Pics 112: Test Pics before a temporary hold

Updated SITAR to 1.01 to fix bugs, included new voicing too

The bugs needed to be patched, but I had already started work on voicing the 3 endings, and didn't want to remove the new voicing, so I left it in as part of the patch.  Update to 1.01 file is attached at the bottom.

Patreon Update

Last week after the release of the SITAR game, I mentioned I might be putting Patreon on hold since the purpose of the Patreon was to help with the development of SITAR, I believe I will be doing exactly that, at least through May and June, but there will not be a permanent shut down because of something that I learned about the same day I released SITAR.

Several adult game developers on itch.io got their accounts suspended and closed.  One of them, Lockhart, I communicate with occasionally on Discord, and for a while I was a Patron.  I might have to again, because closing itch.io cost them half their income.  Several others got mentioned on Discord getting kicked off at the same time.

So far I have been spared this fate, possibly because I'm making itch.io a lot of money, or possibly because my games are "tame" on the adult gaming front (all adult characters, all consensual, no extreme paraphilia, and LGBTQ friendly), but who knows how long that will last. Nobody knows where the line is being drawn or why the accounts got banned, it is all pure speculation at this point.

Adult Content Under Attack!

In just the last month we had Pornhub changing ownership, Imgur, one of the largest online upload sites for pictures to post on websites, is removing all of its adult content, which will affect the availability of material on Reddit, Twitter, and all across the internet. And now itch.io seems to be joining them.  Something is happening right now online and it is not good.

I'm guessing it is conservative politics and their infiltration of the banking system. Banks are telling online companies what kind of transactions can be done, and what cannot be done with their services.  This is anti-freemarket censorship that is hitting thousands of content creators pocketbooks, and massive loss of income to these websites, but they will lose more if customers have no way to pay them.

We all saw censorship nearly kill Tumblr, and it took a revolution of users at OnlyFans to stop it from happening there, too.  Expect more of the same at other websites soon.

But why Adult Games?

I recently read a book called "Games: Agency as Art" by C. Thi Nguyen.  The thesis of the book is that games are an art form of "agency", that is to say the primary purpose of all games (board games, video games, sports, etc.) is to experiment with player's agency by setting rules to play in.

This would include adult games that set up rules of play that contradict the norms of society.  I have no problem with the existence of games that bend and break those norms since my games do too.  Most players of these games feel the same way.

Better to break societal norms in the context of game play than in real life. These games allow an experience outside the norms of society, and do it safely as they are created with hand drawn sketches or digital rendering that do not involve actual people in their creation.  These victimless outlets are ultimately healthy to society.

This is the central thesis behind Sex Positive Gaming, another Patreon I support.

I have no problem keeping these games out of the hands of children, and I am more than happy to mark my content as mature or restricted, and obey the rules of the services I use, even though that results in less traffic, but blocking this content from ADULTS for some made up puritanical reasons is self-defeating.

My new strategy .

With these attacks on adult content and gaming increasing, I have to protect myself by being on as many platforms as possible as long as I am allowed to.  That means itch.io, Patreon, Steam, Wordpress, Tumblr, Deviant Arts and Payloadz as long as they will have me. Might have to diversify even more soon.

My next game

So now for some brighter news.  I've decided to make a new fifth game.  The plans for now (definitely subject to change as I change plans all the time) is to make a sort of sequel to Hopepunk City.  "Sort of" in the sense that the next game will not involve the plot, politics, or game play mechanics of that game.

Basically, I want to make a new Date Ariane style dating simulator, the twist will be that it will be set in the futuristic solarpunk world established in Hopepunk City. Think sci-fi fantasy elements as dating activities. The section of Hopepunk City where you go on a date with Ariane for example.

I have learned a lot about visual novel and date simulator mechanics over the last 20 years of doing this, some of those lessons I have yet to truly incorporate into a dating sim because they involve advanced planning I didn't ever do.  I'm doing them this time.

The player character will be different than any of the previous games (still either male or female of course), and so will be the woman you date.  Ariane, Rachel, and Maya are not romanceable since they are now "involved" with undisclosed "partners", though they will most likely be in the game somewhere.

That means I need to find a new woman for the player to date. I have decided to do this new date as a Victoria 8 character, so I bought a couple of models that looked interesting to me. I'm sticking with dark eyes and black hair since that is a more universal feature of women around the world.  But what about the face?

Choice number one is Nia a typically pretty western European face, sort of the "girl next door" that actually is fairly close to the Ariane archetype.  They could be related (and maybe they will be, I'm still making this up)

Above are two pictures of the same face, I also need to find a hair style, and I'm thinking short since that is easier to work with so here are two different varieties of short.

Face choice #2 is Lanya, a more exotic looking beauty. She gives off Ana de Armas, Penelope Cruz, Jessica Alba, or Sarah Shahi vibes.

Kind of torn with which way to go, so I thought I'd leave it up to others opinions.

Taking some time off

I will be suspending billing for May, which means nobody will be charged for the month, and I am not going to be posting anything as I focus on other stuff.  It also means no one will be able to join my Patreon until I unsuspend. Could be as early as July or as late as September.

I'll still check in here from time to time. Otherwise Message me on Discord, or leave a comment at arianeb.com and I'll see it.