Crimson High v0.39 - Dev Log #1

Hello there, everyone.

This month's dev log will be a little more extensive than usual. I have a few things to cover and announce - all of them pretty positive, I would think - so fasten your seatbelts and grab onto something sturdy for safety.

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First of all, a quick explanation for why the dev log is comparatively late:
Nothing too unusual, but after the last update was out, I felt like I urgently needed to take a couple weeks off from work to recharge. In hindsight, it was a pretty good call, seeing as I was running on fumes at the end of v0.38's dev cycle and had to force myself to finish the update. On the flipside though, I can confirm that taking those two weeks off helped a lot with both my motivation and my efficiency - writing went noticeably smoother than before.
With that in mind, I'm gonna try and take a week or two off whenever I feel like my reserves are running low. Knowing myself, I'll probably drag it out for as long as possible anyway, because I've learned about myself that I'm a bit of a workaholic, but I'll try!

As you can see, the next update is coming along quite nicely already, too. It heavily features Aki and Yui, and I think you guys will like it a lot.
I expect it to be ready by the first Friday or Saturday of December (~6th).
As usual, more frequent progress updates can be found on the Discord.

Estimated changelog for v0.39.0:
- 14,600 words
- 220 renders
- 2 animations
- 2 new Space Hamsters

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In other news, I've been working on a bit of an overhaul for the Patreon tiers. This isn't directly relevant for those of you who are members already, unless you decide to cancel your membership with the intention to renew it.

Just like I did last time (in early 2023, I think?), I'll keep the current tiers around this time as well - I'll hide them on my end, so that they can't be accessed anymore in favor of the new tiers. Nothing changes about the prices or attached benefits of the current tiers, though.

Now, what prompted this overhaul? Well, that's easy. I want to bring back monthly render requests tied to specific tiers, while cleaning up the available benefits, seeing as they aren't as relevant anymore. Some of the tiers have become somewhat redundant over time, too.

Coupled with Patreon's new Discount feature, I'm planning to release the new tiers at the same time as the new update, so that you can immediately make use of the offered discounts if you want.

I'll make a dedicated post about the new tiers and the discount on the day of the T2 release, so keep an eye out for that if you're curious.

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(Obligatory picture of a fierce tiger attacking its prey - she likes to chew on toes when they wiggle underneath the blanket; it's adorable as funk)

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Last but not least, you might be wondering why I'm bringing back monthly render requests. Well, I've been training my SO to create renders with the Crimson High characters. In the long run, she might join me in creating the actual updates for the game, but for now, she will take over the monthly render requests.

Some of you might now be worried about a decrease in quality due to her being a perceived rookie (she isn't; she's been learning for a while now and she's already pretty good at it, too).
There's no need to worry, I can assure you. I'll give every render its finishing touch myself and make sure that it's up to my standards - the last thing I'd want is to release something I'm not satisfied with myself.

More about that in the aforementioned post about the new tiers, though.

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This is pretty much it for this month's Dev Log again. As usual, chuck your comments/feedback into the comment section below, or onto the Discord. Also, if there's anything you want me to add to future Dev Logs, toss that in there, too. I feel like there's potential for growth here, but I honestly don't know what else I could add - so if you have any ideas for things that could be worthwhile additions.. let me know.

Next post I'll make on here will be the release schedule in X (placeholder, not Roman numeral) days.

Until then, and with my utmost appreciation for all your support, my beloved patron, I bid you farewell.

Cheers!