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Thanks for all of the questions! Like last year, I didn't expect you guys to come up with this many new questions, but you keep surprising me.
I've read all of them and can’t answer everything due to spoilers. Some questions have already been answered in previous years' Q&As, and the answers haven't changed much.
You can read about all past Q&As here if you're interested.
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In part 1, I will answer your questions about Being a DIK.
In part 2, I will answer your questions about game development.
There might be some updated answers to repeat questions in the mix. Enjoy the reading!
If you haven't played episode 9 yet, this post has some potential spoilers. Read at your own risk.
Being a DIK
Any new thoughts on who your favorite characters to write are?
In 2020, I said Derek, Quinn, Isabella, and Jade were my favorite characters to write. I still enjoy writing for them, but I'd like to add that I love writing Lynette and Neil. I think what I enjoy the most about it is the creative freedom their story has. While I know what it will be, it isn't as restricted by other characters as the main story is. And it's always fun to flesh out a "new" character, and Lynette is just a blast to write. For the same reason, I loved writing the Interlude.
Tommy should also be added to this list of favorites. What I love the most about him is that he can dare to be different and brutal in his comments and still come off as likable (at times). I think the scene I enjoyed writing the most with him was in episode 8 during the breakfast conversation. I loved how he interacted with the group.
How many episodes are planned?
This answer gets fine-tuned every year as development progresses. Nothing is set in stone yet, and my estimation is subject to change. My best estimate is four seasons and 15-17 episodes. We are past the halfway point now.
When Being A DIK is completed, will you release a Director Commentary, concept art, or any "behind the scenes" content?
I've thought about this idea, but I haven't decided yet. It would be fun and nostalgic to provide some behind-the-scenes content with early sketches/art/doodles, etc. I have material and ideas for it, and I think it could be made into something enjoyable for the hardcore fans of the game.
What was your favorite scene to make in Episode 9?
Four scenes come to mind for different reasons.
1. Art-wise - The best costume competition. The number of characters that fit into a single render is a record for me, and the first render overlooking the main party room took me multiple days to create. It also reflects a big part of the underlying work for the costumes. This episode was a mountain to climb.
The game has over 100 named characters, and this render made me grasp how many different characters there are in the game, even though many aren't in the picture. It's weird looking at it, inspecting everyone, and knowing who they are on a deeper level, how they have personalities, motivations, and their own stories. It's my favorite render from episode 9 for these reasons.
2. Lewd-wise - Sage's anal scene. Barring shorter scenes, this was the first big anal-only scene I made for the game. I spent a long time on it, trying to make it perfect with the build-up, teasing, and payoff.
I'd like to highlight a few new firsts for me in terms of animation. There is a looping 41-second animation when MC teases her and inserts his dick the first time. That animation took me 34 days to render and a full day to pose. It was among the trickier animations I've done so far. Because of its duration, I had to ensure it was perfect before I even started rendering it.
The animation where MC creampies Sage from a standing position is something new too. I haven't made a creampie animation that way before, and I'm very pleased with the result. From a creative standpoint, it was my favorite lewd scene to create for episode 9.
3. Story-wise - Zoey's park bench scene. This was the scene I enjoyed writing the most. I wanted it to pack an emotional punch, and it makes me teary-eyed every time.
4. Humor-wise - Every single scene with Arieth in episode 9. Her furry buttplug and how she announces her pregnancy in front of everyone make me laugh hard. I love the dynamic between Quinn and Arieth. Not many people can leave Quinn at a loss for words.
Are there any side girls you wished were main girls now that you are in Season 3? Episode 9 pushed forward a few side girls, such as Nicole, Lily, Rio, and Quinn, when it comes to romance development. Can we now label these girls as the important side girls, and can we expect them to be part of every episode from now on? The same applies to Zoey. As a long-time Nicole fan, I am overjoyed, so thank you.
Every character is important in their way, and they all serve a purpose. Their screen time will depend on what the episode is about. I am happy with how I've described the main girls since day one. It indicated which girls would receive the most focus in the story, which still stands.
Some players get too hung up on the meaning of main girl versus side girl. I don't think preferring a side girl over a main girl makes the gaming experience anything less. However, the content will likely be less than that of the main girls.
You'll have to see where the story takes you. You might be happy or disappointed, but I'm happy with the stories I have planned for all the characters in the game.
What made you pick Jill's costume (if you are on her path) for the Halloween party?
I love the contrast of it compared to most of the other girls' costumes. Like MC says, before meeting Jill at the party, everyone's dressed hot and sexy. There's this stereotype about how girls have to dress hot and sexy for Halloween parties, and I like to play on that stereotype. So, BAM! there is Jill dressed as a banana.
To me, it showcases her personality, humor, and spirit. It's one of my overall favorite costumes. I know you didn't ask, but as for her bee costume, it was a bit spicier to make players feel like they missed out on her by not being on her branch. Evil, I know, but the episode was called Vixens, after all.
Has the development of episode 9 influenced how you are planning to approach the subject of branching in future episodes?
Did you run into any problems that made you realize you'll have to change a few things, or does it seem like the approach you've chosen is the right one and will work out? Would you like to expand it, limit yourself more, or keep it the way you've planned so far (all within the constraints of the planned story, of course)?
Episode 9 was the first episode with severe branching, and it was challenging to make it work. It made me realize how my workflow will have to be in the future and how I can and cannot use the branching.
It caused some scenes to have multiple variations that I didn't plan for originally but had to happen to make sense for all branches. It also made me realize how quickly it can get out of hand unless I plan the choices in the branches even more meticulously.
The perceived length of the episode is the biggest impact the branching has on the game in the future. As content gets tucked away into branches, episodes will feel shorter when they - on paper - are longer. I can't do much about it; we all must accept it.
Will we be able to start a new update with defined relationships? So we don't have to play the whole game again.
No. I have thought about it but realized it's impossible with what I'm aiming for. The game has thousands of variables, and if you could simulate a save like that, you would ruin all the intricate details I have planned for your game.
I want each game you play to feel different and offer you different opportunities and variations. I know that this game might end up being a completionist's nightmare, but the great replay value is what I want for the game. I want to create an epic adventure that you can play repeatedly and where choices matter.
Would you be willing to speak about the Others branch? Obviously, this dips into the spoiler realm, but you've hinted that something is there, and I'm interested in what you are willing to share. One burning question... is if the Others branch is primarily a DIK path or if it is open for CHICK/NEUTRAL too?
I don't view the Others branch as a branch you default into when you strike out with the main girls; I view it as a different way of playing the game. You can play it in any way you like; there will be stories in it for you. I intend to give the Others branch as much love as the rest of the branches. And I hope it will feel rewarding regardless of affinity, too. It all depends on what you like as a player. Overall, it’s the branch with the biggest variation.
Can we get measurements of the main girls, please?
I don't have any intention of providing that. The best I can do is MC's length in cocks.
He is 8 MC's cocks and 1 Dawe long.
Would we get more phone wallpapers, like multiple wallpapers to choose from for a specific girl instead of one each? Have you thought about making the nude versions of the 2D art selectable for your phone wallpaper or the picture frames?
While I am happy with the current wallpapers, I can't say I'm perfectly happy with the selection and the wallpaper app. I have been thinking about improving it for quite some time, so I'm not against adding more wallpapers.
I regret not being more forward-thinking regarding the wallpaper app code, and I would likely have to rewrite it to make it work better. We'll see what the future holds for it. It's not a top priority but something on my potential to-do list.
As for the nude versions of the art, I chose to have the wallpapers more SFW than not, and I think I will stick to it.
My question is about the nature of storytelling with branching paths.
As time progresses, and you have to contend with each outcome of each potential choice from every previous decision a player has made, I suspect it becomes increasingly difficult to make episodes feel long rather than wide with various distinct playthroughs.
Is the "party planning" structure we saw in the previous episode your solution to that issue, given that it is a narrative reason for each character to be in one place simultaneously?
I assume it's easier to make each player's story feel more tailored to their choices and personal "timeline" when you don't have to have the MC running off to go and have many 1-on-1 interactions when all the characters instead come to him.
And if so, are we going to see a lot more parties being thrown? I hope so; I thought the episode was great, to be honest. Thank you
I see that you understand the issue and my solution for episode 9. As mentioned earlier in this Q&A, branching is an episode-length killer. But to make this answer spoiler-free, it's not going to be my go-to solution to have everyone in the same place. It was perfect for episode 9, but it won't always be the case. I have other ways of solving it.
At this point in the game, I'd much rather have meaningful branching than a single storyline. Even if it will make the episodes feel shorter, it's not something that will be noticeable when you're playing the entire game once it's finished. And regardless of what you do as a developer, players will always say your episode/game/update is too short - yes, even when you have 5000+ renders and 300+ animations, you will hear it. What you learn with time is what they mean is that they just want more, and that's a good sign.
I have noticed that for episode 9, at least 75-80 (or more) individual costumes were used for all characters. How long did it take you to assemble all of those costume resources? Also, was there a costume(s) you wanted to use for a character(s) that you couldn't find an asset for or couldn't make presentable with a character?
It's crazy when you think about it. Acquiring costume assets for this episode was a tremendous task. The hurdles included ensuring that the costumes were unique, looked good, fit a character's personality, meshed well with the story, etc.
The difficulty was why I didn't have many cosmetic polls for episode 9. I was very smart with how I worked by dressing every character in the episode early and preparing every room of the mansion to make it feel like Halloween. That way, working with the characters became a simple import operation when creating the art.
I don't know how many hours I spent on this, but an unhealthy amount. I had multiple options on paper for the costumes before I went looking for the assets. I'd rather have an idea for a costume and see it fail than base my ideas on the available options.
It caused me to improvise and make some custom stuff to make it work. I'm very pleased with the result, but what I'm most happy about is that I don't have to fiddle with the placing of that fucking gladiator sword in MC's hands in every single render from now on. LOL! Some costumes were a nightmare to work with. It reminded me of the days of the DIK helmet, where I had to make extra renders to make Derek's hair look good while wearing it.
You have introduced some of your own songs with the release of ep9. What led you to do so, and can we expect more of your music in the future? By the way, the songs fitted perfectly, especially Tremolo.
Thank you. It was because of multiple reasons. I've always wanted to do it, but I wasn't sure if they would be good enough or if I would have the time for it. Secondly, sometimes it's hard to find fitting music; this way, I could set the mood I wanted more accurately.
I'll likely add more of my songs in the future, but I don't think it will happen in every episode. It all depends on what I need. If a song with the mood I have in mind is available for purchase, I will opt for that rather than wasting time creating it myself.
The Tremolo song was needed because it's hard to find suitable songs with only an acoustic guitar.
As a developer of a game this large with over 60 characters, how do you manage the script? With many unique personalities, how do you come up with what the characters say to one another, both in person and on other devices like Rooster?
One would think it could be overwhelming at times, and I'm curious about what strategies you employ to help you keep track of it all, so you don't lose your sense of direction.
I haven't counted how many characters there are, but it's 120+; maybe someday I'll count it. Managing it is mostly intuition. I think even players know what the characters sound and act like by now. Try to insert yourself as a given character, look at any cluck in the game, and imagine how they would react.
That's basically how my writing process works. Let's say I have a scene on campus with MC sitting on a bench playing guitar in the open. People walk by and hear him play. Now imagine that Quinn, Tybalt, and Dawe walk past him - one at a time - what would they say and/or think?
In my mind, Quinn would most likely make a jab at MC's attempt at trying to score pussy or call him a hippie. Tybalt would think MC is a beggar wanting his coin. Dawe would think MC is gay for doing something he never could or dares to do.
It's all about putting yourself in the character’s shoes and reacting accordingly. Even with this many characters in the game, it's not that hard for me to do on the fly, and I think many of you would be able to do a great job at it as well. It's also very fun to do, and it's why I enjoy writing in general.
How did you come up with the idea for the game?
I’ve watched many college movies in my life, but my first idea for Being a DIK came many years ago. In my head, I called it "Life", and it was a simulator of school/college and how awesome it would be to get another shot at it by playing an avatar of yourself, going down a different route than you did. It would be a game about daily interactions and activities while being able to do almost whatever you wanted. That's the seed for the game, and I've kept it with me ever since. I never thought it would be a game since how the hell would that even be possible? It felt too far-fetched.
But during the development of Acting Lessons, I realized that I wanted to revisit that idea, which became the start of Being a DIK. Being a DIK was originally intended as a prequel to Acting Lessons, but I scrapped that idea. I thought about the main girls and their individual stories, laid the groundwork for the entire game, and the rest is history.
If you could pick 3-5 more famous songs for the BAD soundtrack, what would they be, and what would they be used for?
Last year I picked "Sum 41 - Rhythms" and "Millencolin - Farewell My Hell".
If I could add five more songs to that, off the top of my head, they would be "Andrew W.K. - Party hard", "The Offspring - Want you bad", "Simple plan - Addicted", "+44 - When your heart stops beating" and "Blink 182 - First date".
They would be used for parties and cutscene-like intros of scenes to set the college genre mood.
Now that the game has split into routes which routes come the most naturally and which are harder to write?
They all have pre-defined stories, so they all come off naturally to me. The hardest one to write is the Others branch as it is the most versatile one, and there are more variables to consider than in the main girl branches.
With the amount of branching happening in season 3 of Being A DIK, are you concerned about dividing your energy and attention between so many branches and ensuring that each one gets an adequate amount of effort put into it? Is there any particular system you use to address this during a dev cycle?
It's concerning because it's new, yes. But, like with everything else, I will make it work because it's what I've planned for the long haul. It's something we will have to get used to; the game is evolving as we head toward the end of it.
The system I have for it is the same one I've had throughout development - planning and writing notes, flowcharts and spreadsheets. Ensuring that the render count and dialogue/code are comparable in size for the different branches is a good way to ensure you're treating all branches fairly.
It will vary with each episode, though. Sometimes one girl gets more attention in the story or lewd scenes, and in the next episode, it may be different.
For most of this game, the events have been day-to-day, with some days being busier than others, but the last three episodes have all employed time skips of varying lengths.
Are time skips something you find to be beneficial to help move the story along and something you may utilize more of, or do you prefer, and are planning, to move the story along on a day-by-day basis and explore and develop things at that pace?
Time skips are good to advance the story, wardrobes, and environmental settings, but if I use them too often or at the wrong moment, there is a chance that the story will feel choppy.
Imagine that something big happens in the story; skipping a month in-game would make it feel weird, and I'd rather stay in that week or how long it takes to solve and flesh out the event. I know which time skips are needed for the rest of the game, and I feel confident that I will be able to show the planned timeframe in the remaining episodes.
Is there anything from Episode 9 that you initially really wanted to do but scrapped from the story completely because it didn't work? Maybe because you couldn't get it to render right or didn't feel it would ever fit the story once you started to see it come together.
No, I believe I went over and beyond with the content I wanted for episode 9. Sometimes the content I plan doesn't fit a certain episode. I usually don't scrap that content, but I plan for it to appear in an upcoming episode instead. You don't have that luxury with a thematic episode like a Halloween episode. That’s why I kept creating content until I put everything I wanted in the episode. I would have hated it if I had rushed through it after waiting years to make that episode.
What are your reflections on the change in the balance between free roam events and narration? In Season 1, it felt like the free roams mainly complemented the story, whereas they now dominate the story, with each episode essentially being centered around one or two huge free roams. Was this always the plan? Do you feel like your focus has shifted from mainly on storytelling/narration, to gameplay (free roam + mini-games) and technical aspects such as animations?
I don’t feel like they dominate the story, but they have become much more elaborate as my skills developed over the years. When I started doing them, I was testing the water and figuring out what I could do with them. Even a small free-roam event back then took a long time to create; my system for them now is fast and streamlined, allowing me to go bigger with them. I have realized that longer free-roam events are excellent for many reasons.
- They let you dig deep into a specific point in time and thoroughly explore it in a way that normal storytelling doesn’t allow.
- They give more choices and feel more like a game than a visual novel, which can be a con, too, depending on your preference.
- The MC can naturally interact with a large portion of the cast, as many characters as needed or desired. And the phone and its apps can be thoroughly used.
- Side characters get more spotlight as a result of the free-roam events.
- Story direction and plot points can be introduced and discussed.
- Just because it’s a free-roam event doesn’t mean the story can’t evolve within them. This is something I’ve used more and more lately with longer scenes within free-roam events. The longer events could just as easily have been viewed as normal storytelling, but since they appear within a free-roam event, the player will view them as part of the free-roam event.
I love to have a mix between the normal VN style and the free-roam event style. So far, episodes 5 and 9 have been the only two episodes focusing heavily on free-roam events, but the rest of the episodes have a healthier mix. I’ll likely do at least one big free-roam event per episode for the rest of the game.
I don’t feel that my focus has shifted. The episode content will decide the pacing and what’s needed from the storytelling. There will be a constant mix of driving the story forward and settling down to focus on some event.
I can feel that some players want the story to progress faster, to get to the end – I understand the desire to learn the answers to all questions. But I also know that if things move too fast, the answers won't be set up properly, and more importantly, you’ll realize that the journey was the best part and wish it was longer. That influences my choice of storytelling a lot. I want to explore the characters more and believe the free-roam events are an excellent tool for it.
That's it for the first part of the Q&A. I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for the second part, which will cover your game development questions.
Love,
Dr PinkCake
