Ren'Py Abandoned The DeLuca Family [Season 1] [HopesGaming]

[whatone]

It's not about interest, it's about wasting year and a half of development time without releasing anything. In the end, dev only made like 6 mini-games, and then dropped them because it was an obvious dead end.

I'm pretty sure that he utilised the Contracts system for a couple more in game missions than just 6.
There were 6 when I wrote the Walkthrough (in 2021), but I certainly remember it being used when we went on a walk about in Lucania, plus when Gracie sneaked out on the mission.

Anyway, regardless, it was a worthy attempt in my opinion.
Dev tried something new. I think that's something to be commended, not condemned.

To call them "an obvious dead end" is precisely what Cartageno was saying, above, where you called it a "dead game".
Just because you didn't enjoy the Contracts does not make them "an obvious dead end". Not remotely true.
Being overly dramatic about it won't change this fact.
I (for one) was hoping that we would get 5 more repeatable ones, for the next Rank up & think it's a shame if they don't continue.

 

[Lorenz1]

Dev tried something new. I think that's something to be commended, not condemned.

There is a reason why there are such things as priority and focus. Game development is using limited amount of time and money to develop a story, and wasting a year and a half of time and patreon revenue on something of tertiary importance is how games die.

The dev could've produced a whole season worth of story, worldbuilding or sex scenes at that time, which would've brough more players and boosted future steam sales, if he stuck to the announced "a story update, a lewd update" plan. Instead he got a few mini stories that have nothing to do with the main plot or main characters. This is not about me liking or disliking contracts, it's about a trade off between what could have been and what ended up being.

The result? The game is all but pronounced dead, and is definitely in a coma. Because fillers are not replacement for the main content, and no amount of denial will change the patreon numbers or amount of content produced.

 

[Black Orchid]

I'm pretty sure that he utilised the Contracts system for a couple more in game missions than just 6.
There were 6 when I wrote the Walkthrough (in 2021), but I certainly remember it being used when we went on a walk about in Lucania, plus when Gracie sneaked out on the mission.

Anyway, regardless, it was a worthy attempt in my opinion.
Dev tried something new. I think that's something to be commended, not condemned.

To call them "an obvious dead end" is precisely what Cartageno was saying, above, where you called it a "dead game".
Just because you didn't enjoy the Contracts does not make them "an obvious dead end". Not remotely true.
Being overly dramatic about it won't change this fact.
I (for one) was hoping that we would get 5 more repeatable ones, for the next Rank up & think it's a shame if they don't continue.

the contract system that was mainly text based was very out of place in a visual novel. i would even go as far as to argue that it was mostly just filler. this being a "hybrid" sandbox didn't help, the steam release introduced a "VN" mode but that on the other hand that disrupts the flow and makes the pacing suffer. the vn "market" (if you can call it that) had a demand shift and sandboxes fell out of favour a long time ago. this vn is a relic of 2018 and it will most likely remain that, at least that is what i think.

 

[Lorenz1]

the contract system that was mainly text based was very out of place in a visual novel. i would even go as far as to argue that it was mostly just filler. this being a "hybrid" sandbox didn't help, the steam release introduced a "VN" mode but that on the other hand that disrupts the flow and makes the pacing suffer. the vn "market" (if you can call it that) had a demand shift and sandboxes fell out of favour a long time ago. this vn is a relic of 2018 and it will most likely remain that, at least that is what i think.

Honestly, I am glad there are at least some folks who enjoyed contracts, because that's what we got instead of actual plot. It doesn't seem like a good trade off to me tho.

 

[LostGhost]

Honestly, I am glad there are at least some folks who enjoyed contracts, because that's what we got instead of actual plot. It doesn't seem like a good trade off to me tho.

Aren't those contracts reflect MC's growth? They lacked renders but as a person who reads books it was good

 

[whatone]

There is a reason why there are such things as priority and focus. Game development is using limited amount of time and money to develop a story, and wasting a year and a half of time and patreon revenue on something of tertiary importance is how games die.

Did you miss the part informing you that the new contract format was introduced in 2021?
Yet you're complaining about it, now? 4 years later??
Not to mention the fact that, since the new contract system was introduced, there have been at least 2 updates subsequent to that, which each contained plenty of story. This fact alone makes your point pretty moot.
Gracie hadn't even sat down to dinner when the new contracts were introduced, never mind been shot!

The dev could've produced a whole season worth of story, worldbuilding or sex scenes at that time, which would've brough more players and boosted future steam sales, if he stuck to the announced "a story update, a lewd update" plan. Instead he got a few mini stories that have nothing to do with the main plot or main characters. This is not about me liking or disliking contracts, it's about a trade off between what could have been and what ended up being.

Given that it took him circa 4.5 years to complete Season 1, you somehow think he would've completed another Season in 1.5 years, if he'd not redone the Contracts? That's simply delusional.
He wasn't even working full time on the game back in 2021.

It's not a trade off between what we got & what could have been.
What you've described is a trade off between what we got & what you think we should have had.
Entirely different things.

The result? The game is all but pronounced dead, and is definitely in a coma. Because fillers are not replacement for the main content, and no amount of denial will change the patreon numbers or amount of content produced.

The lack of content over the last couple of years has got nothing at all to do with the contract system introduced 4 years ago.
Patreon numbers have obviously dropped, as he hasn't released anything for a good while. No new content since the end of Season 1 except for the Steam repeat of what we'd already seen & played, + subsequently the codex (which I considered poor as an update).
If you're going to complain about the game not having any new content for so long, that's entirely fair.
But to blame that on the introduction of the updated contract system 4 years ago(!!) is frankly laughable.

 

[vks017]

Gotta disagree: a dev working on parts of the game you are not interested does not make it a dead game.

Any game that gets development paused to rework elements for it is a huge red flag for me. Mostly they just stall to near halt and never restart back into normal development speed.
I cant remember any games on this site which got updates in a timely manner post rework.

 

[Xirco]

Personally at this point, I'd just like the knowledge of whether Gracie is actually dead or not, If the game doesn't continue, at least knowing if she's survived would make my day.

 

[ahtabom]

Personally at this point, I'd just like the knowledge of whether Gracie is actually dead or not, If the game doesn't continue, at least knowing if she's survived would make my day.

considering that before the game asked about being ok with threesome and/or lesbian scenes with Grace, I imagine it wouldn't make sense to kill her...

the "death of the princess", I assume it's about the fact that the family stops seeing her as the innocent little princess and accepts her in the mafia, criminal part, planning revenge

 

[whatone]

considering that before the game asked about being ok with threesome and/or lesbian scenes with Grace, I imagine it wouldn't make sense to kill her...

the "death of the princess", I assume it's about the fact that the family stops seeing her as the innocent little princess and accepts her in the mafia, criminal part, planning revenge

Yes, I also think that the title was metaphorical.
I share your opinion on killing a main LI, too. I highly doubt that we spent all that time helping her, just for her to die.

 

[Maccabbee]

There is no way that she's dead. It literally makes zero sense. My big theories diverge on whether this will be what keeps her from going evil, or divides the family when this is also determined to be an inside job.

 

[whatone]

Except for 2024. Only one update for one of his games last January.

Mate, that bell-end has been banging exactly the same drum for somewhere close to 4 years.
3 years ago he said he had deleted the game, yet he's still here spouting the same shit.
He's not worth responding to.

 

[tslojr]

Mate, that bell-end has been banging exactly the same drum for somewhere close to 4 years.
3 years ago he said he had deleted the game, yet he's still here spouting the same shit.
He's not worth responding to.

Thanks for the heads up. On the list he goes.

 

[Maccabbee]

I'm pretty sure Wilfred initiated it as a catalyst to change her situation in the family, whether getting Cordelia to accept Gracie's role more in the family, or bring MC more into a loyal role in the family. Purely theory, though, no real evidence. It does seem something Wilfred is entirely capable of doing.

 

[Xirco]

Id presume it's to bring out the MCs potential, besides points he was quite lax regarding being a Soldato even if forced, he avoided killing and went out of his way to help possible enemies, now he's just seen his friend/close partner get shot and is possibly dead due to an assassination, that will harden the MC and make him want revenge which could turn him into an hardened Soldier. I think his days of not wanting to kill people would be over at any rate.

 

[Maccabbee]

Id presume it's to bring out the MCs potential, besides points he was quite lax regarding being a Soldato even if forced, he avoided killing and went out of his way to help possible enemies, now he's just seen his friend/close partner get shot and is possibly dead due to an assassination, that will harden the MC and make him want revenge which could turn him into an hardened Soldier. I think his days of not wanting to kill people would be over at any rate.

I like that take. Could very well be, if Wilfred was the instigator. Might well be that the shooter was Snake, sure not to cause a fatal injury if that is the case.

 

[Black Orchid]

Id presume it's to bring out the MCs potential, besides points he was quite lax regarding being a Soldato even if forced, he avoided killing and went out of his way to help possible enemies, now he's just seen his friend/close partner get shot and is possibly dead due to an assassination, that will harden the MC and make him want revenge which could turn him into an hardened Soldier. I think his days of not wanting to kill people would be over at any rate.

that wouldn't make sense cause the mcs whole schtick was not being particularly good at anything related to that. his whole deal is being the "mastermind" and the other guys would question why he can thrive in the mafia/crime setting even though he shouldn't. if he decided to resolve the cliifhanger in a way where it was a scripted fake shooting to "test" the mc, that would be terrible for the progression of the story.

 

[Maccabbee]

You misunderstand the MC and his capabilities. He only pretends to be not particularly good. He is an excellent shot (shooting the valves in the duel), a great fighter, and more. He just never shows it overtly. His quirk of making the world underestimate him, which is not so great for mob life, is always on. It's one of the things Wilfred is trying to break him out of. The shooting, if it's an internal action to cause change in the organization, and not designed to kill Gracie, can very well be to make the MC both less passive in the organization, bond more with the family, and drop the charade of incompetence.

 

[Cartageno]

Any game that gets development paused to rework elements for it is a huge red flag for me. Mostly they just stall to near halt and never restart back into normal development speed.
I cant remember any games on this site which got updates in a timely manner post rework.

Fair enough, we all have our clues on when to stop expecting something or hoping for something else, and while not perfect, they may often be an indicator. And even though it was clear here that the contracts (old version) were only a stand in for something that was already planned, I can see your point.

However, expecting something to be going downhill soon is not the same as said something being downhill already, as was stated in the post I replied to.

 

[Dessolos]

Personally at this point, I'd just like the knowledge of whether Gracie is actually dead or not, If the game doesn't continue, at least knowing if she's survived would make my day.

Literally the only reason I can't replay this game right now while I doubt she is dead I need to see the next few scenes to be Satisfied.