discovered by playing the game or is intentionally left ambiguous as part of the narrative. This pattern is obviously much bigger than the individual ask above, but as an example, I want to talk specifically about how this question is not only given clear context in the game, but I would also argue that the ‘answer’ is directly tied to one of the biggest plot points in the story thus far.

Here’s what I mean

(spoilers for released Faith of Gods content):

At this point in the story, we know that

the MC is experiencing increasingly intense visions + dissociative dreams as a result of a traumatic incident during which they literally died (🥴💆‍♀️)

Sol was also present during this event, + while we don’t yet know what exactly happened or how they were involved, we Do know it has made their relationship with MC increasingly painful + strained

In Ch. 2, MC has a surreal dream/nightmare/vision that leaves them disoriented (and possibly injured 🤡), but by morning they forget everything that happened the night before—including being comforted by a terrified Sol (or a curious Khiita)

So with that in mind, I’d like to present a hypothetical scenario.

Let’s say you’re woken up in the middle of the night by the screams of the most important person in your life. You rush to their side to find them severely distressed + disoriented (and possibly on the ground 💀), and not only that, but there’s a significant moment where it seems like they don’t recognize you at all. You haven’t seen them like this since the night that changed everything. But the next morning, they act like nothing happened and even ask you whether or not you slept well.

…Do you think you’d maybe be a little bit, idk, Perturbed by that? And/or perhaps the tangible reminder of the trauma you both experienced might cause you to shut down + distance yourself more than usual—especially if you happen to be an extremely conflict avoidant person? (🥴)

It may sound dramatic in those terms, but my point is that this obviously isn’t just a neutral situation in which MC casually asks Sol if they slept well + Sol randomly gets upset at the question because they’re not a morning person or something. If that were the case, a question about their motivations would make more sense + likely be way less frustrating for an author to receive. But since in that moment literally everyone other than the MC themself—readers included—knows perfectly well that Sol very much did Not sleep well (if at all), for someone to skip the step of revisiting the story for context + instead run straight to the author’s inbox for a quick explanation is the thing that feels disingenuous + disrespectful.

[faithofgods]

I totally get it can be frustrating to answer motivation asks, but for some people.... You literally can't know unless its clearly explained. I'm autistic and social cues/context are very confusing unless someone is very blunt. Yes, things may be very obvious for MOST people but sometimes it can help to ask for clarification so you can understand.

Sorry that your readers might actually wanna make sure they understand things. The tone of your answer just rubbed me a bit wrong because it's really exhausting to constantly be told to "pay attention to context" when sometimes as a neurodivergent person, you're trying your best and still need clarification.

I am also autistic. People asking for clarification of things they've read is not the issue, because I do understand that tone and subtext can be difficult and it's something I can struggle with as well (though there is a separate argument to be made about 'missing context' and 'context that is purposefully missing as a narrative device')

The problem is when it's very clear that someone is not making any effort in actually engaging with and reading the story—ie by using my exact phrasing when sending in an ask about something that has been covered on this blog an exhausting amount of times

[faithofgods]

why would sol be upset if we ask if they slept through the night or not??

So these kinds of asks frustrate me a lot

While I'm sure it wasn't your intention, by sending me this, all it tells me is that you didn't bother with playing through the game and would rather just be told directly the context that happens within it instead of discovering, seeing, and understanding it for yourself

I love talking about the characters, I love going into motivations and intentions, all the reasons they react certain ways, how it's built up throughout the story, but I will not do the work for other people. It feels disingenuous to have that constantly asked of me as the creator, and it comes across as though the effort that's put into the game, these characters, and in laying out the pieces and building up the subtext behind their actions is not worth an equal effort in exploring any of it on your own

[faithofgods]

"The differences appear any time the word cut or carved is used. You will get one or the other depending on the current state of your relationship with Sol"

Can you explain it a lil better? What is the current state if in the door it's carved? (Mine is carved)

Generally speaking, you can get an idea of the state of things by looking at the relationships tab in the stats menu but

Carved is for a positive to neutral relationship with Sol, and cut is for a currently 'negative' one, i.e where they're upset with/by MC in some way OR MC is in denial about their feelings for Sol

As of the current state of the game (Prologue to the beginning of CH3), there are five total ways to upset Sol and get cut instead of carve—while only the first way is possible to obtain by CH2's door sequence, all will have an effect on the wording used moving forward in future chapters

The first* and the version that leads to the door difference is having MC be in love with Sol but be denying those feelings; pulling your hand away when Sol reaches for it in this conversation doesn't immediately lead to the door changes in CH2, but it does affect later appearances of the word

The second, third, fourth, and fifth ways are all found in their CH3 morning conversation, though I'll only go into the second through the fourth:

For the second, upsetting Sol happens when asking whether they slept through the night or not (all origins). For the third, it happens when being faithful to Kreia, Oxanah, or Goem, getting injured during CH2, and then asking them what's on their mind in CH3 (Astium origin). For the fourth, it happens when being faithful to Oxanah, obtaining the item in CH2, and then mentioning it to them in CH3 (Mydras and Sedruadal origins)—this is also the branch that can lead to the hand kiss with them ((and while not mentioned in the linked 'guide', touch aversion also plays a part in the conditionals))

The fifth way partially relies on hidden stats so I'm not going to cover it, but with all of these, Sol will be upset and will keep their distance more than usual; the use of cut instead of carve reflects that emotional state

[eight-years-revolution]

09/20/22 — Game update 02.5 — Chapter 2, part 5

Word count with code: ~ 279k 
Word count without code: ~ 221k

Hello! The update is finally here!

It’s an exciting and nerve-wracking one because we’re back on the common route! So everyone gets to experience this new content. There are about 58k words added to the story with this update.

The update finally introduces Felice to the story. It took me a lot longer than expected to write this scene because I decided to add a little investigation scene after it. It wasn’t planned for, but I felt like it made sense that the MC would want to know more. In the end, I don’t regret adding it because there are a lot of fun little moments to hunt down in all the different branches.

It also allowed me to experiment with skill challenges which were fun! As an FYI, none of the challenges are randomized, it’s just a matter of having the right amount of points in a given skill. I’ve done things a little differently in each branch and whether you are successful or not might not be entirely obvious. The “fail” options have some interesting outcomes, either way, so just go with what feels right for your character!

I added a toggle in the settings page so you can choose to see what choice is a skill challenge or not. It works just like the show traits toggle.

One last note, this update has a scene that is a little more sensitive than usual so make sure you check out the content warnings if you need to. You can access the content warnings either through the first page of the game or through the settings.

The update includes:

Felice’s introduction to the story

Taking an impromptu bath

A mini investigation

The first skill challenges

Updated settings

Updated content warnings

Updated character sheet

Another thing to note, before I talk to you about the anniversary bonus: I removed the downloadable version of the game for now. There are some minor spoilers in the code, so I preferred to make it less accessible for now. If you have any questions on how I coded a feature in my game, feel free to send an ask!

BONUS CONTENT DIRECTORY

To celebrate the Eight Years Revolution’s second anniversary (which is today!), I decided to code a bonus content directory with Twine!

It’s a small library in which I intend to add all the snippets I’ve written on the blog for the past two years. You can recreate your character and the snippet will reflect your MC’s personality and other traits.

As of now, there are only two series of snippets available for each RO, but I plan to add the other ones in the future, when I have a little bit of free time. The ones available right now are the 250 followers celebration snippets and the “There was only one bed” ones.

Check out the bonus content directory here!

Thank you, everyone, for sticking with me and my story. <3

Links

Demo | Bonus content directory | Support me on Patreon or Ko-Fi | Join the Discord server

[faithofgods]

Hiya!! How would the Ros react when they try to give a kiss to a drunk MC (in relationship), only to get pushed away and get a “I have a partner!” because MC doesn’t recognize them at first?

Something similar (for crushing stage) has been answered before

[virtues-end]

So... I kinda lost a major source of income last month. And with the cost of living on the rise, things have been tight lately. Any support that you can offer me would be immensely appreciated. 💜💜💜

Buy Crimsis a Coffee. ko-fi.com/crimsis

Become a supporter of Crimsis today! ❤️ Ko-fi lets you support the creators you love with no fees on donations.

[faithofgods]

Idk who told u people wouldn't be interested bc I, personally, would sell my legs (lol) to be able to play a meir 👀👀

That's what side projects are for :-)

[faithofgods]

I was reading posts about Cían loving fish, so my ask is:

Merfolk!MC for Cían- yay or nay? 🤭

This isn't what was asked at all, but there are actual 'merfolk' within the world !

Native to and the sole occupiers of Azeina they, like the abi'ah, are a form of meir—localized as mer in Mydras and Astium, meirn in Sedruadal and Kison, and miir or mere depending on which region of Hyella you're in

Most have no reason to surface and visit a place as far south-southwest as Mydras, but there have been a few appearances by the princes throughout the years; exactly one of those has been during Cían's lifetime

To the point of the question, I think it'd be. More surprising to have met a 'merfolk' in the first place, and any focus would be towards the uniqueness and almost spectacle of that experience, rather than overwhelming and immediate attraction !

TL;DR is yay, but I wouldn't say he'd be any more or less attracted to one than he would another be to another human; physical appearance has never been what's initially drawn him to another, and Azen meir / this world's 'merfolk' have very little in common with general fish, so there's no immediate boost ? based on fond memories lol

[attollogame]

HAPPY 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

I'm so happy to announce Attollo is now 2 years old!! In 2 years we've reached over 400k, which is an amazing feat, and we're almost halfway through the game. I started this when I was in my undergraduate, and now I'm heading into graduate school, which really shows the passage of time.

True to my word, a lore book (35 pages long) is now available to download with the DEMO. A light version of the book is also available for those who prefer that!

I'll also be discussing first editions of char throughout the day!

With the ask box open, feel free to tell me any of the following! :

What are some of your fav moments so far?

What would you like to see down the line?

Who’s your fav RO and why?

Who’s your fav non-RO and why?

Who’s your fav side couple?

What powered ability could you imagine yourself having?

Thank you again for all of your support over these 2 years, and I look forward to another productive one!! ♡♡

[parkerlyn]

Happy two years of The Nameless! (and spread some love to @attollogame for anniversary twins! 😍)

The past couple of years have been a wild ride of developing this story, meeting some incredible friends in the IF community, (hopefully) improving my writing, and drawing more than I've ever done before. I'm so happy to share this world, and so honored that you've stuck with this story. We still have a long journey ahead, and I can't wait to continue it with you! 🥺🧡

Winners for the anniversary giveaway have been selected - please check tumblr messages and confirm within 24 hours, after which another winner will be chosen!

If you have any burning character (or author!) questions, I'll be doing a little informal Q&A and taking questions throughout the weekend. Or if you'd like to just send some warm fuzzies and let me know what you like about The Nameless, I'd always take those too 👉👈

I'll be posting prompt list works through the rest of September, so posting those again separately below.

Thank you so much again for all your support! Sending lots of hugs and love to you all 🧡

xoxo Parker

Names

Deals

Sanctum

Mortalis

Pathosi | Illusioner | Elementalist

Empty

Wasteland

Jewelry

Glamor

Stars

Aurora

Waterfall

Fire

Four

Mirror

Entwined

Alternatively, I'd love to know your...

Favorite RO

Favorite non-RO character

Favorite moment

Favorite bit of dialogue

[larkingame]

so, i finally took the leap and launched a patreon that for the moment'll feature heavily larkin related content, but i'm hoping to expand in the future with access to some of my other work!

I’m currently a college student that’s also balancing working several job to support myself. With your support on Patreon, I’ll be able to put more time into working on my writing and less time worrying about those other pesky little aspects of life >;)

there's three separate tiers ($3, $5, $10) all of which feature bonus content access, detailed writers blogs and early access to larkin updates. below is a preview of what'll be featured for the month of september!

thank you! <3

// SEPTEMBER //

WEEK ONE 9/4-9/10

WRITERS BLOG: these’ll be more detailed versions of my weekly updates on tumblr, and posted at least once a week (maybe more if i’m a little jazzed what i’m working on.) thoughts on the process, what’s happening in the story and more than likely a few coding complaints. No set day of the week for these.

SATURDAY SEPT. 10: a short story about Wyatt’s time as a hunting apprentice and a little bit about Why He’s The Way He Is.

WEEK TWO 9/11-9/17

WRITERS BLOG

WEDNESDAY 9/14: PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN - this’ll be a monthly post, breaking down all the music included in one of the character playlists i’ve made. music is a huge influence to larkin and thus a lot of thought went into it’s  playlists--it’s only fair i make some of those thoughts public.

SATURDAY 9/17: ABRAMS FAMILY TREE - a small family tree will be released for the elder branch of the Abrams Family, something that’ll eventually come up later in game.

WEEK THREE 9/18-9/24

WRITERS BLOG

SATURDAY 9/24: BETA RELEASE - Chapter Three goes out to be playtested by Larkin’s Beta Readers! Woo!

SATURDAY 9/24: CYRUS INTERACTIVE SHORT - an interactive romance short between Dr. Sokolov and the player will be released.

WEEK 9/25-10/1

WRITERS BLOG

FRIDAY 9/30: A WYATT AND BARNS SERIAL - a monthly serial style story about the heroic Wyatt Abrams and his (first!) young apprentice Barns Abrams, the vampire slaying duo during their days in the family.

[lilas]

commissioned @littlestpersimmon for portraits of Sol from @faithofgods and my augur Annie!

I love them so much, just… everything about them! 😭💕 Thank you again!!!

[if-closedloop]

CLOSEDLOOP UPDATE 02 || KNOCK KNOCK (PART 1)

Good morning, Citizen! Today is the first day of the rest of your life! Make it a good one.

|| FEATURES ||

CLOSEDLOOP is rated strictly 18+. Please check content warnings before playing.

Due to updates in coding and variables used in the prologue, previous saves will be broken. Please restart from the beginning. Restart from the beginning. Restart.

One half of Chapter 1, roughly 31k words for a total of 38.2k with code.

Customize the Citizen. Select a hair style, distinguishing features or lack thereof, clothing style, name, and gender. Choose wisely.

Visit the Database.

The worst email ever written, overpriced coffee, and the thrill of being handcuffed to a briefcase.

A day repeating.

A day repeating.

|| LINKS ||

PLAY || KO-FI (TIP JAR)

[faithofgods]

making it my routine to replay the demo every time u post something on ur blog !!!!! thank u for sharing ur amazing creation with all of us!!

Kissing you gently on the cheek..........