Akabakka

Member
Jul 12, 2023
105
246
Lots of people can relate to the following: there's someone you intend to be in contact with. You get busy, and suddenly realize that you haven't been in touch for a long time. The weight of making contact again becomes that much bigger, and gets scary. You find it easier to put off than to do. Every time it pops back into your head, it becomes that much more important, and that much harder to do.

Also - if you've ever been really depressed, you know that the hardest thing to do is to talk yourself into doing things that could resolve your depression.

Neither may exactly correlate to why devs fall out of touch with their audience, but I do suspect they should inform the discussion.
I get that , but there is a major difference here , those case of drifting apart don't involve money and any responsibility . At least usually .
I understand fear , anxiety and shame from having let things fester , and not keeping touch , and it snowballing . However this involves money . I can empathize to someone's struggle over this ... but there is a limit . Like the good Major said , somehow , there is no such hangs up about still taking the money , while being gone , for many devs in that situation . Again ultimately it is also and foremost a matter of respect for the people that did support them .
 

RDFozz

Active Member
Apr 1, 2022
805
1,091
I get that , but there is a major difference here , those case of drifting apart don't involve money and any responsibility . At least usually .
I understand fear , anxiety and shame from having let things fester , and not keeping touch , and it snowballing . However this involves money . I can empathize to someone's struggle over this ... but there is a limit . Like the good Major said , somehow , there is no such hangs up about still taking the money , while being gone , for many devs in that situation . Again ultimately it is also and foremost a matter of respect for the people that did support them .
To clarify - given that this became a business relationship once they set up a Patreon account, none of that excuses their behavior.

However, I'm not sure how Patreon payments are handled. I can't say for sure that all devs in this sort of situation take in the money actively. If it auto transfers to an account, that requires no action to receive the money, but requires action to stop receiving it (and what I've laid out implies a paralysis that could prevent action). I believe that on itch.io, you have to log in and withdraw the money your project has earned; a dev truly paralyzed into inaction presumably wouldn't withdraw that money (although itch payments are a one-time thing, not an on-going financial relationship).

Turning off Patreon payments for a while would be appropriate in many if not all cases - but requires taking action, presuming including some sort of message to indicate that they aren't actively working on things now.

Note that subbing on Patreon is agreeing to send money to a person, not for a project. Many devs set up rewards for various support levelsb however, i dont necessarily believe Patreon requires them to make good on the rewards promised. I didn't see language like I saw when I participated on Kickstarter recently; they explicitly say that the various rewards promised for support are not Kickstarter's responsibility and aren't enforced by Kickstarter in any way. My assumption has always been that Patreon is operating on the same principles; you decide to give Joe Shmoe money, and he has no actual obligation to do squat about it.

Again - once the dev makes it a business relationship by setting up on Patreon, it is rude and unethical (in my opinion) to keep taking money if whatever you promised isn't being delivered. There's only one thing supporters can do about, and that's choosing to stop their support.
 
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Crevanille

Member
Oct 27, 2021
290
247
To clarify - given that this became a business relationship once they set up a Patreon account, none of that excuses their behavior.

However, I'm not sure how Patreon payments are handled. I can't say for sure that all devs in this sort of situation take in the money actively. If it auto transfers to an account, that requires no action to receive the money, but requires action to stop receiving it (and what I've laid out implies a paralysis that could prevent action). I believe that on itch.io, you have to log in and withdraw the money your project has earned; a dev truly paralyzed into inaction presumably wouldn't withdraw that money (although itch payments are a one-time thing, not an on-going financial relationship).

Turning off Patreon payments for a while would be appropriate in many if not all cases - but requires taking action, presuming including some sort of message to indicate that they aren't actively working on things now.

Note that subbing on Patreon is agreeing to send money to a person, not for a project. Many devs set up rewards for various support levelsb however, i dont necessarily believe Patreon requires them to make good on the rewards promised. I didn't see language like I saw when I participated on Kickstarter recently; they explicitly say that the various rewards promised for support are not Kickstarter's responsibility and aren't enforced by Kickstarter in any way. My assumption has always been that Patreon is operating on the same principles; you decide to give Joe Shmoe money, and he has no actual obligation to do squat about it.

Again - once the dev makes it a business relationship by setting up on Patreon, it is rude and unethical (in my opinion) to keep taking money if whatever you promised isn't being delivered. There's only one thing supporters can do about, and that's choosing to stop their support.
Exactly. Once you ask for money, even on a voluntary basis... you, as the dev, go from mere hobbyist to amateur/budding entrepreneur with their supporters being effectively their investors.

Now, even if they aren't legally beholden to fulfill their end of the bargain a la a contract to finish a project.. it still looks really bad from just a reputational standpoint that will, to anyone supporting the project, just come off as spitting in their face and to anyone supporting them monetarily? A scam or a total waste of time. No matter what you do short of a sincere apology and and effort to make it up to anyone you let down within the means at your disposal... excuses are just that, excuses... And I'm not defending that.
 
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Akabakka

Member
Jul 12, 2023
105
246
To clarify - given that this became a business relationship once they set up a Patreon account, none of that excuses their behavior.

However, I'm not sure how Patreon payments are handled. I can't say for sure that all devs in this sort of situation take in the money actively. If it auto transfers to an account, that requires no action to receive the money, but requires action to stop receiving it (and what I've laid out implies a paralysis that could prevent action). I believe that on itch.io, you have to log in and withdraw the money your project has earned; a dev truly paralyzed into inaction presumably wouldn't withdraw that money (although itch payments are a one-time thing, not an on-going financial relationship).

Turning off Patreon payments for a while would be appropriate in many if not all cases - but requires taking action, presuming including some sort of message to indicate that they aren't actively working on things now.

Note that subbing on Patreon is agreeing to send money to a person, not for a project. Many devs set up rewards for various support levelsb however, i dont necessarily believe Patreon requires them to make good on the rewards promised. I didn't see language like I saw when I participated on Kickstarter recently; they explicitly say that the various rewards promised for support are not Kickstarter's responsibility and aren't enforced by Kickstarter in any way. My assumption has always been that Patreon is operating on the same principles; you decide to give Joe Shmoe money, and he has no actual obligation to do squat about it.

Again - once the dev makes it a business relationship by setting up on Patreon, it is rude and unethical (in my opinion) to keep taking money if whatever you promised isn't being delivered. There's only one thing supporters can do about, and that's choosing to stop their support.
I'm not disagreeing with a lot of your points , nor disputing how patronage works . My points were entirely on a moral viewpoint . While legal , it is scummy in my opinion to be gone for months without a word , then to be back and just say "oops i was depressed" (and i know i'm being reductive here) . It's not even specific to this game , but it's a behavior that is wayyyy too common, for already too many AVN crowdfunded titles , and just never ok . Sadly it's up to people to not let it run rampant and be commonplace
 

gpsywolf

Member
Sep 30, 2019
147
554
Sad, this is one of my favorite games since forever. Was wondering what happened to it so i came in here to check on it and now IM depressed. I guess its whatever, I mean nothing i can do about it. Hope the dev gets "better" soon and picks up the project again, but time will tell.
 
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Aninass

Newbie
Aug 31, 2020
41
37
Has this really, been abandoned? The dev seems active. I really love this, one of my earliest AVNs. I hope he decides not to abandon it.
 
Nov 18, 2021
17
7
oh It would be good if the author provided the basis for character training to create mods to create more content without losing the original atmosphere
 
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ViperGts151

You don’t like me? Fine. Don’t waste my time then.
Donor
Jan 15, 2018
1,018
3,829


8 hours ago
Good morning, villagers! Or as I affectionately address you all, my esteemed citizens of the Dark Magic world. How are you doing today?
Today, I'm thrilled to share some exciting news about Dark Magic. This might be a lengthy post, but I hope you'll enjoy diving in and experiencing the vivid world I'm about to unfold.
Alright, before we get straight to the point. Let's take a journey back to where it all began...
"This guy just wanted to test features, and his English is broken as hell!"
Sure thing! My real self was still young back then. No surprise, right? And as we all know, our younger selves tend to carry some problems with them without even knowing it. But goddamn, I love this guy! He has that burning fire within him that just wants to make everything he dreams of a reality! He crafted this world for us... The world of Dark Magic.

The irony lies in the fact that he knows he doesn't have much peace with the Lord himself, yet he wanted me to be the Lord of this world, even naming it "F. Lord." Oh, I wish that 'F' represented something else rather than 'fuck'. Or perhaps it could hold a similar meaning, like "Money Lord" for the God of wealth... And I'm a God of F...
PS. I admire his consistency, something I'm determined to emphasize from this point forward... I'm trying guys.

Now, F.*** him. I'm the captain now, biatch!
First things first, let's delve into what the world of Dark Magic looks like thus far...
It's absolutely stunning now, isn't it? Considering what I've achieved visually.
But when we look back...
They are still beautiful in my eyes, even though those were created years ago... Now I'm pretty sure that it's not about how beautiful of a picture I can make, but it's because my girls are the real reason the world is as beautiful as it is now. And my goal is for you to fall in love with them too.
That's why:

takaairi.png momokoairi.png
My aim to shape this world into a place where we want to be has once again shifted. Now, I will focus on highlighting those who are the real reason what makes Dark Magic unique and sexy (mostly sexy). I want it to be a place where you come to visit, but choose to stay because you've fallen in love with the people and events that excite you kind of game. A place where you know exactly where to go to meet the girl(s) you like and interact with them. A place where you know where to be when you want to have a three... or even a foursome with them... Of course, not just visually, but also in terms of story as well.
I'm transitioning from a creator of features to a storyteller, crafting entire worlds. I hope you can see what I'm aiming for and are excited to join me on this journey.
...
Now. An upcoming release:
As you can see, I'm still grappling with a tendency to get bored easily, which is why I often jump from place to place. But don’t worry, I’m setting my boundaries now. The next update will be a special Halloween release, a promise I made long ago. I have nothing but my deepest apologies for everyone who has been waiting for my updates. I understand the feeling of visiting the page often, refreshing it in hopes that one day, something will change. Well... As for Dark Magic, we now know that changes are on the horizon, even if they will be gradual, but I will try to make them consistent.
(Also, since it’s been a while since the last update, please anticipate a potential delay of a few days. There might be technical issues, but if we’re lucky, everything will proceed smoothly. Just giving you a heads up.)
...
Finally,
I now have all the tools necessary to craft this perfect world, and it’s time to put them to use. Would you like to join me on this grand adventure?
Thank you, as always, to everyone for your continued support and trust in me. I hope to see you again very soon.
Have a great day, my fellow citizens!
 
Last edited:
Jan 31, 2020
9
4


8 hours ago
Good morning, villagers! Or as I affectionately address you all, my esteemed citizens of the Dark Magic world. How are you doing today?
Today, I'm thrilled to share some exciting news about Dark Magic. This might be a lengthy post, but I hope you'll enjoy diving in and experiencing the vivid world I'm about to unfold.
Alright, before we get straight to the point. Let's take a journey back to where it all began...
"This guy just wanted to test features, and his English is broken as hell!"
Sure thing! My real self was still young back then. No surprise, right? And as we all know, our younger selves tend to carry some problems with them without even knowing it. But goddamn, I love this guy! He has that burning fire within him that just wants to make everything he dreams of a reality! He crafted this world for us... The world of Dark Magic.

The irony lies in the fact that he knows he doesn't have much peace with the Lord himself, yet he wanted me to be the Lord of this world, even naming it "F. Lord." Oh, I wish that 'F' represented something else rather than 'fuck'. Or perhaps it could hold a similar meaning, like "Money Lord" for the God of wealth... And I'm a God of F...
PS. I admire his consistency, something I'm determined to emphasize from this point forward... I'm trying guys.

Now, F.*** him. I'm the captain now, biatch!
First things first, let's delve into what the world of Dark Magic looks like thus far...
It's absolutely stunning now, isn't it? Considering what I've achieved visually.
But when we look back...
They are still beautiful in my eyes, even though those were created years ago... Now I'm pretty sure that it's not about how beautiful of a picture I can make, but it's because my girls are the real reason the world is as beautiful as it is now. And my goal is for you to fall in love with them too.
That's why:

View attachment 3586583 View attachment 3586584
My aim to shape this world into a place where we want to be has once again shifted. Now, I will focus on highlighting those who are the real reason what makes Dark Magic unique and sexy (mostly sexy). I want it to be a place where you come to visit, but choose to stay because you've fallen in love with the people and events that excite you kind of game. A place where you know exactly where to go to meet the girl(s) you like and interact with them. A place where you know where to be when you want to have a three... or even a foursome with them... Of course, not just visually, but also in terms of story as well.
I'm transitioning from a creator of features to a storyteller, crafting entire worlds. I hope you can see what I'm aiming for and are excited to join me on this journey.
...
Now. An upcoming release:
As you can see, I'm still grappling with a tendency to get bored easily, which is why I often jump from place to place. But don’t worry, I’m setting my boundaries now. The next update will be a special Halloween release, a promise I made long ago. I have nothing but my deepest apologies for everyone who has been waiting for my updates. I understand the feeling of visiting the page often, refreshing it in hopes that one day, something will change. Well... As for Dark Magic, we now know that changes are on the horizon, even if they will be gradual, but I will try to make them consistent.
(Also, since it’s been a while since the last update, please anticipate a potential delay of a few days. There might be technical issues, but if we’re lucky, everything will proceed smoothly. Just giving you a heads up.)
...
Finally,
I now have all the tools necessary to craft this perfect world, and it’s time to put them to use. Would you like to join me on this grand adventure?
Thank you, as always, to everyone for your continued support and trust in me. I hope to see you again very soon.
Have a great day, my fellow citizens!
back to the game, even though I deleted all the saves
 
4.30 star(s) 106 Votes