VOTE REQUESTED: Patreon Exclusive Content
Added 2024-07-22 19:52:23 +0000 UTCThis is a patreon exclusive post & poll. It will close Sept. 1st. This is a long post, but please at least skim the 'Content Options' section it before voting.
One of the suggestions I got at the end of Obsession was some Patreon-exclusive content, which is a pretty good idea as an extra bonus for being a member and supporting development.
And of course it has the additional benefit of maybe attracting new members.
Other Things Considered
If anyone's curious, I have looked into physical merch, but at my current Patreon size it's unfortunately not worth the effort or expense. If my base were to ever grow a lot, I'd reconsider the option, but I'm quite aware I'm a niche genre. XD
CGs/Art is also something I might consider in the future, but currently I want the artists (and myself) focusing on Remembrance. They're already quite busy. Remember they have their own lives, they are freelancers, not employees. I never make demands or impose strict deadlines, they work on their own schedules. And CGs are also an expense.
Requirement(s) / Info
(Current plan, subject to change) The minimum tier requirement will be Reality ($6 USD) or higher to access this content.
You'll get all the content as normal in the regular monthly & beta builds. There won't be any additional steps for you until the final release. This is the same thing I'm doing for adult content already.
Installation & behavior will be the same as Brandon's patch. Everyone will download a small file and insert it into the game.
There will be NO ethereal / Particles plot content or any big plot advances. It's all bonus content.
There could be more character development, background, and insight.
Content Options
So that leaves the question: What do I offer?
Combo: Additional side stories, mini-stories, and What If scenarios
Easiest and most convenient option for me as the Dev & writer
I could accept requests about the new side content. 'What Ifs' can contain happy endings like Obsession.
I could include silly ones like the Interviews, something wild/dumb like an alien invasion, some joke ones maybe, OR also more adult content. I'll throw out post/polls each time side content writing starts.
Downside?
Additional Development/Writing time same as any other side content.
Less side content in the main game
How many and what sort of distribution between the types would be random, based on my ideas or player suggestions.
I could commit to a minimum of 1 each type (side, mini, what if).
I'd try to to target 2 each, but if (for example) there's a lot of 'what if' requests / ideas, that could imbalance the numbers. (Example: 4 what ifs, 1 side, 1 mini).
Controversial: I could make the 'What If' feature entirely a Patreon benefit, removing it from the main game.
Other players won't be thrilled 😅, but it does not degrade the main game. I'm totally okay with this option if selected.
There's plenty of content even if those are excluded. 'What Ifs' were a feature I added more for myself than the players. They're fun to write. (And they got ya'll off my back about happy ends in Obsession ❤.)
I could compensate the main with additional side & mini stories if it felt lacking due to the change.
Very little new unplanned development time & easy to implement.
Controversial: Same as the last option but doing it with the 'Mini Stories' instead. (I won't do both.)
I think removing Minis from the main game wouldn't upset players as much. It's a pretty small feature I added on a whim.
Minis are very quick and easy to write, so I could do lots of them if there are requests.
Difficult & Dislike: 1 additional (bad) ending in each main original LI routes. (Victor unlikely, nothing Particles related.)
It's a plausible and potentially? attractive option, but I don't love the idea. I don't know how attractive this benefit would be.
This takes a lot of new dev/writing time.
I have to fit it into the main game's story flow, which could be awkward?
I can't commit to any specific length.
It can't include any big plot points.
Art is a maybe.
No content requests. It'll already be a challenge, I need flexibility.
It WILL be new writing time. It would feel unethical for me to finish a route per my normal process and then just pick an existing ending to make exclusive. That's not an option, it degrades the main game. I will finish the route, program it, release it, and then figure out something.
It could be a pain technically if I want it to be a 'secret' choice. If it's a visible but disabled/marked with Patreon option, that could annoy people. (It would annoy me.)
I think it degrades the main game.
I stated in Obsession there are no 'hidden' options, so I don't love going back on that assumption for Remembrance.
New End comment:
As a warning: The 'new ending' option will have to win this poll by a significant majority to convince me to do that. If it wins by 2%, I'm not doing it. (Sorry-not-sorry, my game my rules. 😆)
But even though I clearly don't like it, I am open to and okay with doing it. I wouldn't include it as an option if I wasn't. Dislike doesn't mean hate/regret/resent. I just need to know the appeal of the benefit outweighs the listed downsides and warrants the effort.
So please don't feel bad for choosing the new end option if that's what you want.
So... those are the options I've thought of. I'm always open to suggestions.