December 9 Update
Added 2023-12-09 18:00:08 +0000 UTCTLS 0.72.1 is out and apparently stable, so there should be no trouble with the public release. A less rushed schedule means extra thinking time, so it's time to contemplate the future and ramble. Posting the weekly update early because I'm trying to get my head on straight.
While I'm excited to conclude TLS from a creative perspective, I admit to some anxiety from a business perspective. In an ideal world, I'd have a 100% clear plan for the next stage, a new game to present everyone and hopefully keep supporters interested. Instead, I find myself barreling toward a period of greater uncertainty.
I've mentioned on a few occasions that I'd like to do a long science fiction saga, a spiritual success to TLS in terms of scope, management, and decision-making. I have tons of ideas for characters/setting/lore, but I'm still stuck on fundamental questions of engine/mechanics. Long term patrons will remember me discussing this in the past - bad news, I'm still churning on those questions!
But as I've also said, I don't want to launch directly from one multi-year project to another (plus there will be a stage of revision/improvement on TLS). For that reason I want to have a period of time to finish up other, relatively smaller projects. Unfortunately, I'm kind of floundering on those too.
Let's look at some potential things I might do:
- Don't Save the Princess: This long-suffering project is still waiting on the artist to finish primary art. There have been some fun programming developments behind the scenes. Maybe a good Kickstarter trial before bigger projects? But it would need to come at a logical point in my work cycle, and I don't feel like it now.
- Crimson Gray: Yandere Maker: Some of you may remember this experimental project I posted about before setting it aside to focus on TLS. Still feel passionate about some of the ideas for this one, but the fractured audience for Crimson Gray undermines my motivation.
- Waltz of Fiends: I don't believe I've ever mentioned this one, because it's a weird non-project. Some time ago an artist contacted me about potentially working together in the future on an erotic horror game, but we agreed we both should conclude other work first. He's been AWOL for a while... is he gone for good, or will he suddenly show up wanting to do a lot of work? It's an erotic mystery!
- Slave Rehabilitator: A tongue-in-cheek wholesome reverse-corruption game. One of my ideas for a high production value (animation!) game that tries to integrate sex with gameplay in a different way than the usual. I think it'd be worth exploring and it would take less of my time than other projects, but it'd be a big monetary investment.
- Once Ever After 2: I'm deeply excited about my ideas for this, but could I actually get Crescentia for art and would it make financial sense? This one is pure idea/aspiration right now.
It might sound like I'm doing too much, but the fact is usually I'm doing nothing (aside from TLS and writing). Committing to any one of these would mean locking in a lot of time/resources/energy, and right now I'm blobfishing around too much to be confident in a decision.
Writing-wise, the agent rejection was a real blow. I'm not very passionate about doing much here except keeping up with ongoing projects (The Weirkey Chronicles, Depthless Hunger). I've always wanted to write a standalone science fiction novel, and I had it penciled in as a secondary objective during a quiet period, but I don't know if I have the energy for it.
As a counter-balance to the above: overall my life is great. I'm in a strong position to keep creating for the rest of my life and I anticipate some very happy posts next year as TLS concludes. Lots of fun things in store, some expected and some not. ^-^
But the problem with being me is that after I start living the dream, I feel the drive to optimize the dream. Life is finite and there are so many things I want to do, yet I can't possibly do them all. I want to keep building in a logical way so that each project opens up new paths and sometimes it's very difficult to gauge which would be more beneficial.
So those are my thoughts, hopefully they're interesting. There are a ton of things cooking in my head, but not so many cooking in my actual work schedule. In theory that needs to change at some point before the conclusion of TLS, but I don't know when my brain will cooperate.
Thanks to everyone for giving me this career and supporting me this far. ^-^
Comments
A scifi TLS does sound like an interesting game, And one i'd definitely play. To be honest I'm not sure how to feel now that TLS is nearing the end. Honestly your game has been one of my comfort foods for so many years that honestly I don't really want it to end. As far as engine goes from a personal standpoint if going to a new engine meant sacrificing some of the political complexity of TLS I'd want you to stay with RPM. But otherwise I am agnostic on the issue. It wouldn't bother me that your new game was also RPM and after this many years I'd trust that a move to a new engine was a considered one. I do think there are a couple of points where TLS could use some refining. Things like the entity spoiler and the spoiler for the one behind the chosen I feel have very lukewarm reactions from some of the party. And some of the music choices for certain moments really don't match the vibe. Particularly every time Igo into the orgasmic city I think my ears bleed a little. Considering their import It's important to match the music and allow certain moments to breathe before moving past them Which sometimes I think gets missed. And there's still a LOT of unanswered questions at least from my perspective. So even post ending padding out TLS could theoretically go on for a long time. Once the headlong rush to the ending is over. Honestly I think replacing a large project with something a bit more niche like don't save the princess might be a mistake. Personally the only game of yours I've really gelled with was TLS. And yeah I've loved every minute I spent in the game. Depending on how you choose to end the game you could also make postgame content. I know this is really getting to be a wall of text but consdier my vote for the scifi project.
CrazyChameleon
2023-12-15 16:01:02 +0000 UTCOnce Ever After 2 all the way. The first game def screams for a sequel, and Bangville was a hoot. Wanna meet that Storyteller.
Abso Haram
2023-12-13 02:08:16 +0000 UTCI vote for Rehabilitation. For some reason Japan imports have been on a corruption addiction so a game were you actually try to be the good guy and sexually heal the girls would be a neat change of pace. You could even add drama with a story about being a undercover slaver trying to discover the big boss.
Nathan Phoenix
2023-12-11 20:52:39 +0000 UTCHopefully I'll be able to do both in time! Thanks for the kind words. ^-^
Sierra Lee
2023-12-11 15:31:55 +0000 UTCOEA2 would be incredible, as there is so much potential in the basis that OEA established. That said, I would also love to see your approach to storytelling and game design applied to a sci-fi setting. I can empathize with the concerns for what the future holds financially, but I want to say that I have been so impressed with all of your works that I have consumed. Your works are among some of my favorite games of all time. I believe in you, and your future.
Lillian
2023-12-11 07:00:48 +0000 UTC
