HTML Female Agent [v1.20.1p] [Crushstation]

[depechedNode]

Nice! A similar game/VN but with a hardworking dev (so far). Not tried yet, but it looks promising and will definitely follow its progress. Good luck to the dev.

 

[Derrida]

He's clearly a good writer but if you are constantly overshooting deadlines and proferring rationalizations to your patrons who support you, you are either a little incompetent or a little deceitful. Or possibly, and perhaps more likely, both. It's just very hard to believe that he is working on the game 11 hours a day. Something about the hand-wringing over 'difficult scenes' or the introduction of new techniques like storyboarding (wasn't that supposed to improve and smooth dev time?) just ring hollow to me -- and I say this as someone who struggles with procrastination in my own writing. I've made many excuses to myself. I've busied myself with 'hacks' which would solve all my workflow problems rather than actually just writing. He's worked on this for how many years? Again, this naivete about his own process -- 'breakthroughs' and 'difficult scenes' -- just seems implausible. Writing is difficult, at times. Some scenes are less fun to write than others. None of this should be surprising to a writer 5 years deep on a project.

The truth is, if he was being paid per update, these updates would be coming much quicker and with zero quality difference because hand-wringing and self-deception end when you need to buy bread or pay rent. Of course, people can support whatever they want and, again, he is a talented writer but I do find it funny that so many people seem happy to pay in part to be deceived.

 

[MrAnarchy]

At this point, I highly doubt the game will ever be finished. I mean, it’s been what, 5 years? And we still haven’t even gotten to the main act of her becoming a bargirl, and apparently he plans on adding more free roam and story customization to that but he can’t even keep schedule to the linear part of the story. That’s not even mentioning his supposed plan to remake the lifepath section of the game.

 

[Tallyhoe]

His excuses are so repeatedly overused it's comical.

 

[Deleted member 14950]

Of course, people can support whatever they want.

Unfortunately, people can support whatever they want.

 

[MoolaMoona1]

In the time it's taken him to go from 'it's done!' to 'still not ready, sorry!' I've built out an entire release. And, if anyone's played Blue Swallow, I think they'd agree there's far more content in mine.

You're not wrong, and I agree, but nobody likes a bragger.

 

[boobthief]

Brah. Almost 4 weeks ago it was "It’s now playable start to finish! " with only "polishing and editing the scenes, dialogue and descriptions." left to do.

Just in the last week he worked more than 11 hours every day and it's still not done?
I honestly don't get how a simple text game like this takes so much time.
It's not like we're writing a Game of Thrones book here is it!?

I'm going to guess they massively burn out every crunch phase then take a month or so to recover.

The longer it takes, the higher the expectations and pressure, the longer it takes.

Then the well-intentioned but enabling simps on Patreon are like, "We are expecting it to be perfect. You need to spend more time to make it perfect."

Pray for Crush. Also, buy stock in Kleenex.

 

[Marlin Brandy]

I don't know what's so unbelievable about him working 11 hour days. It's quite simple really. He clocks in and clocks out based on having Word open, so:
10:00 - Wake up, boot PC, open Word
11:00-12:00 - Grab a coffee, browse Netflix and binge the latest pseudointellectual show so he can pull some 'deep' quote to soothe his paypigs when he needs another delay
13:00-14:30 - Lunch, because no self respecting artist would work on an empty stomach, and being well fed is the first step to productivity
15:00-17:00 - Check Discord, see if I am getting lovebombed enough and further drive the parasocial relationship I have with my patrons so I can guilt trip them into paying and keep them on the copium
18:00-21:00 - Order in, eat while watching the latest pop media
22:00 - Close Word. phew! Another hard day at work, this time I worked a whole 12 hours!

 

[asdfasdf12341234ACSACA]

I don't know what's so unbelievable about him working 11 hour days. It's quite simple really. He clocks in and clocks out based on having Word open, so:
10:00 - Wake up, boot PC, open Word
11:00-12:00 - Grab a coffee, browse Netflix and binge the latest pseudointellectual show so he can pull some 'deep' quote to soothe his paypigs when he needs another delay
13:00-14:30 - Lunch, because no self respecting artist would work on an empty stomach, and being well fed is the first step to productivity
15:00-17:00 - Check Discord, see if I am getting lovebombed enough and further drive the parasocial relationship I have with my patrons so I can guilt trip them into paying and keep them on the copium
18:00-21:00 - Order in, eat while watching the latest pop media
22:00 - Close Word. phew! Another hard day at work, this time I worked a whole 12 hours!

I know this is half joking...but I know someone with ADHD that has this exact same rationale. I have no clue if Crush actually has ADHD...but it wouldn't surprise me if he did. Open word - Can't find what to write - spend an hour watching something - Go back to word, nothing happens - go watch something else - "I spent the whole day writing this procedure"

 

[voerman]

To be honest, with my painting, I have days when I spend an hour just staring at the painting I am working on.
I don't even notice and suddenly it is 4 PM and I haven't picked up the brush since lunch at 2 PM.

Of course I do not have a patreon and am not collecting money from anyone. And I try to be extra productive during the productive hours to even things out, but mentally I can be equally exhausted from those hours staring as from the hours painting.

The unproductive parts are part of the process. But one should try to keep a good balance.

And no painting takes me years to complete.

 

[Marlin Brandy]

At this point I would not be against Crush using some sort of generative AI writing tool to speed up his writing process. He could use it as a first draft, then edit around it. I fully understand if one of his biggest issues is writer's block looking at a blank page. I have the same problem. At least this would be a solution to that.

 

[okokok]

The main issue is he said he was polishing a month ago when he still had so much else left to do. That was taking the piss

 

[rbx4]

I don't usually engage in discussions like this because there's no need and it's not helpful. We already know where crush needs to be.

What is helpful is waiting for the release. Then comparing it with what he had 1 month ago when he could have released. Based on that comparison we can then all offer some truth and opinion.

1) was the editing worth the 4 weeks of delays
2) why was the game in such a poor release state after 3 months, requiring 1 month of editing
3) how can crush improve so that he edits faster
4) how can crush improve so he makes the initial game content faster allowing him to spend 1 month on editing

I still think the major issue is that it took him 3 months to make the game content instead of 2 months. If it took 2 months then 1 month of polish and editing wouldn't seem that bad because he would be within the 3 month update cycle rather than 4 month one.

Impossible to know without more information that is not forthcoming. I would not worry about it. I would also be willing to bet that suggestions are not *truly welcome, but that they would instead be greeted with rather obvious sarcasm.

 

[rbx4]

He said he will release the update he had July 6th, and the one he has now, so people can tell him if it was worth the 4 weeks of editing or not.

I would not expect many to say anything different from what they have already been saying for years.

 

[Vargynja]

I would not expect many to say anything different from what they have already been saying for years.

That's what makes them/us a shitty community, not Crush a bad developer. Feedback is never a bad thing unless the developer specifically asks for the opposite.

 

[rbx4]

That's what makes them/us a shitty community, not Crush a bad developer. Feedback is never a bad thing unless the developer specifically asks for the opposite.

Point taken about the first clause, although I was also going in another direction. I think that many people self-identify with a certain position by this point, and that it would take something staggering to make them say something that disagrees with the box that they have drawn around themselves.

 

[Cuerv0]

The problem is that we are very hopeful and with so much waiting the hype is rising and in the end it will not arrive because we have it too high, not because it is not good.

 

[DashaTaran]

soon soon soon soon soon

 

[slavegal]

The problem is that we are very hopeful and with so much waiting the hype is rising and in the end it will not arrive because we have it too high, not because it is not good.

The only issue here is: the dev missed the deadline ... several times, over and over again. That is highly unprofessional and disrespectful in any developmental manner. So it is totally reasonable for players to be suspicious. I did not intend to comment until I saw the paid reviews lecture players hilariously: "It's your own fault for your disappointment, and missing the deadline is good" I am wondering where is common sense and fundamental sense of morality.

Partially, it's right; you players should learn this: you don't get to anticipate because this is an amateur project that comes with more paid reviews than professional code, according to those paid reviews. Actually, such an argument equals "it is your fault to fund such an amateur project". If you didn't waste your money on several weeks' delay, then why bother with disappointment based on anticipation? Ture.

 

[Lurker1001]

The only issue here is: the dev missed the deadline ... several times, over and over again. That is highly unprofessional and disrespectful in any developmental manner. So it is totally reasonable for players to be suspicious. I did not intend to comment until I saw the paid reviews lecture players hilariously: "It's your own fault for your disappointment, and missing the deadline is good" I am wondering where is common sense and fundamental sense of morality.

Partially, it's right; you players should learn this: you don't get to anticipate because this is an amateur project according to those paid reviews. Actually, such an argument equals "it is your fault to fund such an amateur project". If you didn't waste your money on several weeks' delay, then why bother with disappointment based on anticipation? Ture.

I mean... money talks and bullshit walks. Any Patreon who feels that they are getting shafted can stop at anytime. If the dev starts hemorrhaging patreons then they may pick it up. If not... no (further) loss to those who left.

This seems like a self correcting problem in all honesty.