Behold The Creation Of Our Very First Trailer Shot! What Were Your TOUCHSTARVED First Impressions? 🤔

Ooooh

I want to print it and put it on my wall

Just wow ! This looks like a poster !

Calibration complete

🌺 I really like the coral forest in silksong 🌺

Barn Owls

Photos by Ryan Bourbour

"You will not have them, you will not hurt them... I will keep them safe. Now back away slowly, and maybe I will let you live."

Soooo- Touchstarved, am I right?? I planned to post about it on the kickstarter anniversary but you must forgive my fashionable lateness <3. Got into it a bit ago and I've been doodling for it for a while. Prepare for a lot more where this came from very soon >:). Especially of my favourite character. Who? You shall soon see.

But for now, have a doodle and Vere and the lovely alchemist Noel, made by the equally lovely @todayis-snowy! I came up with a pose concept, and those two were just right there.

And I do have my own MC in the pipeline. Hopefully finished up in the next week. Along with a bunch of other art. Until then though!

Touchstarved Origins

Okay, so there's been a lot of divisive opinions over the replacement of 'The Hound' background with 'The Exile' background. I have my own thoughts that I wanted to express on the situation, as well as the origin system as a whole.

TLDR: I'm not against 'The Exile' existing, but I do think it's the least interesting and the weakest of the four backgrounds. I'm also firmly against the replacement of 'The Hound'. I also want to talk about how I would add/fix the current backgrounds. Also these are just my opinions - I'm not speaking objectively.

Spoilers ahead!

What's the point of the Origin system?

There's two main reasons for the current origin system.

First of all, each background has a 'perk', which each background can gather different types of information about the world and the love interests. This info may effect player decision-making.

Secondly, the backgrounds allow for roleplay and MC creating. This aspect is a huge part of the fandom, and RSS encourages people to make OCs with the backgrounds as a 'guide'.

How well is Origin system implemented?

I think it's important to keep in mind that it's only a demo out right now. That being said, as of these demos, I do not think the origin system has been implemented very well.

The 'perks' the backgrounds give and the story/dialogue differences are pretty minimal. This means that the way the Origin system currently works, the don't really meet the intentions behind the backgrounds.

The Exile & The Hound

Welp, onto the issue that inspired this post. First of all, I believe that 'The Hound' shouldn't have been replaced at all. IMO it was the weakest in terms of implementation, but that doesn't mean it should have been removed, just made better.

People have been building their MCs/OCs for years at this point, and it's straight up not fair for people to have their backgrounds taken away for seemingly no reason. There was no communication from RSS or even a survey from RSS asking about changing up the backgrounds.

I've also seen people say the backgrounds are 'similar enough', which I can't fully agree with. They're both survivalists, but the contexts are just too different - One is survival in in a socal world, and the other is survival in 'the wild'. Also, I think the biggest appeal to a lot of people about 'The Hound' was the criminal edge and the social intuition, which in a game about character interaction, is a big loss.

There's also the 'balance' of the original three backgrounds. While I don't think the OG backgrounds were the epitome of character building, they were different in the 'right' ways. For example: 'The Hound' is street-smart and familiar with lowtown's entertainment district, 'The Alchemist' is book-smart and somewhat familiar with lowtown's entertainment district, and 'The Unnamed' most likley has some education and isn't familiar with lowtown's entertainment district. They've also all been betrayed, which adds on to their desperation. This also means they learn different information that is relevent to the LIs (eg, 'The Unnamed senses familiar about Kuras, but 'The Alchemist' notices no magic from the reattached limb).

So, what about 'The Exile'? Backstory-wise, there's the isolation of 'The Unnamed' and a parental figure of 'The Alchemist', but no 'betrayal'. It does take some the the social intuition stuff from 'The Hound' (eg. "I've learned to recognise a leader when I see one" about Ais) but for a character that's described to live away from other people (apart from the hermit), it doesn't really fit or make sense. The 'perk' of an 'uncanny intuition' is very similar in flavour to 'The Unnamed' - I can't see why 'The Unnamed' wouldn't also have the red choice to 'move immediately'. 'The Exile' is also fluent in multiple languages, but that seems like something 'The Alchemist' would know.

In short, 'The Exile' feels like a mish-mash of the original backgrounds, lacking a strong identity - both storywise and gameplay-wise. It has qualities that already belong to a background or qualities that should belong to another background. If the goal was to have more 'cohesive' backgrounds, we ended up with a redundant background.

That being said, I do think there's a place for 'The Exile', but as it is right now, it needs a major rework.

Sidenote, blind/new players of Touchstarved aren't going to know what soulless are when selecting the backgrounds, so making it a 'selling point' of the background isn't a great move.

Things I Would Add to the Backgrounds

These are just some moments I could see happening with events that happen in the demo + feel in-tune with the background.

'The Unnamed':

I'll note it's hard to think of moments for 'The Unnamed', since we lack information on how their religion and temple function.

I think 'The Unnamed' should be the weakest fighter out of the backgrounds. Should probably never feel comfortable in altercations.

Should be the most 'aware' on what their curse does to people. Could come with different dialogue during Mr. Chocky's scene or Leander's 'hold back' scene.

Just more references to 'The Unnamed's' old faith. It was such a big part of their life, that it feels wrong to know so little.

Less knowledgeable of 'normal' society. They say the entertainment district in unfamiliar to them, but we don't actually see them go about the place much differently. For example, they shouldn't assume Vere is a sex worker because of the 'parted pink curtains'.

'The Hound':

I actually don't think 'The Hound' needs to be some super proficient combatant, but they should be the most compatent when caught off guard and general 'physical' situations. For example, they don't get knocked to the floor by the 'lowlife' in the bar, and/or their escape from the soulless is more skilful (not just trying to open a door and failing). Mhin would still show up of course.

Let. Them. Steal. The best moment I can think of is after they left Kuras's clinic, they pickpocket someone and use the money to buy food. I think it would make sense because they're already thinking about money in that scene.

Related to the last point, but 'The Hound' should be the most 'comfortable' finanally. Unlike the other backgroudns who have likely not been finanally responsible for themselves, 'The Hound' is used to poverty and low spending power (since most of the money they did have was for a cure). And of course, they have the means to steal. Maybe alter MC's lines about being worried about money.

'The Alchemist':

Not a great physical fighter, but as they get more settled in Eridia, having 'The Alchemist' preparing things such as protection enchantments. If taken off guard, they'll be weak, but if they can prepare for an encounter and such, they'll be in a better condition. That's to say, I don't mind them being 'weak' in the demo.

Some more general history stuff. For example, 'The Alchemist' thinking about how old Eridia is.

'The Exile':

I think if you're going to add a choice to fight the soulless, and a new backgound that's 'familiar' with soulless, I think it's fair to say the MC should have lived in the encounter. It's not like Mhin wouldn't have swooped in to kill the soulless anyways.

Final Thoughts

I do hope RSS come out and explain why 'The Hound' was removed, since I doubt they can add it back in without adding a lot more work the finished game. This also isn't made as a dig at anyone who likes 'The Exile', I just have a Thoughts™.

Also, please tell me if I've missed anything I should have mentioned or if I've said something incorrect!

it's like 4am where I am, so don't mind this long stream of thoughts and questions I had whilst replaying the demo (my 15 hour playtime is pathetic, I needed more)

I had a sudden thought about Kuras and his dislike-slash-animosity towards the Senobium.

It's mostly to do with the lore snippet of him being a divine teacher and the detailed bio mentioning him being compelled by guilt. Does he regret giving that much knowledge to man, particularly the ones who now study in the Senobium?

It's not out of concern, dare I say, him being empathetic, but rather... does he see a few of the things he shared as stains in his memory? A misstep. An unwise choice that he thought could be another chance for him to prove, to redeem himself, and atone for his sins. Kuras sharing that could have been the key.

...but it wasn't. It was just another tragedy in the long run.

In the end, it only fed into humans and their natural curiosity. It's something Kuras should have known, he thinks. How much more curious can mages and alchemist be? He should have seen this coming. Especially considering how some would do anything in pursuit of knowledge.

That also ties into Mhin, in many ways. Kuras worries for them, that's obvious. They aren’t too far gone, since in Kuras’ eyes, they haven’t gone into or have even been given the chance to enter the Senobium. But their desperation to get in may have hurt them. And they wound up hurt, badly. To the point Kuras saved their life back then— that being said, hindsight is 20/20 and he understands human nature and he knows Mhin will not stop at anything, because they merely think the Senobium has the answers they need.

Does Kuras blame himself for that in some roundabout way? For feeding the curiosity of those who asked, but was none the wiser to notice those who go beyond and seek what should have been kept in the shrouded in the dark?

Also did you guys know this piece of trivia? lmao

GIVE THAT WISE MAN HIS SKIRT DAMN

concept redesigns of Ais and Vere from Touchstarved

I liked the game, the premise is cool, humor is a bit too sexual for me personally but whatever.

The artstyle is also really crisp and clean cut, but the character art is a bit disappointing imo especially with these two. In game the only indicators that theyre monsters is cat ears, red eyes and horns so they dont really stand out as unique from regular humans (which might be intentional, true forms and all that, but if they really wanted to disguise themselves as human why not make it wholly inconspicuous). Their og clothes are also relatively simple for a flamboyant killer and a cult leader so added some pizzazz here.

haven't posted my art here in like twenty slutty slutty years

ohhhh ais knowing so many languages is my kink,,, i love a man who understands verb conjugation in french AND russian

tbh i think w ais as a boyfriend i (as a filthy monolingual who dabbles) would be more motivated to learn other languages solely bc he would definitely talk in other languages all the time? to fuck w you? probably dirty talk you in a dead language??

and god forbid the man learn any kind of sign language. he will tell you all of his thoughts from 20 feet away and nobody will know.

[at a party]

ais, signing: (can we go home?)

you: no not yet

ais: (these people suck. i wanna go home and fuck you.)

you: you cannot say that in public!!!

ais, zipping his lips: (i didn't say anything.)