ffive

Devoted Member
Jun 19, 2022
8,377
20,031
I don't think Russian people introduce themselves in formal settings, using the diminutive version of their own name. This seems wrong to me.
It'll depend on the person. It'd be dumb to claim that every single American introduces themselves exactly the same in given settings. It's no different for Russians or people of any other nationality, really.

And it's really not worth nitpicking if the basis for it is such sweeping generalizations and a person's vague impressions about the matter.
 

NeonGhosts

Well-Known Member
Game Developer
Mar 20, 2019
1,253
15,297
NeonGhosts Although I read you like to protect yourself from strong opinions on your game on Patreon, I did want to take the ballsy chance to give you my opinion. It's not harsh, but there are a few things I wanted to voice my opinion on - before I post reviews later today. It's clear you have passion for the universe you created and love spending time puzzling how things work to connect together. I figured I'd post this in your discord, but since I'm unable to find it - I'll just put this here. I'll put everything in spoiler tags because it might get lengthy and let's not inconvenience people with scrolling.
Hey, first of all thanks for the thoughtful analysis! My tongue was a little in-cheek when I said I avoid looking at anonymous commenters. My supporters know that I'll sometimes comb through various pirate sites and find some utterly unhinged reactions, which I'll share with them to blow off steam. The reason why I post here, chat here, etc. is because the community's been very good to me, and most people here are super chill. I think I read everything posted here, though my ability to reply to all of it falters when I get too busy. I'll do a quick little lightning-round of responses, since I need to get back to rendering.

  • Communication, blog posts, etc. : Man, I'm glad people appreciate that. I've always been of the mind that the very least I can do is check in with folks and let them know how things are going, and that I'm alive. I've actually been advised (by paying supporters!) that I should communicate less, hide my income amount on my platforms, etc. to help gain and retain subscribers. But I've always said I'd rather live and die by the stuff I make, than succeed through scumbaggery and subterfuge.
  • Orc Exchange: This is actually a project I'd like to do, buuuut I increasingly suspect I won't. I wrote a novel (soon to be serialized on my platforms) which covers a lot of the stuff I wanted to do with Orc Exchange. Fantasy, inter-species romance, etc. So it feels increasingly less pressing.
  • Scraps of Other Projects: This is something I've definitely done a lot of.. Pepper was going to be the star of her own game at one point, before I rolled her into FiN.
  • Short Stories: I'm glad you like them! I kinda stopped fussing with them, because there's only so many areas of interest I can cover, while keeping them A) non-essential B) canonical to multiple playthroughs. But, I do enjoy writing them. Lets me flex a different set of muscles, and as you said, they do expand the world a bit, with a relatively small investment from me in terms of time/effort.
  • Effort and Frustration of Development: Yes and yes! This project has been one of my longest creative commitments, and it's not without its difficulties. But, I still greatly enjoy making it, and I'd like to keep making visual novels for a long time. With any luck, my audience will stick around, and I can keep doing this for years to come. That said.. My next project is definitely going to be a bit smaller in scope. :'D
Thanks for playing! Always nice seeing folks discover the game!
 

AMRFTY

Member
Jun 28, 2023
307
578
Hey, first of all thanks for the thoughtful analysis!
(...)
Thanks for playing! Always nice seeing folks discover the game!
More than welcome and thank you for responding. Everything you explained makes sense and as long as things happen in a way you are comfortable with, it's great! Taking people through the process is beautiful, as long as it suits your style of work. As developer, you get a 10/10 for all those things. There are some great developers who seem great people and based on what I see, I would add you to that list.

REVIEWS

I will post three reviews, but submit one to F95 because the mini-sodes can't be separated. Again, the scores are my personal rating and a player's opinion can easily sway one or two points based on their preferences.

Friends In Need / Friends Indeed

★ ★ ★ ★
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Friends in Need: Blue Valentine

★ ★ ★ ★
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A Slave To Desire

★ ★ ★

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For anyone curious about ratings for the short stories - bit hard to rate but here goes:
Viola's Song: ★ ★ ★
Picture Imperfect:
A Little Mad (Part One):


NeonGhosts, you have something special on your hands and I hope you can enjoy it for as long as possible. (y)
The review-to-post list is quite full, but I'm squeezing you somewhere in there in time for the new update. When Ch. 11 releases I'll do an update review and adjust accordingly.
 
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Dessolos

Board Buff
Jul 25, 2017
16,148
21,786
btw did Neon ever say if the Blue Valentine will be included in the rework as I realized I never got around to playing it and if it is I might as well wait. I thought he said it might be but I forgot
 
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Green83rry

Newbie
Nov 24, 2017
89
227
btw did Neon ever say if the Blue Valentine will be included in the rework as I realized I never got around to playing it and if it is I might as well wait
I seem to remember Neon did, but I can't recall the page in which it may have been said. I don't think it was specifically the rework, but chapter 11, maybe 12.
 

Pixillin'

Well-Known Member
Oct 8, 2024
1,156
1,346
btw did Neon ever say if the Blue Valentine will be included in the rework as I realized I never got around to playing it and if it is I might as well wait. I thought he said it might be but I forgot
IIRC he said it would be included at some point, but I don't know if he meant the current rework, or just later at some point.
 

PHIL101-YYouPPHard

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2022
1,066
2,152
Yeah, that was the banner I used for the first few months. :'D

My original concept for Mason was pretty different, and many of the love interests' models were tweaked. Madison got some better hairstyles. I lightened Britt's eyebrows. Nicki's hair was changed, and eventually I made some tweaks to her face before Chapter 4. Carolina got a new skin texture before her first appearance. Mason was made shorter and given a better hairstyle, and a softer attitude.

A lot of the quirks in this image are just a result of me being much better at lighting stuff now, though. I've had supporters mention that I "replaced" Carolina's model between her first appearance and her next one. But the fact is that I just had her start wearing make-up, to demonstrate that she was getting back into a headspace to consider dating. I'm just better at lighting now, so the difference seems more pronounced.

Carolina Chapter 3
View attachment 4677024

Carolina, Chapter 5
View attachment 4677027

Carolina, Chapter 1 (Remake)
View attachment 4677030

The remake model is the same one as the Chapter 3 model, she just looks way better because I've learned how to work with the character, and lighting. Likewise, Madison often looked kinda mehhhh early on, but I've got a better handle on her nowadays.

View attachment 4677038
Hey, just out of curiosity if your limited time permits, what do you mean "got better at lighting"? Is this something like, custom-placed lights as opposed to generic auto lighting that covers the whole scene? Just better placement of light sources for interesting shadows? You don't have to go into detail or anything, but as a complete render newbie, I can't help but wonder what's made such a big difference.

Those really are some major improvements btw, you should be proud of that! :coffee: :giggle: I wasn't a fan of Madison's model, but these kinds of renders make her 1000x more enticing!
 
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halleluja10

Member
Jan 8, 2020
148
262
  • Orc Exchange: This is actually a project I'd like to do, buuuut I increasingly suspect I won't. I wrote a novel (soon to be serialized on my platforms) which covers a lot of the stuff I wanted to do with Orc Exchange. Fantasy, inter-species romance, etc. So it feels increasingly less pressing.
Orc Exchange?
Now you got me curious!
:geek:
 

NeonGhosts

Well-Known Member
Game Developer
Mar 20, 2019
1,253
15,297
Hey, just out of curiosity if your limited time permits, what do you mean "got better at lighting"? Is this something like, custom-placed lights as opposed to generic auto lighting that covers the whole scene? Just better placement of light sources for interesting shadows? You don't have to go into detail or anything, but as a complete render newbie, I can't help but wonder what's made such a big difference.

Those really are some major improvements btw, you should be proud of that! :coffee: :giggle: I wasn't a fan of Madison's model, but these kinds of renders make her 1000x more enticing!
Oh hey, I actually did a whole play-by-play over on Discord where I showed this. So, I'll just copy-paste it here.

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Orc Exchange?
Now you got me curious!
:geek:
So, once upon a time I'd planned to do a mini-game called Orc Exchange. The idea was that it'd take place in this medieval fantasy world where the war between orcs and humans had been settled for a couple decades, and relations were beginning to normalize, trade was reopening, etc. As a result, cultural exchange programs were instituted, which would see select households in the human kingdom assigned an orcish guest, and vice versa -- the player being the head of one such household. The idea was that you'd basically be able to guide your relationship with the orc girl along two routes. In one, you'd be an encouraging and gracious host, and love would blossom, making you an example to the two peoples of what can happen if the old grudges are put aside. In the other, it would go less well, and the kingdom would return to war.

But, it eventually became a show that Guy and Nicki watch together, as a little nod to my former plans. And like I said, now I've written that touches on a lot of the same themes, so it all just seems less pressing. Maybe one day! I originally envisioned it as an RPG Maker game, without all the annoying grind. There's still a part of me that'd like to attempt that, but we'll see.
 

Joshy92

Message Maven
Mar 25, 2021
12,893
30,546
Oh hey, I actually did a whole play-by-play over on Discord where I showed this. So, I'll just copy-paste it here.

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So, once upon a time I'd planned to do a mini-game called Orc Exchange. The idea was that it'd take place in this medieval fantasy world where the war between orcs and humans had been settled for a couple decades, and relations were beginning to normalize, trade was reopening, etc. As a result, cultural exchange programs were instituted, which would see select households in the human kingdom assigned an orcish guest, and vice versa -- the player being the head of one such household. The idea was that you'd basically be able to guide your relationship with the orc girl along two routes. In one, you'd be an encouraging and gracious host, and love would blossom, making you an example to the two peoples of what can happen if the old grudges are put aside. In the other, it would go less well, and the kingdom would return to war.

But, it eventually became a show that Guy and Nicki watch together, as a little nod to my former plans. And like I said, now I've written something that touches on a lot of the same themes, so it all just seems less pressing. Maybe one day! I originally envisioned it as an RPG Maker game, without all the annoying grind. There's still a part of me that'd like to attempt that, but we'll see.
I'll be saving those to my collection right away.

BTW, I like that hairstyle you chose dude. I'm a big fan of pink hair.
 
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PHIL101-YYouPPHard

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2022
1,066
2,152
Oh hey, I actually did a whole play-by-play over on Discord where I showed this. So, I'll just copy-paste it here.

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So, once upon a time I'd planned to do a mini-game called Orc Exchange. The idea was that it'd take place in this medieval fantasy world where the war between orcs and humans had been settled for a couple decades, and relations were beginning to normalize, trade was reopening, etc. As a result, cultural exchange programs were instituted, which would see select households in the human kingdom assigned an orcish guest, and vice versa -- the player being the head of one such household. The idea was that you'd basically be able to guide your relationship with the orc girl along two routes. In one, you'd be an encouraging and gracious host, and love would blossom, making you an example to the two peoples of what can happen if the old grudges are put aside. In the other, it would go less well, and the kingdom would return to war.

But, it eventually became a show that Guy and Nicki watch together, as a little nod to my former plans. And like I said, now I've written something that touches on a lot of the same themes, so it all just seems less pressing. Maybe one day! I originally envisioned it as an RPG Maker game, without all the annoying grind. There's still a part of me that'd like to attempt that, but we'll see.
Really appreciate it Neon, that was really informative and helpful! :D

That first image, btw, is interesting. It's kinda low detail, yet high detail at the same time, it's hard to explain. Has a source filmmaker vibe to it. I like it.
 

halleluja10

Member
Jan 8, 2020
148
262
So, once upon a time I'd planned to do a mini-game called Orc Exchange. The idea was that it'd take place in this medieval fantasy world where the war between orcs and humans had been settled for a couple decades, and relations were beginning to normalize, trade was reopening, etc. As a result, cultural exchange programs were instituted, which would see select households in the human kingdom assigned an orcish guest, and vice versa -- the player being the head of one such household. The idea was that you'd basically be able to guide your relationship with the orc girl along two routes. In one, you'd be an encouraging and gracious host, and love would blossom, making you an example to the two peoples of what can happen if the old grudges are put aside. In the other, it would go less well, and the kingdom would return to war.

But, it eventually became a show that Guy and Nicki watch together, as a little nod to my former plans. And like I said, now I've written something that touches on a lot of the same themes, so it all just seems less pressing. Maybe one day! I originally envisioned it as an RPG Maker game, without all the annoying grind. There's still a part of me that'd like to attempt that, but we'll see.
Thanks for your reply. Will download the story and read it as soon I've got time. :love:
 

ArDZer

Well-Known Member
Feb 20, 2019
1,801
5,127
Bro, More MILF content please. How about Cassie's Mom? Huh?!
With Guppy's mother? It doesn't seem like it. The protagonist cut ties with her when he left. The mom also sabotaged any attempts he tried to talk to Guppy (which is why he was hesitant to reconnect with her). As for criticism, he's got plenty to say against her. For instance, while he was checking some pictures from Halloween between Cassie and her friend Peyton where the latter was drinking body shots from the former, he said sarcastically that his mother was a contender for mother of the year. He's also called her a cold person in a conversation with Ashe when he told her about what gift he wanted to give to Cassie.
 
4.60 star(s) 228 Votes