Why does development take so long?

[VulvaInteractive]

Hello,

New peruser of the games here, etc.

I noticed that some of the active succesfull indie games here, in terms of amount of Patreon (or other sites) supporters, still take a long time between version releases. For exampe, Nemurimouto or Headmaster. (Cheers to the devs btw, not a criticism, just trying to understand). Any input on why that is? Is game dev just simply that complex / time consuming? Or is it because even if they are succesfull, it isn't enough to quit their day jobs?

I ask because because I am considering trying to start my own project, and just want to be realistic with myself about how much work / time it is.

Cheers,

SK

I'm currently developing No Mercy Vixen a hitman style lewd game with a ton of sexual content / activities. I have multiple years of experience building games and releasing on Steam and Switch (non nude games and under a different name). I have no clue why development of some games is so slow. At least, there is no development reason for it. One person working full time on a game, even with help from freelancers or employees should be able to release updates and fixes on a weekly basis. I'm just working by myself and have a job next to it and I'm even finding time to improve stuff weekly. I'm suspecting some people develop slow on purpose as this allows you to get paid for less content.

No Mercy Vixen is the first game I'm building through Patreon support and the issue I'm facing is the opposite. In order to develop my game I need enough Patreon supporters so that I can pay my fixed costs. Currently I'm building NMV on the side, next to my day-time job.

If I have enough supporters (to be good for 6k per month or so). I can dedicate all my time to developing games. I have a ton of ideas not just for NMV but other games as well. And I want to keep developing more and more lewd games. I wrote something about my values on

You must be registered to see the links

. My Patron's money go to developing a finished product, always.

 

[AlternateDreams]

Is game dev just simply that complex / time consuming?

Not necessarily complex but clearly time consuming.
You're happy when you've just finished that part you wanted to add to your project... but you've still got 200 more to go before you can release your next version.

 

[Midzay]

I, on the other hand, care about the graphic part of a visual novel.

 

[Crimson Delight Games]

If I have enough supporters (to be good for 6k per month or so).

This is a pretty tall and lofty goal. I'm not saying that to discourage you, but very few adult gamedevs manage to hit those kinds of Patreon numbers... especially first-timers without a proven track record. I do hope you succeed tho, I'd love to play a lewd Hitman game.

 

[<Code/>]

If you've ever wondered why so many VN projects seem to take forever or why some get abandoned halfway, here’s a breakdown of the most common issues, and a few ways to avoid them:

1. Lack of a Solid Plan

One of the biggest mistakes that new developers make is jumping into development without a clear, well-thought-out plan. Often, they have a rough idea of the story but not a fully fleshed-out narrative. This approach leads to what’s known as feature creep or content creep—the gradual addition of new features, characters, or scenes as development progresses. This is especially common if developers take suggestions from supporters or Patreon backers, which, while engaging, can lead to the project ballooning out of control.

The Consequences:

• Feature creep can cause your game's scope to expand far beyond what you originally intended, making it hard to reach a conclusion.
• The constant addition of new elements can also demotivate developers because it feels like the finish line keeps moving.
• Without a clear roadmap, burnout is almost inevitable because it’s hard to gauge progress. Instead of a sense of accomplishment, you may feel like you're endlessly chasing new ideas.

How to Avoid This Pitfall:

• Write your story to completion before starting development. Plan out all your scenes, events, and story arcs ahead of time. This doesn't mean you can't make adjustments, but you should have a clear idea of where you're going.
• Treat additional content (like scenes suggested by players or backers) as updates for after your core game is finished. This way, they don’t derail your primary goals.
• Use a project management tool (like Trello, Notion, or Jira) to outline your tasks, scenes, and assets. Breaking down the project into manageable chunks will help you maintain focus and motivation.

2. Rendering Times

A large portion of Ren'Py and similar VN games rely heavily on visual assets, particularly high-quality renders. Once your story is written and core game mechanics are in place, you might think you’re almost done—but the reality is, around 90% of your remaining development time can be consumed by rendering scenes.

Why Rendering Takes So Long:

• If you’re using software like Daz Studio, which is popular among VN developers, rendering can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 10 hours per image, depending on the complexity of the scene and the power of your hardware.
• Making a single render involves several steps:
  • Finding assets (characters, backgrounds, props)
  • Setting up the scene (positioning characters, adjusting poses, lighting, and camera angles)
  • Rendering the image (which may require trial and error to get right)
• Don’t forget the learning curve—if you’re new to rendering software, you'll spend significant time just getting up to speed.

The Consequences:

• Long render times drastically slow down development, especially if you’re aiming for a visually rich experience.
• The need to find, purchase, or create assets can also increase costs and delays.
• The learning curve can lead to frustration, especially if scenes don’t turn out as you envisioned.

How to Minimize Rendering Time:

• Plan your scenes in advance to reduce the time spent experimenting with poses, lighting, and camera settings. A clear storyboard can help you know exactly what you need before you start rendering.
• Optimize your rendering process by:
  • Using a powerful GPU if possible (NVIDIA cards with CUDA cores are particularly good for Daz Studio’s Iray renderer).
  • Leveraging batch rendering tools to render multiple scenes overnight.
  
  These two reasons are the most common reasons IMO. There are a few more that are less talked about, such as Free Roam vs Story games. Updates for Free Roam games tend to feel smaller, because the updates as spread across many different paths. While Story game updates feel larger, since their updates go day by day, or chapter by chapter.
  
  Hopefully these point are helpful to you. Good luck with your game!

 

[Doorknob22]

Too Many Fucking Rendered Scenes!!!

There is a fucking reason using Character Sprites and generic Background CG is a standard in Japanese Visual Novels that actually get released in a reasonable timeframe.

And in my opinion, they are inferior in visual presentation to rendered scenes. This whole "character standing in front of the camera, looking at the camera and saying their lines" is a terrible, terrible presentation. It's a technical solution designed to help developers provide less content and has zero storytelling advantages over rendering/drawing scenes. The "rendering scenes" technique draws its origin from comics and graphic novels and can help tell a better story with nuances such as hand gestures, camera focusing on things which are not necessarily the characters faces, body contact (or lack of), light and shadow and more. I'm not saying that all rendered scenes developers are using this medium effectively, but on generally speaking, it's a superior storytelling method to staring-at-the-camera.

 

[DuniX]

It's a technical solution designed to help developers provide less content and has zero storytelling advantages over rendering/drawing scenes. The "rendering scenes" technique draws its origin from comics and graphic novels and can help tell a better story with nuances such as hand gestures, camera focusing on things which are not necessarily the characters faces, body contact (or lack of), light and shadow and more.

They know Jack Shit about Writing, why do you think they would know shit about movie directing?
It has a Cost in both Competence and Time.
Yes they can "technically" do more, but that also means they can screw up more, which they do, constantly.

 

[<Code/>]

They know Jack Shit about Writing, why do you think they would know shit about movie directing?
It has a Cost in both Competence and Time.
Yes they can "technically" do more, but that also means they can screw up more, which they do, constantly.

That's why planning and storyboarding is key. To minimize time wasting.

 

[DuniX]

That's why planning and storyboarding is key. To minimize time wasting.

Sure if they are competent and can make that work, but most developers just do whatever and they don't even have a Script, in other words they have No Plan.

This whole "character standing in front of the camera, looking at the camera and saying their lines" is a terrible, terrible presentation.

Why can Japanese Visual Novels can sell games with their "terrible terrible presentation"? Because they are selling based on their Writing, they make appealing stories with appealing characters.
So what you are saying is Adult Game Developers can't do that and hide their Terrible Writing behind their Terrible Renders?
The reason I suggest cutting 50% to 80% of the renders is for them to Focus on their Fucking Writing and make some Judgements on what Rendered Scenes they really Need.
In other words insert some modicum of Planning into things.
Yes Daz and the like is an advantage in terms of Rendering and this Cottage Industry wouldn't even exist without it.
But just because you Can doesn't mean you Should, you aren't a damned "Cinematic Director" if you Can't make Judgements on what you Cut.

 

[Doorknob22]

Sure if they are competent and can make that work, but most developers just do whatever and they don't even have a Script, in other words they have No Plan.


Why can Japanese Visual Novels can sell games with their "terrible terrible presentation"? Because they are selling based on their Writing, they make appealing stories with appealing characters.
So what you are saying is Adult Game Developers can't do that and hide their Terrible Writing behind their Terrible Renders?
The reason I suggest cutting 50% to 80% of the renders is for them to Focus on their Fucking Writing and make some Judgements on what Rendered Scenes they really Need.
In other words insert some modicum of Planning into things.
Yes Daz and the like is an advantage in terms of Rendering and this Cottage Industry wouldn't even exist without it.
But just because you Can doesn't mean you Should, you aren't a damned "Cinematic Director" if you Can't make Judgements on what you Cut.

You're suggesting that great writing is somehow superior and/or easier to achieve than great visual storytelling, but obviously many developers feel differently.

 

[<Code/>]

You're suggesting that great writing is somehow superior and/or easier to achieve than great visual storytelling, but obviously many developers feel differently.

Adult VN's are definitely more reliant on good renders, instead of good writing. At least for the games targeting men.

 

[DuniX]

You're suggesting that great writing is somehow superior and/or easier to achieve than great visual storytelling, but obviously many developers feel differently.

No, it means anne O'nymous is going to die of old age before any of those projects will ever be finished.
If the game was just a humble porn scene dispenser that satisfy their customers with each Update I wouldn't have a problem with them.
But most developers think their project's selling point is their "Story" and "Cinematics".
Okay motherfucker if that is the case be ready to be Judged and I will accept no excuses.

At the end of the day are you Satisfying your Customers? Or are you blueballing them until they die of Old Age?
What I despise is the forever "In Development", forever "Milking" projects.
If you are Competent and Professional that can actually Finish your projects in a reasonable timeframe more power to you.
I don't really care how and what you are doing to achive it, what I care is the Result.