Corporate Development Memo (2/6/2022) Big Picture Discussion

Hello all!

I decided this week to try and go over the big picture issues, and talk about where I feel everything is, and my goals for a 0.6 release.  I have been reluctant to try and nail this down for a lot of reasons -- mostly since I lost my artist and have been trying so hard to find a good 1-2 to help out.  I'm having trouble finding someone that can really capture the vibe I care about so much (mostly this relates to body language, expressions, and how shots are angled for psychological impact/tone), but I think I've figured out a few solutions to that issue.  I've got two testing scenes right now, and hopeful.

So right now, the number of renders done are about 860.

In terms of the script, I count right now 1760 renders as written right now in the story.  I still have a large scene to write, so I believe the rough size of this update will be most similar to 0.5.  0.4 was about I think 1400-1500 renders, 0.6 was 2150 renders.

I am heavily debating internally for 0.7 the idea of possibly splitting a release into a smaller chunk and putting out something faster, but I'm going to worry about that once I start working on it.  I'll probably ask Patrons here for advice too when the time comes.  

I honestly internally had a goal at first of March 1 as my release goal back around Christmas, but I feel like it's more realistic to state about March 24 as a goal for me.  I started October 24, and that would be 5 months.  So right now, that is my current goal to try and release 0.6.   I will start to hunker down very hard after Valentine's Day, and please forgive me if I am not as responsive and on top of everything with messages at times once I get into this mode.  I have a nice weekend planned for that 12-14th this month as my only real relaxing break in a while from all my responsibilities but consider that a drop dead date in that I will start to hunker down in a hardcore mode and cut down on other side activities almost entirely.  I did kind of have a mini-vacation in a way with flying to Tokyo recently, but given the circumstances, I was definitely not relaxed!

If for whatever reason I can't make that date (I am about 80-90% sure I can) I will not charge again on the site (so no April billing) until I am releasing the game.  I've always maintained an internal clock to me as to what I consider reasonable progress - even with my part-time status on the game - and I don't believe in charging forever for nothing based on my own experiences getting burned by a few games that I supported with no progress for a LONG time.  (one I really got intrigued by called Female Agent literally went a VERY LONG with kind of nothing but they were still cranking out big monthly income anyway so I guess it didn't matter to that person?  Not trying to trash anyone, I feel that dev is actually trying sometimes, but just an example)  I can only do my best when I have the time to work on the game, and that's what I have and always will do.  I know I'm not a full-time dev, and I admit I feel some stress about this issue in that I worry I'm not fast enough, but I can only do what I can do.  I try not to let it get to me to much because I worry too much stress will make me just stop.  

I also believe the no billing helps ME too, as it forces the issue to hunker down that much more because I feel it even more when I am 1) losing money from normal business opportunity cost from working (this is still always true for me) and 2) not even getting partial loss income from the game by working too!

I've been experimenting with a few tiny animations, but I don't think I will be putting them in 0.6 quite yet.  I've always been kind of in the mindset of rather not having them if they aren't good versus having bad ones.  

Example 1: Tried moving camera and animating bodies/breasts, but not expressions yet.

https://filebin.net/9xu0qu9jopep42j8

Example 2: super simple testing on frame animation (how long it took me to render and how it looks, but mostly testing head movement and Alessandra facial expression) 

https://filebin.net/vjuck7buv0m1w583

Both of these links are only up for 6 days I think (site said that and I can't seem to link videos directly in a message on Patreon)

The sub path is a little farther ahead than the dom path right now, and the ratio seems to be roughly the same.  (I always feel like the sub path is slightly bigger/longer than the dom side, like a 60/40 ratio or so, but now we also have some scenes in what I call a minor deviation on the dom path)

That deviation path is what I call a dom/secret sub path -- one of two conditions can trigger some of these scenes (so have multiple saves to experience the whole game) 1.  You achieved a rank of K5 in 0.5 coming from the sub path or 2) on the dom path in 0.4, you chose to lick Alessandra's feet instead of rubbing her breasts.  I have been trying to get this into the game because I feel like this is actually a realistic possibility in life -- a man who can be pretty normal/dominant in the corporate world, but quietly very submissive to a woman or two, but not all females.  So this type of thing would have Kane for example not necessarily in a chastity cage like K4s right now, and doing some dom path story stuff, but still having some private time and developing a romantic path with someone, etc.   

I know I am spoiling a bit with this description, but one has to keep in mind certain females may not want to take care of/dom in a certain way with someone who is sub literally all the time and doing "poorly" in the ranks given their goals.  This is only going to be true with two specific females.  (they can still dom Kane normally in another path, but for a true sub relationship that is more what I would call  truly romantic in a way -- some women might have different standards to want to actually take Kane in as a partner.)

On the true sub path, a few females can also go a little "nicer" but keep in mind they may not be highly ranked ones as much so to speak given that no power player will easily want to publicly (actually "be with" more accurate to say) treat Kane that way. 

And, other females of course will be more than happy to have Kane completely sub and as low ranked as possible as that turns them on personally, etc.

I am not worried about the meaner/crueler female dom stuff at all, as that's almost like breathing for me in terms of how natural it is to write it.  I'm just kind of reaching into my own mind basically...

The major change in 0.6 from prior episodes (as I see it written) is that Olivia is now going to be fully involved with Pod 4 a lot more, and that Kane will start to have a little more agency in what kind of person he wants to be...as in 0.5, the episode was very much about establishing Olivia's morality with her choices on a few things, notably Seth's decision.  (this of course impacts the start of one of four beginning scenes for 0.6/Kane)  Kane's decisions on this will involve choices relating to his own Pod members (if sub path or Kwame on dom), how he performs/reports certain things to The Karlsson Group, Olivia, and a few other things.  Olivia (especially sub path) has a lot more direct interaction with Kane in a way that was not present in prior episodes.

A few disclosures will also happen in 0.6 (a few likely expected already by observant players) but so far I've only had one person ever message me asking about a tiny subtle thing I have been throwing in since I think 0.2 that might be disclosed in 0.6 (more likely 0.7).

I am curious how people about one thing on the dom side -- I am not sure if people prefer more traditional hardcore dom type stuff (like girls in more bondage and/or domination scenes) or something harder entirely.  I am debating this internally too whereas on the sub side I seem to be more comfortable with the different levels of harshness (or not).    

Please feel free to send any concerns, comments, or questions my way at any time.  I know I may get a little more hunkered down soon, but I will still try and give great updates and throw out more preview images as I go.  Of course, certain images I am hiding for story reasons, but there should still be a lot to share!