Thank you to everyone that bought and has been enjoying the game, it means a lot to the team and I. We've been gathering the list of bugs and improvement requests from everyone and will be pushing out a number of updates over the coming weeks and months. We know that some of you have been getting this awful save game bug and all I can say is that we're super sorry. The issue turned out to be way more complex than we initially thought and stems from a handful of early decisions we made during the development of the game regarding how data was handled, which then went un-noticed as the game changed format from a "card" game-like experience into a more narrative-driven story experience. The good news is that Sven has hopefully found a solution to the problem and will be working over the coming days to get the fix in place. In addition to this fix, there are a whole bunch of other fixes we're adding which can be seen below: Patch Notes V1.0.3 - Bug Squash - Save game bug fixed - Fixed registry problem that caused issues booting the game. - Corrected text for reputation tooltip - Fixed missing > causing markups to appear in timeline event entries - Fixed issue with chapters ending in an empty screen that required a reload to continue - Fixed issue with codex entries starting in an unlocked state - Fixed issue with objective text overlapping - Fixed issue with missing characters on the codex - Fixed issue with text not rendering correctly - Fixed the issue with the game failing to load on the second playthrough
Once this patch is out we'll be shifting onto the QOL patch along with Mac/Linux support. This Patch will include some, but not all of the following (Would be good to know what you feel we should prioritize): Patch Notes V1.0.4 QOL + Linux/Mac Update - Linux Support - Mac Support - Notification system that shows when new Codex info is unlocked or when an important decision has been made - Adjustable font size - Faster auto text - Make auto text appear instantly on click - Tooltips for resource trackers - Explanation of how the resource and world state systems work - Option to disable visible resource pips - Controls Remap - Decision Tree Visualization or choice history log - Right-click to leave the Options menu - Make the whole left/right of the screen clickable for answers - Additional tooltips are needed for things like PA-AI, Some things to help with Auroras choice of where to get food/water or employment - cases where the choice isn't obvious and causes a negative outcome even though theres no moral quandary. - Change it so Speech has a different font/look compared to Narrative Text. - Remove Text scrolling from Narrative cards and apply it to Character Speech instead
And finally, we have a bigger update planned for a bit later: Patch Notes V1.1.0 The New Game+ Mode with Failure States - Upon completing the game, New Game+ Mode unlocks - It introduces Failure states - Changes to the Resource system - Min/Max values have been increased - Hitting a min or a max will with one or more resources will cause a Failure to trigger - The Resource Icons at the top of the screen have had an update to show the new thresholds with +/- 0-29 being a Neutral World state, +/- 30-59 being a + or - 1 to World state, and hitting +/- 90 causing a Failure and Reset. - Upon getting a Failure you will be Reset to the last checkpoint (usually the end of the last narrative sequence you played) and your Resources will be reset to the last value threshold, ie 0, or +/- 60. - You will then be presented with a new random batch of moral dilemmas to complete. - The number of Moral dilemmas you can get in a sequence has been reduced, so Chapters 3,4, and 5 should be a bit more streamlined. - There are 29 possible Failures to unlock - There is a new Codex Page to view all of the ones you have found - There are several new Achievements to unlock associated with Failures.
Hope you're excited about the patches and as usual let us know what you think in the discussion forums or come speak with us more directly via our Discord Justin & The Dream Harvest Team

Hi everyone, just a quick, minor update based on the bug reports we've been receiving from some of you. Here's the change log:

• Fix rare cases where the save file could get corrupted. This is now fixed and a corrupt save file affected by this should be automatically repaired.
• Show an error if a save file is corrupt beyond repair
• Fix some data issues
• Add option to disable vsync and set a framerate limit
• Some other minor fixes to tooltips and card wording

Take on the role of a newly created sentient AI and navigate the ethical complexities of managing a cyberpunk city in the gripping visual novel, NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy - a cyberpunk visual novel where you play as a new sentient AI guiding the city's populace! Will you lead them to prosperity or ruin? NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy is a cyberpunk visual novel inspired by 'Reigns,' featuring light city management and moral dilemma mechanics. Players assume the role of an AI created to manage a city and act as an advisor. As citizens come to them with their problems, they will be challenged to balance the needs and wants of the city's many inhabitants, ultimately determining its fate. Over the course of the game, players will learn more about the people of Catena and see how they react to their new AI assistant. Will they see you as a friend and helper, or will they react with fear and suspicion? Each decision you make affects four aspects: the city's order and prosperity, and your reputation and power. Can you keep them all balanced, or will you lose control?

Twas the night before Release, and all through the studio, not a creature was stirring, except for the frantic coder debugging the final build! Thats right, its almost there. After much blood, sweat, and tears, weve finished NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy and it releases on May 4th! We're thrilled for you to dive into our story, where we explore the fascinating role of AI in society. Our team chose the cyberpunk setting as the perfect backdrop to delve into this thought-provoking subject. We can't wait to hear what you think! As you step into our cyberpunk world, you'll have the chance to meet 23 distinct and unforgettable characters. Our cast includes the ambitious Khorto, his devious intern Patrizia, the jolly grill cook Papa Ru, and a mysterious kid lost on the streets of Shentilar. Each character plays a vital role in our exploration of the complex relationship between AI and society. Weve been lucky enough to have found some incredibly talented actors to bring our diverse cast of characters to life. You'll hear every emotion and inflection as you journey through our thought-provoking narrative. We cant wait to hear what you think and we hope you enjoy our story. Stay tuned for more news as we embark on an exciting new project where terrifying monsters lurk in cobblestone streets! [previewyoutube=VoDJBhsOKy0;full][/previewyoutube]

Hi Everyone, Justin, project lead here on NeuroNet. As promised I wanted to give you all an update on where we are with the launch of the game. For the past few months, weve been polishing, balancing, bug fixing and implementing many of the requested features that came up during the Steam Next Fest demo back in October. These include: [olist]

Tooltip system that gives you additional information about things in the city, which can help with making choices. [/olist] With all of these additions and changes, we ended up having to rework quite a bit of our original code which as a knock-on effect has put us a tiny bit behind schedule. We originally planned to Launch at the end of Q1 this year, but we need a tiny bit more time to get everything where it needs to be.
Were super close, with only the following left to do across each aspect of the game: ANIMATIONS

• Write Importer for Spine Animations
• Assign animations to each Event
• Test each event to make sure nothing is wrong with animations or transitions

UI

• Test that all Codex entries trigger as expected
• Test UI layouts across all screen sizes and aspect ratios
• Finalize Options menu elements.
• Add Tooltip notes for all relevant events.
• Test Interface for Mini-Games as they change interactions quite a bit.

AUDIO

• Dialogue Mastering (About 50% complete, should be done in the next couple of weeks)
• A few additional music pieces need writing
• Music Mastering
• SFX Mastering
• Final Balance mix of each scene
• Test all audio triggers and music loop points and fades.

ACHIEVEMENTS & OBJECTIVES

• Test that all achievements and objectives trigger as expected and are tracked in-game.

GENERAL TESTING

• Make sure all narrative paths work and are completable.
• Make sure all endings trigger correctly

STEAM/EPIC STORE SETUP

• Trading cards testing
• Achievement testing
• Build/Deployment setup

As you can see from the above, there are lots of little things we need to finish up and polish, but were getting there. With just Sven and I working on all of this, with some UI help from Declan we need a bit of extra time. With this in mind, the launch is going to be delayed a tiny bit. It's not what we want to do, but we do want to make sure NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy is as good as it can possibly be when we launch. I can't give a definitive launch date yet as some of the stuff above is unpredictable in terms of the amount of time it will take to do, but rest assured that were working as fast as we can to get the game into your hands as soon as we can. Thanks for being a part of the community and as always, if you have any questions about anything feel free to message me or anyone else on the team. Justin & The Dream Harvest Team.

[ 2022-03-28 13:17:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Initializing Initialization complete. Welcome to the EGX, G.Round playtest of NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy! From this weekend you'll able to dive into NeuroNet in person if you're heading to the Eurogamer Expo (Leftfield Collection). If you can't get down, you'll be able to visit G.Round to download the demo outside the Steam platform! Rebooting... Initializing Initialization complete. Hello World! //BEGIN TRANSMISSION You are Mindcore's new artificial intelligence created to manage Catena's city affairs. We have entrusted you with tackling tough issues that will benefit the city's growth and prosperity, while also keeping in mind the balance between citizen needs and your own moral compass that will grow as our knowledge increases. The responses you choose will ultimately shape Catena's future. On the left and right sides of your neural graphical interface, you'll notice that there are two options, you simply choose one of them by sliding it in that direction. Eventually, we plan to expand your outreach into many different areas around the city, giving you greater influence over the daily lives of our citizens. But first you'll need to convince The Board at MindCore to fund your continued development. The future of Catena and its citizens will be determined by your choices. Do you have what it takes to take the city into a future of prosperity or will you end up watching it all come crumbling down? //END OF TRANSMISSION We can't wait to hear what you all think of NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy! Thanks for playing! The Dream Harvest Team https://store.steampowered.com/app/1423000/NeuroNet_Mendax_Proxy/

For our second stream, we wanted to let you know that you'll be able to join studio founder, Justin French, to play through the NeuroNet demo. With 90 minutes on the clock, he's looking forward to you joining him, taking part in the discussion and getting your thoughts on the game. Be sure to pop it in your diaries: Date: Sunday 3rd September Time: 8:30pm BST until 10:00pm. Location: The NeuroNet Steam page! We'll see you there! /NeuroNet Team https://store.steampowered.com/app/1423000/NeuroNet_Mendax_Proxy/

With the Next Fest hours away, we wanted to let you know that you'll be able to join studio founder, Justin French, to play through the NeuroNet demo. With 90 minutes on the clock, he's looking forward to you joining him, taking part in the discussion and getting your thoughts on the game. Be sure to pop it in your diaries: Date: Saturday 2nd September Time: 8:30pm BST until 10:00pm. Location: The NeuroNet Steam page! We'll see you there! /NeuroNet Team https://store.steampowered.com/app/1423000/NeuroNet_Mendax_Proxy/

Hey there! We're incredibly pleased to announce that our Next Fest demo is now available, and we'll be participating from October 1st, right through the 7th! Amongst hundreds of other games available, this will be the first time that NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy is playable. As a story-driven adventure that invites you to make quick-fire decisions, you'll need to manage a city and the expectations of its citizens. Every choice you make will drive the story, and you'll encounter dozens of characters along your journey.
Inspired by Reigns, players must make quick-fire decisions that impact the future of the city and the prosperity of its citizens. Every choice matters and every decision has a lasting impact on the characters you meet and the wider city status. From helping jolly Papa Ru to turn his food truck in downtown Shentilar into a successful business, to grander city-wide choices like aiding the politician Denton Talingrey, players will find themselves faced with moral dilemmas, where there are no right choices, just a city in need of direction, with you at the helm. We can't wait to see what choices you take. Will they allow the city to prosper or set it on a path to ruin? /NeuroNet Team https://store.steampowered.com/app/1423000/NeuroNet_Mendax_Proxy/

Hey there! In just over two weeks time, NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy will be playable for the first time during the October Steam Next Fest. This is a significant milestone for the studio, not only to get the game in your hands, but to gather feedback and gauge audience reactions to what weve been working on for so long. NeuroNet is unique and to be brutally honest, its hard to pigeonhole it into one specific genre. In some ways, it plays closely to the incredibly popular Reigns. You can make quick-fire decisions (or left and right choices) which leads to an outcome and progression, but thats probably where the similarities end. Instead, NeuroNet focuses on a story-driven experience thats wrapped with stunning artwork and fully voice acted characters. The biggest divide between the two games, however, is that Reigns often sees players solely focus on the resource bar at the top of the screen in order to guide their decision making: thats something we really wanted to step away from. Simply put, we want players to make a range of decisions, from the challenging to the mundane, but we dont want them to be influenced by a user interface but instead by their own, personal, moral compass. [previewyoutube=VoDJBhsOKy0;full][/previewyoutube] As for NeuroNets story (dont worry, no spoilers here!), this is something were incredibly proud of. It explores our relationship with technology and the impact this can have on our lives, while dealing with challenging themes of morality, corruption and greed. You play as an experimental AI under the ownership of the megacorporation Mindcore, and youve been charged with meeting the needs of the citys inhabitants. Whether thats aiding them make simple decisions in their daily lives, such as helping jolly Papa Ru to run his food truck in downtown Shentilar and turn it into a successful business, to grander city-wide choices like aiding the politician Denton Talingrey. Every decision you make directly affects the story and how the city views you. Youll even receive regular reports as to just how well (or poorly) youre thought of and how your choices impact every aspect of the city.
With multiple endings, key decisions you make can lead to very different outcomes and as you progress through the games chapters, youll not only uncover the mysteries surrounding your creation, but also the true motives of characters you encounter. From corrupt CEOs, to journalists, shop workers and lab technicians, youll meet over 20 characters along the way. On October 1st right through to the 7th, youll be able to download NeuroNet on Steam and experience all this for yourselves. We cant wait to hear your thoughts, and to see what decisions you take. Will they be the right ones for the future of the city? There isnt long to wait to find out. /NeuroNet Team https://store.steampowered.com/app/1423000/NeuroNet_Mendax_Proxy/

Hi, Im loc Bramoull, the Art Director and sole artist on NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy. NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy puts the player in the shoes of Arc, an AI designed to manage the city of Catena. Through Arcs journey, players visit a large number of locations and meet a diverse cast of characters. Each character has their own problems that need solving and ultimately players must make decisions using a simple Tinder-like interface where every choice impacts the balance of the city across 4 resources and the narrative path that the player will take. This post gives a breakdown of my process across the development of the art for the characters, locations and UI that I developed.

CHARACTERS

ENVIRONMENTS

USER INTERFACE & BRANDING

I left the office last Friday with a cocktail of emotions. Primarily, I was feeling exhilaration from the announcement of NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy. The reveal of our upcoming game resonated deeply with a core tenet I hold as a game designer; I was a kid with a new toy, eager to share it with his friends. Contrary to my excitement was a sense of relief. For the past few months, Ive been dancing around the questions hows work going, whats this new project about, and when will we know more? Now, I can finally talk about NeuroNet.

Introducing NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy

The Story of NeuroNet

Stories About People

More Than an Aesthetic

Humanity in the Machine

Looking to the Future