Ruin Me 0.23 News and Notes on Pulp and Tone

Hi, perverts! You may have noticed there wasn't a release this past week. I'll share what's been going on, but first I'll say that I intend to get one out this week; I hope to make it a bit bigger than usual, but it won't be double the size.

I've been struggling with the writing on this one; it includes a scene with two other people, and that just adds a layer of complexity and potential angles that proved challenging. Combined with the fact that it took me a while to figure out just what I wanted to have happen, it was easy to get stuck spinning my writing wheels.

This was made worse by some stress-related stuff; I've been having sleep problems and a painful back spasm and some money panic that has made focusing hard. It's one of those situations where I probably would have been better off deciding to skip a week sometime Thursday instead of thinking I could just release a day or two late. It's a lesson I'll try to remember!

So stuff I'm doing to keep my work steady and sustainable:

• If I'm stuck on something, be willing to switch tasks.
• Go ahead and postpone releases instead of trying to rush and finish them.
• Remember that taking care of myself is part of being a good creator.

FYI, I want to avoid spamming my patrons' email inboxes, so news about late releases and stuff like that generally ends up on my Twitter: @PhanesDionysos

Pulp and Tone

The whole idea of high and low culture being different is some elitist bullshit, but it's true that different works have different goals. Ruin Me is pretty pulpy; while I try to do well by its characters and themes, it's primarily trying to provide arousing sex scenes, unsettling horror, and an interesting genre story. That gets a bit weird when I'm writing about somewhat more tricky stuff, like a queer couple that's been put through conversion therapy.

The simplest, porn-y way to write a scene with a couple of lesbians is to have them eager to have sex with the protagonist, but that isn't really a good fit for Ruin Me, I don't think. It'd probably feel kind of gross and exploitative in the world of the game. At the same time, I think that an in-depth character study that ended with a firm handshake would also seem out-of-place and disappointing.

For a good Ruin Me scene, then, I need to write characters that feel like people and are also down for a fuck. It's a tricky balance sometimes, but I'm generally proud of the result. And even if one scene doesn't end up hitting just right for everyone, there's plenty of room in the game for a range of approaches.

Next Release

At this point, I have the Reform Institute improvements/customization implemented. The first minor ruination sequence for the Institute is almost complete, with just one branch of the final scene left to finish. That'll all need to be tested carefully, because the Institute is probably the section of the game that changes a lot over time, so I need to make sure it makes sense and allows you to progress for each stage in its development.

I'd like to revise the kneeling POV pose for Theresa, as I feel like that's the one that currently sticks out as lowest art quality. I'd also like to at least experiment with body markings for her, and if I like how that turns out, I'll release at least one of those.

I'll probably get started on the next horror expedition, but I'm not sure if it'll be finished for the release (and if not, I'll do the release without it). This expedition is going to be one that spans all three acts, so it should be interesting!

I hope you're all doing well. Have a nice week, and I'll write to you again on Thursday! Let me know if you have any comments, questions, or requests.