Update on Update, long read.

Hello I'm still alive. I think. I wanted my very next post to be the update but people are worried and are starting to show signs of believing that this game is over so I do think this post is needed.

I appreciate the drop-in messages/posting for concerns though, you don't do that for something you don't enjoy.

Once again, the TLDR is below everything else is dev diary type of rant.

Once patrons (July - Sep) and current patrons should try to give it a read, at least the TLDR.

People do dev diary on a daily/bi weekly but I decide to let it all out at once so you don't necessarily have to read it nor humor me but it gives you insight into the delay.

About the Delay

One of the biggest things biting me right now is my stupid ass giving release update dates and then not following through but that doesn't mean that the update/project is dropped. Nah uh, no way. It really just means that I'm inexperienced and overestimated myself.

Basically, I finished 2/3 of the major events that the next update would be about.

Halfway through playtesting/reading what I've written, I realized that this wasn't up to par with how I usually write (because I was rushing it). And then I decided I needed to do a rewrite. While doing a rewrite, I realized that hey, this event would be better if this happened but that would require 2-3 more scenes for me to draw, which then led me to have to work on ADDITIONAL art that is already the behemoth that this update will consist of for a H game single route.

It's ridiculous because this is supposed to have 5 routes but I cornered myself not wanting the route to simply end in your typical NTR game "she got her brains fucked out ok goodbye" ending. So now I feel like I have to give every character justice in an adult game. I'm kicking myself for taking that approach now but I don't necessarily regret it. I'm slightly afraid of burning out and dropping this though because there's so much more left to do and I want to do them. Please pray to the hentai gods for me.

I also tried to add in a different genre filled with lore to this. I don't know how it'll fare but I might consider dropping it as a whole if the reception isn't as good. Let me know when the update drops. That took a chunk of time too.

Game Dev Talk

For those who aren't as familiar, new art assets are usually a pain to draw/edit/make dynamic for game scenes. But as a game developer or as a h game player who has been let down by games not going further with an idea, I want to make a game that explores opportunity when given. Even if let's say the play/idea might not be a particular audience thing, it still feels like it has to be there because it is a creative (at least in my book) approach over just disconnected H-scenes that exist just because.

Whining

Art is not the only time-consuming thing. Because I have to do custom sprites too from the ground-up. And then I have to type novel-chapter length of text and then I have to put them in RPGMaker so they flow well and read like a game instead of a book. And then I have to event the maps, the characters, the dialogue, the sprites in the program. And then I have to open Audacity and mixtype my moans, sound effects, thrust speed number 4, background music, background music variation 1,2,3,4. And then I have to play through them, see if it sucks and if it does I have to redo things here and there again. And everytime I add some new game mechanic (which takes hours to work through), the save system breaks so I have to fix that too.

If, "Hire someone to help you!" yeah but I'm poor so that's a no-go. I might really consider doing so the next route simply because now I have a new part time job IRL that might pay for it but...then I'll starve again. We'll see.

More Dev Talk

"You want to make a game that you'll enjoy playing/consuming" is a mantra I try to go by.

I've talked(whine like a bitch really) about this before, but as a solo dev it is tough to maintain a quality that people love while still churning out quantity. Trying to do both leads to the disaster that is the update delay and the state of me trying to rush things which in turn led to a loss in quality. That is why this update keeps getting pushed back (and also I'm not doing this full time so there's no way I can be speed).

By taking a step back, I don't have to be in a panic mode of the time because doing otherwise will ruin the writing. The next route will not be that long not simply because of content loss but because I learnt the importance of planning/drafting first and being concise.

TLDR:

The short of it: re-writing + adding new scenes + fixing a bunch of stuff made me delay the release once again.  It'll come but I'm not going to release something unacceptable or give you a brain aneurysm when you try to read it. And when I add new scenes, there's not only art but writing, sprites, sounds and eventing to do.

For patreons who once subbed between July - Sept:

Because I overestimated myself and did give you a release date that was supposed to be end of Aug. Once the update is here, drop me a message (a screenshot if you are kind) that you did sub during those months and you'll get the early release link for free. I do feel bad but my hands are tied.

For Current Patreons:

I'll likely be making another patreon only post that shows an art or two for the next update later in the week. I try to keep them sparse so as to not spoil the H scenes which also mean the member content is pretty sad now. But in return, you guys will get the update way earlier when it is done.

For those who are still members, I only have my utmost gratitude. If you are getting annoyed and want to drop out, I fully understand that. Otherwise, let me know if you want any specific content to be released and I'll see what I can do. You have no idea how guilty I feel but I'm only human.

Thank you so, so much.