- Thread starter Impious Monk
- Start date
It’s been 6 months since the last update, is there any news on the development?
- Mar 20, 2019
- 314
- 548
The last upd took a year to develop. so it could be much worse
- Oct 14, 2021
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Getting close. Still a lot of work to be done. The Steam release date is Q1 2024 and I will hit that goal.
Episode Two took nine months.
Great I’ve already wishlisted the game on steam, will ep 3 be included in the release?
- Oct 14, 2021
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Yes, it will. I'm planning to run a demo of Episode One for Next Fest and then Episodes Two and Three will be included in the official early access release.
Thanks for the wishlist!
Mr. Monk was really busy at a wedding during the development of this chapter, which slowed progress.
- Jul 14, 2021
- 103
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Special Render: Jedi Master Malena
Sorry the second render just won't load for some reason
Leaving DNA - Developer's Journal 3:29
Hey everybody. I am getting close to finishing my first draft of Episode Three. A few more easy-ish scenes to pose/render and then I'll work on revisions before sending it to the playtesters. The animation computer is still going full-time. I dare say that if Episode Three isn't done by the end of February then I'll eat my hat. I'll make a public announcement tomorrow re the official Steam/Itch release of March 7th, but you'll get the update before that.
Thank you for your support!
--Monk
You must be registered to see the links
Sorry the second render just won't load for some reason
Leaving DNA - Developer's Journal 3:29
Hey everybody. I am getting close to finishing my first draft of Episode Three. A few more easy-ish scenes to pose/render and then I'll work on revisions before sending it to the playtesters. The animation computer is still going full-time. I dare say that if Episode Three isn't done by the end of February then I'll eat my hat. I'll make a public announcement tomorrow re the official Steam/Itch release of March 7th, but you'll get the update before that.
Thank you for your support!
--Monk
- Jul 14, 2021
- 103
- 1,469
Steam/Itch Release Details (Early Access)
Leaving DNA will release on
You must be registered to see the links
and
You must be registered to see the links
as an early access game on March 7, 2024. The release will include Episodes One, Two, and Three, and buying the game in early access means you own all future episodes of the game--there will be eight episodes total and this game will not be released in seasons. The game will cost $12, although it will be on sale when it drops.***All supporters--past, present, or future--who have contributed at least $12 total will be entitled to a key which gives them a copy of the game on either platform of their choice. Please message me to request the key and let me know if you want Steam or Itch. You can message me now or anytime in the future, even after you're not a supporter anymore, to request a key if you have contributed at least $12.***
If you are not a supporter but are planning to buy the game on Steam, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! The reviews on Steam are critically important to the Steam algorithm which decides to show the game to more players in the Steam store. And so far the Steam algorithm has not favored Leaving DNA, so I'm really going to be counting on getting good reviews. (If you are a supporter accessing the Steam version via a key, your review will not count towards the algorithm but it will still help when potential buyers are checking out the store page!)
You must be registered to see the links
I am also announcing that there will only be four more releases of Leaving DNA. Episode Three will release by itself, Episode Four will release by itself, and Episode Five will release by itself. Then I will work on Episodes Six, Seven, and Eight simultaneously, and I will wait until all three episodes are complete before releasing all of them--maybe a week apart from each other. I expect Episodes Six through Eight to be smaller than Episodes One through Three, so this isn't quite as bad as it sounds, but it will definitely require some patience from my supporters.
Financially, this is a probably not a good idea. I get a fresh promotional round each time I release on Steam and I will have supporters who get impatient with the increased development time. But my priority has always been to produce the best game I can and tell the story in the most impactful way. There is a tremendous amount of story momentum created by Episode Six, and if I follow it up with another long development period, that momentum will be lost and what happens in Episodes Seven and Eight won't have as much impact. Conversely, while there is a really good cliffhanger at the end of Episode Five, it's the kind of cliffhanger that you'll be okay waiting a bit longer to see what happens next.
This has also led to another decision, and that is to limit the bonus Dream Scenes to only Episodes Two, Three, Four, and Five. I should have realized this before, but trust me when I say that after you play Episode Six and Seven you aren't going to be interested in jumping to a meaningless sex scene. Also due to the fact that I will be working on three episodes at once adding three bonus scenes will just add too much to the development time. So that means that in addition to Erin and Gina you'll get to choose bonus scenes for two more of the non-LI's. I do however, have one special bonus scene planned for the completion of the game....
Episode One will continue to be available as a free demo on any platform. I've previously released Episode Two for free, but my links on Patreon, SubscribeStar, and Itch are being replaced with just Episode One. I think that if someone doesn't like the game by the time they finish the two hours of content in Episode One then Leaving DNA is not for them.
Thank you to all of my supporters and I appreciate having all of you as fans.
--Monk
- Sep 3, 2020
- 4,432
- 30,563
View attachment M. Bison _Yes Yes!_ Widescreen HD reupload.mp4
Steam/Itch Release Details (Early Access)
Leaving DNA will release onYou must be registered to see the linksandYou must be registered to see the linksas an early access game on March 7, 2024. The release will include Episodes One, Two, and Three, and buying the game in early access means you own all future episodes of the game--there will be eight episodes total and this game will not be released in seasons. The game will cost $12, although it will be on sale when it drops.
***All supporters--past, present, or future--who have contributed at least $12 total will be entitled to a key which gives them a copy of the game on either platform of their choice. Please message me to request the key and let me know if you want Steam or Itch. You can message me now or anytime in the future, even after you're not a supporter anymore, to request a key if you have contributed at least $12.***
If you are not a supporter but are planning to buy the game on Steam, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review! The reviews on Steam are critically important to the Steam algorithm which decides to show the game to more players in the Steam store. And so far the Steam algorithm has not favored Leaving DNA, so I'm really going to be counting on getting good reviews. (If you are a supporter accessing the Steam version via a key, your review will not count towards the algorithm but it will still help when potential buyers are checking out the store page!)
You must be registered to see the links
I am also announcing that there will only be four more releases of Leaving DNA. Episode Three will release by itself, Episode Four will release by itself, and Episode Five will release by itself. Then I will work on Episodes Six, Seven, and Eight simultaneously, and I will wait until all three episodes are complete before releasing all of them--maybe a week apart from each other. I expect Episodes Six through Eight to be smaller than Episodes One through Three, so this isn't quite as bad as it sounds, but it will definitely require some patience from my supporters.
Financially, this is a probably not a good idea. I get a fresh promotional round each time I release on Steam and I will have supporters who get impatient with the increased development time. But my priority has always been to produce the best game I can and tell the story in the most impactful way. There is a tremendous amount of story momentum created by Episode Six, and if I follow it up with another long development period, that momentum will be lost and what happens in Episodes Seven and Eight won't have as much impact. Conversely, while there is a really good cliffhanger at the end of Episode Five, it's the kind of cliffhanger that you'll be okay waiting a bit longer to see what happens next.
This has also led to another decision, and that is to limit the bonus Dream Scenes to only Episodes Two, Three, Four, and Five. I should have realized this before, but trust me when I say that after you play Episode Six and Seven you aren't going to be interested in jumping to a meaningless sex scene. Also due to the fact that I will be working on three episodes at once adding three bonus scenes will just add too much to the development time. So that means that in addition to Erin and Gina you'll get to choose bonus scenes for two more of the non-LI's. I do however, have one special bonus scene planned for the completion of the game....
Episode One will continue to be available as a free demo on any platform. I've previously released Episode Two for free, but my links on Patreon, SubscribeStar, and Itch are being replaced with just Episode One. I think that if someone doesn't like the game by the time they finish the two hours of content in Episode One then Leaving DNA is not for them.
Thank you to all of my supporters and I appreciate having all of you as fans.
--Monk
- Sep 30, 2020
- 436
- 1,580
End of February we'll get to play with crazy biker girl, cute redhead, tiny blonde and armenian titties
- Jul 14, 2021
- 103
- 1,469
Leaving DNA - Developer's Journal 3:30
Hey everybody.
I spent this week reviewing and revising, plugging holes and branches, fixing little issues, etc. I still have a couple of scenes with about 85 renders left to pose, but the environments/lighting are already set up so it's not as bad as starting them from scratch. Once I finish those I can give the update to the playtesters. I also still have three animations from the bonus scene to render (they are already posed), two of the unlockable special renders to do, and post-work on the bonus scene, but I can work on all of that while the playtesters are doing their thing.
Okay, I've got the flu. I've powered through today but honestly I'm freaking wrecked, so I'm going to try to force a few more poses to get a small render queue going and then call it a night.
Thank you for your support!
--Monk
Hey everybody.
I spent this week reviewing and revising, plugging holes and branches, fixing little issues, etc. I still have a couple of scenes with about 85 renders left to pose, but the environments/lighting are already set up so it's not as bad as starting them from scratch. Once I finish those I can give the update to the playtesters. I also still have three animations from the bonus scene to render (they are already posed), two of the unlockable special renders to do, and post-work on the bonus scene, but I can work on all of that while the playtesters are doing their thing.
Okay, I've got the flu. I've powered through today but honestly I'm freaking wrecked, so I'm going to try to force a few more poses to get a small render queue going and then call it a night.
Thank you for your support!
--Monk
- Jul 26, 2018
- 391
- 738
Will definitely add it to my library once it comes out. Wish you all the best of luck with the project.
- Mar 25, 2021
- 10,884
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I haven't even played episode two yet.
I'm waiting until it comes to steam.
It's a great game.
I'm waiting until it comes to steam.
It's a great game.
- Oct 14, 2021
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Thanks guys, really appreciate it.
- Jun 15, 2023
- 45
- 408
Hi, Impious Monk!
Firstly, I'd like to thank you for giving me a title I binged through in one sitting - with the games I usually review, that's hardly a pleasure. Your game, however, made me restore some amount of faith in the AVN community.
It's perhaps a little too early for my actual review (since there are "only" two episodes), but I'll be sure to come back to it with the next update. That said, I have genuinely enjoyed every bit of the game's writing and story telling.
The characters feel fleshed out and seem to actually exist in the created world - that's a big plus, and unfortunately, a rarity these days. The interactions are organic and sound natural, respective to who these people are interacting with. Adults behave like adults, and children behave like... children. It sounds trivial, but that has been my pet peeve with 95% of titles here.
Secondly, whilst I was a little skeptical regarding the render quality with EP1 (the shots are... serviceable, for the most part), I was pleasantly surprised to see the upgrades made in EP2. The lighting, the setup, the compositions - all of those aspects were massively improved in the second update. And please, forward my thanks to the animator - the loops are short but incredibly well done with just the right amount of "micro movements".
To not make it too sweet, I have some nitpicks, too.
The writing and grammar, for the most part, is solid - but I've caught some minor things:
The music choices are usually pretty fitting, but I'm a little confused at the lack of any ambiance during every other scene. It's just odd having nothing but silence for most of the game. Not sure if you plan on fixing that, but it impacts the experience somewhat.
From a technical standpoint, you should compress your images to WEBP - a high enough setting will retain the details but shrink your game size by 50-75%. With "just" 4k images, you are already approaching 5 GB and it will only get worse.
Also, why are your videos so brutally compressed? The animation work is solid, but you crush pretty much all the detail in 5-second loops that are somehow smaller than a single static shot. It looks rather jarring and doesn't give the art the justice it deserves (in a game about seeking justice, ironically).
Overall, the game is impressively good, and all the above points are easily fixable. You have earned a fan!
Firstly, I'd like to thank you for giving me a title I binged through in one sitting - with the games I usually review, that's hardly a pleasure. Your game, however, made me restore some amount of faith in the AVN community.
It's perhaps a little too early for my actual review (since there are "only" two episodes), but I'll be sure to come back to it with the next update. That said, I have genuinely enjoyed every bit of the game's writing and story telling.
The characters feel fleshed out and seem to actually exist in the created world - that's a big plus, and unfortunately, a rarity these days. The interactions are organic and sound natural, respective to who these people are interacting with. Adults behave like adults, and children behave like... children. It sounds trivial, but that has been my pet peeve with 95% of titles here.
Secondly, whilst I was a little skeptical regarding the render quality with EP1 (the shots are... serviceable, for the most part), I was pleasantly surprised to see the upgrades made in EP2. The lighting, the setup, the compositions - all of those aspects were massively improved in the second update. And please, forward my thanks to the animator - the loops are short but incredibly well done with just the right amount of "micro movements".
To not make it too sweet, I have some nitpicks, too.
The writing and grammar, for the most part, is solid - but I've caught some minor things:
- possessive suffix on names ending with an "s" isn't properly applied (e.g. it should be "Andras'" not "Andras's")
- "awhile" is misused in pretty much every sentence it has ("awhile" means "for a while" and it's generally used to modify a verb, so something like "I'm gonna sit awhile." as opposed to "(...) that's gonna make my morning gym sessions awkward for a while.")
- you cannot abbreviate "it was" as "it's" (in the EP1 Aghavni says "It's nice meeting you.", which is supposed to be past tense, but it doesn't sound like it)
- MC says, "You support my being on this case, right?" and I believe you meant "me being", unless MC is talking about something/someone he owns
- in the "hitman phone call" you used "it's" as opposed to "its" in the sentence "And your country is grateful you have defending it's values."
- Jamie asks the girl during the trial on "how did you get to the Halloween party" twice - not sure if that's by design, but it seemed odd to me
- in EP2 a wrong "character agent" is used when you tell Aghavni you're glad she's there with you (before entering the prison)
- Robert uses the British spelling of the word "humored" during the interrogation
- Emmeline says she is a "schoolteacher" during the bar scene (missing a space) + she later spells TV as "t.v" for some reason
The music choices are usually pretty fitting, but I'm a little confused at the lack of any ambiance during every other scene. It's just odd having nothing but silence for most of the game. Not sure if you plan on fixing that, but it impacts the experience somewhat.
From a technical standpoint, you should compress your images to WEBP - a high enough setting will retain the details but shrink your game size by 50-75%. With "just" 4k images, you are already approaching 5 GB and it will only get worse.
Also, why are your videos so brutally compressed? The animation work is solid, but you crush pretty much all the detail in 5-second loops that are somehow smaller than a single static shot. It looks rather jarring and doesn't give the art the justice it deserves (in a game about seeking justice, ironically).
Overall, the game is impressively good, and all the above points are easily fixable. You have earned a fan!
Last edited:
- Oct 14, 2021
- 625
- 2,797
CrumblePi Thanks for the feedback and I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
- Jul 26, 2018
- 391
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2 more weeks before Leaving DNA is hitting the Steam store. We are getting so close. I honestly think everyone should at least wishlist it because it's one of the rare instances where a game like this is worth getting. I can't wait for March 7th to arrive!
Yeah, I wasn’t sure if that gang were the Chinese or Hispanic kind from SoCal.
Dev also needs to fix some early renders and make the UI and menus a bit fancier. I understand it’s got the sober tone of a legal cop drama but the presentation from the menus feels really stiff, bordering unsexy.
Really gotta market the shit outta this thing on Steam and make it look as good as possible.
It’s currently so underrated that even people on here aren’t checking it out and commenting about it even with the high rating.
