VN Ren'Py Summer's Gone [S1 Steam + DLC] [Oceanlab]

[Dr. Average]

I have every faith in Ocean. The quality of the presentation that he delivers as a singular person is uncanny as Lady Fortuna mentioned. That level could only be described by a person who is driven by such a high level of admiration, passion and talent. I see many people talk about how he's going to end up dropping these projects, but me personally playing his VNs...it's filled with love. He's only getting stronger in my eyes.

 

[LostGhost]

Y'all keep forgetting he's working on 2 games + with quality he's making it sure drags the update time and it's not like people are going to stop playing because the update is taking time

The very high quality of the work that Ocean delivers here is of course one reason why the updates are a long time coming.
As I understand it, Ocean is also always working on his other game.

I think that is the main reason for the long wait.
In my opinion it would have been smarter to finish one game after the other, but that's up to him.

I think it's all the little stories like the gym class or the planned fantasy game that make the story as a whole so interesting.
I would not like to do without all these side stories, for me they simply belong to it, with them the story and the individual characters live and grow.

I can only hope that Ocean never loses his motivation and continues to work on his game, even if I fear that it will take years to complete.

You know it will take same amount of delay for one game

 

[Zane Truesdale]

The very high quality of the work that Ocean delivers here is of course one reason why the updates are a long time coming.
As I understand it, Ocean is also always working on his other game.

I think that is the main reason for the long wait.
In my opinion it would have been smarter to finish one game after the other, but that's up to him.

I think it's all the little stories like the gym class or the planned fantasy game that make the story as a whole so interesting.
I would not like to do without all these side stories, for me they simply belong to it, with them the story and the individual characters live and grow.

I can only hope that Ocean never loses his motivation and continues to work on his game, even if I fear that it will take years to complete.

I couldn't say better.

 

[jranderson3224]

See for me the problem here is that yes Ocean brings the best quality to the table I can't stress that enough but between the last update and this upcoming one I don't think much will happen. the last update was like 70% basketball and I'm assuming ch 4 will be more focused on the fantasy game. All of that is nice dont get me wrong but it doesn't work when the game only have 1 or 2 updates a year, at this point we want to see the story unfold but having to wait a year just to see the MC play basketball or a fantasy game.. It sucks honestly and that drags the main story development. I love everything Ocean is doing with the game and all the side stuff like Bball and the fantasy stuff would be really enjoyable if the updates were more frequent so we could get the story going as well but seeing as that is not the case I'd rather do without it and have the game focus solely on character and story development.

I really agree with this comment, I know the new update is going to have a decent amount of normal timeline stuff. But I've found in most games D&D sessions in games never really advance the main story at all and are often just convenient ways for the Devs to show off the characters in sexy outfits since it's not "real" to the MC. And while I do appreciate the excuse for lewds etc, it really does drag the overall story down when the pace of the dev is 2 updates a year. Most people did not like the d&d session in BaDIK and I fear it will be the same for Summer's Gone. It's just jarring and nearly always seems like 2 completely different games when playing through it.

I dunno. Do I hate it? No I just wish the D&D session had been saved for when we are further into the main story. We're still in the introductory phase of everything and it seems premature. I hope I'm wrong on this.

 

[Fortuna ღ]

I really agree with this comment, I know the new update is going to have a decent amount of normal timeline stuff. But I've found in most games D&D sessions in games never really advance the main story at all and are often just convenient ways for the Devs to show off the characters in sexy outfits since it's not "real" to the MC. And while I do appreciate the excuse for lewds etc, it really does drag the overall story down when the pace of the dev is 2 updates a year. Most people did not like the d&d session in BaDIK and I fear it will be the same for Summer's Gone. It's just jarring and nearly always seems like 2 completely different games when playing through it.

I dunno. Do I hate it? No I just wish the D&D session had been saved for when we are further into the main story. We're still in the introductory phase of everything and it seems premature. I hope I'm wrong on this.

The only thing I will say to this is that not only are Being a DIK and Summer's Gone two vastly different games but they're made by two vastly different developers. Don't assume that because the tabletop session went one way in a completely different game, it'd automatically go that exact same way in another. Oceans is also a better writer and storyteller. I don't doubt that this tabletop session would be of some significance to the characters of the story. Character growth to be precise. Do not forget about our new friend Sonya. This tabletop session is actually an opportunity for a lot if executed correctly(and I have no doubt that Oceans can do just that).

Now there is a lot more I'd like to say, but unfortunately, I have to get going. I'll further expand on this when I return from work.

 

[Uriel ☁]

The only thing I will say to this is that not only are Being a DIK and Summer's Gone two vastly different games but they're made by two vastly different developers.

I think the main point people are missing is that Being a DIK has 1573% more support (just did some quick math) just from Patreon, didn't count Steam so it's even more.

The fact that when in need of a comparison for this game people instantly jump to one of the most supported one is a testament to its quality. It's like comparing a startup to Microsoft support-wise.

I'm not saying if the game got thrice the support it would be delivered three times faster, it doesn't work like that, but just in the latest dev log few pages back (if the mods didn't remove it for being off-topic lol) Ocean said he found the right animation tool but he cannot afford it. None of the games people just compared it to would have that problem, because they simply have that much more support.

Yet apparently people have the same expectations from the 5th AVN dev and the 200th (source: graphtreon). It's madness.

 

[Ragnar]

I think the main point people are missing is that Being a DIK has 1573% more support (just did some quick math) just from Patreon, didn't count Steam so it's even more.

The fact that when in need of a comparison for this game people instantly jump to one of the most supported one is a testament to its quality. It's like comparing a startup to Microsoft support-wise.

I'm not saying if the game got thrice the support it would be delivered three times faster, it doesn't work like that, but just in the latest dev log few pages back (if the mods didn't remove it for being off-topic lol) Ocean said he found the right animation tool but he cannot afford it. None of the games people just compared it to would have that problem, because they simply have that much more support.

Yet apparently people have the same expectations from the 5th AVN dev and the 200th (source: graphtreon). It's madness.

Maybe if he had finished WIAB before SG more people would trust his ability to finish a project and would support him.
Maybe if Summer's Gone were updated more regularly it would have more support.
Maybe if Ocean wasn't remaking his first game before completion he would have more support.
Maybe if he worked on a single project one single Patreon account he would have more support.
Maybe if the focus were put on new updates an not on miscellanea updates would be faster.
Maybe if both projects were not absurdly ambitious, 30 Chapters is just crazy at this pace, updates would be faster.
If DPC has more support is because he has show what he's capable of. First he finished his first project and then he started a more ambitious one.

 

[KhamulTG81]

Most people did not like the d&d session in BaDIK and I fear it will be the same for Summer's Gone. It's just jarring and nearly always seems like 2 completely different games when playing through it.

For me, personally, the story within BaDIK feels uninspired compared to the faszination I feel while staying in the world of Summers Gone. This may or may not be the fault of the boring fraternity setting overall in BaDIK, but for my part I'm realy excited for the d&d session in this game. You assume the worst, which is always a receipe for frustration. This is unimaginable for me with this game... it's not even beeing optimistic... I have complete confidence in Ocean's ability to craft a compelling substory. Im sure the d&d session is created to drive the plot foreward instead of stalling it.

 

[Fred689]

I learned about VN's 3 months ago after playing AL...
At this moment I think I have about +20 VN on my HD waiting on their next episodes , the long periods of waiting takes out some of the immersion for me. I mean I still remember fragments of the games (after waiting multiple months) but once the actual episodes drops then I really have to delve in my memory to know what happened before

I can understand that developers need lots of time for writing, rendering and all those other things but if we are talking about 6-12 months between the episodes then hell that's long. So I can understand people start thinking that they are milking their patreons.

Me I'm only supporting 2 games from which I can actually follow the progress of the updates so I'm kinda reassured that the specific developer keeps working on their novels and bring those out in respectable delays.

This specific game has me hooked up but I'm in doubt it will ever finish, like so many others think why doing 2 games if 1 game takes already that much time to create? I think if he could focus on one instead of 2 games progress would go smoother and I think more patreons would come in.
My view on this is; if I see actual progress in any games (I'm interested in), in form of new episodes coming out every 3-5 months, then I would surely consider in becoming faster a patreon.

Don't get me wrong this isn't whining or complaining about the developer's speed, it's just my 2 cents.
I for sure wouldn't be able to do this, I really have to utmost respect for those creators.
I love this game and I will monitor it closely but at some point, if we're speaking of 8 months delay per episode, I can loose intrest which is a shame.

 

[Fred689]

Maybe if he had finished WIAB before SG more people would trust his ability to finish a project and would support him.
Maybe if Summer's Gone were updated more regularly it would have more support.
Maybe if Ocean wasn't remaking his first game before completion he would have more support.
Maybe if he worked on a single project one single Patreon account he would have more support.
Maybe if the focus were put on new updates an not on miscellanea updates would be faster.
Maybe if both projects were not absurdly ambitious, 30 Chapters is just crazy at this pace, updates would be faster.
If DPC has more support is because he has show what he's capable of. First he finished his first project and then he started a more ambitious one.

Damn, I should have read your post first instead of making mine.. You took the words right out of my mouth
That all sums it up what I was trying to say

 

[ehct2332]

For me, personally, the story within BaDIK feels uninspired compared to the faszination I feel while staying in the world of Summers Gone.

The only thing that I wish had been written differently in Summer's Gone is the constant irritation that seems to follow the MC everywhere, which is evident in a lot of his thoughts and dialogue with others. He comes across as so easily triggered by so many scenarios, to the extent that Mila even refers to him as "our school shooter" jokingly early in the game. Keep in mind that Mila doesn't even know him properly yet. I think that his lingering annoyance and sensitivity could have been written in a more nuanced way, for sure. Example: He soldiers on in classes every week, and engages in group banter even, but those closest to him can see that there are dead giveaways that there's a lot of latent pain behind the MC's empty stares or rehearsed smiles. Instead, what we get is a guy whose body language screams depression to most of his peers, regardless of how little they know him. Adding more subtleties would have made the MC's character perfect, but this is just an opinion.

Having said that, it's pretty much my only issue with the game. I love Summer's Gone. I love Where It All Began, too. Life's hard enough. When you throw any traumatic event(s) into the mix, it can obviously be overwhelming. I guess I'm sold on the idea of a love interest having your back, so to speak; there's probably nothing more attractive for me in life than that, and the developer does this brilliantly in both games.

 

[murphy88]

I don't know how good is WIAB (maybe I'll get a bad rap for saying what I'm going to say), because I haven't played it, but in my opinion Ocean should focus on SG and cancel WIAB, it would release chapters faster, it would have more support, and it would do better economically, WIAB in the end is a drag.

 

[naniwtf]

not so easy when there's 356 patreons backing him for wiab. also wiab is far from a drag and katie is imo on par with bella as best girl

 

[Monetka_]

Sasha's Fan art by NEWT

 

[dumb69dumb]

Sasha's Fan art by NEWT

View attachment 1744447

Her eyes is exaclty like her

You must be registered to see the links

 

[Lorenz1]

It is hard to say anything about WIAB as the only thing we have so far is a demo, that keeps 350 patrons on board.

Summers Gone? It is a strange case. I feel like this game should have been about Bella from start to finish, as it is the only developed storyline. Finish one girl first, move to other path's later. I don't get any feel of the global plot from SG. It is a kind of cute high school therapeutic story? I guess?

I think the main point people are missing is that Being a DIK has 1573% more support

Yeh, but why does it have so much support? Cause it is consistent, developer's ambitions do not seem overreaching (cause he is delivering upon them every single time), and delivers exactly what it promises with a clear roadmap.

Regarding the DnD - with the rate of updates, that Ocean makes, every single update must be (and feel) crucial and plot-moving if a patron gets one update a year(or half a year), and it is a pure filler with no meaningful progression, he will cease being a patron fairly quickly. Unnecessary, but pretty, things are a luxury a dev with such update schedule can not afford.

Deliver the core of the project, worry about prettying it later.

Oceans is also a better writer and storyteller.

He isn't, though? They are simply writing in different genres. Ocean is writing heavy drama, Doctor a light romcom.

Summer's Gone right now is larger than a fair amount of games on this site, despite still being in its introductory stage

You said it yourself. A game this large and with such update schedule should not be in its introductory stage

Please keep in mind that he does most of this work himself the next time you're frustrated about development times

People are not frustrated with the development time, they are frustrated with the plot progression : dev time ration. If updates take so long, they must pay off - move plot forward, give player emotions or at least feeling of progression. In other words, feel complete, worthwhile and deliver value.

Spoiler, basketball game with no stakes is neither of those things.

Tldr; size of update is not about renders, animations or amount of text - it is about delivering emotional value and feeling of story progression and character development. Without them it is the best written and most beautifully animated filler episode that no one will even watch, cause who is watching fillers?

 

[Deleted member 327695]

I don't know how good is WIAB (maybe I'll get a bad rap for saying what I'm going to say), because I haven't played it, but in my opinion Ocean should focus on SG and cancel WIAB, it would release chapters faster, it would have more support, and it would do better economically, WIAB in the end is a drag.

Imagine having two children... One, always exceeding expectations, high grades, and the promise to visit an Elite-University one day.

The second child is much slower, there are many children that outclass it and it needs some sort of special care.
It's being treated like an outcast by some people, etc.

And now people come to you and say "Get rid of Child 2 to fully focus on Child 1. It has more promise anyways."


These games aren't just ways to make a living and some pretty art here and there... I care about them and it doesn't matter if WiAB's a financially dead end.

Its development speed and quality of assets might be affected by it. But I'll never abandon said "Child."

And if people don't want to support or play the games because of it that's totally fine.

Spoiler, basketball game with no stakes is neither of those things.

What makes you think the Basketball game in Chapter 3x5 was filler?

Let's recall some events that occurred there and might play a role again:

- The coaches, the first team, and others(?) saw MC play.
- The choice to meet up with Nia.
- The confrontation with Zara and Nadia.
- Some foreshadowing for at least three characters.
- Bilbo's side story introduction.

And there's much much more if we take the Warm-up before the game into account. (First real interaction with Sasha, Layla mentioning the yoga class, etc.)

And many people might see the TBT session as a filler.
All I'm saying is... Keep an eye open for the underlying issues and how they might affect a certain character. (Try to view a scene from the eyes of another character. Which can be tricky because the player is missing crucial info.)

My game is focused on long-term rewards. Not instant. (The difference between what you want now and what you really want.)


And a story about healing can't solely rely on "Relationships and girls".
It's about slowly building a secure fundament that even if MC and Girl X would break up, he wouldn't just fall back into the hole.
He's building a new life.


Please just keep in mind... There are tons of things already being foreshadowed that might sound like 'unnecessary' info but as soon as everything falls into place... You'll change your mind about some scenes being filler.

You said it yourself. A game this large and with such update schedule should not be in its introductory stage

Who says that?
You have games where the introduction is 2min long and 10 minutes later you're balls deep in the "Landlady".

And there are games like mine, where the introduction takes a while because you've got to introduce stuff and add depth.
SG has left the introduction with Chapter 3.

Every dev should have the freedom to decide that for himself.
If the Intro is 15min, fine cool.
If it's 5 Chapters... Also cool, as long as the dev is aware of its cons.

And I'm aware that many people will stop following the game due to its length/size and current update cycle.

That's okay, I wish those guys/girls the best and maybe they'll find back when the game's in a much more advanced state.

Tldr; size of update is not about renders, animations or amount of text - it is about delivering emotional value and feeling of story progression and character development. Without them it is the best written and most beautifully animated filler episode that no one will even watch, cause who is watching fillers?

I totally agree with this, though.

Quality > Quantity

But building character relationships, etc. is a way of driving the plot forward.

Just give it some time and you'll see how all those strings start connecting.

 

[Lorenz1]

Just give it some time and you'll see how all those strings start connecting.

And now I feel like a duft cunt.

Do your thing, Ocean. You clearly love it. We will keep bitching about in the meantime.

 

[keklolxk]

That's okay, I wish those guys/girls the best and maybe they'll find back when the game's in a much more advanced state.

They'll be dead

 

[Mortarion]

They'll be dead

Also a method to solve the problem