Hi all! VictorSeven from Team Emberwings.
First off, I wanna say I was severely unprepared for the amount of attention this game is getting. As a fantasy author, I'm constantly looking for new ways to flex and train my writing muscle. I've been writing fantasy for going on 20 years now, and there's always new things to learn.
Question: Has this dev ever heard of compression?
What I am NOT experienced with, however, is Ren'Py and game making. I'm brand new to both of these concepts. I'm using Ai Shoujo, the BetterRepack version. I had no idea that compression was a thing, so I was using the raw .pngs that were generated by StudioNEO's Screenshot Manager, which were 2 to 4mb apiece. I only learned yesterday that the .webp format exists, and that batch conversion was a thing. So I spent all night batch converting nearly every image in the game to .webp and then batch renaming them to .png so I didn't have to alter the code. That shaved about 3 gigs off of the total size of the game. I'm currently doing a full playthrough to make sure all images show up properly, then I'll have it uploaded to Drive and Mega hopefully tonight.
So to answer that particular question... no. I'm a noob and I had no idea compression was a thing.
Another question: How much actual porn content is there?
Right now? Not a lot. This whole thing was just kind of a Proof of Concept thing, me dabbling in game making, and I feel there's a certain pace to earning the sexual content in the game. But judging from the wonderful reviews and feedback I'm getting, it seems people want me to take this seriously. As it stands, this little demo has 4 lewd scenes in it, and none of them are full intercourse. But if y'all want me to take this seriously... (cracks knuckles) so be it. I plan to follow what the community asks for, and according to the Google Form at the end of the game, Lewd Scenes is the top request.
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This game is going to be HEAVILY focused on community feedback and requests/direction from Patrons, and it's going to evolve in such a way that I hope people feel like their words were heard and they made a difference.
Next question: Harem?
Absolutely. Mostly because I'm new to Ren'Py and I have no idea how to do branching narrative. But fuggit, I as a player like Harem games more, so that's what we're doing.
Next question: I love yandere characters and I'm hoping for a route or option with Cecilia.
Every single girl you see in this game, with the exception of the two filler girls in the beginning and perhaps Maika, the host of the Popularity Weekly show, will be romanceable. And by that I mean bangable. They will all have their own quests and story quirks/twists that set them apart from the other girls.
Next post: You might not want to use (actual) mugshots of real people in the scene where he is looking at some police files. It could cause you legal problems down the road. Also, i noticed you use Fallout 4 assets in the last screen there, pretty obvious too 
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Actually, I'm just using whatever props I can find within Ai Shoujo's BetterRepack StudioNEO components. I honestly had no clue there were any Fallout 4 assets in the game 'cause I haven't played Fallout 4. If you can help me identify those, I'll work on getting those outta there. Wouldn't want Bethesda to land a buggy lawsuit on me.
Same post, further down: beware of having things spread so thin that characters turn out shallow and you run into problems fleshing out said content evenly
Thankfully, I have a lot of experience in managing TONS of characters. My fantasy series, The Riftkey Chronicles, has over 40 characters, each with their own unique quirks, motivations, habits, and personalities. By comparison, I think I currently have... 27 planned girls for World's Crossing Academy, most of whom you have not even met yet. Spreading thin is definitely a concern, but I am a character builder at heart, and I strive to make each character a work of art on their own. Lovingly crafted and real to touch. If you ever feel like a character is too shallow, by all means let me know, and I will revisit them and flesh them out more.
Here's a good one:
I started the game, please dont tell me we will have too many of stupid scenes like the one where he is training his stances on his home for an eternity talking to himself...
God so much waste of time...
I laughed a bit at this one. In hindsight, this was probably a really dumb scene to include. I was, in reality, practicing custom posing, and as a martial artist myself, I felt that having Aurum go through a form (poomse for any Koreans out there) was a good way to do that. That, and I had exposition I wanted to deliver in the form of Aurum thinking about whether or not to pursue Gillie, and then having the flashback, and the form seemed to be a good way to deliver both. I hope this doesn't make the game fall flat on its face for a lot of people who don't understand how core to someone's identity martial arts can become. I appreciate the honest feedback.
Also, as you can tell, I have no idea how to use forums, so that's one more thing I'll be learning. I appreciate your patience while I figure stuff out and learn more about what's expected in games like this. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!
