Hey man *waves*
(old blog poster here too)
I've had much the same thought. What she's doing is like someone trying to paint a landscape by starting with the detail in the foreground.
Exactly.
Problem is, she started doing this from the beginning.
If you're going that route (starting with details), always start withbackground details.
She could pull up something like this, if she started with background: the system. But she did a lot of content (almost half of what's currently in-game... which makes evident hwo little the game has advanced story-wise, sadly), and then decided to rebuild the "background", which is always super time consuming.
Basically, since she started with the simplier system, she should have stayed with it, finishing the general maps/story, and then start reworking the background, while people is entertained.
Which is a mistake she made with the Patreon poll, acknowledged it was a mistake, then proceeded to repeat it.
In fact, this time it's worse, since the Nyan sidequest was just something some randos on the Discord started chattering about. AFAIK, it's not pressure from people who give her financial support.
I guess she very young (20 something / less than 30ies), with no previous experience on this.
Otherwise, there's a point you learn from mistakes, because you
have to if you're going to dedicate to X profession.
Most of her decisions, I understand, being a professional artist myself I did pretty much every single thing/mistake she's doing lol
(that's why, unlike most ranters, I don't get angry with Inno)
I remember being really young when I started working, and typically getting carried away drawing the cool vignettes (in comic books) first, which in the end complicated things later.
I guess Inno is doing the same: this or that sounds interesting to his/her tastes, and since she's probably bored to death with "background" work, she says "oooh I like that!" and gets derailed. Combined with backers petitions too.
On the subject of backer input into development direction though, there's an appropriate time for that. Once the main quest is complete, the plan (according to Inno's own development roadmap) is to add side content indefinitely. That's the time to ask backers for input, not to mention that the ability to give such input (ie. vote on what the next sidequest is) would be a reason to become a backer.
Exactly, again.
That's how most developers work.
And some even go the "I like doing this and that, here's what you can pick" no other options, because there's always someone who would want something too off the charts.
Take Majalis (duo) for example: they say "we like this and that, vote which you want". And if someone wants something aside of those options... well, too bad. That's how things are done.
But Inno seems to want things for everyone, and at some points it's pretty evident what interests her and what not, by the complexity/detail of this or that content.
Yup.
The entire combat, magic and perk system is going to have to be reworked once the main quest is complete in order to provide a measured progression that lasts over the whole game and a combat experience that isn't just "spam attack until you win". Tweaking the engine at this stage is a complete waste of time.
Which, as I've said above, what she should have done.
Keep the simple system, do a general overlook of the game, then fix.
But well... patience. He/she seems to respond to demands and listens, that's a good point.
Gee, what a wall-text!
