VN Ren'Py Being a DIK [v0.10.1] [DrPinkCake]

[Weiny]

I hate tattoos. Can't you avoid it in Interlude?

 

[ename144]

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I was going to work on art this week, but I continued writing and couldn't stop myself. I've been writing different scenes with many different characters. I have been focusing on making sure most events of the episode are in place, even if they aren't fully written yet.

I keep adding stuff I want to see in the episode, and I'm working with a cast of 70+ characters that need screen time - so it is a challenge when it comes to limiting ideas and scenes while also piecing together parallel storylines.

I've said in the past that I'm trying to make the episode smaller than episode 8 - because the trend so far is that each episode gets bigger and bigger. I've realized that it's too hard for me to do that for episode 9 in some areas.

Currently, the writing of episode 9 is at ~90% in size compared to episode 8. I believe nearly all events are mapped out now, give or take a handful.

I have 43 scenes, ranging from short to long, left to write, or complete writing. This is why I believe I will overshoot the episode 8 size in terms of writing.
I have barely started writing phone content, so this also remains in the writing department.

At the moment, I believe I'm unlikely to overshoot the animation count, but the render count might be close to that of episode 8. Time will tell what the size will be.

You'll likely be very happy if you wish for a content-filled episode that requires more than five playthroughs to see everything.

When it comes to art, I estimate that 80% of the environments needed for the episode are designed and have the lighting in place; this usually takes a lot of time. Similarly, I estimate that 90% of the characters needed for the episode have their costumes/wardrobe decided and prepared to be imported into the scenes. I'm confident that art production will take off fast once I return to it.

I will continue letting the flow decide what I'm working on next week.

On the animation front, PCs are chugging on. Two workstations are rendering two rather long animations, and they have been at it for 14 days each. Previewing the work they've done with these long animations, they were worth the time spent rendering.

95 animations are fully produced.

Poll news
In this week's poll, option 4 was the winning option and will be featured in episode 9 as Riona's Halloween costume.

Thanks for voting!

Have a nice weekend

Dr PinkCake

I see DPC remains the undisputed master of extraneous information! Well, we do at least an animation count. DPC has apparently completed 25 animations in the last 4 weeks, an average of 6.3 animations per week. Overall, he is now averaging 8.6 animations per week since the Interlude launched. Still no word on static renders, beyond some speculation the total could be close to Episode 8. Here are the charts.

Spoiler: Starving Charts

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As you can see, we're ages away from matching Episode 8's animation count at our current rate (roughly February). DPC thinks the total animation count won't match Episode 8, and he's certainly capable of improving the render rate compared to this last month. But then again that does depend on just how long and complex these new animations are, and on how much time he has to spend on other aspects of the game. On the plus side, it does sound like the non-art tasks are pretty well in hand.

Sadly, my guess is DPC is still underestimating how much content he wants to add to the game and thus we're looking at an October release: he'll only stop adding cool stuff when he realizes he's in danger of missing Halloween. There's plenty of time for the numbers to improve, but until DPC demonstrates he's capable of buckling down and cutting extraneous content for the sake of development I'm going to err on the side of pessimism when it comes to schedule.

 

[dalli_x]

Is that so? Not so long ago we had a nice back and forth, about fillers because how the story does not move forward , with the unnecessary DnG, and parties , unnecessary lewd scenes with Madam.
And now, We are at the phase, that Girls who been rejected, or they rejected MC , personal life should been shown, to show as how their life is after that, with out the MC.

Interesting 180 turn. Hey, you know what you guys won, 50 episode it is then, to make sure each character, get the proper treatment, and healthy and fine after their encounter with MC.
I want details, I want to see the set up, how they meet, I want sex scenes, I want everything. each character should be the individual hero of its own story. In Each path.

similarity is not enough, we want Same exact same approach as a Tv show. I wanna see Envy as she make breakfast for her kid, and then she goes to work and serve a client.

ChipLecsap I understand what you are trying to tell us and half I agree. We don't need to see how and with whom the rejected LIs have sex because the story revolves around the MC.

However, the rejected LIs may still be friends with the MC, which could logically lead to sporadic meetings. Seeing these meetings would be interesting and is also shown by DPC because it is part of the development of the story.

But otherwise, the adage "Out of sight, out of mind." applies.

 

[schinoize]

I hate tattoos. Can't you avoid it in Interlude?

Do you mean Zoey getting tattooed? No, you can't avoid that iirc (only played it once). I wouldn't sweat it too much, though. From Episode 9 on, you'll be playing Tremolo again and while Zoey's exact role remains unclear, she'll probably just be another LI you can reject.
If you wanted to go down her path though and her tattoos are a big turn-off for you, then there's not much you can do I guess.

 

[ename144]

Sisters!
You can take that to the BANK!

I mean, you *can*, but you'd better be prepared for the teller to call security.

I don't know why DPC is trying to make the size smaller or similar to that of episode 8 when episode 9 has branching involved. For it to be great, long, and filled with content similar to what he said; "requires more than five playthroughs to see everything", wouldn't it be more "safe" and logical to not worry about the size because it might compromise the story?
If he's worrying about size a lot, I think it's better to do that on more later episodes, just so that episode 9 comes on strong and to have a solid foundation of the branches.

If not, I guess the branches are an illusion like any other choices-driven game. For example, no matter what you do in episodes 1-8, you would always end up with Maya, Josy, and Sage in her house. Bummer.

Errr, we already know the MC is in Sage's house no matter our path. He's even shitting himself over sleeping with Jade regardless of whether he actually did so.

I'm loathe to be overly critical of DPC's lengthy development time because in general I'm always willing to trade quantity to get more quality. But I must admit I have severe doubts as to whether DPC is really adding quality right now. Prior to Episode 8 I would have been very enthusiastic about needing 5 playthroughs to see everything, as that was my preferred playstyle. But after the disastrous crossroads, I'm just not sure anymore. What good is having distinct branches if those branches come at the price of excluding the differences I really care about?

Is the Maya/Josy branch really going to focus on the MC building a relationship with both girls? Will he actually prioritize solving Maya's problems in a way that might limit the time he has to party (compared to an Others route)? Nothing DPC has done in Episode 8 (much less the Interlude) indicates that's going to happen. I think the MC will remain as aimless as he's always been, just now he'll mope about Zoey from time to time. Oh, and the camera will pan around him slightly while doing so.

This is why I wish we'd skipped the damn Interlude, because I really have no idea how DPC intends to handle the next part of his story and I would much prefer to learn that than to delve deeply into Zoey's backstory. It's tough waiting half a year for content when you're enthusiastic for it, but it's much harder when you're lukewarm on it. Sadly, no such luck.

The animation varies from a sex-scene position to a camera movement during cutscenes. I understand why Dr PinkCake weighs for each ones their benefits over the amount of work they involve. Many adult visual novels do the minimum and are satisfied with static renders.

How encouraging it is to read that he evaluates his workload throughout the making; this implies that he sets goals with perhaps a maximum development time per episode, so as not to be overwhelmed in his job or anger the contributors. Without any irony or excessive flattery, I think a lot of game creators on Patreon could learn from Dr PinkCake.

DPC has an impressive work ethic and he definitely has skill as an artist; any aspiring developer could learn a lot from him on those fronts. But I disagree that he does a good job weighing the benefits of an animation against the time they require.

The Interlude was, IMHO, filled with extraneous animations that did nothing to add characterization or atmosphere. They were the equivalent of shoving objects at the camera in a 3D movie just to prove you could. Likewise, DPC could use a trusted editor. Take Madame for instance (please!). As much as I give her flak, I do appreciate the idea behind her; she adds something to game world. It's just that the marginal benefit she brings cannot be justified given the time he's devoted to her. She should have been sacrificed for the greater good, but she wasn't. And the more that keeps happening, the harder it will be to finally clear the decks on focus on telling the story, which means the strength to weight ratio of the episodes will continue to suffer until we hit a breaking point.

Sorry to be all negativity this morning, I'm just a bit frustrated.

 

[AchedCroissant]

I'm working with a cast of 70+ characters that need screen time - so it is a challenge

Just think of the girl with blue hair and your inspiration will return

 

[dalli_x]

But are you responding to me?

who said I want to know what every single character is doing at every moment of the day? I don't seem to have said that...
what cheating are you talking about?

anyway we are not MC, we are the viewers of a story, everything we need to understand the story is shown to us whether MC knows it too or not.

if Bella looks like a madwoman talking to the dead because you can't show a kiss, a cuddle, a hug with her husband for me there is a problem. then probably the problem is also and in large part in the audience of the game, but the problem remains

You yourself asked the question.

"but how can their personal relationships be unnecessary and a waste of time? whether MC is present or not is secondary, we are the ones being told the story, not him."

That is what I was responding to.

You didn't write clearly enough what personal relationships you meant. So I was assuming all personal relationships, whether romantic, friendly, hostile, etc.

It doesn't matter which con. To me, as the reader of the story, it doesn't matter how or how often Tommy cheats with Tania. I, as the reader, have been given the information that Tommy is cheating on Heather. That's enough for me and I don't need to see it. Tommy and Heather also have a personal relationship, which you hinted at in your first sentence because you weren't clear enough.

Likewise, Jamie and Leon have a personal, friendly relationship. But I don't care if they go home with a woman in the bar in EP7 or not. That would be worth a story, but it's not interesting.

We are half MC and half spectator. If we were just spectators, "Being a DIK" would be a comic. But we take control of the MC to some degree, and our choices as players are shaped by our experiences and preferences. Ergo, to some degree, we are the MC. DPC itself has written that you should not care about the RP and play the game as you see fit.

 

[Arigon]

all of the above simply illustrates a point.
DPC has painted himself into a corner.
He has too many characters.
It is unreasonable to keep them all going indefinitely.
The story is ungainly and not gaining in quality.
His writing is frayed.
His renders are going to require too much time to maintain this mess much longer.
He will be ending the story soonish, and not very satisfactorily.
Whether he spends time with new development of things or focuses on the MC and his canon of girls, all the lot of you should pay attention.
He introduces things when he is bored. He is bored. That means this story is going to conclude. Will there be another year at B&R? I don't know. Maybe he will do a fantasy AVN or take the break he has talked about.
Chapter 10 and done.
Peace

 

[den_tiger]

Does the game even have 70+ characters?
Hmmm. Maybe new characters inbound?

 

[sixart]

Chapter 10 and done.

Does the game even have 70+ characters?

Check your phone Then add those none listed ( not relevant ) Is it above or under ?

 

[shazba]

Does the game even have 70+ characters?
Hmmm. Maybe new characters inbound?

The game has over 100 characters, (over 90 not including the Interlude characters and the generically named characters):

Spoiler: There's a lot of 'em

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all of the above simply illustrates a point.
DPC has painted himself into a corner.
He has too many characters.
It is unreasonable to keep them all going indefinitely.
The story is ungainly and not gaining in quality.
His writing is frayed.
His renders are going to require too much time to maintain this mess much longer.
He will be ending the story soonish, and not very satisfactorily.
Whether he spends time with new development of things or focuses on the MC and his canon of girls, all the lot of you should pay attention.
He introduces things when he is bored. He is bored. That means this story is going to conclude. Will there be another year at B&R? I don't know. Maybe he will do a fantasy AVN or take the break he has talked about.
Chapter 10 and done.
Peace

Lol and this is why it must END.

The game is still a lot of fun, so I don't know why there's all this doom and gloom.

 

[Arigon]

Lol and this is why it must END.

 

[Kellermann]

A very detailed status update. Most likely episode 9 will be close to episode 8 in size. Judging by the numbers, he is almost finished with the script and the creation of the environment, and he has only programming, creating art and animation left.

I don't see a problem in size. If you remember, a third of episode 5 was occupied by the backstory of the brotherhood of diks and the episode itself was pretty empty. All the important events took place during the preps party and at Bella's house, and the episode itself unexpectedly ended as it began. I'm glad to hear from Pink that the episode will be intense.

Yeah, DPC isn't just going to go back to making small episodes. That ship has sailed. More content each episode is the name of the game from now on. One thing I hope he doesn't continue, but probably will, is the trend for longer and longer ep. intro flashbacks (like ep. 5). A fast-moving, concise intro can usually convey everything that is needed without delving into every detail. DPC even went so far as to give us the longest ep. intro flashback yet...Interlude. Episode 5 intro did go on for an unbelievably long time..had no idea it was 1/3 of ep length though.

I don't know why DPC is trying to make the size smaller or similar to that of episode 8 when episode 9 has branching involved. For it to be great, long, and filled with content similar to what he said; "requires more than five playthroughs to see everything", wouldn't it be more "safe" and logical to not worry about the size because it might compromise the story?
If he's worrying about size a lot, I think it's better to do that on more later episodes, just so that episode 9 comes on strong and to have a solid foundation of the branches.

If not, I guess the branches are an illusion like any other choices-driven game. For example, no matter what you do in episodes 1-8, you would always end up with Maya, Josy, and Sage in her house. Bummer.

True, DPC almost has to make episodes bigger whether he wants to or not. Ever since he made us select a girl (or others), he has pretty much guaranteed that more content is needed because otherwise the episode will seem miniscule by previous standards since you can't bounce around from girl to girl like you could before (ex. season 1).

--

Riona costume
DPC had better compensate by giving us her long awaited O scene with MC.

 

[Train of Thought]

Lol and this is why it must END.

Why would you want such an entertaining, and all-around great AVN to end? Other than to say that 'you were right' and 'you told us so' that the game will end at Episode 10 (Again, it wouldn't, so you can once again just relax and maybe take a break from this thread), there is no reason for BADIK to end now or in the nearest future. With all the characters, existing and new, this has a lot of stories to tell and events to show. I will gladly enjoy those as will most if not all in this thread who enjoy this game
Sorry to disappoint you once again Arigon

 

[PashafromRussia]

Does the game even have 70+ characters?
Hmmm. Maybe new characters inbound?

Yes, 70 characters are literally all the characters in the game that are from random people from the dorm in episode 8 to members of fraternities and sisterhood. I don't know if he is going to make a global party in which literally everyone will be there (if so, then Bella and Jill will be there, and Bianca, and so on) or there will still be several parties.

 

[ThaRealThiccShady]

 

[AchedCroissant]

So is there a chance that she will come back?

 

[Arigon]

Why would you want such an entertaining, and all-around great AVN to end? Other than to say that 'you were right' and 'you told us so' that the game will end at Episode 10 (Again, it wouldn't, so you can once again just relax and maybe take a break from this thread), there is no reason for BADIK to end now or in the nearest future. With all the characters, existing and new, this has a lot of stories to tell and events to show. I will gladly enjoy those as will most if not all in this thread who enjoy this game
Sorry to disappoint you once again Arigon

Clearly you don't know me very well!!!!
By the way, I actually own the game, not just a pirate board lurker. I am a fan, but I also am a realist. (fan of renders and animations, NOT his writing or the overall story)
Too many characters leads to burn out.
Intro of new things at this point, was just like his DnG, he is bored.
I hope it ends better than burning dorm rooms, but if so, fear not, I shall ensure that Zoey is the one left behind!

 

[Arigon]

So is there a chance that she will come back?
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Thank you!!!!
I miss our nurse murderer!
Does she have our Lamb with her?

 

[PashafromRussia]

So is there a chance that she will come back?
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View attachment 1820995

I think she'll fuck with MС and then kill someone. It will be a secret bad ending.