Ren'Py Four Elements Trainer [v1.1.6b] [Mity]

[YoraeRasante]

Honestly man how much writing did book 1 really require? Cause im absolutely fine with that lvl of writing if it gives me the actual important part of this game at a faster rate.

you may notice most other people nowadays consider the current writing the actual important part of the game.
if that level is what you want, book 4's slave route is already out. or other games like bend or break 1 and 2

I'm not talking about recently but in the past whenever there was a delay it was always because the coder was stuck trying to implement a new minigame which required a lot of programming, thus causing burnout. If you want to find it I believe it was with the CCG in part 4 and possibly even the crab battles. As for the creative control, hiring a new writer doesn't immediately relinquish their hold on the project, it's still their game but its obvious that two people isn't enough for the 3 main jobs they have here so something needs to give.

I don't remember any mention of code problems with the card game, and I remember being following here before t was released. just that the cause was the coder, but as we now know he is also the main writer.

did you ever notice how the more writers in a movie the less likely it will make cohesive sense? something one person added not meshing with what another one did? now imagine this in a first-person story like this one.
no, if it had not been planned to have multiple writers from the start, adding ones in the middle is a bad idea.

 

[Separin]

something that resonates even more with me today since I just got past my own resistant to get help and contacted my teachers to admit I was at risk of losing my mastery course due to my current bout of it stopping me doing my homework and avoiding going to online meeting not to admit it.

I now it does not look like it, but I think him finally pushing past it is helping myself do the same, thus why I am defending him so hard - I am literally going through the same here.

See, this is interesting. I am going through a very similar situation. Masters degree, I lag behind assignments and I often avoid checking email for the fear of confrontation.

But, just as you self-diagnose as having depressions/burnout, I diagnose myself as being chronically lazy, therefore I take all the blame and responsibility with no exceptions. So, funnily enough, our shared predicament has cast us on opposing sides of this whole discussion. You're sure he's depressed and shouldn't be reprimanded, I suspect he's grown lazy and comes up with excuses as I often do. The more you know...

I'm pretty sure marty is doing that already, giving more ideas, plus giving him a friendly push to get help. unless they took over the writing themselves, doubt an extra one would be any help here.
especially since another writer means different ideas. how many series were said to be ruined by executive meddling? this new writer would be given permission to push for those things.

It has been hinted at that communication between Marty and cbob is intermittent at best, so I wouldn't be so sure about that. Also, don't underestimate the combined power of three imaginations instead of just two, a third perspective could do wonders.
Yeah, another writer means different ideas, that's the point. And we're not talking about some Hollywood reboot where they usually kick out everyone responsible for previous incarnations. Cbob could (and should) remain fully in control, take the other writer's work, trim it down, expand upon it, or rewrite it all, using but one of this writer's ideas.

 

[RebelliousKnightMordred]

you may notice most other people nowadays consider the current writing the actual important part of the game.
if that level is what you want, book 4's slave route is already out. or other games like bend or break 1 and 2


I don't remember any mention of code problems with the card game, and I remember being following here before t was released. just that the cause was the coder, but as we now know he is also the main writer.

did you ever notice how the more writers in a movie the less likely it will make cohesive sense? something one person added not meshing with what another one did? now imagine this in a first-person story like this one.
no, if it had not been planned to have multiple writers from the start, adding ones in the middle is a bad idea.

You're speaking out of your ass. Obviously if there's a whole council of writers who decide the plot by committee it won't be cohesive but I didn't suggest that did I? I said they either need someone to come in and help with the load on the coding side or a writer to come in and help bring a new perspective which could help push past through any writer's block. As for the minigame thing I remember the programming being cited as a reason and I've been following this game since the first build was released on a thread in /aco/. Continue to make excuses for them I don't really care but it's getting frustrating. Try to look at this whole thing from a new perspective. Whenever it looks like the update won't release on a deadline THEY themselves set we suddenly get a new status update talking about the trials and tribulations of the coder/writer or some random nonsense that usually ends with "so we're delaying it". Does that not seem like they're just waffling and trying to buy time. Whatever their reasons the fact is that the delays continue with minimal effort put into actual releases and they continue to get paid ridiculous amounts monthly. Maybe some of that should be used to invest some resources into the game to help improve its quality and assure releases become more timely.

 

[RebelliousKnightMordred]

See, this is interesting. I am going through a very similar situation. Masters degree, I lag behind assignments and I often avoid checking email for the fear of confrontation.

But, just as you self-diagnose as having depressions/burnout, I diagnose myself as being chronically lazy, therefore I take all the blame and responsibility with no exceptions. So, funnily enough, our shared predicament has cast us on opposing sides of this whole discussion. You're sure he's depressed and shouldn't be reprimanded, I suspect he's grown lazy and comes up with excuses as I often do. The more you know...


It has been hinted that communication between Marty and cbob is intermittent at best, so I wouldn't be so sure about that. Also, don't underestimate the combined power of three imaginations instead of just two, a third perspective could do wonders.
Yeah, another writer means different ideas, that's the point. And we're not talking about some Hollywood reboot where they usually kick out everyone responsible for previous incarnations. Cbob could (and should) remain fully in control, take the other writer's work, trim it down, expand upon it, or rewrite it all, using but one of this writer's ideas.

Thank you. Somebody who actually understands what I'm trying to say without twisting it around to some ludicrous suggestion that cbob be ousted from his own project.

 

[RebelliousKnightMordred]

I'll also add this. The reason it seems complaints are piling up in here as opposed to other projects with similar delays is because projects like Taffy Tales and Summertime Saga don't have someone constantly updating people towards the end of a month promising that the new build will be out soon (aside from lostraven who gives vague updates on the progress of the build but never actually sets a hard deadline, only really just chats in the forum). Whenever MITY makes a post telling us that "the coder promises it'll be out in a week" they shoot themselves in the foot because that week ends and then they make another "coder is feeling really sad and frustrated they couldn't do it so I ordered them to take a break so they wouldn't burn out please guy we promise it'll be out in a couple weeks" and then this continues until 3 months have passed, they've made 60k for doing nothing and now they can release a subpar update with maybe 3 new scenes or something and a whole bunch of filler. It's a sad trend but I notice they were far more enthusiastic and driven back when they barely made anything in their patreon and they were working on book 1.

 

[Separin]

Realistically, there are two problems cbob could face in his alleged writer's block:

1. No plans ahead. He has no idea where to go next and has no underlying story arc or structure planned up. In this case, another perspective helps unfreezing his clogged brain, by posing various alternatives of where the story could go next and what the immediate next steps should entail. When he gets this boost, he can go with it and do it in his style. For all I care, he can even ask the highest-tier patreons for free, people are pretty imaginative.
2. He has a structure, but lacks the actual bulk of the text. This is more tricky, as it has much more to do with keeping the writing coherent stylistically. But, theoretically, he can send another writer (or even Marty) some basic scene instructions such as "Korra goes to apologize to MC" or "Korra hj - displeased at start, but is determined to do a good job". He then revises the resulted text and rewrites it to his style and liking. I'm sure that after all the stuff he wrote, he should be able to implant his trademark style into a text. Even if not, it could help his "block" if this appeals to his ego ("This is shit, I can do it much better, like.." *commences to write*).

 

[darkgunner079]

At this point I pretty much ignore any updates from the coder because his updates in the past have been basically "its coming soon guys get ready" and then proceeding to be silent for weeks. This isnt an exaggeration, you can read the updates that hes posted, and the artist straight up admitted that cbob is bad at giving/meeting deadlines.

After several updates these past few months each of them suggesting the update was imminent I no longer take any stock in them until I see the update hit my inbox (since theyre giving the update to people that pledged last month).

Hell their last update the coder suggested they could pump out the next update (after this one) in around 2 weeks which was laughable at best.

 

[Deleted member 1000715]

BRUH

 

[ogr blanc]

im starting to feel that the writter's block, come, not from not knowing what the story will be, but by not being able to implement an insane minigame that noone wants to play. its almost seems like every new update requires a bizarre new minigame that we will only play once, and begrudginly because of how bad it is.

why did we need a tgc? why did we need a blow up doll minigame? i seriously think, he is just stuck on how to code a new crappy nonsense noone(but him) wants, and that is the real reason he cant progress.

 

[Rolomir]

To the one who made the gallery mod thank you very much.

 

[ShaveYoLegs]

I'll also add this. The reason it seems complaints are piling up in here as opposed to other projects with similar delays is because projects like Taffy Tales and Summertime Saga don't have someone constantly updating people towards the end of a month promising that the new build will be out soon (aside from lostraven who gives vague updates on the progress of the build but never actually sets a hard deadline, only really just chats in the forum). Whenever MITY makes a post telling us that "the coder promises it'll be out in a week" they shoot themselves in the foot because that week ends and then they make another "coder is feeling really sad and frustrated they couldn't do it so I ordered them to take a break so they wouldn't burn out please guy we promise it'll be out in a couple weeks" and then this continues until 3 months have passed, they've made 60k for doing nothing and now they can release a subpar update with maybe 3 new scenes or something and a whole bunch of filler. It's a sad trend but I notice they were far more enthusiastic and driven back when they barely made anything in their patreon and they were working on book 1.

Book one is basically garbage compared to the rest tho.

 

[RebelliousKnightMordred]

Book one is basically garbage compared to the rest tho.

That's subjective but I'm not talking quality, back when they were working on book one updates were coming nearly every month like they promised and they didn't constantly post updates about how one of their dogs got sick and so it's a bad time for them and they'll have to delay for another 3 weeks.

 

[Habanero-Mint-Gum]

i have not plays since the 8.??? version... to be honest, the only grind i had with this game is the "Many version of the same game" problem it had. 1st it makes the programmer have to rewrite the same thing "MANY TIMES" and 2nd all previous progress is lost... let's be real, this is a hentai game... i want hentai, if i wanted 10 pokemon games an 10 guess the color games, i would play those...

art is great (except for the fat toes...) and story is innovative and engaging but the "repeat many times the same game and lose everything" concept gets old... more like it appears like it was not a mistake but a design flaw.

to fix this: 1 battle system, 1 money system, 1 "crab" game system... the game system is nice but i wish it would tie with the actual character's "potential". 1 pool of moves and abilities, many ways to interpret and improve.

while the art is consistent, the gameplay is like many anime studio went and decided to make 1 anime but not consult each other and just spat out one episode each... very inconsistent. in this case you don't even need to go all out... just take all the "money" and the "mini games" needed to progress and stream line it. it "IS A HENTAI GAME" after all. 1st rule, be easy to fap to, 2nd rule be fun. (complexity is not = fun. it is just a delay in the process of getting to the fun parts...)

like minecraft with nuclear reactors and mass storage systems, building them is not the fun part, what they bring and give IS the fun part. (the prize for the hardship of building them is "WORTH IT". but this game spams the "reset button" too often.)

 

[ogr blanc]

i have not plays since the 8.??? version... to be honest, the only grind i had with this game is the "Many version of the same game" problem it had. 1st it makes the programmer have to rewrite the same thing "MANY TIMES" and 2nd all previous progress is lost... let's be real, this is a hentai game... i want hentai, if i wanted 10 pokemon games an 10 guess the color games, i would play those...

while i do agree, i also think its a game as well, so it need some gameplay. i was ok with the combat in the first, because, while not good, it had potential, however, every subsequent new book brought worse and worse combat. as for minigames, the blackjack was well done, it was grindy, but as a side way to get money, it was a good idea.

my problem is, instead of using those things to build a repertoir of possible minigames so the player can choose and have fun, they instead force us to grind multiple minigames all the time.

 

[aids543]

I have never seen a thread that's so supportive and throws so much shade at the people making the game at the same time until I read most of the comments under this thread

 

[Rolomir]

I have never seen a thread that's so supportive and throws so much shade at the people making the game at the same time until I read most of the comments under this thread

I'm just thankful someone is taking the time to make this, and other games like this.

 

[darkgunner079]

You can like a game and still criticize dev issues

Its a crazy thought I know but it's true

 

[FireSauner0]

You can like a game and still criticize dev issues

Its a crazy thought I know but it's true

I didn't see anybody saying it wasn't allowed. People disagreeing with you aren't saying you can't do the same.

I still think that less than 2 months of actual delay (so far) is hardly anything to complain over. (not that complaining here changes the way they develop their game)

Edit: in case less-than-2 months sounds off, I didn't include the default 1-2 month time it would take them normally without delays

 

[augustusjones]

While we wait does anyone have any recomendations for something similar to this?

 

[ogr blanc]

While we wait does anyone have any recomendations for something similar to this?

it depend on what you mean by "similar". there's amity park for danny phantom(some incest, atrocious battle system, leveling system that actually hinders your progress due to how overpowered the enemies get), great character designs, enviroments, ok scenes with decent animation, but overall less fun.

there's also the forever in hold ben 10 slave trainer. some content(as in almost nothing), nothing for more than a year.

game of moans for game of thrones, great art, questionable quests, broken mechanics that dont work half of the time. some content(but also not enough).

there are a couple of naruto ones, both have around the same amount of content and overall story. worth a try.

witch hunter, based on that witch cartoon. alot of content, but some questionable decisions made it less fun to play than it should.

library story, long development, ok combat, not enough content.

there are others, but again, without knowing what you mean by "similar" that's the best i could pick.