Monday, September 05, 2016

Good, but not great

Looking back at this week, I did plenty of stuff, but I was expecting to do a bit more, so I am a little annoyed. Still, I have added content, improved the maps, and found a quick solution which might just work for using less of the basic RTP: using down-scaled graphics from RPG Maker MV! I recently got it on sale (after receiving the huge donation last time, I felt like I should invest some of it in game making stuff). I had to resize the graphical assets, but even then I would argue they look better/different enough from the classic VX Ace stuff, so people shouldn't be instantly turned off by that. I did pick a couple of new tracks, but it's hard to find better music than what I have, so searching for more might be a waste (I'll still do it in my spare time, because it might still mean we get some great background songs), I worked out some improvements for the title screen, and I added some needed visual hints during night time (most buildings are closed at night, but I added light coming out from the ones that are open). I also closed up the overworld map a little (since most locations cannot be visited right now, it seemed right to add warnings, close paths, etc,).



As for content, I am adding a few more sexy scenes, some shady characters, and trying to improve the "night life" on the streets, since they are too empty right now. I haven't finished any of these, but I am almost done with most of them. Future plans still involve adding the controls tutorial (I had forgotten about it), and squeeze in more content, but that should be it, no sweeping changes, we'll see how it goes.

Speaking of something else, I had a question for any Patreon users here: is there anything specific that wouldn't make you donate to someone if they aren't on Patreon? I assume convenience is always a factor, but I wonder if anyone who does use it has ever thought to themselves "eh, I am not giving this guy a donation for reason x-y-z, if they had a Patreon though, I would", and what would the reasons be (and how having a Patreon addresses it).

This is it for today, do let me know about, well, everything you can think of in the comments. We'll see what the future brings, but until then, keep having fun! ^_^

7 comments:

  1. Hey there, have you actually made a Patreon for your new game or is it closed beta mostly between select members? I'm a little confused here because I was thinking of joining on Patreon, to get access to early look into the game.

    But I dunno, I'm thinking about it.

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    1. The Patreon is not live yet (I will make an announcement here, as well as in any forum I can think of, when things are ready). I still need some feedback in the meantime, to polish things up, so I had a couple of friends take a look at the demo, and I am now improving it. I'd like to make a good first impression, so I am taking my time before making the game go live.

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  2. This is all sounding very good. Is it weird that I'm most pleased that you are closing paths? I just appreciate that you are considerate to your players!

    As to donations... before the Patreon question, I want to say I looked at your GOG wishlist thinking to send you a little something that way, but I couldn't actually figure out how to make it work. It's possible we have to be "friends" or whatever the term is on GOG, to be able to actually send something that way. Or, I just didn't figure it out - very possible!

    For Patreon, one of the nice things is being able to spread donations into small regular amounts. It also provides a "one-stop shop" for keeping track of multiple developers' projects. There's also the nice "communal" vibe, where people see that others are supporting something, so they are more likely to kick in something themselves (to a point). I know you announce donations here, but it's not as obvious as Patreon's method.

    But I'm not in the "would donate if only you were on Patreon" camp.

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    1. Ah-ah, glad you appreciate it. It's very easy to build maps in RPGMaker, but there is no point if players can't find anything in them, so it's better to keep things organized and just block access until the content is ready.

      https://www.gog.com/support/website_help/gift_certificates

      I don't think we must be friends, but you'd need my e-mail, at least (if you are wondering, it's mirko.della@tiscali.it). Thank you very much for your generosity, if you decide to actually gift me a game! ^_^

      Thanks for the feedback on the Patreon thing. Since I am doing it specifically because I need money (who doesn't? XD), I would like to make it work as best as possible, but I am not really a Patreon user myself, so it's hard for me to figure out what people look for, and what is the best approach to get money without being a money-grabber of some sorts.

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  3. Thanks for the support link! Now just don't go playing instead of working on the new game.

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    1. Are you thanking me for making it easier for you to gift me stuff? You are too generous, my friend. ;)

      I would never-ever stop playing to work on the ga... I mean, I would never stop working on the game to play, who do you take me for? Now, where is the download button...? ;p

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    2. Eh, I kept making jokes, and I forgot to do what I came here for: Thank you very much for the gift, I really appreciate it.

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