Just noticed a
1st December public post on Patreon (which came after the last Patreon update release).
For the absent-minded ones:
- no, this game has no public release;
- last update hasn't been leaked here yet.
I'm reposting it here:
[General] Update
1 december
Greetings,
As the final episode of the first season has been released on Patreon, I want to give you an overview of what's happening next. This will be a substantially longer post than usual, so I'll provide a short summary first and then go into more detail.
Summary
I'm planning a Steam release with a more polished game framework. After that, I want to clean up the assets I've created and put them up for sale. Then, I will migrate my workflow to Blender, and if I feel comfortable with that, I'll start working on the second season (many plot lines, scenes, and events are already sketched out). However, as I'm aware that this will take time and may become a bit monotonous for both me and you, my Patreon supporters, I plan to create extra scenes alongside the stuff mentioned above, which will be included in the game as secret scenes.
Now, more in detail.
Steam
I want to release the game on Steam. For this, I'll need to make some adjustments, such as implementing Steam's achievement system and other related features. Considering how long it has taken other developers to release their games on Steam, I'm a bit worried about the process. So, I'll start gathering information about this pretty soon.
Android
I managed to get a working build for Android. I had to update Unity and all the SDKs, libraries, and packages I use, and I also had to rework my entire resource-loading system, which has broken my VSCode extension and other features. It complicates asset handling, adding extra steps to the development process, so I'm not thrilled with it.
At this point, I see three options:
A) Continue with the new workflow
Pros:
- Potentially quicker runtime loading (though likely barely noticeable).
- Working Android build without needing to resize and compress images and videos.
Cons:
- Development is more complex, and I'd need to rework a lot of my frameworks.
- Eventually, I'll hit the size limit again, which will break this workflow and require splitting the game into parts.
B) Downscale and Compress for Android
Pros:
- Faster runtime on Android.
Cons:
- I would need to resize and compress all images and videos (and I'm not sure if I still have the original uncompressed video files).
- Quality loss.
- Branching the code for Android and desktop versions would make maintenance more complex.
- Releases would take more time to set up, with extra steps required for resizing, testing, and potential bug fixes.
- Eventually, I'll hit the size limit again, which will break this workflow and require splitting the game into parts.
C) Abandon Android Builds
Pros:
- Less work for me, which means more time to work on other aspects of the game.
- Fewer potential sources for errors that would need fixing, which means more time to work on other aspects of the game.
- Simplified code and easier episode building, improving maintainability, which means more time to work on other aspects of the game.
Cons:
- No Android support, which I don't like.
All three options are shit, but the most rational choice seems to be Option C.
That being said, I currently have an Android build ready using Option A and will upload it today.
However, I need to think carefully about whether I will continue Android support in the future.
Mac
I also plan to get a Mac build ready. I just need to find a place to rent a Mac or someone willing to let me borrow their precious MacBook to test an adult game on it (I wouldn't blame them if they didn't want to).
Assets
Over time, I've created quite a few assets for my game. Everything from small objects to entire locations. I want to polish them, fix any topology issues, create better textures, rig the locations, and put them up for sale. I'm still deciding which store to use and need to research this further. I also plan to publish these assets here on Patreon if it aligns with the asset store's terms of service.
Blender
Most of my objects and locations were created in an old version of Cinema 4D, and I used DAZ3D for character creation and posing before rendering the scenes with Octane. However, I plan to migrate all of this to Blender. I want to export my characters to Blender in HD and rig them there, which will probably be the most challenging part. Migrating my static or hard-surface objects should be much simpler in comparison.
I'm also excited to take advantage of Blender's improved animation tools, like soft body physics. Can't wait to see some nice jiggling tits
The sculpting tools will also be very useful.
I've already started some basic tutorials to get into Blender before diving into advanced character work.
I already started with going throw some tutorials to get into blender basics before going to the advanced character stuff. But yet again I'm reminded why I don't like the Blender basics... Axis are swapped compared to any other major 3D application, annoying camera handling, or rather switching between camera and viewport mod (even Daz3D does it better...), no default smooth-shading (Why?...). At least the scene manager seems to have improved.
Render Engine
There's also the question of the render engine. Blender has a plugin for Octane, but I'm considering switching to Cycles. Blender seems to have caught up in most aspects, and it is being developed quickly, while Octane has felt a bit stale for quite a while now. Other render engines, like Corona and Redshift, seem to be progressing faster. Octane is still faster in some cases, but who knows how long that will last. I will give Cycles a spin with some of my scenes and compare them for render times and noise-level.
Framework update
I already updated Unity while evaluating the new Android build, but I still need to refactor a decent portion of the framework I've built over the years. It's become quite messy and needs some attention.
One priority is to merge the language, character configuration, and save handling to make them more convenient. I already have some ideas and may sketch them out to get your feedback before implementing them.
Less Hardcoding -> Better Modding Capability
Currently, a lot of things are hardcoded for historical reasons. I want to move as much as possible into configuration files. This will improve maintainability, allow runtime editing, and make mod support easier. Right now you can fairly simple change the character settings and language options, but I want to make it easy to add custom events and images that can be loaded during runtime.
Clothing
I've created some simple clothing, but I want to create more complex pieces, including some that I haven't seen elsewhere. This is lower priority for now, just something on my to-do list.
Marketing
I'm not into marketing, quite the opposite, actually, since I dislike advertisements and feel awkward asking for 'support' or money. However, I understand the necessity and why it's a common practice.
I'm proud of the game and everything around it, and I want to reach a wider audience. Given how much time I've invested, I wouldn't mind making a bit more money from it, so I'll eventually need to do some marketing.
That said, this project will remain a hobby for me, and I'll continue posting content on Patreon as usual. I won't spam marketing posts here. The type of content here will stay the same.
Extra scenes
I've always wanted to create some scenes that wouldn't fit into the main story, such as one featuring Pia and others from the ship. I'll probably use polls to decide which scenes to create, similar to how I do the render rewards.
For example, I could create a scene with Pia, Selene, and Elios together.
I'll continue creating content and posting art weekly, whether previews of these extra scenes or updates on my progress with Blender. I'm sure there will be plenty of lewd images in the process
There won't be any NTR scenes.
A poll will start tomorrow or Tuesday.
Thank you
Finally, thank you all for taking an interest in my project and supporting me in one way or another. I truly appreciate it and wish you all the best.
Kind regards,
Marvellous Lunatic
