Ren'Py Abandoned Power Vacuum [Ch. 12 Official] [What? Why? Games]

[TrueJackal]

Roughly 9 months and no update. The dev used to be better than this. What's up?

Is this a troll comment? Can we remove comments this wilfully ignorant?

To answer your question directly:
Every update takes longer because he puts MORE content into them.
There has been a steady stream of monthly teasers showing us what the dev has been working on.
And to top it all off, the Dev said there would be an update this month.
YOU CAN CHECK HIS FUCKING PATREON AND SEE THAT HE'S MAKING POSTS CONSTANTLY!!!

The dev IS better, that's why it takes LONGER to make new updates, because it takes MORE time to produce high quality work. And then he has to check to make sure that the update isn't buggy. He's also gotten faster because he puts DOUBLE the amount of renders in less than double the time.

There's no way you seriously looked at the dev's patreon, looked at the teasers that get posted here, looked at ANY information here, and came to that conclusion.

Do you understand how linear time works? Do you realize what it means to rush a product? And how that would NEGATIVELY affect the product? Are you real?

Can we make comments like this against the rules? Not comments genuinely asking if the game is on hiatus, that's dumb but whatever. But comments unwittingly asking for WORSE content. Comments complaining about release schedules when the dev ISN'T a scammer.

Fuck I need to chill out, why do I care so much.

 

[TrueJackal]

I'm not expecting it to drop tomorrow... but I am expecting at least some news tomorrow.

It's iffy. He didn't make a post on the 11th, so I assume he's focusing more on getting the update done, than making small updates.

 

[Only1P]

It's iffy. He didn't make a post on the 11th, so I assume he's focusing more on getting the update done, than making small updates.

Hey there, I am following the patreon, and yes, the updates are getting astronomically bigger leading up to each new chapter, in fact I dont think i've ever seen an update as big as what ch12 is shaping up to be ever out of any dev in this community.

But you cant deny that, the teasers have gotten significantly more sparse, he is skipping update dates on schedule, he did drop the percentage evaluation.
It seems like as we get closer and closer to release, instead of getting a more precise idea of the date of release, its getting more and more vague, the dev's comments on "How exhausting it is to do nothing but writing", "Im adding more stuff" dont help either.

I mean we're on the 21st already, if the release is actually set up for December there are not many options left.

I mean why wont he do something like that:
(Not word to word, but you know what I mean)

 

[dartred]

But you cant deny that, the teasers have gotten significantly more sparse, he is skipping update dates on schedule, he did drop the percentage evaluation.
It seems like as we get closer and closer to release, instead of getting a more precise idea of the date of release, its getting more and more vague, the dev's comments on "How exhausting it is to do nothing but writing", "Im adding more stuff" dont help either.

I mean we're on the 21st already, if the release is actually set up for December there are not many options left.

I mean why wont he do something like that:
(Not word to word, but you know what I mean)

View attachment 3192157

He is skipping updates by choice. He has said that after he is done with the render portion and moves onto the writing, he has to space out teasers otherwise he'll have to release teasers that spoil TOO much. We all know he has the renders, he just doesn't want to release more revealing renders. He has said before that NTR event teasers are the usually the last teasers and they are. He then throws together a teaser salad of a few images from different teasers sometimes.




He also talked about why he doesn't do hard dates. He said in the discord when he puts hard dates and they approach, he feels like he wish he could cut off a pinkie finger to have just 1 more day. Can't find the post, but i'm sure other discord users remember when he said it.

 

[Kingkoopa97]

Is this a troll comment? Can we remove comments this wilfully ignorant?

To answer your question directly:
Every update takes longer because he puts MORE content into them.
There has been a steady stream of monthly teasers showing us what the dev has been working on.
And to top it all off, the Dev said there would be an update this month.
YOU CAN CHECK HIS FUCKING PATREON AND SEE THAT HE'S MAKING POSTS CONSTANTLY!!!

The dev IS better, that's why it takes LONGER to make new updates, because it takes MORE time to produce high quality work. And then he has to check to make sure that the update isn't buggy. He's also gotten faster because he puts DOUBLE the amount of renders in less than double the time.

There's no way you seriously looked at the dev's patreon, looked at the teasers that get posted here, looked at ANY information here, and came to that conclusion.

Do you understand how linear time works? Do you realize what it means to rush a product? And how that would NEGATIVELY affect the product? Are you real?

Can we make comments like this against the rules? Not comments genuinely asking if the game is on hiatus, that's dumb but whatever. But comments unwittingly asking for WORSE content. Comments complaining about release schedules when the dev ISN'T a scammer.

Fuck I need to chill out, why do I care so much.

He has been in the "writing phase" since September and there is no fucking chance it takes 4 months to write the "story" each update is legit 80% jokes 20% story so stop riding his dick so hard, the Yes men in this thread and discord is probably a big reason why he has been stretching these updates out for years now.

 

[What's Up Doc?]

He has been in the "writing phase" since September and there is no fucking chance it takes 4 months to write the "story" each update is legit 80% jokes 20% story so stop riding his dick so hard, the Yes men in this thread and discord is probably a big reason why he has been stretching these updates out for years now.

Yeah right? I don't know if these ass lickers get paid by the developer or something. There is no point in such a long update interval unless something bad happens. It's as simple as that. Don't be a fanboy and know how to speak the truth when the time comes.

 

[Fayn Arawn]

I consider a threat something that results in an outcome that is unwanted. This is a bit confusing in NTR because if you want NTR to happen then the "threat" is your key to getting to what you want. For the sake of argument we will keep it simple; a threat would be the girls getting dicked down by someone other than you. Well in this case its an illusion because the girls are never in any danger, NTR events are either turned off or they happen in a "what if" scenario. Ultimately, the hero will always triumph, good will always prevail over evil, there is no permanence in these "bad things". It's more like a bad dream that you will eventually wake up from.

It would be more accurate to say that a "threat" is the potential of an unwanted outcome. If that unwanted outcome ever occurs then it is no longer a threat, it is reality. What you're talking about reminds me of the concept of "plot armor". Unfortunately (for you?) that's simply the nature of most stories where a hero is fated (by the writer) to triumph in the end.

Now just because the unwanted outcome is avoided doesn't mean there was no danger. If we compare this "game" to a typical video game, then its bad ends are fail states like character deaths. If you fall down a bottomless pit, or let an important NPC get killed, the game cannot continue because there's no point. Avoiding these fail states doesn't mean they weren't threats.

I'm honestly trying to imagine how Power Vacuum could work otherwise. One approach could be to have separate paths for each girl, where you could permanently lose each one to Hunter, but they'd have to be totally compartmentalized from each other, or the amount of alternate scenes/dialogue would be massive as characters react differently to the branching timelines. So then the dilemma is between "why don't other characters acknowledge when the villain seduces one" and "why does it take a year for an update where nothing much happens on the main path" (*cough*Being a DIK*cough*). So the dev's solution is it's all or nothing.

 

[TrueJackal]

He has been in the "writing phase" since September and there is no fucking chance it takes 4 months to write the "story" each update is legit 80% jokes 20% story so stop riding his dick so hard, the Yes men in this thread and discord is probably a big reason why he has been stretching these updates out for years now.

It definitely can take 4 months to be in the writing phase.

Not only is he writing the story, he's also writing the jokes, having to come up with wordplay in each of the scenes. As well as making sure that the writing is consistent, and doesn't contradict earlier parts of the story, so he has to keep track of everything.

You may have noticed that small things a character mentions in chapter 2 or 3, come back in chapter 10 or 11. Ophelia mentioned that she will be angry at Sterling if he gets cum on his bedroom wall. That was way back at the beginning of the game. Then in a recent chapter, she got really angry about it. A small throw away line like that, made a come back. And that's jut one example. There's also tracking the arc of each character, planning out the future, making sure you don't accidentally spoil something.

AND he has to synch up the game together, keeping track of what story beats happen in which order for the task tracker.

Then he has to put all of that in the game itself, and while copy and past will save time, you have to account for effects like the faces beside each dialogue box, and splitting up a line for dramatic effect across several clicks. All of that has to be programmed.

Now maybe his writing process is inefficient in some places and he could be faster. But overall, yeah it could definitely add up to 4 months in the writing phase depending on the size of the story.

Besides, I'm not expecting him to put in a full 8 hours a day for this game. Fuck that. I have other games I can play in the mean while. I'd rather he ease off the gas pedal so he doesn't burn out. Burn out will fuck over his long term creativity.

 

[TrueJackal]

Yeah right? I don't know if these ass lickers get paid by the developer or something. There is no point in such a long update interval unless something bad happens. It's as simple as that. Don't be a fanboy and know how to speak the truth when the time comes.

I get paid when chapters release. For every comment I leave, the dev gives me 5 bucks. Also, I don't lick ass. I caress it with my tongue, and I don't neglect the balls.

> Don't be a fanboy and know how to speak the truth when the time comes.

Oh I can say various negative things about the game. But the release schedule complaint is always insane to me. As if the dev should be spending 16hours a day working perfectly efficiently to get the game out. As if we can't just play other games while we wait. It's like complaining that a cake takes 40 minutes to bake, then demanding the baker take it out at 20 minutes.

As for negative things, I don't like feeling like Sterling has to work 10 times as hard just to be liked. Sometimes the girls are being drugged into compliance, and that's difference. But sometimes the overall feeling is that Sterling gets no benefit of the doubt while other people (like Catherine) get all of it. And that feeling is similar to being cucked even if it's not literal NTR. Maybe there's a pay off being planned later on, or maybe that's just how the dev wants it to be, but yeah, I don't like that part of the writing.

I also hate how ugly Hunter is. And Kevin. I don't like ugly bastards in general and hate that he looks so awful. I'm so happy that Drew was introduced.

 

[Kingkoopa97]

It definitely can take 4 months to be in the writing phase.

Not only is he writing the story, he's also writing the jokes, having to come up with wordplay in each of the scenes. As well as making sure that the writing is consistent, and doesn't contradict earlier parts of the story, so he has to keep track of everything.

You may have noticed that small things a character mentions in chapter 2 or 3, come back in chapter 10 or 11. Ophelia mentioned that she will be angry at Sterling if he gets cum on his bedroom wall. That was way back at the beginning of the game. Then in a recent chapter, she got really angry about it. A small throw away line like that, made a come back. And that's jut one example. There's also tracking the arc of each character, planning out the future, making sure you don't accidentally spoil something.

AND he has to synch up the game together, keeping track of what story beats happen in which order for the task tracker.

Then he has to put all of that in the game itself, and while copy and past will save time, you have to account for effects like the faces beside each dialogue box, and splitting up a line for dramatic effect across several clicks. All of that has to be programmed.

Now maybe his writing process is inefficient in some places and he could be faster. But overall, yeah it could definitely add up to 4 months in the writing phase depending on the size of the story.

Besides, I'm not expecting him to put in a full 8 hours a day for this game. Fuck that. I have other games I can play in the mean while. I'd rather he ease off the gas pedal so he doesn't burn out. Burn out will fuck over his long term creativity.

You know it’s ok to say the updates are starting to get a bit long in the tooth and not be a hater right?

I don’t have it in me anymore to read 5 paragraphs of cope. Im sure you made good points but in no way am I wrong in thinking 4 months writing is utter crap.

These jokes it’s taking months to write better come with a comedy special on netflix…

 

[TrueJackal]

Hey there, I am following the patreon, and yes, the updates are getting astronomically bigger leading up to each new chapter, in fact I dont think i've ever seen an update as big as what ch12 is shaping up to be ever out of any dev in this community.

But you cant deny that, the teasers have gotten significantly more sparse, he is skipping update dates on schedule, he did drop the percentage evaluation.
It seems like as we get closer and closer to release, instead of getting a more precise idea of the date of release, its getting more and more vague, the dev's comments on "How exhausting it is to do nothing but writing", "Im adding more stuff" dont help either.

I mean we're on the 21st already, if the release is actually set up for December there are not many options left.

I mean why wont he do something like that:
(Not word to word, but you know what I mean)

View attachment 3192157

All that's fair.

If I'm being charitable, I assume that he doesn't want to get people's hope's up by giving an estimation and having to constantly push back the dates.

On your end, it's understandable to want basic status updates. I don't fault you at all for that.

 

[TrueJackal]

You know it’s ok to say the updates are starting to get a bit long in the tooth and not be a hater right?

I don’t have it in me anymore to read 5 paragraphs of cope. Im sure you made good points but in no way am I wrong in thinking 4 months writing is utter crap.

These jokes it’s taking months to write better come with a comedy special on netflix…

Yeah, I could have responded to the first guy by just saying "the updates take longer because the game got bigger". But some of those comments seem so low effort that it's annoying.

 

[zindathar]

any new news??? the year its ending and we are still waiting

 

[pinkie96]

I mean we're on the 21st already, if the release is actually set up for December there are not many options left.

I mean why wont he do something like that:
(Not word to word, but you know what I mean)

View attachment 3192157

He did. This means it will be out before January 1st

 

[AvaRedux44]

I think WWG only gets the grace he does because the bar for devs on here is so fucking low. Seemingly 90% of devs on here lie to their patrons, don't give updates, don't offer any excuses, don't offer any explanations, and take 6 months to put out an update that takes 10 minutes to play through. To WWG's credit, when he puts out an update, it's a meaty, substantial update. Might be due to the gameplay cycle of having to go day by day, chasing down the events, but there's a good amount to it.

If the standards in general for game devs weren't so low, WWG would not get the kind of praise he does, I think.

 

[Fayn Arawn]

any new news??? the year its ending and we are still waiting

Based on your avatar, I think you mean:

 

[dartred]

any new news??? the year its ending and we are still waiting

It's still early. I'm hopeful that we get some news today. We just have to wait and see if he announces a delay or release guess/date. The good thing is, for people who pledge when he says he thinks it's going to release and it doesn't, he gives them the game if they pledged just for the release date. I know that doesn't really mean much here, but that's integrity. He could have milked them that extra month.

 

[maynardkeynes65]

I am more diplomatic here with everyone's point of view: what it is being pondered is quality vs time, and everyone has their limits as this is subjective. For me, and I think for a lot of us here, our time limit is this year, because people will remember more that fact that the ETA wasn't reached rather than the extra renders or extra jokes written to match the execution of a particular scene made within that additional time that caused a delay.

In the end, this can all be solved if a concrete date is given. Yes, it is not that simple, in everyone's line of work here we often make a projection, but being this close to the end of the year, it is really needed. I can sense the anxiety in the room, and I totally get you. Lets hope a release date is published today.

 

[ThorinKing]

You forgot to close your bracket lol and fyi it wasnt feedback and if you dont know what the discussion was then you are better off not commenting on it. Seems like you just wanted to start some shit with someone.

Bless your heart!

 

[Kingkoopa97]

You're totally right, he should definitely stop working to give more frequent progress reports, commit to a firm release date so we can be mad when he misses it, and make smaller updates more frequently so we can complain about how small they are. People definitely won't remember that as each chapter took longer to make they also got bigger and better, or that we got so many previews (3 times per month) through most of the dev cycle that some have complained they spoiled too much, or that the dev typically "goes dark" as he focuses on finishing each chapter.

I'm following (and supporting) him for PV, and will most likely support his next game unless it doesn't appeal to me.

You gonna be willing to wait 9months on 0.2 or 0.3 of a new game? If that is the release schedule of his new game it will 100% crash and burn before getting off the ground.