That is true, but I'll also offer the corollary that you, as a dev, should be confident in exactly what you want to do, and how the story will play out, before you start, and don't let any loud complainers derail your vision. Like you know what, everyone has an opinion, and the negative people tend to have the loudest voices. I've seen quite a few devs either change their game in a way they don't really feel enthusiastic about, just because a handful of loud people try to browbeat the dev to change it, or they abandon the game altogether to try to chase a different idea that everybody likes.
Correct. I'm coming in this with the knowledge that my game will not be for everyone, but I hope that it will have enough fans to make it viable.
That is frankly impossible. Pick any game here, even the most succesfull, and you will hear plenty of complaints. People around here are free to offer conscructive criticism about whether a certain plot point or character action is confusing, or seems out of character, but ultimately everyone has their own preferences, and you can never please everybody, or probably even most people. The best you can hope for is a core of supporters that mostly like what you are doing, and just ignore those that want to complain. I think unless you make a game decision that is universally hated, a la My Sister My Roomate, it is best to stick to your guns no matter what fans tell you. You are the one making the story, not them. They are free to make their own cookie cutter, family of virgins story that they like and see how it does.
Yes, I have unfortunately see a few developers cave to the loudest opinions (or in a few cases, the highest paying opinions) dictate the progress of their game (product).
Me, for instance, I am not into female protagonist VNs. I've tried a handful of the most popular and they just don't do it for me, but lots of people like them, so devs should listen to those that enjoy those types of games. Also, if any of your characters so much as glance at another woman, or if they are not all innocent virgins (even the mothers, haha), you will get endless complaints, and threats to "stop playing" your game. Let them stop playing it.
Did you mean "so much as glance at another man," or did you mean it as "so much as glance at another
woman, let alone another man?"
To keep this a bit more on topic, I was reminded of people who want to do away with the Happy scenes. The Happy scenes are part of what makes this game This Game. The thought that someone wants to eliminate them seem so strange to me.
I'll probably need a few people liking and playing the game to add to my motivation, but I don't need everyone to like it. In your case, my game begins with female protagonists, but as time goes, you will be able to see the experiences of male characters and direct their decisions. The fourth real character (not including the barista...yet) is male (unless you are playing the lesbian path--that character is essential enough that I couldn't just skip him. That character will be a woman on the Lesbian only branch) and I have a few things in mind for his adventures. One could easily focus on him.
Ultimately, the most sucessful devs, except for a few notable exceptions (DPC, Mr. Dots), get more and more fans by being a good sport, hanging around F95 from time to time chatting with the fans, which encourages some to go to your Patreon and subscribe, and mostly ignoring, or coming up with snappy comebacks, for the legion of trolls that like to populate these forums.
Yes, in general, that seems to be the best way. It exposes the developer (development team) to the trolls, but it also helps to build fan engagement. Of course, I've seen Mr. Dots as a developer who fell into the "loudest voices" trap regarding the proposed open relationship. As a matter of fact, that's one of the events that inspired me to begin making games.
I mean, you'll be fine as long as you don't really need to talk directly to the developer in this case, Selebus has basically retreated from F95, with the exception of the occasional pop in, so he wouldn't have to watch his game getting pirated.
I only had to play LiL for a few hours (which became many, many hours) to convince me to add Selebus to my support roster. I'm sorry he can't find the positive in it. Like I said, I hope I won't reach that state. I want to remain here and interact with non-patrons, non-subscribers as well.
It is, but on the downside for NOT getting away from F95, he has to watch his game get pirated if he comes here, which he did say was not doing good things for his mental and/or emotional health. It is better to retreat off of a site that is giving good criticism if that site is also causing such issues for the sake of one's well being. That comes first above good criticism. Besides, some of us who give good criticism are ones who will follow him to whatever other site he wishes to communicate on. I've been using his SubscribeStar if I needed to talk to him and his Discord if it is absolutely urgent that I do so. I do like the game a significant amount, but I am not a yes man, I WILL call out any issue with the game that needs fixed. That said, things like the complaints about the horror aspect or the need for sound I will not say because they will do nothing for the game except make it a shell of what it once was if lessened.
Yes, I know this is a very real possibility for me. I've contended with a lifetime of dysthymia and clinical depression. I will need to be very aware. Fortunately, I'm also collecting a circle of face-to-face friends who I can turn to.
Absolutely, as I writer, I could not agree more with having a plan you yourself want to implement and an idea of how to do so before starting. I absolutely NEVER go into writing with nothing planned ahead of time.
I already have the main events charted out for the next year of game time. It won't be a day by day game since all my characters are adults and boring life happens between interesting events. At least at the beginning. One thing I will need to chart out will be dating opportunities as new characters get introduced. I have a few characters in mind, but I'll have time to get them all planned with personalities.
[quote[
Ah yes, posing and rendering, my favorite activity.
Seriously, though, I hate the tedium, but the result is worth it. I've been doing quite a bit of it in CharaStudio lately and I'm getting some pretty good results, especially with laying hair across map objects so it looks like it is laying down naturally. That can be pretty hard to do with no collision between characters and maps, you're more likely to overshoot and clip through the object.
[/QUOTE]
I'll look into that--thanks!
I'll slightly disagree with this statement on the bases that it misses a needed nuance badly.
I am a developer, have been for over 15 years. As a developer, you should have solid requirements. No argument from that from me. But how do you get those solid requirements? Solid peer reviewing. Revisions happen.
Now as a "Writer" of stories, however, which feels like more of what you were getting at, yes. You need to be confident in writing what you want to write. But the best stories also get revised and criticized to help make them better. I would advise anyone writing to have a small handful of trusted critics to help you stay true to your intention, and as you imply, Smarmint, to not be dissuaded from your vision. I hinted at this originally when I suggested whom to surround yourself with.
Once you start to let the masses guide the direction, you are no longer in control of your story. It becomes more like a role play campain, and will never be the vision you thought of, and seldom works well because the format doesn't really support it. How many good stories have we seen turned into crap movies, all because someone else had influence on it.
I understand the need for an editor. I remember one person I know from a fan fiction community--she was so attached to "her babies," that the thought of an editor making changes made her feel a little sick. We've seen the tomes that popular writers started producing once they were successful enough to say no to an editor.
