Happy Halloween! Is the sun shining where you live? Well, it should be, 'cause the Packers beat the Steelers! 

…. Uh, never mind... 

It's been a frenzy at AATV Headquarters, testing constantly over the last two weeks. We're glad this next build didn't take another 18 months to accomplish. Let's get writing, he said. Let's get arting, he said! To recap, Build 0.5 included Danny's Part 2 and an expansion to Exploration segments. It had a bug that prevented some of the exploration content from being discoverable, so build 0.5.1 was released a month later (April). This update included a couple new features, including named saves so you can keep better track of which character path you've chosen.

Build 0.6 continues to expand Part 2, this time with Chet (our "canadi-yote") as the main focus, and Part 1 of Byron's route is now fully complete. It is by far the most words I've written for a single build. It is essentially three routes in one update, with Chet having two possible sub-routes that ultimately join up again toward the latter half of Part 2. I did this to save myself from future pain, but it required some creative effort. Byron (the beaver DJ) was also expanded through the end of Part 1, meaning all Part 1's are done!! His storyline is one of my favorites, truth be told, because it's going to change your perspective on this rascal - for better or worse. He ain't perfect. 

IMPORTANT: This is the first (and last) content warning for anyone who has read Aaron & The Void previously. This build introduces full nudity and sexual content for the first time. Survey results showed there is a large majority who want it, but there are some people who'd "rather not" engage with sexual content, and that meant I constituted a warning. In Build 0.6, any not-safe-for-work (NSFW) content will be behind a NSFW option menu. If you absolutely do not want to see NSFW content beyond what's already appeared in Aaron's story, choose the safe-for-work (SFW) menu option. In future builds, a switch will be provided in the Preferences menu that lets SFW readers hide NSFW options, so as to not interrupt the flow of the story.

Alright! With that out of the way, let's go over briefly what's changed since Build 0.5.1.

New Content:

• Chet's storyline is expanded through Part 2.
• Byron's storyline is expanded through Part 1.
• Original music compositions by Leslie Otter!

Story edits & changes from Build 0.5.1:

• Chet's and Warren's sprites have been overhauled!
  • If you've been paying attention, that's two sprite overhauls for the coyote. Given his likability, I didn't want to stray too far, but this is his last overhaul. I'm happy where he's landed, and hope you are too.
• Byron and Finn's sprites were updated.
  • While in Donchito's club, you can meet Byron's roadies on the patio (yep, it's finally open!)
• A slew of new characters!
  • What does a bat look like in Aaron's universe? An aardvark bouncer? A cranky crane? A buff badger? :3
• Due to Aaron's hesitance with mirrors, a small portion of Rodrigo's Part 1 was rewritten.
• In the Void, a chair at the table was referenced but never visually seen. I've now added a chair. Woohoo.
• Build 0.6 ends all support for the deprecated Malik route. You will not be able to load a save for his route from any point past the character route select screen.

Known issues:

• Older save compatibility:
  • If you have save files from 0.5.0 or older, they will not contain the name of the character route you are reading.
  • Because Chet's sprites were updated, you may fail to see his new Character Sheet image load.
  • We have done another music upgrade to improve code, which may result in older saves containing silence at first load when music should be playing. Keep reading until it kicks on again.
• Mobile and tablet compatibility:
  • I had to do some last-minute adjustments to provide better legibility on mobile phones (In some cases, your phone's resolution is so good that the novel assumes it's a 'tablet' and the text is unintentionally small). Let us know if you are having trouble reading and interacting with the novel.
• With Chet's and Warren's sprite update, you may notice differences in the coloration of his fur when he switches expressions. I'll work to remedy this in a future release.
• There is no safe-for-work filter available. Please take the necessary precautions, and read what you're comfortable with.
• The functionality that runs Zeke's Glossary was upgraded in Build 0.5. As a result, readers may have all definitions unlocked before reading them in the novel. The glossary is usable but not optimized for mobile readers.

Enhancements & fixes:

• Quality-of-life:
  • Fixing general spelling and grammatical issues.
  • Image compression is ongoing, to keep download sizes low.
  • Many "..." lines are being removed and replaced with pauses, since they serve the same function anyway and reduce clicks.
  • On the History page, all text is the same font size for easier reading.
  • The Quick Load and Quick Save buttons have been removed from the quick button menu (Desktop only).
• In Exploration segments, options are color-coded (not white) if they are exclusive to a character's route.
• Aaron's Zekese Glossary (Zeke only) user interface has been improved, and a quick button was added for easier access (Desktop only).
• Custom name entry code was updated to prevent certain character names and symbols. In most cases, it provides a default value in case you don't want to type anything or don't have an idea on what to type.
• Character Sheet enhancements:
  • A visual error with Pierre's sprite has been fixed.
  • A quick button to the sheet has been added for easier access.
• Fixed skipping issue in Void dream sequence that corrupted the background visuals.
• Fixed an Exception error toward the end of Zeke's Part 1 route while texting them on the phone.
• You can no longer ask Warren about more than one topic in the Part 2 exploration sequence (Chet and Danny only).
• You can no longer click through the Part 1 or Part 2 slides (they operate like cutscenes).

Conclusion

Build 0.7 comes next. Obviously?

We will be working on Rodrigo's Part 2, as he has not received an update since 0.2. The alligaytor is so, so lonely! 

We also want to create an Explorations screen tracker so you can come back to reading without fear of forgetting what you explored. These two tasks alone are more than enough, or we'll end up taking another six months…

Thanks for reading, and as always, stay safe out there. Much love <3 

-E