sandlustgames

Nature of our future updates

Added 2019-05-06 13:50:05 +0000 UTC

As you've probably noticed, last couple of months we couldn't meet the deadline and had to keep working on an update after the release.

Since we're working on Patreon, we try to keep the schedule and make a new release every month. We also try to make as much content as possible and keep trying to make every update bigger and bigger, even if it doesn't show in the number of images, text or code.

Currently we plan an update at the beginning of the month and try to do everything before the deadline. It's a very demanding process and not many developers in the field make their games the way we do.

Current system with a strict deadline has a big plus: we're making as much content as we can in a month every month. But it also has downsides:

People who us support the most get the game on the 5th of every month but it's rarely ready for release and they have to wait until we finish everything up.
Spending more time on finishing the previous update means less time for the next one, which translates into more crunch the month, and so on, and so on.
Constant crunch means constant stress, which in turn leads to missing important details, making mistakes and creating bugs. It's also really, really, really bad for our heath.
Unexpected roadblocks (like our temporary suspension last month) compound and create even more pressure and stress.

We have to do something to stop this vicious cycle. Preferably a way that would keep players happy and wouldn't drive us to our early graves :)

Since we're using Patreon, we see two options:

Option A: We still make plans to make complete versions but we don't tie them down to the release dates. Vast majority of the developers usually do this already.

This means every update will be a coherent experience with fixed amount of content, but there will be no deadline.

The downside is, of course, no schedule, the game will be updated When It's Done™.

The upside is every version will have all planned content, properly tested and we'll try to keep the cliffhangers to the minimum and makes them as natural as possible.

Different Patreon tiers will be getting the game with the same delays (7 days for $20 Patrons, 11 days for $10 Patrons and two weeks for $5 Patrons). This option might create a situation where you won't get an update in a month, which shouldn't be a problem for people who pay us to support our work, but if you want to get something every time you give us your money—which is totally understandable, by the way—then you might prefer Option B.

Option B: we keep the schedule but there's no hard outline for an update. If we can't do something in time, it will have to wait either for the next month or until we go back to the theme of the update we didn't get to finish.

The upside is obvious. The schedule. You will always get updates at the same time of a month.

The downside is fragmentation. If we don't finish an update before the deadline, well, it won't be pretty. Obviously, we're not going to just straight up abandon an update in the middle of a sentence, but the game will have more frustrating cliffhangers. This is a good option for more pragmatic people who want to know what they're paying for.

Pick one. We'll see what you decide and do the best we can. But, you know, without staying overnight until, like, 3 a.m. all the time.