Hi folks, I have a little time while playtesting is underway - I can't linger long, but hopefully I can address the hottest topics!
I don't know the entire creative process but for some reason
4MinuteWarning has chosen to complete the game's story/Acts and then go back and do a touch up on the art, potentially add in more story elements and whatnot, obviously this is in so far as I know and this plan is subject to change at a moment's notice.
It is unknown to me as for why this process was chosen, perhaps to make deadlines, regardless Lubbio is rushed for time and does touch ups when he is able to.
I'd like to start by saying Lubbio is, by far, the best and most reliable artist I have ever had the pleasure of working with. He has illustrated a new scene
every week for almost three years, and the game would not be where it is without him. Most of those scenes are good, some are fucking spectacular, and some need revision afterwards.
Being a responsible dev means working with your artist as much as they work with you. Lubbio's preference is for a short illustration window, with tweaks & adjustments (or full remasters) happening afterwards - we've experimented with other modes, but none of them work as well as that.
So when we have a lot of new scenes pending, we focus on getting art made; when we have spare time, we go back to improve the existing work. This is how we've always done it, and how we will continue to do it.
I have never asked Lubbio to rush anything, or even given timelines for completion! Once the surge is over, we'll make refinements as we always do.
I could be wrong, but that is the end of the "Main Story" of Ch 4. All previous 4.x updates have been "Side quests" and f95 might not get ch5
I didn't know which comment to quote from this discussion, so sorry for picking on you! Yes, my plan is to make Act V available to those who support the game in whatever way (SubStar, Steam, or volunteering in its creation). Acts I-IV will continue to be updated and expanded for free, for everyone.
I expect that people will pirate Act V eventually. That's fine; piracy has a place at the fringes of any healthy ecosystem, and I don't have an issue with it. It's
slightly different for indie dev - because the margins cut into our ability to make new stuff, rather than stuffing the offshore bank account of some cunt CEO. Our growth has allowed me to double the size of our team, and the amount of high-grade smut we produce, and I want to keep doing that.
That doesn't mean I should become a tyrant, or implement shitty DRM - it means I have a duty to
make getting a legitimate copy as appealing as possible. Because most people don't pirate stuff for no reason, they pirate stuff for good reasons
:
- They don't know whether it's any good. Acts I-IV, the first three-quarters of the game, should be a decent enough demonstration.
- It isn't actually any good. Obviously this one is subjective, but I'm doing my very best.
- It's too expensive. I think $15 is fair for the size of the game, and I use regional pricing so it's reasonable wherever in the world it is.
- It's difficult to get hold of a proper copy. AKA fuck you, German government.
- There aren't any reasons to get a proper copy. This is why we are making Act V exclusive, and why we offer the subscriber benefits we do.
- None of the above are true, but it's just not affordable at the moment. This will always be true for some people, and if that includes you, don't sweat it.
v500 will launch on the
30th December - pushed back one day, because we have better capacity for supporting a launch on the 30th. It's been a long crunch to get it ready, and I am spending this last week making it as good as it can be! If you've enjoyed Ravager and you would like to help us finish it, I hope you can give us a boost in whatever way works for you. Peace.
