10 Year Anniversary

Beware: Long Post, haha!

I was waiting until I posted the Richard update before bringing this up, but this month marks the 10-year anniversary of when my Patreon page launched and I really buckled down to focus on Extracurricular Activities.

There's been so much that's happened in that time. Look at just how far things have come in that time!

Just look at this. This was my title screen when I started! This shows off nothing, haha. Must unappealing title screen ever!

Then:

The Original Title Screen!

Now:

Today's Title Screen!

These backgrounds I made using 3D models gave the game more of a horror feel than how things really turned out, right? I didn't know what else to do back then (other than use filtered images I found on google). I wanted to be more unique than that though. Now, I have Gavel's work, and he's done SO MANY backgrounds for me!

Then:

Now:

The art has come a long way since it started too. I had a handful of sprites and CGs in the first few years done by CursedMarked, but since Ger picked up the work in 2018, the amount of work added into the game exploded! 100s of CGs, countless sprites with outfit and facial changes and a bunch of other UI things have all been added. Crazy to see how much stuff has grown since I started... (By the way, be sure you check out CaptainGerBear's Patreon for his next game, Androcosm!)

Then:

Now:

Not to mention, getting a HUUUUGE chunk of the art assets updated in Renpy along with some amazing adjustment to how images are handled (anmong other things) through coding would never have been finished without Medwyn's persistence.

Over the course of the project, I've completed 6 of 7 routes, the completed ones each having 35 days apiece. 3 epilogues are done, and 1 bonus day is completed with more to come still.

I'm at right about to cross over into 2.3 million words total for the project too! To put that into perspective, the 5 Game of Thrones books out is about 1.7 million words, and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy is around 500,000. I'll probably finish around 2.5 million or so, if I had to guess... We'll see!

Hell, there's a whole bunch of merch out there for my guys too! Between my website, Fluff and Stuff, HUFF and PPP... There's stuff for everyone!

Needless to say, tons of work has been poured into the project over the years!

Not only that, but I've worked with some amazing people on other projects too! You can see most of these things on Itch!

• I completed two IDEKA project's with CursedMarked.

• Monster Hunting... For Love! with Mark Thorne

• Endless Bounty with Gavel (and music by Civ!)

• Embay Circle with Mark Wulfgar

• Engaging Destiny with Medwyn and Gavel (and music by Civ!)

• Tales of Lorithel: Bonds of Royalty with Gavel (and music by Civ!)

• Eternal Endeavor with Gavel (and music by Civ!) - Still a WIP though

• Exploring Friscott with Finny (and music by Civ!)

And to think... there's still more to come, and that's really all thanks to the amazing support you guys show me.

Without this Patreon page and the support you guys give me here, none of this would be possible. I don't think I'd have the same drive (or the energy) to keep doing what I'm doing otherwise.

I appreciate all of you. All that you do, all that you say. I appreciate the messaged I get from people telling me about how my work has impacted their lives. I've cried reading my messages before, some of them are so touching. It makes me happy to know that the project touches people's lives in ways I never thought possible.

Messages thanking me, messages saying my work brought them out of dark times, messages about my work inspiring people to write, make their own VN, even become artists (I can't really take credit for that though, bahaha!).

Even now, as I write this, I'm feeling overwhelmed with emotions to know just how much support I have out there.

I really can't thank you all enough. I don't think I'll ever be able to.

So, again, thank you all. Thank you all so much for all of the support over the years! I'll keep working hard to bring you characters and stories to enjoy. Here's to another 10 years!

Thank you and much love,

Dyne