Croxy Sama said:
• Player demand became heavily centered around Jenny.
Because of that, the work I put into other characters often felt like wasted effort, and it gradually drained my motivation.
But that's normal. Some of us wants more Jenny, but some of us (like me) wants more Riley!
How could you possibly think that working on Riley was a waste of time?!
Seriously?!
• The game’s file size has grown far too quickly.
Even at this early stage, the size is already large, and future updates would only push it to an unacceptable level.
• As my first project, the structure became increasingly messy.
There are systems I implemented early on that I can’t cleanly fix anymore. I learned the solutions too late, and now the foundation simply can’t support the improvements I want to make.
I have an idea: divide the game into seasons/chapters, like others do. Leave this (first) chapter as is, and you'll be able to start the next chapter over again, without making the same mistakes. The game's size (of single chapter) won't be so overwhelming either.
• I’ve been working 5–6 hours every day.
Not counting my regular responsibilities. My social life has taken a huge hit, and despite all the time I invested, the financial return has been far from satisfying. Over time, this imbalance made it clear that I needed to rethink my priorities.
After all, you decide how much you work. Sure, it would be a bummer if you became one of those greedy devs who, despite the huge revenue, still release updates every 8-10 months (or even less frequently), but it's better than abandoning the project.
Even though this project is ending, I want to make one thing completely clear:
This doesn’t mean I’m quitting game development.
During this journey I learned a lot—about tools, storytelling, design, and about myself. And now, I’m not alone anymore. I have a new partner to work with, and together we’ve decided to start a new AI-driven project. We’re currently studying the tools and preparing the foundation for what we want to build next.
Unless that's the only thing - the amount of work required to create an AI game is minimal compared to a traditional one...
However, right now we're flooded with poor, boring, and ugly AI games, and it's only going to get worse!
I see your Patreon shows practically zero support, but you've shown that you have talent and taste. In my humble opinion, you'll sooner see success with MLT than with another crappy AI game.
greetings from a Riley fan
