Ren'Py Abandoned Heavy Five [Ch.2RS] [Nottravis]

[Ninjasquirrel]

Thats not the Question, if Nottys game H5 was a bad Game, i didnt care when it never gets finished or takes 30 years to complete. But it is fact that a lot over 50% or better said near to 90% of all Renpy games older than 3 years never gets completed, but my bad english didnt let me find the right words. Better finish a 80% perfect game and start a new game, than never complete a 100% perfect game! And no game gets really 100%, there are allways people who dont like a really good game! So what I wanna would have said is, the best game is a completed game! And I said I only learned Renpy to cheat and have better stats because I hate grinding and wanna have unlocked all gallerys. When i wrote a english story, everyone on this side would crush me in the air because my bad grammar and vocabulary! I think a completed game is a good proof of quality work for future projects! Notty wrote a good story, she is talented in game devoloping and made good pics and Animations, its a pain for me, not seeing her completing this nice game! Not only because H5 was a nice game, to be honest I like that this game was made by a Girl! I think she is lazy, but we need moore Girls as Developers, girls have a different side of view!

Your claim that near 90% of all Renpy games older than 3 years never gets completed might be true, I don't know and I don't care, but it would be easy to prove. But in any case, even if you're wrong (not saying you are, just saying if), I get your point.

I think it's too early for you to conclude that the developer won't finish this game (or has abandoned it).

But I will agree to the idea that the developer has spent way more time than what is average on this game, in regards to how long this game has existed and how little is released. Not saying she hasn't had good reasons to (I'm sure the sum of reasons include both good and bad reasons, perfectionism, a bit of laziness/procrastination + more).

To my understanding the developer is new to this and has started off with a pretty big game, so personally I feel very forgiving about a long timeframe. But also, my impression is that the very long time we've been waiting for chapter 4, it's not unreasonable to assume that the developer has learnt a lot from this, and that the next chapters will come more frequently.
If we will have to wait 6+ months for every update however, I will abandon my interest in this game just as I would a tv-show that released a new episode every 6 months (and for anyone claiming that this game has more content than a single episode of a popular tv-show, you're wrong)

 

[Hullahopp]

This game is too big, it takes on too much, and Notti is too perfectionist. I'm afraid, it will never be finished.

 

[Akamari]

This game is too big, it takes on too much, and Notti is too perfectionist. I'm afraid, it will never be finished.

I'm confident it will be finished, partly for the same reasons. So much effort has gone into this that i firmly believe she will pull through. There have been many big obstacles so far, where most people would just give up, but she always rebounded and carried on. It's the low effort projects that are more likely to get abandoned.

 

[Akamari]

Anyway, news:

Spoiler: It's the "Balls..." update...

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[xsssssssss]

Very disappointing news. I was hoping we'd got through the perfectionism delays of this release.

 

[Hullahopp]

I'm confident it will be finished, partly for the same reasons. So much effort has gone into this that i firmly believe she will pull through. There have been many big obstacles so far, where most people would just give up, but she always rebounded and carried on. It's the low effort projects that are more likely to get abandoned.

I'm sure, Notti won't give up. I’m afraid, she's overworking and burning out. Then everyone loses.

"Striving to better, oft we mar what's well."
William Shakespeare

 

[XaGnard]

Anyway, news:

Spoiler: It's the "Balls..." update...

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

In summary this means instead of an update this month, which already would have been a very long waiting time, there will maybe be a preview update with just one event next month if the time can be found.

With this approach this project will fail due to perfectionism. It's strange, my plan was to see how the update will go and then drop some money on patreon, because i really liked the first three chapters. Now I'm sure I don't want another AWAM on my list of projects that I once supported, but that ultimately deserves no support because they is no chance to ever be finished.

 

[Akamari]

In summary this means instead of an update this month, which already would have been a very long waiting time, there will maybe be a preview update with just one event next month if the time can be found.

Oh no, nothing like that. The next release will be full Chapter Four. It just needs a bit more polishing to iron out any issues that might remain.

 

[Akamari]

Very disappointing news. I was hoping we'd got through the perfectionism delays of this release.

To be fair this isn't perfectionism, it's a major gameplay issue that needs to be resolved.

 

[xsssssssss]

To be fair this isn't perfectionism, it's a major gameplay issue that needs to be resolved.

I don't really see it as a major gameplay issue.
It's not as if the mechanic has suddenly broken overnight, its just now seen as not good enough and needs perfecting with a set of more animations.

 

[Akamari]

I don't really see it as a major gameplay issue.
It's not as if the mechanic has suddenly broken overnight, its just now seen as not good enough and needs perfecting with a set of more animations.

As Notty said...

If you both sink it, then that element isn't there. The player will just do the same as last time again and again, and again until Annie misses. This is exactly as much fun as it sounds - and given she is pretty good I might as well have wrote a washing dishes module.

If there is a scoring tie, it's just repetition until the RNG goes against Annie. Sounds like a pretty dull way to win and unfair to Annie who has no chance at that point.

No good.

 

[xsssssssss]

As Notty said...

If there is a scoring tie, it's just repetition until the RNG goes against Annie. Sounds like a pretty dull way to win and unfair to Annie who has no chance at that point.

No good.

Well i would say ok rather than no good.

Don't really get the unfair to Annie. Unless the game is completely randomised(which would be zero fun), there's going to be a pattern to learn even if it ends up being more complex than current.

 

[tontoman]

As Notty said...

If there is a scoring tie, it's just repetition until the RNG goes against Annie. Sounds like a pretty dull way to win and unfair to Annie who has no chance at that point.

No good.

What are the actual mechanics to the game, how do you sink or miss a shot? What choices do you have, and how does the game influence success?

Because folks might have ideas for a quicker solution, but without knowing mechanics it's hard to help. As described I don't see how the player gets a choice to 'sink every shot' until Annie fails, in order to win.

If you can always sink a shot, then it was broken from the start. " If you both sink it, then that element isn't there. The player will just do the same as last time again and again, and again until Annie misses. "

If you can't, then the option of 'always sinking a shot until Annie doesn't' can't actually exists.
So I don't see the full problem here as it's described. A basic setup of a>b b>c c>a and rng avoids this type of once choice always wins setup. But have to know the mechanics.

 

[Cabin Fever]

As Notty said...

If there is a scoring tie, it's just repetition until the RNG goes against Annie. Sounds like a pretty dull way to win and unfair to Annie who has no chance at that point.

No good.

I think the easy way out is if both sink, then both strip.

 

[NeimadFR]

I think the easy way out is if both sink, then both strip.

That was my first thought as well but Akky raised a fair point over on Notty's forum, I'll just quote him

IMO, it wouldn't make much sense. Annie (and the MC I suppose) is written (and rendered) in a way that losing a piece of clothing is a loss for her. So why would she agree to a loss when she succeeds and there is nothing more she could do better? It'd again take away the competitive tension.

 

[XaGnard]

Oh no, nothing like that. The next release will be full Chapter Four. It just needs a bit more polishing to iron out any issues that might remain.

Are you so sure about that? What else is the meaning of ...

I'll see if I can find the time to pull out the combat gameplay from VR without breaking it and pop it up on here in a couple of days ...

... other than an update with only the VR content? What irritates me most about this delay is that I had the impression the update was as good as done three weeks ago ...

... The new gameplay mechanics work well and the gameplay itself seems nicely balanced pathwise (always a concern of mine given the number of paths available). The plot and writing was well received as were the animations and perhaps far more importantly, the lewd scenes got particular praise.

...

From my side of the screen, it's just slog, slog, slog and wrap it up. It's hard, dull work that needs some focus (especially on the coding errors) but I'm not after sympathy with that statement, just some understanding that at this stage I won't be very chatty and message responses will be delayed/slow. ...

It's a strange trend of some of the games here that the time between updates gets frighteningly long, with more and more excuses as to why everything is delayed even further.

 

[somebodynobody]

Is the module supposed to be a pool version of the basketball game "Horse"?

 

[NeimadFR]

Is the module supposed to be a pool version of the basketball game "Horse"?

Not really, it's a trick shot contest. the balls are put in a fixed configuration and you have to get the designated ball in the designated basket. Then the balls are put in another configuration and so on an so forth.

 

[Akamari]

Are you so sure about that? What else is the meaning of ...

... other than an update with only the VR content? What irritates me most about this delay is that I had the impression the update was as good as done three weeks ago ...

Ah, OK I missed that part. That's not really an update, but just a standalone gameplay showcase. Honestly, I'd ignore it if I were you and wait for the Chapter release which shouldn't be far off. It depends on how she decides to resolve the pool issue.


Let me try to break down what is or isn't done.

All morning segments. - Produced, reviewed and improved by Notty, tested by the testers. Done.

All afternoon segments - Produced, reviewed and improved by Notty, tested by the testers. Done.

VR - Produced, reviewed and improved by Notty (it's what she focused on in the last few weeks), not tested.

CoC - Produced, reviewed and improved by Notty, tested by the testers. Probably done. This was done a fairly long time ago, so it's possible it may yet get some more improvements, but it's very light on animations and Notty was happy with it. Honestly, I don't expect any more reworks here.

Domme - Produced, reviewed and improved by Notty, not tested.

Strip pool - Produced, being reviewed by Notty now, not tested.

All other smaller evening segments - Produced, reviewed and improved by Notty, not tested.

Final testing of a release candidate - Not done. (It is expected that the remaining untested parts and the final testing will happen in one go).

Note that this just my own assessment as one of the testers based on what Notty has shared. Nothing official.

 

[Patchez]

I have to be honest, I'd be shocked if this game is ever completed. I played the earlier versions, I may have even played the latest update ( I don't recall if it was the original or the rework I played last). I enjoyed them too, I was one of the first to start playing this game. My first recorded post was March of 2019, and I say recorded because the mods came in and deleted a load of comments for being OT, so I probably posted before then.

I don't know if I'll play the new updates or not. At a certain point, you forget what has happened and you don't have time to replay the game to refresh yourself. The "sweet spot" for updates is 3-4 months, I think. Long enough to develop a good amount of content and progression, yet short enough to still remember previous events.

But this is just way too complex for a developers first game. We're way over that "sweet spot" update schedule. Not to mention Notty, while being a very had worker, is also a big time perfectionist. She seems to constantly do a bunch of work, only to scrap it and redo. Sometimes less is more. And sometimes "Good enough" is, well, good enough. It doesn't have to be perfect. Notty is far from the only developer that have this issue though, it's probably one of the most common there is.

Big complex game + Perfectionist developer very rarely work out. I'm not sure I can even name a game of this scale that has been completed. Maybe this one will be an exception, but we'll be waiting several more years at least.

Holy fuck, I just realised it has been more than a year since last update