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

[After Colony]

I have two minds about this. Making an html (usually actually twine) game is easier than a lot of things that people do. It's easier than most jobs. However, it can become extremely difficult when people get in their own way. There are many different personality flaws that can cause this issue, and most of us (myself included) have potential paths towards a bad situation like this. However, if people don't self-defeat, it's actually easy if there's a structured and realistic plan in place.

Honestly, I think many creators eventually clue into how their project has reached a peak and has become self-perpetuating in one way or another. At that point, creators may simply open separate accounts to make other open-ended games to earn money without progress as well.

Finally, some creators lose their minds as soon as they encounter feedback--yet another personality flaw in play. That's probably more frequent than we may guess. Some people are simply too important, either in the non-Internet world or in their own minds, to be wrong or to make a mistake. That does not translate well into game design.

I try not to comment on other people's games, Crush is doing a lot of great stuff with a lot of variables and is pushing Twine to its limit. Would the game be as successful if it wasn't for the custom character? I don't know. But I imagine it takes up a lot of time and is a technical nightmare to account for every single scene, then an expression change. I like the custom character stuff, but I could just do with a generic stylised portrait like the other characters. I really like the story and setting rather than the custom character stuff, which is just a nice bonus, but the writer's block must be real.

I've had it with the game I develop, I check in on other games sometimes and recognise the same problems I've had in other developers. It's really hard to put until you have developed your own game, one week everything will be perfect, then the next you're having a crisis of confidence with what you want to achieve and if you can achieve it. Sometimes you just get stuck on what the fuck to type next, then that turns into weeks and then months. Just my perspective, though I'm not getting a lot of money and have other commitments and I understand why some people get a pissy with it. I also get that people might think progress is slow because once the game is finished, then what? But other developers have moved onto other stuff and retained their audience. I have no idea if he works with other people or if it is a solo operation.

Just my two cents after I began working on my game.

 

[rbx4]

I try not to comment on other people's games, Crush is doing a lot of great stuff with a lot of variables and is pushing Twine to its limit. Would the game be as successful if it wasn't for the custom character? I don't know. But I imagine it takes up a lot of time and is a technical nightmare to account for every single scene, then an expression change. I like the custom character stuff, but I could just do with a generic stylised portrait like the other characters. I really like the story and setting rather than the custom character stuff, which is just a nice bonus, but the writer's block must be real.

I've had it with the game I develop, I check in on other games sometimes and recognise the same problems I've had in other developers. It's really hard to put until you have developed your own game, one week everything will be perfect, then the next you're having a crisis of confidence with what you want to achieve and if you can achieve it. Sometimes you just get stuck on what the fuck to type next, then that turns into weeks and then months. Just my perspective, though I'm not getting a lot of money and have other commitments and I understand why some people get a pissy with it. I also get that people might think progress is slow because once the game is finished, then what? But other developers have moved onto other stuff and retained their audience. I have no idea if he works with other people or if it is a solo operation.

Just my two cents after I began working on my game.

I do develop my own game(s). As I have said before, I refuse to reveal anything more than that, because of how the Internet works. Much of this is not at all how it is perceived. Who really cares if someone is angry? On the Internet, if one person is angry, one or more people will jump up to oppose them. It only becomes really bad once it becomes more than simply obvious (as in, Identity "the game"). Crush does work with others however. I'm not trying to claim too much about Crush, because to be honest, it doesn't help and I can't say anything with certainty. I do know that he has expressed dissatisfaction with FA progress, and so that carries more weight than other guesswork.

But no, I do want to reinforce, "don't criticize games unless you develop your own games" is older than the hills. Plus, some of the regulars here do actually develop our own games. We know what it is like.

 

[After Colony]

I do develop my own game(s). As I have said before, I refuse to reveal anything more than that, because of how the Internet works. Much of this is not at all how it is perceived. Who really cares if someone is angry? On the Internet, if one person is angry, one or more people will jump up to oppose them. It only becomes really bad once it becomes more than simply obvious (as in, Identity "the game"). Crush does work with others however. I'm not trying to claim too much about Crush, because to be honest, it doesn't help and I can't say anything with certainty. I do know that he has expressed dissatisfaction with FA progress, and so that carries more weight than other guesswork.

But no, I do want to reinforce, "don't criticize games unless you develop your own games" is older than the hills. Plus, some of the regulars here do actually develop our own games. We know what it is like.

Not what I said, I just said from my own experience of developing a game, it gets more and more complicated as it goes along. Before I developed one, I wouldn't have said so. So I have sympathy for him and I think a lot of the comments are overly harsh. It's high quality, especially compared to 90% of twine games where they don't even align the text correctly!

 

[rbx4]

Not what I said, I just said from my own experience of developing a game, it gets more and more complicated as it goes along. Before I developed one, I wouldn't have said so. So I have sympathy for him and I think a lot of the comments are overly harsh. It's high quality, especially compared to 90% of twine games where they don't even align the text correctly!

It's true that some of the comments are too harsh, but some also give too much praise. The situation surrounding FA seems to be especially polarizing such that fair and accurate comments are rare and they often have little or nothing to do with FA itself. It's the nature of the beast here however, and this situation is likely inseparable from the way that Crush develops and occasionally self-defeats. This isn't the same as certain other games where a few trolls harshly criticize the creators for no good reason--instead the conversation focuses way too much on personality and can't seem to get away from it.

I guess I can also add this here: certain other creators itemize their progress reports, with graphics showing either a progress bar, percentages, or both. Now I know that some of that is just guesswork instead of real stats, but it's a way to avoid the self-defeat that I've been talking about. Giant tasks seem overwhelming. Smaller bite-sized tasks are easier to wrap one's head around.

 

[laladon]

hey patreons,
what is he saying?
"Fuckin COVID"

 

[Marlin Brandy]

hey patreons,
what is he saying?
"Fuckin COVID"

place yer bets! place yer bets! what could this patron-gated update be?
1. Content Update (lmao)
2. Delay due to Crush catching Covid
3. Delay due to family catching Covid
4. Delay due to dog catching Covid
6. Delay due to Female Agent catching Covid

 

[Arkady]

Would the game be as successful if it wasn't for the custom character? I don't know.

Crush significantly cut down on (arguably unnecessary) variety for the custom character after 1.6.3, so about 2 years ago now. That didn't really cost that many patrons, even despite coming packaged with another "I'm gonna start over". That suggests the custom avatar isn't as important to the game's success as many seem to think (and Crush presumably used to think).

Anyways, Crush posted a Patreon update with release schedule on August 21st, which he stuck by for one release. For 1.17, he was 100% behind schedule as of last week, with no end in sight. And his patrons don't seem surprised, at all, because that is par for the course to his biggest fans, too.

There's no other project where I am this certain it'd have significantly more backers with a per release Patreon. Of course, given just how long Crush's writer's blocks tend to last, I seriously doubt that could actually offset the loss in monthly income from the true believers.

 

[boobthief]

Crush significantly cut down on (arguably unnecessary) variety for the custom character after 1.6.3, so about 2 years ago now. That didn't really cost that many patrons, even despite coming packaged with another "I'm gonna start over". That suggests the custom avatar isn't as important to the game's success as many seem to think (and Crush presumably used to think).

Anyways, Crush posted a Patreon update with release schedule on August 21st, which he stuck by for one release. For 1.17, he was 100% behind schedule as of last week, with no end in sight. And his patrons don't seem surprised, at all, because that is par for the course to his biggest fans, too.

There's no other project where I am this certain it'd have significantly more backers with a per release Patreon. Of course, given just how long Crush's writer's blocks tend to last, I seriously doubt that could actually offset the loss in monthly income from the true believers.

WRONG! If you look closely at the release schedule, you will see there is no mention of the YEAR:

So the

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is:

• AUG 31: Episode 1.16 "Fallout" (Early Access)
• SEP 14: Episode 1.16 "Fallout" (general release)
• SEP 30: Episode 1.17 "Girls Night Out" (Early Access)
• OCT 14: Episode 1.17 "Girls Night Out" (general release)
• OCT 31: Episode 1.18 "White Russian" (Early Access)
• NOV 14: Episode 1.18 "White Russian" (general release)
• NOV 30: Episode 1.19 "Big Mac" (Early Access)
• DEC 14: Episode 1.19 "Big Mac" (general release)
• DEC 31: Episode 1.20 "Booth Babe" (Early Access)
• JAN 14: Episode 1.20 "Booth Babe" (general release)

75% confidence that 1.17 will probably ship end of November around the billing cycle. 25% confidence some time early December as an early Christmas present because nothing else will ship this year.

The sad thing is that they are a talented team getting crushed by perfectionism. It's a horrible feedback loop of expectations fuelling delays. Just make sure there is some sex in the sex game then ship it already and accept some customer feedback.

 

[Tallyhoe]

I don’t think Covid excuse can be used many times though.

 

[thhunter]

I don’t think Covid excuse can be used many times though.

On the contrary. Now thanks to long covid, he can join the expanding ranks of porn game authors with persistent health problems, and will have a ready made delay machine any time he needs it.

 

[rbx4]

We're not likely to ever see a post that says, "Hey guys I ran out of delay excuses, and so I was forced to release an update!" Though I reserve the right to use that line myself if I ever get a chance.

 

[tomcody111]

I get what you are saying, but I disagree.

Is there consent? I sort of feel yes. The manager makes it clear from the start that a condition to work there is to have sex with him. You have the choice to stay or leave. Knowing that, you choose to stay and have sex with him. The author not giving you the option to take consent away doesn't mean consent wasn't given. Crush is clearing stating it's not rape.

Personally I think the game would be better with a rape option. If you resisted the manager advances, then he rapes you and takes your passport, forcing you to work to get it back. Making it an adversarial relationship, OR you could go the other way and be aggressive and willingly sleep with him and then you two have a playful relationship as it's currently written. Be interesting to see the story from different play styles but it's clear Crush can't do that. He is to slow as is, making different complicated dialogue branches would make it even slower.

I get what your saying, and in my first playthrough I did play the "consent" route and made the character be as slutty as possible. It was fun and hot and even though the dialogue really doesn't branch I had a good time. My issue is on second playthrough I decided to try a less slutty approach only to be railroaded into the singular story path. I said no to the manager which resulted in a game over. That's not giving the player a choice for consent, that's unavoidable story bottleneck. Wish there would have been a covert option to find dirt on the manager or something else as an alternative. You are supposed to be a government agent after all.

After the first time you agree there comes several more sexual encounters with the manager where you again are given no choice for consent. Why even give us the choice of dialogue options if you are force each time? Not to mention the encounter with the owner, which again all of this is fine and hot if that's your playthrough. But you get presented with a refusal dialogue option that gets ignored and overwritten. When you as the character choose that option and are refused, that's the Rape tag. Whether Crush states it or not. Not saying its bad, its a porn game, but it should still be tagged.

Like your idea about the adversarial relationship, that would be great if as well as investigating the club your character could add on a vendetta to get back at the manager as well. Guess its a bit too much to expect.

 

[XJ347]

100% with you that there should be a less slutty route, disappointing that Crush doesn't have different versions of events depending on choices made.

 

[cheesepie]

100% with you that there should be a less slutty route, disappointing that Crush doesn't have different versions of events depending on choices made.

Dear lord, please don't give him more ideas... According to research it took 2017-COVID just to reach Bangkok. Please let our Female Agent finish one mission to completion before branching endlessly.

 

[camube]

Crush has long/persistent issues from covid?

 

[Kevin Smarts]

I have two minds about this. Making an html (usually actually twine) game is easier than a lot of things that people do. It's easier than most jobs. However, it can become extremely difficult when people get in their own way. There are many different personality flaws that can cause this issue, and most of us (myself included) have potential paths towards a bad situation like this. However, if people don't self-defeat, it's actually easy if there's a structured and realistic plan in place.

Honestly, I think many creators eventually clue into how their project has reached a peak and has become self-perpetuating in one way or another. At that point, creators may simply open separate accounts to make other open-ended games to earn money without progress as well.

Finally, some creators lose their minds as soon as they encounter feedback--yet another personality flaw in play. That's probably more frequent than we may guess. Some people are simply too important, either in the non-Internet world or in their own minds, to be wrong or to make a mistake. That does not translate well into game design.

For that last category see: Elon Musk

 

[Vengeance_11]

4. Delay due to dog catching Covid

Is it the same runaway dog he struggled to catch because the massive blue balls he gave himself writing the sex scenes for 1.16 slowed him down?

 

[LHS441025]

Can someone tell me how the COVID is going now?
Will there really be serious sequelae?
Does this mean that the project has been postponed indefinitely?

 

[XJ347]

Can someone tell me how the COVID is going now?
Will there really be serious sequelae?
Does this mean that the project has been postponed indefinitely?

You being sarcastic or serious?

People brought up covid because that's how long it took him to start bangkok... It took him over 2 years. Joke is that he is slow...

EDIT: Opps I didnt know he got covid...

 

[LHS441025]

You being sarcastic or serious?

People brought up covid because that's how long it took him to start bangkok... It took him over 2 years. Joke is that he is slow...

Apparently because of this?