I've heard people complain about this game getting so much support on patreon for such "slow" progress.
The first time I heard this complaint was maybe 2/3 years ago, so this idea's been sitting in my head for a while... And it makes me reflect: Why is it that after 3/4 years of being in the adult visual novel world this is the one that keeps coming back to my mind?
There're a couple of factors.
1. Professionalism.
Aside from the opening scene with Mcgonagall and the slow pacing of a few parts, this game is incredibly professional. The writing is patient and the environments are believable. It doesn't rush toward gratification. It reminds me of old DOS/Windows 95 point and click adventures I've played. Those games have creative lively worlds which are patient and slow in their development. Each new piece you unlock is like a new episode of a cartoon. This makes people who've played the game always want to come back and see what's happened to the world and it's characters. (In particular the area by filtch's office stands out to me)
2. Art
The art in this game is gorgeous. Just seeing Hermione fully clothed in this game gets a rise out of me; her details are so delicate and beautiful -it captures the imagination. The environments are multifaceted and engaging. Each frame is like an old "Find the hidden objects" game you might've played in the 90s or 00s.
3. Potential
Many people who take the time to play this can see the game that could exist after more development. Although this game seems to have begun as a russian "Witch Trainer" knockoff, the aforementioned environments and point and click gameplay give this game the potential to be something much more engrossing and amazing. If they play their cards right, this game could be on trajectory not just to be a nice porn game, but to actually be one of the best pieces of Harry Potter fanfiction ever created. Depending on how they choose to develop the story, this could gain attention/fans outside of the adult game world.
4. Mystic/Denial
Because of the game's slow development progress, players are left chomping at the bit for the next scrap of content. While this may not be a good thing, people want to see the next scene with their favorite girl. Spending hours with the girls keeping their clothes on when the player is already horny draws out the desire and allure toward the game. If Hermoine just got her Ta-ta's out and jerked off the MC in patch number 3 and the game ended at patch number 5 people would remember that Hermione porn fanfic but that'd be it. If you just want to jerk off to some pictures you can google it, but if you want to see the development of these particular characters in this setting then you have to wait for it.
5. Harry potter is a major franchise and many boys had childhood crushes on emma watson.
Self explanatory.
Complaints:
1. Why is development so slow?
Answer: I've been watching from afar so I do not know the details, but it seems that the game has gone through a troubled development cycle. I believe there had been issues with early ideas being too ambitious and not having a clear roadmap forward. I think there might've been an issue with limited artists early on. There may have also been disagreements/infighting on the development team. I do not remember clearly because it was years ago.
2. They're making the least amount of progress they can so they can rake in the cash.
Answer: No one is forcing the patrons to continue being patrons. Those 4,000+ people are doing it because they want to. After the first 2K USD Per month Developers usually don't pressure people to become a patron. Contrary to popular opinion
Throwing more money at a project does not make it move faster. Games have finite teams who can work finite hours. Burnout is very real, and structure can be hard to have when working independently. Adding more members to your team doesn't immediately speed things up, it takes time to get new members on board, coordinate everything, and keep things running smoothly. Finding an effective team for game creation is not an easy task.
3. Too much of the game is spent sitting at the desk.
Answer: I agree. This is a product of being a Witch Trainer spinoff (I assume). While it's believable given that Headmaster Dumbledoor is rarely seen anywhere outside of his study, it does not make for an exciting gameplay sequence. I hope TeamSadCrab listens to fan feedback and opts to lean more into point-and-click style gameplay than the current desk-sitting system.
4. There's not enough porn content
Answer: Mostly agree. The version I played (0.8?) was too bloated for being in such and early stage. My Answer to complaint #3 also goes over this.
All of this said. I cannot confirm that there isn't a man in Russia with his cock in one hand and a fat wad of cash in the other staring at a screen that says "Pending Deposit - 30,000$ - Patreon" while jerking off and typing a single line of code every two weeks. (Wait... That sounds an awful lot like Marcus Redblack
)
