How much is "too much" for Ren'Py game updates?

[GrayTShirt]

So, I'm curious when it comes to Ren'Py game updates.
Whenever I check the latest updates for games, one of the first things I look at is if there is a # of images included in the update. I'll often see how many images, lines of dialogue, lines of codes, or # of animations included with each update. I've seen as few as single digits to close to a thousand. I realize it's all dependent on size of the chapter and story, any fixes, etc.

I'm asking these questions since I'm sitting on ~544 images and I'm only about a 3rd of the way through this chapter. There are some images that will be clicked through instantly without hesitation just because there is no dialogue, and some images that can very well sit there for a couple minutes while getting through the dialogue. Longer dialogue sessions can be broken up with small adjustments like eye movement and facial expressions, but the image is still pretty much the same. And trying to time the sound effect with the image is a nightmare simply because of our "clicky" nature or just muting the sound.

I guess what I'm wondering:
1. How much dialogue is too much per image before it becomes stagnant?
2. (Realizing this question is extremely relative...) How much story is usually expected per update?
3. If including alot of still images during lewd scenes, is it just better off including an animation instead of a bunch of different angles of the same scene?
4. Is there a minimum regarding updates that doesn't waste someone's time?

Right now, the game I'm working on is all still images, with some "faked" animations (2 images looped). Just wondering if there is something I'm missing or taking for granted.
I appreciate your time reading this.
-GrayTShirt

 

[79flavors]

1. There is no right answer. It honestly depends on the dialogue (and the quality of the story). My gut feel is 5 to 10 lines of dialogue per image. But 2 or 30 is fine, if it makes sense in that moment. Even if you get it wrong, it'll only be a brief moment before the player moves on to the next section of the game... and so it will be soon forgotten.

2. More than you've written. Honestly, someone will always come out of the woodwork to complain. Don't listen to them. If I had one piece of advice is would be to be consistent. If "chapter 1" is your 100%, then have every other chapter be around the 80% mark. Unless you're introducing a LOT of branching choices... in which case, aim for 110% to 130% (because of the paths some players will never see). If you end up writing 200% or 300% - consider if you've just accidentally written 2 updates that should be split up as such.

3. There is no right answer. Do whatever you feel able to. People will praise animations and at the same time complain they aren't really realistic enough. Good static images are better than bad animations for animations' sake. Play to your strengths.

4. No. People will tell you there is, but if you're proud of your latest update and it's only 10 minutes of gameplay... so be it. All that said, be guided by your "paying" customers (assuming Patreon or Subscribestar). Not the loud individual(s), but the mostly silent majority. The freeloaders may have a good point or idea sometime, but remember who's paying the bills.

I offer this as light entertainment: What player's want.

 

[GrayTShirt]

Very much appreciate your feedback. I'm doing this all for free, but I also want people to enjoy the story and return for new updates. Your post about "What players want" is awesome. Definitely good food for thought.
I'm proud of what I have so far. And I truly believe I have a good story. Thank you for the advice. I'll keep trucking then!
-GrayTShirt

 

[anne O'nymous]

1. How much dialogue is too much per image before it becomes stagnant?

Ideally, two. Practically, it totally depend of what are the dialogs.
The image change is part of what give the pace of the dialog. If the image never change, then unconsciously the player will perceive the dialog a something slow and calm. At the opposite, it the image change with each line, it will be perceive as something dynamic, and the more there's difference between two images, the more fiery it will be perceived.

This having to be weighted by the action itself. If one character is dancing during the dialog, by example, the change between two images can be important, but the player will not necessarily perceive it as fiery, unless the dialog lines themselves suggest it.

2. (Realizing this question is extremely relative...) How much story is usually expected per update?

The totality of the story plus man bonuses and both a prequel and a sequel. Refer to 79flavors ' link to understand what it mean.

More seriously, it's more a question of enjoyment than a question of quantity of content. What is expected is the update to be enjoyable, and an 1 hour update that made you dream will always be better than a 2 days updates that was boring as hell.

3. If including alot of still images during lewd scenes, is it just better off including an animation instead of a bunch of different angles of the same scene?

Yes, no, perhaps. Both lead to the same answer : When it's done well, it really add something to the game, but when it's not, even if it's still average quality, it's annoying more than anything else. Bonus point on the annoyance side if it's both an average animation and different angles.
And obviously, making an adult game where the players want to get ride of the lewd scenes as soon as possible, because they are annoying, is a big fail.

4. Is there a minimum regarding updates that doesn't waste someone's time?

The answer is in the question. Don't wasting player's time, is the minimum regarding updates.
But as implied above, it's not a question of size, nor of "minimum", it's a question of quality.

Just wondering if there is something I'm missing or taking for granted.

I would say that you're both missing the fact that everyone is unique, and take for granted that everything can have an answer.

As 79flavors said before me, you'll always found people that will complain. Make the Joconde of the adult gaming scene, and you'll still have people saying that your game don't worth much and is more bad than this or that game.

Therefore, do as you feel it, trying to slowly adjust in regard of the reactions you get. If there's a majority of "this update don't worse it", then you haven't done enough. If, at the opposite, such comments are the minority, then you've done "at least enough" ; what don't mean that you don't have to do more, just that it should become your reference regarding what you should at least do by updates.

 

[DuniX]

My rule of thumb of how I judge things, if you are within a 1- 3 month development window if you have a decent chunk of content that constitutes a "chapter" that's perfectly fine, 4 months is pushing it, 6 months you are in abandoned territory/people forgot you exist so your update better be worth it and bring people back.
In general story driven projects should take longer just so you can have a satisfyingly chunk of story content for players to go through, so push for later if you need to.
For sex dispenser style sandbox games it can be more flexible, as long as you have enough scenes for a Fap its pretty much mission accomplished. The longer an update takes the more content is expected but its pretty lenient with what you can get away with.

What you have to understand is you need to Satisfy your Player with each Update.
That must be accomplished first.

The release rate constitutes your Relevance and Value which roughly translates to New Patreons and Keeping existing Patreons.

But people aren't going to think that hard about things if you managed to Satisfy them even if an update takes 6 months.
But if you fuck it up and didn't Satisfy them they will think about things.
If you are within 1-3 month window that might still be fine, some duds of an update are expected, its why consistent updates is its own value. Releasing what you have so far by splitting things into parts is an option for like a big chapter.
But if its 6 months x 5$ every month, suddenly that Money for that Value they get from the Update might not make sense anymore.
In that case you are better of being completely forgotten and taking the money without them being aware, and planning your redemption arc with a big update and going forward with consistent updates to reassure them.