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

[Akamari]

 

[I'm Not Thea Lundgren!]

So I was going to write something witty and amusing but y'know....I really can't be arsed to as I'm rather vexed with being compared to Gumdrop still.

So as you all know we had this barrel of fun in which I find myself being compared to the worse developer ever. A developer who is generally thought of as a crook and liar. I'm not happy about this. Not happy at all.

You really shouldn't have had to defend yourself or your honour, it's sad that this is what it's come to nowadays.
But... I am happy that you handled in the expert way you writers always do, with words!

 

[Huitieme]

*flawless defense against baseless accusations*

 

[frap]

Your long, fact-filled, clearly reasoned, civil post made something clear to me.

... I felt I needed to make at least a semi-formal response on this.

The more you write, the more I fall in love with your writing.

Wait, you really didn't think I was going to say that did you? I mean, sure, I'm rather fond of your online presence, but I don't know you. You do seem like the type that would be a laugh at the pub, though.

 

[Akamari]

Your long, fact-filled, clearly reasoned, civil post made something clear to me.



The more you write, the more I fall in love with your writing.

Wait, you really didn't think I was going to say that did you? I mean, sure, I'm rather fond of your online presence, but I don't know you. You do seem like the type that would be a laugh at the pub, though.

C'mon Frap, don't play hard to get! She'd be a laugh outside the pub as well, no?

 

[frap]

C'mon Frap, don't play hard to get! She'd be a laugh outside the pub as well, no?

Aye, that she would.

 

[DA22]

So I was going to write something witty and amusing but y'know....I really can't be arsed to as I'm rather vexed with being compared to Gumdrop still.

So as you all know we had this barrel of fun in which I find myself being compared to the worse developer ever. A developer who is generally thought of as a crook and liar. I'm not happy about this. Not happy at all.







So given that at one point you say that you're not comparing me to him you do it a hell of a lot. It is a reference you have made -constantly- throughout your posts.

I'll deal with me vs Gumsrop in a moment but I also want to address another point you made first.




Naturally it would be wrong of me to share our entire DM convo but more than happy to share my last msg to you since it doesn't compromise anything from you side.

View attachment 405946

So given that the Patreon "wonder stick of closing down" can strike at anytime why would I take a chance in making the content not behind a paywall? Sure I haven't stuck up Two behind a $1 paywall but I see no urgency. No one has joined my page and asked for it for example so it's not top of my list when I have so much else to do - and given I'm remastering there's little point anyway.


Now let's turn to the main event as to me vs Gumdrop:

Why I'm not like Gumdrop by Notty aged....over 18.

I give out refunds when I'm not working on the game.

When I was ill for two months, on my return I gave back three months (notice that difference?) subscriptions as I hadn't been working on the game and felt it wrong to take the cash.
Nothing like Gumdrop

I let my patreons decide my release schedule.

Oh? Didn't you know this? You seemed to know so much I thought you did. Y'see a few months back I asked my patreons what did they want. Content every month or when I was happy it was done. I could have released part chapters you see if the chapter wasn't finished. Overwhelmingly they voted for release it when I was happy it was done.
Nothing like Gumdrop

I offer to pause my patreon page if I feel I'm not delivering

I don't even have to go into details on this. It says enough by itself.
Nothing like Gumdrop

I let my patreons - and players- know in advance of delays and why

Bar when I was stuck overseas, I always flag before the end of the monthly cycle if I'm having any problems (and why) so that people can choose to cancel in good time. Money is hard to come by and I never want to be accused of ripping people off.
Nothing like Gumdrop

I provide constant progress updates including full visual evidence of work done to date.

No blurry corner shots of an elbow from me. Full page renders, extracts from dialogue - the works. I let people know exactly how I'm getting on and where I am.
Nothing like Gumdrop

I provide additional quality non game content

Higher level patreons get some rather excellent additonal content that isn't in the main game. So no paywall locked game content from me, and none of that early access stuff either.
Nothing like Gumdrop

Everyone gets the game at the same time

Again, as it says.
Nothing like Gumdrop

I fully engage with my player base

Most of whom are pirates. But that doesn't bother me. I'm making a game to be played and sure I drop Patreons little goodies now and again or they get additonal content etc, but you never see me bitching about people not paying to play my game.
Nothing like Gumdrop

I actually deliver
Incredible but true, but in the six months I've worked on this game this year I've made four chapters and released three of them
Nothing like Gumdrop

So the court rests that I am fuck all like Gumdrop.

And now let's turn to delivery dates....

When I started out I had nothing. No rig to speak of, no skills other than what I learned. Just a story. I don't have an IT background and have no resources. There was me, an off the shelf PC older than was good for it and a story. Hence the patreon.

My plan was a chapter a month with an expected $200 per month growth up to chapter five and then flat - that would be enough to increase the asset base and the rig, growing as the complexity of the story grows. So yes, by Six I would need three times as many renders as Two, but I'd also be able to make them three times as fast - so it would even out.

Jan and Feb panned out OK and then I fell ill close to Three's release. Unfortunate, and I wouldn't wish nearly a month stuck in a hotel room on anyone, let alone what happened next. On being ill btw, since you seem to have a degree of doubt, I posted up my sick note on my Patreon site for a few days before I decided it was too risky to leave it up. But enough people will have seen it I'm sure. Signed off for two months. Most unwell.

Once back in the saddle and looking at Three with a fresh eye I didn't like what I saw and wanted to redo elements of it. Plus at this stage I was still struggling with animations. In the end I decided I couldn't really charge people for the work done in March, -handed their money back- and cracked on. So, as many have said - and as I fully explained on Patreon - Three took about six weeks all in once you knock out the wasted time.

As to Four - it's done. And I've explained why it's not being released - I'm not going to repeat myself on this, especially given the sheer volume of evidence in respect of the remastering that is going on.

But let's look at delivery again shall we?

I've worked on the game Jan, Feb, June, July, Aug and a tad of Sept. But let's call it six months. Incidentally those are also the only months I've ever taken money for the game. In that time I've made four chapters, so roughly one ever six weeks of working. That doesn't seem too unreasonable to me at all. Do I aim high on when I can release? Sure. But....so what? At least I do release and, as I pointed out earlier, patreons didn't want monthly content unless it was complete.

As to the remaster, my call, my choice. Whether you can see the difference or not, I most certainly can and games these days are judged more on their visuals than their story. My earlier graphics were the best I could do at the time - the replacements are a world of difference and, if still not top tier, at least they can look top tier in the eye and not blink. So, sure, it's causing a delay but it's also a delay that I'm open about, have communicated my intentions over and sought council on how to proceed.

As to your sideways inference that this is some way to just cause delay, nonsense of course - else why else would I offer to pause my account. Indeed, all of this work is going to cost me time and money. Lots of it. I estimate I'll lose half my patronage for the pleasure of close to two hundred hours work (and no I don't mean just render time).

So why do it? So the game will look better. Both the earlier part of it for new players and, by bringing these new effects into the current and future chapters, existing players. I'm going to lose money, spend hours of time for the benefit of the players of my game. Hardly expert milking....

I'm pleased you were so enthused about my game, and regret the delays as much as anyone. I'm a writer. The quicker I get things out the more I can write - and the quicker I can get things out, it means they are being played. People will be experiencing and enjoying my world and my work. Something which gives me enormous pleasure.

I'm less pleased that you felt the need to incriminate me by inference to the most notorious developer of all time. It was unwarranted, uncalled for and just plain insulting.

I really don't think we have anything further to say to each other at this point, but given the damage your constant inference could do to me to anyone new to this thread I felt I needed to make at least a semi-formal response on this.

Sigh where is Ava when you need her for her naughty Notty aspersions that you are nothing like a cumdroplet but more like a geyser of other juices.

 

[I'm Not Thea Lundgren!]

C'mon Frap, don't play hard to get! She'd be a laugh outside the pub as well, no?

Aye, that she would.

You only have to ask Ava for proof of that!

 

[Akamari]

You only have to ask Ava for proof of that!

I find it's better to make your own observations rather rely on someone else's.

 

[frap]

At the risk of sounding like a total fanboi, I thought a little super-cheesy poem for herself might be nice.

Spoiler: Poem like a stilton

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[I'm Not Thea Lundgren!]

I find it's better to make your own observations rather rely on someone else's.

Yeah, I know, but who has a better chance of getting the experience of those observations?

 

[Avaron1974]

Sigh where is Ava when you need her for her naughty Notty aspersions that you are nothing like a cumdroplet but more like a geyser of other juices.

I was letting things stay a bit serious about this one.

I said he was speaking bullshittery but in a way that wouldn't cause too much offence as Notty had told me to leave this one as she was the one called out so she should be the one to retort.

I don't want to cheapen her annoyance by throwing in innuendo's on a bit of a serious matter no matter how much I want to lighten the mood.

I don't like seeing people upset, angry or otherwise anything but happy and if it takes me playing the fool to cheer people up then i'm more than willing but as she said, this could damage her reputation as a developer and I don't think me making light of it would do any good.

As soon as the mood has passed we'll be back to your regular schedule of creepy lesbian flirts desperately with nearly straight girl.

/curtsy.

 

[Huitieme]

As soon as the mood has passed we'll be back to your regular schedule of creepy lesbian flirts desperately with nearly straight girl.

 

[Sulring Durgul]

As soon as the mood has passed we'll be back to your regular schedule of creepy lesbian flirts desperately with nearly straight girl.
/curtsy.

Yay! Tonight on Masterchef: Ava teaches us how to cook spaghetti just right!

 

[I'm Not Thea Lundgren!]

I don't want to cheapen her annoyance by throwing in innuendo's on a bit of a serious matter no matter how much I want to lighten the mood.

/curtsy.

I'm impressed, how hard was it not to slip at least one dirty comment in there?

As soon as the mood has passed we'll be back to your regular schedule of creepy lesbian flirts desperately with nearly straight girl.

Creepy? Never
Nearly straight? Almost certainly
Hotel? Not doing it, it's Huiti's thing

 

[DA22]

I was letting things stay a bit serious about this one.

I said he was speaking bullshittery but in a way that wouldn't cause too much offence as Notty had told me to leave this one as she was the one called out so she should be the one to retort.

I don't want to cheapen her annoyance by throwing in innuendo's on a bit of a serious matter no matter how much I want to lighten the mood.

I don't like seeing people upset, angry or otherwise anything but happy and if it takes me playing the fool to cheer people up then i'm more than willing but as she said, this could damage her reputation as a developer and I don't think me making light of it would do any good.

As soon as the mood has passed we'll be back to your regular schedule of creepy lesbian flirts desperately with nearly straight girl.

/curtsy.

I know, but unfortunately reason also seldom works with things like this, that is why I let my wallet speak instead of my words.

 

[Avaron1974]

I know, but unfortunately reason also seldom works with things like this,

Hey now, that's not nice.

Notty can be reasonable when she tries ..... really hard.

 

[Sinphil]

Ophion in the bottom left is a nice touch. I am unsure what the lighter coloring is near the wing. Only major problem is the head area which looks like very blocky weird aluminum and the color blocking on that raised middle bit of the head white, black, lighter grey, grey (I know this is probably the model at fault). Is this the ch1 space walk?

Ophion below is not in direct light but not dark so the light on wing and forward parts is the sun hat is coming from (or going behind) Orphion.

 

[somebodynobody]

Ophion below is not in direct light but not dark so the light on wing and forward parts is the sun hat is coming from (or going behind) Orphion.

You might have missed which part I was talking about, right before the wing there is a slight bluish lighter color in space. Since there is not really a lot of particles directly around the ship, the MC shouldn't be able to see the bluish reflection in space. This would only work if there were particles to bounce the light and then the whole ship would have it, or the inside of his space suit is bouncing light.

 

[Sinphil]

I figured it was a reflection of something, but that the vanguard was too far away from the planet to be in it's atmosphere yet to allow for light to reflect off particles. Unless the reflection is supposed to be within the space suit?

The back end of the ship looks fine within the image, the front looks like someone stapled on someone from the transformers cartoon. No offense meant.

Not true, atmosphere range is dependent on composition, gravity and volume/density. A lot of low trajectory orbit satelites are within atmosphere, Also space is not empty, Earth even in relatively clean space picks up tonnes of cosmic dust each year, there is no reason we cant be much near a nebula (which is like a city smog bubble unnoticeable while on inside). Also if door just opened atmosphere in airlock had just been vented to equalise pressure and all the water in air would have frozen instantly.

That is light from within, probably the airlock that opened.