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Status Update #85
🕑 Added 2025-09-08 12:51:39 +0000 UTCI hope everyone's week is off to a good start! Today, I have September's first status report for you.
Our cover boy is once again Matt, this time from a series of pose and lighting tests I did after making some edits to his model. I liked how these turned out and wanted to share them with the many Matt fans out there!
The big recent news is, of course, that the latest game update is now out of early access and available for everyone to play. If you haven't checked it out yet, you can download it here. I also released the first version of the new Relationship Guide.
My main focus now is working towards the first dev build for the next story update—the Getting to Know You Update, Part 1. Let's go over some of what I've done the past few weeks!
Writing & Coding
There were a number of scenes already written for this update, but for the first dev build I only had a little bit of the opening and a text convo between Connor, Matt, and their friend Lacy.
I've now written a pretty significant scene featuring Marco that I think Marco fans will really enjoy. Part of that involved working on some new code to combine a bunch of different choice variables into a handful of different relationship states.
There will be one convo with Marco per relationship state that is relevant to all the variables it covers, but I'll also slip in references to specific events to keep your unique choices alive. I showed some of my early planning for this back in Status Update #79, so the work now has been looking at every Marco variable to make sure that when I write these scenes, I'm considering all you could do and say to him previously.
I've also been mapping out all the guys you would logically think about or talk to during this portion of the game, whether it's during playtime with your toys or texts afterwards. When writing the Morning After update, I got to a point where I just had Connor compartmentalize everything so I could mostly get away with him not thinking about some of the big things that happened to him. But now it's time to bring those thoughts back to the forefront so you can keep things going with your fav guys!
Art
I've been doing a fair bit on the art side as well, mainly prepping models and props in advance of all the CGs I'll be making.
New Character Model
There are a couple new characters in this update that I hadn't already made models for. Some characters will be kept a surprise, but one of them was mentioned above—Connor's former beard, Lacy. Here's what she looks like now that she's been created.
She's really only gonna be seen from the neck up in two CGs, so that's what I focused on. I found a top with an interesting neckline and hair that could frame her face (it's actually a braid, mostly out of view in this image). I think she turned out pretty cute!
Revised Character Models
After I found the body proportion calculator I mentioned in Status Update #81, I started taking another look at all the guys to tweak their body shapes and skin materials where necessary. I mostly focused on the guys who will be appearing (in person) in the next update, which includes Matt, Evan, Marco, Leo, Owen, Isaiah, Will, and of course, Connor. Matt's former roommate, Henri, is also getting another pass.
Matt's adjustments in the pics above were head size, ass size, and dick size. It's not super different from the revision I did not too long ago, just some tweaks I wanted to do before I start making a bunch of CGs featuring him.
Speaking of dick size, that's one of the main focuses of these proportion passes. This may be a tad controversial, but when it comes to the guys' endowment, I'm making them a little bit smaller.
The reason? One of the problems I encounter over and over when making CGs is trying to make guys look good when giving blowjobs. Early on I was stretching mouths open beyond what the models can normally do, which didn't look good at all.
I studied faces of real guys giving blowjobs so I could see how jaws move to accommodate a juicy shaft. Even mimicking that didn't quite work—mouths simply couldn't open wide enough. My solution was just to let dicks clip right through teeth (ouch!) and hide it from view with lips.
I finally realized the problem—I accidentally made a lot of dicks way girthier than should actually be. The dick asset I use for most guys has a shell around it on which the textures are placed, but the measuring tool I use wasn't measuring that. Turns out that shell was adding 3/4" to everyone's intended girth, which is a lot!
So while lengths are mostly the same, girth has been reduced to a more realistic size. I've already done Matt's, so if you think his dick looks good in the pic above, then you know this isn't a drastic change. This will just make it easier for Connor to look hot when he's sucking everyone off.
Props
This update opens with playing with a variety of sex toys, which means I needed sex toy props. I was mostly equipped with assets I already purchased, but I sourced a few more items I was missing. These mostly aren't used as-is out of the box; I spent time adjusting the textures and sizes to fit how I'm using them.
Some of these props were actually custom made just for this game! The one I think is the coolest is a Fleshlight that I first talked about it in Status Update #47. I wanted a clear version, which meant experimenting with a bunch of shaders to get it looking relatively realistic. It would have been easier to slap an opaque plastic body on it, but where's the fun in that?
CGs
I also created some of the first CGs for the update, ones I've been anticipating for a long time! They're selfies for both Connor and Matt, and I'll be sharing them in a Sneak Peek post soon.
TO-DO LIST
Below is the to-do list for the creation of the next update, plus other game-related projects. Anything updated or added since I shared the list in Status Update #84 is denoted with an asterisk and bolded.
Trevor Grind'm Update Wrap-Up
Isaiah restored scenes
Reinsertion of scenes that were cut from the Morning After Update.
CGs (2/2 completed)
Scenes (2/2 written)
* Coded (2/2 completed)
Relationship Guide
Creation of the new Patreon-exclusive guide.
* Written (15/19 sections completed)
* Layout designed (14/19 sections completed)
* Section covers (18/18 completed)
* Final edit (14/19 sections completed)
General Work
Sprite Code Conversion
Coding changes to simplify how sprites are displayed.
Connor (partially done)
Main Characters (5/16 characters completed)
Side Characters (7/45 characters completed)
Revised Art
CGs updated to use the most visibly changed character models; not a top priority.
Alex CGs (3/32 completed)
Leo CGs (5/50 completed)
Restored Content
Scenes that were missed when making the Morning After Update.
Revised Evan pondering scene
Marco pondering scene post-Julian hookup
New Art/Writing
"Nice to have" fantasies to go along with Connor's Morning After shower; not a top priority.
Morning After tease CGs (8/36 completed)
Morning After tease inner monologue (1/36 written)
Getting to Know You Part 1, Dev Build 1
Before the final update is ready for release, I'll be sharing early, in-progress dev builds with Senior & Graduate patrons that also act as content milestones. This to-do list is for the first of these builds and doesn't contain all the work required for the final version of the update.
WRITING
Opening (1/2 variants completed)
Playtime (0/3 variants)
* Playtime ending (3/6 variants)
Marco scenes (0/8 variants)
Afternoon convos (0/21 variants)
Matt convo (1/2 variants completed)
Transition scenes (0/4 variants)
CODING
* Transition variables (partially done/ongoing)
Opening (0/2 variants)
Playtime (0/3 variants)
Playtime ending (0/6 variants)
Marco scenes (0/8 variants)
Afternoon convos (0/21 variants)
* Matt convo (0.5/2 variants completed)
Transition scenes (0/4 variants)
ART
Sprites
Marco sprites (0/?)
Xavier sprites (0/2)
CGs
Playtime CGs (0/58)
* Other CGs (5/9)
Backgrounds
* Dorm room, clean (0/2)
Character Models
* Lacy (new, done)
* Connor (tweaks, done)
* Matt (tweaks, done)
* Marco (tweaks, done)
Character Design
* Lacy, week 1a outfit (done)
* Marco, week 1a outfit (revision, needed)
* Matt, gym (done)
Xavier, week 1a outfit (needed)
Props
* Fleshlight (done)
* Dildos, realistic (3/3 done)
* Dildos, colorful (3/3 done)
* Anal trainers (3/3 done)
* Carrying case (0/3, needed)
Sets
* Dorm room, shaders & prop adjustments for days passing (done)
I think that about covers it for today!
Comments
Danny Nym
Connor will get to dive in, he's just early in his learning journey! I'll remember to offer that up in future Grind'm scenarios, though.
Wicc
The position preference stuff has been really balanced so far, but I have to ask for equal ass eating rights for top Connor lol. Connor's getting ate out in every Grind'm scenario, the main game, but he's had no option to dive face first between cheeks himself. I really feel it main game wise during Alex's hookup, when he offers to rim Connor? Feels like the only instance Connor's locked out of offering to give an act that can be performed on him, ya know? Anyways, I love Lacys design! I'm for sure keeping my eye on those Marco scenes in the next build!
Bunny55
just let us have matt
