4.20 star(s) 40 Votes

KATOLINE

Newbie
Sep 30, 2020
37
140
As long as I know there is an update in the future I am ok with the wait. Hey Most of us have to have some kind of job to survive. Hopefully work will ease up a bit and you can get back to it. Thanks for not abandoning the project as I really like it.
I was his patreon for quite a while. I love serenity and I mostly enjoy last human as well. I'd hate to see serenity get left behind but the writing is on the walls. Unfortunately I get the feeling that serenity will see less and less updates as time goes on until eventually it just stops all together. We've already had one update canceled in favor of LH. Which is what led to me dropping my patreon support. Oh well.
 

N2TheFire

Active Member
Game Developer
Dec 28, 2019
677
3,315
I was his patreon for quite a while. I love serenity and I mostly enjoy last human as well. I'd hate to see serenity get left behind but the writing is on the walls. Unfortunately I get the feeling that serenity will see less and less updates as time goes on until eventually it just stops all together. We've already had one update canceled in favor of LH. Which is what led to me dropping my patreon support. Oh well.
I am not quitting Serenity. I don't know how to make that any clearer. Working 2 jobs, dealing with life in general, managing depression... and trying to develop a VN is not exactly easy. Sometimes, time just gets away from me and I am not able to get a lot of work done on the games. Yes, I skipped an update to Serenity. But I posted the reasons and what my plans are moving forward (several times). I've tried to be as up-front and transparent as possible. Serenity is my baby, I have no intention of just abandoning it like so many other developers do with their projects. I post weekly devlogs and even personal logs to keep you all updated as best I can, and let you know progress on my current projects.

As for Serenity, I have also been working hard rewriting episode 3. I didn't render it and release that because I wasn't happy with it. It was starting to get away from the original idea of the story. I am actually writing that here and there while working on this LH update. So work is ACTIVELY still being done on Serenity.

So, for you Serenity fans, the writing is NOT on the wall, it's in RENPY where it belongs. I'm not going anywhere. Yes, it may take a while to get the update but all I can do is what I am able to do in the time that I have between all of my other responsibilities. I did lose patrons and that's okay. I would probably do the same. But I would rather lose a lot of patrons than to push out a release I am not happy with.

Love you guys... hang in there. I'm considering 2 updates in a row to Serenity once this LH is done.
 

slick97

Active Member
Dec 2, 2021
541
1,267
I am not quitting Serenity. I don't know how to make that any clearer. Working 2 jobs, dealing with life in general, managing depression... and trying to develop a VN is not exactly easy. Sometimes, time just gets away from me and I am not able to get a lot of work done on the games. Yes, I skipped an update to Serenity. But I posted the reasons and what my plans are moving forward (several times). I've tried to be as up-front and transparent as possible. Serenity is my baby, I have no intention of just abandoning it like so many other developers do with their projects. I post weekly devlogs and even personal logs to keep you all updated as best I can, and let you know progress on my current projects.

As for Serenity, I have also been working hard rewriting episode 3. I didn't render it and release that because I wasn't happy with it. It was starting to get away from the original idea of the story. I am actually writing that here and there while working on this LH update. So work is ACTIVELY still being done on Serenity.

So, for you Serenity fans, the writing is NOT on the wall, it's in RENPY where it belongs. I'm not going anywhere. Yes, it may take a while to get the update but all I can do is what I am able to do in the time that I have between all of my other responsibilities. I did lose patrons and that's okay. I would probably do the same. But I would rather lose a lot of patrons than to push out a release I am not happy with.

Love you guys... hang in there. I'm considering 2 updates in a row to Serenity once this LH is done.
This game is currently on my list of playthroughs (and reviews), but from the description in the OP it definitely gives off the vibe of a game intended to make you feel good while introducing light drama content. Those types of stories are rare as a majority of successful devs delve into rather heavy topics without much breathing room (i.e. "The Falling Reloaded", "My Bully is My Lover", "Summer's Gone", etc.).

Additionally, writing a story that focuses on lighthearted content can often be beneficial for coping with depression. It was the outlet I used when I was at my lowest (i.e. "deleting" oneself). I'll also say to you what I've said to other devs suffering from similar mental health issues:

You and your personal health must come first regardless of the projects you have going on. If you need to take a step back or pause Patreon for a bit then no one should fault you for doing so. The vocal minority that like to raise a fuss over everything little thing are not worth your time or the stress they bring, and are better of being blocked rather than trying to deal with their behavior.

Things will get better. Take your time and focus on positive things in life no matter how small they might be.
 

N2TheFire

Active Member
Game Developer
Dec 28, 2019
677
3,315
I'll post this also in the Last Human thread for the Last Human devlog part of it...

serenit_trixy_024(1920).png



Hello everyone. This is a long but important post. So please push through it...

I have finally passed the halfway point rendering the LH update. During this time, I have given thought to how I will proceed with Serenity. As you all know, I scrapped the episode 3 I had written for Serenity C2. It was getting way too messy. It is beginning to move into a direction that will put it further away from the original idea for the story. Part of the problem is I went way overboard bringing in characters. Most of them were just supposed to be guests but I never really wrote them out. Completely my fault. Sometimes I like a character so much I want to write more for them. But the only thing I've managed to do here is alienate some of the main characters in the process. Getting to the point... I need to cut some of these characters loose.

Let's begin by listing all of the girls we've seen in Serenity so far, and I will categorize them as I see them:

Main Love Interests:
  • Rin
  • Lena
  • Jasmine
  • Kat
  • Morgan
  • Trixy
Secondary Love Interests:
  • Trina
  • Samantha
  • Cassie
  • Fade
  • Shade
  • Mia
Guests:
  • Cinn
  • Melody
  • Celeste
  • Triss
  • Marissa
  • Morgana
  • Judy
  • Lili
Remain for story:
  • Camilla
  • Mom (Karen)
There are almost twice the characters I had originally planned for Serenity. And I know some people really liked some of those guest girls. But unfortunately, all of the girls listed under guests will be leaving Serenity (with some minor exceptions). This of course doesn't mean we will never see them again. And yes, Lili is in that list.

Lili: Speaking of her... I've already discussed her with Cryoxx (the developer for Oppai Odyssey - he, or more accurately, his wife created Lili). I loved Lili in OO and when her part ended, I asked for her. But I also only planned for her to be a temporary part of Serenity (she has a part to play in keeping that world going). But once her work is finished, she will choose to return to her world as Karen (Mom) has found a way to do so. Moving on to Cinn from that list...

Cinnamon: was inspired/created from a real person who has followed me from my humble beginnings. She definitely won't go away permanently. Her part will not change. She appears occasionally for certain things, and I don't plan to change that.

Melody: I added Melody with permission from MrDots. Melody was one of the first AVN's I ever played and I loved it. So she will always hold a special place in my heart. But she will return to Seaside, her own world.

Celeste: I added Celeste with permission from Glacerose. She is from his original HS1 game: Sylphia Island. The game was never finished. But it had amazing potential. Unfortunately, he opted to start over in Daz. His original remake of those girls in Daz were excellent. But he kept changing them until they really weren't those same girls anymore. Anyway, she was my favorite character from his game. She will return to Sylphia Island (the original one) after MC reminds her of (the MC she left in SI). Of course, this is Celeste and her tsundere way of dealing with the MC will come into play here.

Triss: I know I know! Triss is super cute and has a lot of fans out there. Especially after her transformation to Neko. Triss isn't leaving the story completely. But she will return to Earth as a dream writer... our 'eyes and ears' on the ground. And we'll be checking in with her from time to time. Of course, there will be 'fun time' with her too.

Marissa: Our sexy battle-droid will also take a back seat, but not completely go away. We'll see MC visit her now and then and there will be more battles with her in the arena with the other girls (as we saw with Rin).

Morgana: Although a guest in Serenity, Morgana actually is a part of my original story. But she will ultimately return to Earth with Triss. I won't give away too much here because her story does continue. Remember that when her and MC touch, both begin to orgasm almost uncontrollably. That arc will continue for now. We'll definitely see some fun time with her before her return to earth.

Judy: Finally Judy. Like Cinn (and Trixy), she was also modeled after a real girl, another faithful follower from my beginnings with Serenity. When I say "modeled after", I mean like taking a photo of that person and trying my best to make a character look like her. Anyway, you may remember Judy as the cop girl who found Lili and took her in back on earth. She is already a character with little content, but she may have a part to play on earth again.

Now let's talk about some of the others... the 'secondary love interests' and family members. Cammie is already sort of taking a back seat for a little while since she is off building her own world. But she will never leave the story. We will definitely see her again. Following her was of course Shade, Samantha, and Cassie. So we probably won't see them for a few episodes also. But all remain in the story. As for Mom, I debated over and over in my head whether she should remain. Honestly, he wasn't supposed to save her at the ascension (when MC ascended to the God of dreams and wishes). But my heart wouldn't let her go. She is like the glue that keeps everyone together. After mulling it over and over, I remembered that Mom is now mortal and can no longer wield the fade. So she will begin to age normally again. It's true, I could write a way for MC to keep her alive. But I never wrote anything else for her honestly beyond the ascension. Everything with her after that was 'added' to give her a part to play.

I think Mom will also return to earth, age gracefully, and be visited regularly by MC and the rest of the dream writer team. Will I kill her off? HELL NO. She does have fade inside her which will cause her to outlive most mortals. Besides, she already died once and I think that was emotional enough for most people because the situation was so relatable for so many, including myself. The whole dream sequence where MC is forced to watch all of that happen again was a hard scene and I really don't want to do that again. It was difficult for me because you have no idea how close that is to reality for me personally. The music and the scene itself still nearly makes me cry when I rewatch it. I've reused some songs throughout Serenity, but I'll never reuse that music again. I mean, I love the music, it was perfect for the scene. But too sad to use it again.
Trixy: Of all the characters in Serenity, besides Lena, Trixy is my favorite girl. I love the way she looks and I love her speed and how edgy she is. She is a permanent character in Serenity. I just love writing her parts. And there will be more of her to come.

Mia: Trixy's sister was created from the template I used to create Trixy. Trixy was created from a photo also (of yet another good friend who has followed me since the beginning). I wanted her to have a little sister... and so we have Mia. Mia will remain because I like her a lot and want to write more with her.

Trina: I debated quite a bit on whether to send Trina back to earth or keep her in Serenity. I decided that she will probably go to earth with Mom as her watcher who can use fade, protect her, and instantly contact us if she is in need or in danger. We will of course continue to see Trina in that new role.

The rest of the cast remain of course, for obvious reasons. I realize that I can't please everyone, and some will even be pissed that some of these characters will be leaving. In the end, I have to do what I feel is necessary to get Serenity back on track. The way episode 2 ended feels a lot like something pretty bad is going to happen. And honestly, I wish I could rewrite that also, but I think I know how I will write myself out of the situation without screwing around with what is already there and causing confusion for you guys. Episode 3 is going to start down a path of change, while also dealing with events from episode 2 the best way I can. So, bear with me!

As for Serenity development, once Last Human episode 3 is released, I plan to take at least one week off from all development to gather myself, go outside, and get some exercise. Spend some time with my family, and let my creative juices reset. After my break, I will do 2 updates to Serenity (episode 3 and then episode 4) before I move on to Last Human episode 4. I think Serenity fans deserve that after this very long wait.

The Last Human update is more than half way rendered now and I have been able to get a lot more time to work on it. I don't know if the release will make the end of the month or not to be honest. I would love to finish it by then though. We'll just have to see how things go from here. If I can maintain this level of working time, then there is a very good chance I could finish it by then. But no promises in this business. Especially with all that I have on my plate already. So, hang in there... it's coming along and shouldn't be much longer!

That's it for now... whew! Thanks for reading all that ;)
Love you all!
...Fire
 

Twistty

The Happy Beaver
Donor
Respected User
Former Staff
Sep 9, 2016
4,225
38,200
Totally agree with the direction you are taking especially for/with "Mom."
The Guests - I sort of thought they were one off "tributes" all along except for Lili and Cinn.

Cinn - I figured was or would became a Secondary Love Interest?
ver12_0667.jpg

Lili - ? Loved those green eyes - but was unsure of what her future role would be?
ep02_1062.jpg
So your explanation for all of them in your post makes sense to me.

Trina - Has that sexy milf factor - but what was her role going to be on Serenity going forward?
Now I know!

Ps. - Glad to see - you see - Morgan as a main LI in your view also. :love:
ver13_0612.jpg
Love that naughty demon!

And if Trixy were to become more of a main LI also - I think it would make sense - from a story perspective.
(And because I really like her - lol)

As always thanks for the update.
 
Last edited:
Apr 29, 2021
152
173
What game it has been so far, really liked the environment setting from the day 1 itself but it developed more than a feel good game. The story is light but surprisingly meaningful when it needs to be, the characters might look like obedient slaves due to them fawning over their master from the onset but even that wasn't true as the story progressed, the depth and traits of each character as they slowly wrote themselves into the story has been heartening to see. Really liked what you did with Karen as well, was having anxious thoughts about her future especially after that nightmare dream experience. Overall a wholesome game, with equally likeable characters along with MC who is a likeable dude himself, glad played the game fully through and did not stop midway as true to Dev's word one can see sure improvements along the way as the player plays the story out. Also, read your post above about the decision you wanna take about the characters which is definitely welcome and will give the main story and cast some breathing space and opportunity to have the limelight. This also shows your commitment about the story as does those weekly devlogs. Hence up till now it has been hugely impressive will be interesting to see how it goes ahead. In other patreon posts the life problems you mentioned, battling them is definitely not easy, but the amount of optimism that oozes from your game also in a way shows your mindset which is exceptionally admirable, and it is well understandable if you wanna take breaks in between which is acceptable along with transparent communication which you have showcased yourself too. Take care there Dev!

Thanks for reading Dev, best wishes for ahead:)
 

indio68

Engaged Member
Sep 26, 2020
3,258
2,622
I am not quitting Serenity. I don't know how to make that any clearer. Working 2 jobs, dealing with life in general, managing depression... and trying to develop a VN is not exactly easy. Sometimes, time just gets away from me and I am not able to get a lot of work done on the games. Yes, I skipped an update to Serenity. But I posted the reasons and what my plans are moving forward (several times). I've tried to be as up-front and transparent as possible. Serenity is my baby, I have no intention of just abandoning it like so many other developers do with their projects. I post weekly devlogs and even personal logs to keep you all updated as best I can, and let you know progress on my current projects.

As for Serenity, I have also been working hard rewriting episode 3. I didn't render it and release that because I wasn't happy with it. It was starting to get away from the original idea of the story. I am actually writing that here and there while working on this LH update. So work is ACTIVELY still being done on Serenity.

So, for you Serenity fans, the writing is NOT on the wall, it's in RENPY where it belongs. I'm not going anywhere. Yes, it may take a while to get the update but all I can do is what I am able to do in the time that I have between all of my other responsibilities. I did lose patrons and that's okay. I would probably do the same. But I would rather lose a lot of patrons than to push out a release I am not happy with.

Love you guys... hang in there. I'm considering 2 updates in a row to Serenity once this LH is done.
than why start a new game??
 

Twistty

The Happy Beaver
Donor
Respected User
Former Staff
Sep 9, 2016
4,225
38,200
and this is not serious work
I am only here because you quoted my post.
Not sure what you meant by "serious work"?
Seems like a hollow statement without any context?

Serenity - is a very unique story, with well defined characters - whom I have grown to enjoy a little bit more with each and every update.
Last Human - (in my opinion) N2TheFire - put the same amount of effort crafting those unique characters, and story.
I enjoy both, and am glad to be able to read both.
 
4.20 star(s) 40 Votes