Very good update! A bit short, but honestly, I was expecting this outcome. I'm curious to see what kind of animations you'll integrate to make it pop even more. Just a small note... too much animation in a visual novel can become a problem. I bet a lot of folks would agree with me on that?
That said, let's get the story side sorted first, and then move on to the real criticism. I imagine you're struggling a bit to satisfy the fans while maintaining your vision. My advice? Don't stress over it too much. Take fan feedback into account, sure, but ultimately, do your thing.
If you try too hard to please everyone, the game might lose what made it special in the first place. Remember why you started this project... (I'm guessing here taking monetization into account) it was a passion project, right? It gained traction because of your skill and storytelling, not because you were chasing trends or appeasing everyone?
So don't lose that. Go back to your roots. Use others for inspiration, but don’t let them dictate your direction. I hope that makes sense.
Storywise, that’s all I really want to say... at the end of the day, it’s you, the dev, who makes the story. And that’s exactly why I’m here.
Now, onto the ugly part... and I’m sorry if this annoys you, but it needs to be said.
These “mystical animators” you're referring to... who are they exactly? Why are they getting paid? Are we talking about folks with 32GB dual GPU setups or something? Because, honestly, most of the animations you're using seem like something you could create yourself... unless these guys are absolute prompt savants.
At this point, I’m sure you could afford a 32GB GPU yourself and just generate animations on the fly without needing an entire animation crew. So what are we talking about?
Second point... and this comes from me as someone who's also trying to break into the AI visual novel space, I dig deep. Really deep. So let me reassure your fans, quality has very little to do with the time between your updates. The quality is good, no doubt, but it's not the limiting factor. Which tells me... you're stalling...
Now, I’m not saying that as an accusation. There could be all kinds of valid reasons... life, burnout, other obligations, but let’s just be real about it. (I got through all of those btw)
Normally, I wouldn’t want to spark tension or make direct comparisons, but… there's a SoA update dropping soon, and I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be absolutely massive in every way. We’ll see...
I don’t know what it is exactly, but the dev behind that project comes across as the coolest, most deviously clever mastermind out there. And from what I’ve seen, your teams are linked somehow, (shoutout
SymbioticLife) whether through collaboration, mutual inspiration, or just being part of the same creative sphere
So why not take the best parts of each other's work and push it even further? Make the most freaking badass visual novel the world has ever seen?
Address the fans, yes... but stop overthinking and just do what you want to do. Set a schedule, stick to it, and trust your instincts.
Honestly, you could wrap up the story in two or three solid chapters and move on to your next project if you wanted too...
Good luck, my friends. Keep pushing forward.
I thought you might think I was too weird.
