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roseborough-if · 1 year

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hi! it's been awhile since we've heard from you, we hope everything's okay and if not, hopefully soon <3

awh this is sweet!! i’m fine. thank you for asking. i’ve been taking a break using this blog, because while i love and appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and excitement and all the asks you send me, it’s also a little stressful and distracts me from actually working on roseborough as much i’d like to. :”)

i’ve been having a little creativity block when it comes roseborough, tbh. it’s been a little hard to learn all the new stuff that comes with writing an if, it’s so much different than writing other original works/fanfiction. so, i’ve been a little stressed out about it, because i really want to write a good game and a good story for you guys and myself, too!!

i will try to be more active in the future, though! maybe i’ll pop by a couple days a week or something, so you guys know that i’m still here, lol.

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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fixing their tie for james, please? 😳

"We could still bail on this stupid fucking dance if you want," James grumbles out loud and you roll your eyes at her without bothering to hide your amused smile. She never changes.

"We're not bailing," you say but squeeze her hand gently, trying to reassure her with your touch. You feel bad for her, she's not really one to socialize or mingle in the crowds. Or, you know, good with other people in general.

James lets out another curse word at your declination, but she squeezes your hand back, her calloused thumb swiping across your knuckles. You're glad she's no longer scared to touch you like she was at first, not knowing what was allowed and what was not.

You shiver at the gesture and James shoots you a glance. She smirks but says nothing which makes you clear your tight throat a few times.

"I already promised Mayor Abernathy we would both be there," you say then and James sighs deeply through her nose, making sure you know exactly how much she appreciates it.

You walk for a short while longer while, holding hands the whole way, until you reach the center of Roseborough where the traditional summer dance is always held. It looks beautiful.

You stop James before entering the crowd of happy partiers and turn her towards to you before looking her from head to toe and reaching to fix her crooked blue tie. You do a quick work of it, the motion familiar by now, while James stares at your face with a focused expression, biting her lower lip.

"Okay?" you ask after you're done and pat her chest with both of your palms like you're making sure that she's really there and real.

"Okay," she answers, soft and quiet, lifting her hand to touch you. You can barely feel how her forefinger grazes your cheekbone, but it makes you feel warm all the same.

James sighs. "Let's motherfucking do this."

#srb

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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'Resting foreheads together' for Sage, please?

It's strange how easy Sage is to touch now that both of you are comfortable with it.

They are holding you so tenderly, it almost hurts; their hands intertwined with your own and your foreheads are pressed together. They stare at you straight in the eyes and you don't find it unnerving like you did before you knew him, instead it makes you feel light like air from the happiness you feel growing deep in your bones.

"I treasure you, *redacted petname*," he murmurs.

You don't quite manage to sound quite as intense as you answer with something heavy in your throat, "I treasure you, too."

#srb

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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Could you do "helping them wear their necklace and kissing their neck softly" for Will please? Tysm❤

You know Will likes to feel fancy so when you see the golden necklace in the jewellery store while visiting the city for the first time in months, you buy it with little hesitation.

You're excited and a little nervous to present it to her, but when you see the look on her face and how it lights up with delight after seeing your purchase, you know without a doubt you would do anything to make her happy.

"C'mon, put it on me!" Will exclaims, her voice bright and a little too enthusiastic to be as sultry as she probably intended.

You do as she asks, your fingers slightly clammy as you move her curly hair out of the way to wrap the necklace around her delicate neck, the little heart almost dipping into her cleavage before you clip it closed. For a while you and Will's gazes meet in the mirror and she gives you her most charming smile. You can't resist pressing a tender kiss to the back of her neck which makes Will gasp softly and lean further into you, chasing your touch.

"Thank you for this," Will murmurs then, admiring the gold on her neck, "I love it, *redacted petname*."

"You're welcome," you answer and press another kiss to her skin; just because you can.

#srb

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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Maybe 'leaving small love notes for them to find' for Juniper? :)

Juniper is always, always, always busy, and today it frustrates you more than usually.

It's been too long since you've spent time alone with faer, and you miss faer so profoundly you can feel the ache all the way in your bones. Juniper would call you dramatic if fae knew your thoughts, but at this point you don't think it's that far from the truth. You're in actual physical pain from longing.

You last saw faer properly a week ago. A week! That's seven whole days without faer comforting and loving presence.

You lie like a starfish on your bed, reluctant to get up to face the morning, when you know Juniper is long gone and currently at the clinic working and making the world a better place. You try not to feel too bitter.

Finally after a few minutes of feeling sorry for yourself, you sit up and glance at your bedside clock that reads 8:45 in the morning. You don't expect to find a small note next to it, and you blink in confusion before you pick it up, rubbing your sleep-fuzzy eyes.

The writing on the note is elegant and clearly in Juniper's cursive. You feel instantly ten times happier after reading it.

i'm always thinking of you, even when we're farther apart. please never forget that. love, juni.

#srb

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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I'm not sure if you're still accepting these prompts, but if you are could you do 'remembering their favourite food/drinks and getting them that' for Oskari?

(this is set in the time when oskari and mc were still dating.)

---

Oskari is long gone, probably on his way back from the store by now, when you realise that you're really craving for something sweet and you have nothing of the sort in the house.

You debate for a while whether to send him a quick text, but he doesn't usually read those (and is even less likely to answer them), so you just slump on your back on the couch, and pull a blanket to your chin, defeated by your sweet tooth for now.

You close your eyes and get comfy, eventually falling asleep and waking up to the sound of Oskari banging the front door closed.

"Guess, who's back! Hope you didn't miss me too bad!" he yells, like the dork he is, and you find yourself smiling rather helplessly.

"Hey," you reply sleepily when he rounds the corner and sees you lying on the couch.

Oskari smiles and bends down to kiss your brow. It's such a gentle gesture, you flush under his attention.

"Got your favourites," he says then with a small smile and hands you a bag of your favourite sweets.

You almost want to cry at the sight of them and Oskari can tell because he winks at you and taps the tip of his nose before leaving you to go to the kitchen to unload the rest of the groceries.

You immediately rip open the package and popping a candy in your mouth, smiling to yourself.

#srb

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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'trying to cook their favourite dish' with B?

i decided to take turns when i write with the gender selectable ROs and we're starting with Bo.

---

You've always figured yourself a passable cook, but today the struggle is real.

For once you wanted to be the one who woke up first to make breakfast for Bo like he does for you every day and that means that you're standing around in his kitchen at 4:30 am looking for sugar in the mess he calls his kitchen.

It's not like Bo's kitchen is untidy, it's just an organised chaos that only makes sense to him and you're still familiarising yourself with his house after getting the permission 'to make yourself at home'.

You're trying to make his favourite breakfast muffins to surprise him and Sunny (though the latter won't be up for several hours) and you're just tired enough to feel absolutely overwhelmed by the simple task.

Eventually, you gather yourself enough to make the batter and shove the muffins in to the oven just as you feel a scratchy beard against the back of your bare neck.

"Good morning," Bo says with a sleep-rough before pressing a kiss to your temple. You glimpse at the clock on the wall to see that it's a few minutes after 5 am, the normal time Bo wakes up every day.

"Hey," you say leaning into him. "I made breakfast. Your favourite."

You can't see his smile, but you can hear it in the air. "I see," he answers. "I hope you know I appreciate you and the things you do for us more than anything."

The words make you smile as well. You do know.

#srb

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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ROs reactions seeing the mc wearing their clothes? 👀

ohh........

B: a very blushy mess. can't look them in the eye without getting +1000000 psychic damage, tbh. will kiss their cheek but after checking the coast is clear, they go for a cheeky makeout session.

oskari: there's a good chance that everything oskari owns is too big on MC (the man is 201 cm and impressively built), so he will think that the sight is very cute and tease the MC relentlessly about it. if they happen to be even bigger than him, he will just go very quiet and flustered.

james: will thoroughly show her appreciation of the sight of them in the bedroom and will absolutely make them beg for it, but will also act just very moony later. "can't believe my girlfriend/boyfriend/partner is so gorgeous, i'm so fucking lucky to have them".

juniper: when fae first sees them, fae will just go: "interesting choice of attire" because fae likes to think fae is cool & collected even though fae is actually not when it comes to MC. it wouldn't a lot of fae to break down, however, if you get my drift.

will: "omg, you look so adorable!!! 🥰 that fits you so much better than me, do you want it??? please take it so i can look at you in it forever."

sage: depending on the day, they will just stare at MC for a long moment before turning their back to basically blte their first for a moment so he doesn't go too feral. he can also just have a very asexual moment, and think the MC looks very good and beautiful but not go for anything sex related.

#please tell me i still got it(tm) for the RO reactions #i'm so rusty but i love them #tales from roseborough #roseborough if #interactive fiction #if wip #romance options #ch: b abernathy #ch: oskari kivi #ch: james briar #ch: juniper starling #ch: will higgins #ch: sage moonfall

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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Do ROs prefer giving or receiving?

debating myself whether this ask is meant to be nsfw or am i reading into things sjsksjs

either way:

B: giving.

oskari: receiving.

james: giving.

juniper: receiving.

will: giving.

sage: giving.

#tales from roseborough #roseborough if #interactive fiction #if wip #romance options #ch: b abernathy #ch: oskari kivi #ch: james briar #ch: juniper starling #ch: will higgins #ch: sage moonfall

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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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.

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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Finding people blatantly sharing all these links of beta's, or drives of bonus content, or even full files of paid games... So fucking disgusting. You are taking money out of the indie creator's hand. It's not some nefarious huge company, just a single person, that may even need this money to SURVIVE...

Even if we push aside the money aspect (which like, damn it's not a lot to begin with?!?!?!?), do you know how DEMORALIZING it is to see your secret content being leaked out there? The content you had been planning/writing for months/years just taken from your hand. You don't even get to have a say in the release. SOMEONE TAKES THAT CHOICE FROM YOU. Do you know how hurtful that is?

And those places do not care that they are hurting creators. They will actively encourage those discussions. Mods on these forums will participate in those discussions. There were newly created members on that thread, a few minutes old, that requested new stuff when I checked it...

And you know how creators can counter that? Absolutely nothing that does not require a lot of Time/Money (and even then, nothing is full proof). Seriously, especially for Twine, these are the options:

Just pretend it's not there. AAA games will get cracked in days/hours even, Twine content is much easier to get than those... So why bother...

Follow Idrelle's tutorial (different links for different content, no draft mode, update passwords...), though this can still be shared around...

Get your own server, learn NodeJS or PHP to only serve a mirror to the player. But this requires you having your own server and learning NodeJS or PHP, and there is no tutorial out there because the code would be a case by case.

Turn your HTML file into an .EXE one and have a server run a DRM. Requires your own server, and also super difficult.

Obfuscate the code and/or passage map to make modifications more difficult. Still won't fix stealing files.

We share 90%-100% of our content for free on these platform. What is not shared right away will be maybe weeks/months in the future. You want something for free? Wait a bit longer OR play something else. There are thousands of works out there for free you can play right now. Honestly, not kidding about the number.

But if you choose to go to these forums and use those leaked links OR request one, I have no qualms in calling you a terrible person. EDIT: A FUCKING ARSEHOLE.

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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Stay safe and healthy! <3<3<3 Take care *inserts thousand of hearts*

this is so sweet, thank you!! 💞🥺 this time of year is hard for everyone i bet!

#mailbox #💌

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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progress update: december 6, 2022

long time no see, sweeties! i’m so sorry for my absence, rest assured that this project has been constantly on my mind and isn’t going anywhere despite my silence in here. 💞

i’m not going to go into too much detail, but i’ve been struggling for the last month or so with my mental health a lot. which is nothing new to me, but the depressive episodes still hit hard even after years of them happening like clock work. good news is, that i’m doing much better and december is one of my favourite months out of the year. 🎀🎄 i’m really looking forward to spending time with my family on christmas and just taking a breather for a while without so many worries.

you probably guessed it, but i haven’t spent almost any time on working tfr these last months and i try not to feel too guilty about it, because writing it is just a hobby after all and sometimes you need a break. the draft of the prologue is ready, but i haven’t touched it further yet, because i kind of hate everything i’ve written so far, sjksjsk. so, the demo won’t be coming for a while yet (in january the earliest), but i will be more active here this month and will be answering asks, so feel free to send them in if you want!

🇫🇮 anyway, happy independence day to my fellow finns and i’ll see you soon! mwah

#tales from roseborough #roseborough if #interactive fiction #if wip #progress update

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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hiii!! i just found this if and oh my goodness??? i love EVERYTHING so far i am absolutely in love with james like wow i am so so so very excited to play this you have NO IDEA !!! i just had to get this out ok i was sittin (not really sittin i guess?? but yknow what i mean) over here pacing around my room making noises i never even knew i could make i am just so excited

-james' #1 fan

(also hope you have a great rest of ur day/night <3)

AWWWH thank you so much!! it really warms my heart that people are still excited despite my absence. 💞

i'm going to make an update post later today or tomorrow to let you all know how i'm doing, where we're at and what is going to happen next, so stay tuned. 🥰

#mailbox

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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I've been following you for a while and i'm looking forward to this IF so much but i need to make a confession. Every time I read the blog title, the Green Acres theme starts playing in my head (if you don't know Green Acres, it's an old American comedy tv show about a rich lawyer and his princess wife moving from NYC to run a farm in some middle of nowhere small town)

skjsksjksj, never heard of it, might check it out sometime. 👁

#mailbox

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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Sorry if you've answered this already (tumblr search function never fucking works), but I was wondering if you decided what platform the game will be hosted on? If not, totally fine! I'm just asking out of curiosity! Much love 💕

hi!! ✨️ the game will be written in twine and hosted in itchio.

#mailbox #roseborough if #tales from roseborough

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roseborough-if · 1 year

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hi! just dropping by to say that this is AMAZING. i'm super excited for this!!! harvest moon (and story of seasons) is one of my favorites!!! i can't wait. wooo

aaaa thank you so much!! 🥰 to be real with you guys for a hot second, i've been feeling very unwell these last few weeks so i haven't been around, but i'm so happy people are still excited for the story, it's coming i promise!! 💖

#mailbox

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