Reality check

While I'm working on my new job, I come across a thought that, no joke, frightened me.

I am finishing a set of illustrations that will composite the end multi-shot scene, basically 4 phases. My work consists only of human body illustrations, no background, no animation. Price of the work is 400+ $. Estimated time of completion... eer something around one month.

So, check this out: how much will it ACTUALLY cost to complete that scene? Add background art, add animation work, add sounds, add programming. We're talking just about one fucking scene! Not the whole game. Let's assume that will be 1k $. Now, 1k $, 1 month, 1 scene (three 1's lol). You dig? That's essentially means that if you want to have at least 10-15 scenes in your game, which is imo a modest set, that will take at least a year of non-stop work and a 1k every month and that just for smut part, not the rest of the game. And something tells me that said budget is a bottom tier of the market. Add here the rest of the work on the game and you easily could expect doubling of the budget/timeframe.

That realization make my head spin, how the hell some indie artist could possibly afford such development?... But what is certain is that I can not afford to give up on my dreams. So the only way is to face the reality and plan accordingly. First thing that comes to mind is to establish a framework, a realistic amount of time/effort I am ready/capable to dedicate. That means less polishing, lesser quantity, simpler style. But to compensate that I really need to dig in and amplify the passion part. Each scene should present more value, more reward to the player, be embedded more deeply within the story and emit more chemistry between characters. Not the typical "Yo let's fuck, ah-ah-ah, I'm cumming! Wow you came so much." but the culmination of an effort. The story itself in its own regard should be the main driver. And the sex is the cherry on the top.

It's not like that acknowledgment will affect the status of my current projects (yes I know, I'm awfully off the schedule with Wily&Roady project), but it's certainly will affect my approach and the end look of the game.