DrPinkCake
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Q&A Session - 2023 - Part 2/2
🕑 Added 2023-02-02 12:13:09 +0000 UTCIt's time for the final part of this year's Q&A. In this part, I will answer your questions about game development. Enjoy!
Can we expect future episode development to be as long as ep9 or longer? There has been a trend of development time (and episode size) growing as more and more were released.
You can expect the development of each episode to be as long as it needs to be. How long, I can't say. It varies, but longer development time goes hand in hand with more content, and I'm not looking to make short episodes or quick releases. You get the best indication of how long a development cycle will be from reading my weekly Status updates.
I'm trying to limit myself, but my creativity often doesn't care about those boundaries. And I would hate it if I skipped out on a good idea for content to meet a fictional deadline. I'm not bothered by the long development times; I treasure them. They allow me to do big things. I know how hard I work and that the game will be completed eventually. My main goal is to make Being a DIK as good as possible.
You have created some substantial mini-games in Season 2 and initially for Season 3. Where do you get inspiration to come up with these ideas?
I'd say the inspiration comes from board games, mostly. And when I create a new mini-game, I always break it down into core mechanics during the initial design.
For an upcoming Season 3 mini-game, I asked myself: "What type of game mechanics haven't I used in a mini-game yet?" And the first answer I came up with was "deduction". 48 hours later, the new math mini-game was completed.
I've gotten efficient at creating these mini-games. It's easy for me to go from concept to finished product fast in all areas of its development. Art, front-end, and back-end code for the mini-games come naturally to me. It's the ambition of the mini-game that determines how much time is needed for its development. The new version of Brawler took me about 10 days, from nothing to finished.
Along these lines, I think you mentioned that to test the Mansion Mini Game, you built a stand-alone version to be able to play out scenarios. Any chance of releasing stand-alone mini-games?
That's true. I make stand-alone versions of all the mini-games before implementing them in Being a DIK. Keeping a modular approach is the best way to do it. When stand-alone, the games compile faster, they are easier to test and debug, and nothing from the code of Being a DIK would ruin the mini-game, e.g., variables sharing names and other conflicts. I can also hand my wife a tablet with the mini-game and ask her to test it. Or I can send the mini-game to a friend to test.
I won't release stand-alone versions of the mini-games, though. That would ruin the base-game experience in some areas, especially with the bigger mini-games like the mansion management and party planner.
What scenes are the most difficult to write for you? Comedy bits or the dramatic/sad ones? How so?
Comedy bits are the easy ones for me. I chalk it up to a lifetime of using humor as a self-defense mechanism and being an avid fan of standup comedy. I never struggled with writing jokes. If it makes me laugh, it will make someone else laugh, too - that's how I think when writing them. I bounce off the material of my wife and friends a lot. I have jokes I can't wait to tell lined up for future episodes.
The dramatic and sad bits are among my favorite ones to write. It's a form of therapy for me, processing raw emotions that can be hard to talk about in real life. I've always been in touch with my emotions. Putting myself into the character's shoes and letting it all out is rewarding and can feel comforting - I love it.
The hardest bits to write aren't of a certain type but rather the bits that I know I need but have no inspiration to write. For example, I need this scene and its result, but the words don't come naturally and feel forced. I need to go from point A to B to make this scene work, but the writing feels too pragmatic. That can completely kill my flow, and I must work on something else before returning to it. I often solve that by thinking of it at the start of a new day in the shower; the start of each day is when I get the best ideas.
Hey there. Could you describe your dev process?
This could get long and tedious, so I'll have to describe it briefly.
- Planning phase: Write the outline for the episode and box it in. Put all events in place and decide everything the episode will be about while leaving some wiggle room.
- Creation phase: Write story, code, and make animations and art. Everything happens at once, but I always ensure I utilize my render stations to full capacity to optimize time. Re-visit the planning phase a lot when needed.
- Polish phase: Play and polish the game. I test and polish as much as possible, including personal proofreading.
- Testing phase: Test the game with beta testers and a proofreader. Having fresh eyes on the episode helps tremendously. The importance of this phase cannot be underestimated. If you're a developer, don't leave this to your players. Aside from getting a polished update, it will reduce stress upon release.
- Release the episode. Let players enjoy what you create. Feel deflated and drained for a bit. Do community work and fix bugs. Then start all over.
Episodes feature more and longer animations, which certainly add a lot to the game. They also take up a lot of time and resources. Can you talk a bit about your process when planning and deciding what scenes need what animations and the extent to which time is a factor when considering what to include and what to leave out?
I usually start by determining which girls will get an extra long lewd scene (25+ animations) and which will get a shorter one (10-25 animations). Those are my ballpark numbers these days.
Mapping that out early gives me an indication of the workload. I think differently when it comes to SFW animations (non-lewd animations). I don't plan those ahead of time; it's more of a process when I'm working on a scene.
As a recent example, I thought it would be cool if Jamie pulled out his middle finger of the hat while instantly changing his expression from fake happy to mad. It wouldn't feel as good to have images instead of an animation, so it was an easy choice.
Basically, cool things and motions that would be enhanced by animating them are turned into animations. But it's easy to go overboard with it, so it depends on how long the animation is and whether it adds value.
I enjoyed making the cutscene-like animations for episode 9. If you analyze those long animations, you can see how many different animations there are in one. When I made those animations, I wanted them to tell a story. They set up the scenes perfectly and show you what's happening, making the transition into the different ongoing stories in the episode more natural. I don't know how long it took to render them, but it was well over a month per animation using multiple render stations.
It's a lot of development time the animations eat up, but on the other hand, I'm constantly working manually on the episode, so it's not like the rendering time is wasted. It creates value alongside my manual work and makes me feel less stressed.
The biggest stress I experience during a development cycle is when the render queue is nearly empty. Longer and more animations bring immense value to the game and my well-being during the development cycle. That's why I see animations as a win-win.
Did the several hiccups during this development cycle (identity theft on itch, music issues) delay the release of Episode 9? Or were they insignificant?
My PCs were always rendering, but the hiccups sadly affected my productivity - I'm only human.
This development cycle was nightmarish for many reasons. On top of what you mentioned, I lost a sibling last year, and it was tough working through it - it still is. There will be more speedbumps on the road ahead, I'm sure. It's something that's out of my control, and I have to deal with them as they come. Everyone faces hardships in life; I'm sure most of you have had bad experiences during the last 5 years.
What's important is that my heart is set on completing the game. I will continue working on the game until it's finished, as long as I'm still breathing.
How many reiterations does an episode go through when you are posing animations/writing the story?
I can't even estimate this. When writing, I compile the game 100+ times per day and replay parts repeatedly. So, the writing/coding part has a high degree of reiterations, but the structure I write the first time will usually last throughout. The reiterations are mostly polishing the existing code/dialogue.
When it comes to art, I rarely remake it. Only if an animation is botched will I fix and re-render. I always ensure that it won't fail the second attempt if that's the case by paying extra attention to it.
I remake some static renders when I polish the game near the end of each development cycle. It happens that I'm not satisfied with the light or something else in a scene and choose to reload and alter those renders. I always save my raw files in any shape or form, knowing that I might need them for a reason I don't see when I create them the first time. To this day, I still reuse raw files I made in the first month of development.
Many tiny, seemingly insignificant details (Swyper conversations, telling a student to play or not play chess) have echoes later in the game. Were these events part of your story plan from the beginning or more targets of opportunity? How do you keep these details straight?
When I planted them, I had ideas of how they could come back to affect the story. I'm quite fond of those stumble-upon details the game offers, like how taking a picture with your phone can ruin someone's presentation. It's something I miss in other games, barring genre. I love when choices have consequences.
The seemingly insignificant choices and details make the immersion much better and are always appreciated by the player. Keeping the details straight is easy; I write lots of notes on everything in different documents and spreadsheets, and I make notes like "Ep 10 - Use this choice and variable from Ep 5 to make this happen", etc. Keeping it short, clean, and simple is how I manage it.
As a DM trying to world build I am curious about your process of creating NPC characters. It's very impressive how alive they all feel. I am mostly curious about Derek; he is just the best.
I believe the secret lies in respecting them and making them feel relatable, not just a background prop. I do that by letting them be flawed, having motivations, goals, and problems like those you encounter in real life.
The secret about Derek is likely that he has a foot-in-mouth persona, daring to say things normal people would filter out while still showing he has a heart. Characters pushing boundaries and those who dare to be different are the ones who will stand out the most, e.g., Derek, Quinn, and Tommy.
I don't know how that would translate into your DM work, but I'd say empathy is the note you should play to make an NPC memorable.
If you could ask one thing of your fans/followers, what would it be? As a community, is there anything we can do to help you in the development of your games aside from being patrons?
I see how the community helps each other a lot with installation, patches, and general questions about the game, the development, and different platforms. I am very thankful for that help! It gives me more time to focus on development.
I also see a lot of misinformation and made-up statements, claiming I said something I didn't. It helps when the community debunks that too.
Other than that, staying respectful and patient with me during development is the only thing I could ask for. The majority of you already do this.
Do you have an inspiration for your writing style?
It's hard to describe where it comes from. I've picked up inspiration from many sources, mainly TV shows and movies.
For books, I'd say it's a mix of the emotional writing from the likes of Nicholas Sparks and the page-turner style of Dan Brown.
Keeping sentences short, to the point, and interesting ensures that most will read the dialogue instead of skipping it. You'd think getting players to read a visual novel would be easy, but it isn't. The text needs to be interesting and catch the reader's attention.
How do you ultimately decide upon the framing of each shot? Do you abide by traditional filmic practices, or simply determine framing based upon your own stylistic decision-making?
It's mostly instinct. I've been into photography for many years, so framing the images comes naturally to me. I have improved with time by analyzing my work.
I've also studied some cinematography to improve how you can use the camera and when you should use certain kinds of framing to enhance emotions or details. It's a very interesting field of study, and I wish I had the time to read more about it.
I've ruined movies for myself by working with game development. When I watch a movie today, I focus much more on lighting and framing than the actual movie.
Favorite instrument?
Acoustic guitar, electric guitar and drums, in that order.
Did you expect BaDIK to be this successful and to strike a chord with the audience as well as it does?
I knew that the story would hit close to home with players, but I didn't expect the game to reach this level of popularity with millions of players. It's intimidating to think about, so I don't focus much on it, but I'm well aware of the game's impact on players and the AVN industry. The first time I realized it would become successful was after I released it on Steam. That's when I saw the biggest jump in support, and it's been growing ever since.
I'm immensely grateful for the success, even though I still battle with handling it. Seeing people chat daily about something I created and how a community has come from it is very humbling. I'm sad I can't be a part of the community in the same way as players, but I do love reading reactions and theories. It often surprises me how attentive players can be; they get what I am going for based on a single sentence or picture. I think it's because they understand the characters very well by now and can relate to their problems and stories.
Having other people love what you do and want you to make more of it for a living is a wonderful feeling. It's not something I take for granted, and I work hard for it every day.
What has been the most rewarding experience while developing BaDik and AL?
Oh, boy. There are so many rewarding experiences I can't even pick one. I'll try to do it chronologically, but I will probably miss some along the way.
Completing Acting Lessons was very rewarding. Although my emotions at the time were a bit shaken up due to how some players received the final episodes, completing it verified that I could do this. It made me excited to continue my career as a game developer.
Releasing Acting Lessons on Steam was like a dream come true; at that moment, it felt extra rewarding. I never thought I'd have a game on Steam; it was surreal.
After almost two years of working double to fund the development, it was amazing to quit my full-time job. There was finally a budget to include a salary for the first time. I still remember how I quit my old job and how scary it was to take the leap. Looking back at it today, I wish I could stand beside myself as I resigned. It would make me laugh, seeing how nervous I was, knowing how it would turn out after.
Releasing Being a DIK - Season 1 on Steam was very rewarding too. Seeing it increase in popularity and even achieve that month's top seller was crazy.
Adult video games struggle so hard to be seen due to their taboo nature, but with the Steam release, even mainstream gaming media had to report on it. I saw my game mentioned in PC gamer and Rock Paper Shotgun, which felt very rewarding.
Then I got headhunted by GOG.com to be included in their curated catalog – as they opened up their site for adult games. That felt incredible.
I've been contacted by multiple AAA developers, showing impressive CVs and offering their knowledge to work with me. It's very humbling, but as many of you know by now, I have no desire to add anyone to my projects, regardless of experience – I love doing this alone.
And the final moment that comes to mind is this picture here.
Seeing Being a DIK - Season 2 globally outsell GOTY winners It takes two (2021) and Elden Ring (2022), even if it only was for a few days, made me feel weird and giggly.
All of these moments have felt extremely rewarding and make me feel nostalgic. It has been an incredible journey thus far, and I can't wait to see what else it will bring.
What artists are you listening to while working on the game these days?
The daily dose at the moment consists of:
Alestorm – Seventh rum of a seventh rum (Personal album of the year 2022)
Misfits, José Gonzalez, Frank Sinatra, Queen, Powerwolf, Amon Amarth, Bayside, zebrahead, Sabaton, Atlas Losing Grip, Pink Floyd, Uriah Heep, Between The Buried And Me, and lots more.
How much do you think the platform Patreon, Steam, or GOG have brought to the success of BaDIK? Have any of them hampered BaDIK?
Without Patreon, the game wouldn't be possible in the first place. I'll always be thankful for my roots and how I got to this point.
Steam made the game even more popular, and GOG allowed me to reach another branch of players.
None of the platforms hamper the content I want for Being a DIK.
As a Computer Engineer, I really enjoy video games and programming. I remembered you mentioning you miss programming in C++, so I was curious if you didn't create AVNs what type of video game would you enjoy creating and why?
I miss writing C++, but it's not the language I'd choose for games. I'd be more likely to develop a C++ application than a game.
As for a game, realistically speaking, I don't think I could create a big game using another engine on my own. But if I could work as a part of a bigger game studio, I'd enjoy writing the story for a bigger game. I enjoy adventures, mysteries, and the modern time setting the most.
The first developer studio that comes to mind is something like Quantic Dream. I believe I could write a great game for them to create. Story-wise, Heavy Rain is still one of my favorite games.
But you can't just walk into a studio and say, "Hey! I have a story for your next game". Creating a big game is a huge commitment, and you're gambling money going all in on it. You need to work yourself up that ladder within a company or become recognized at a higher level to be trusted with the entire narrative of a game.
Thanks for your support! I hope you enjoyed the Q&A! The next one will be held roughly a year from now.
Love
Dr PinkCake
Comments
AV
I apologise that this is probably a bit of a bummer question and something no one wants to ask... but since in one of your questions you answered you'll continue working on this as long as 'you're still breathing' it got me thinking... Do you have anything in place for the game if the worst should happen? It's not something I want to think of happening obviously and I am not trying to be a downer with the question. But as a solo developer working on a game that, without hyperbole, means so much to so many, do you have contingencies in place for if you ever, heaven forbid, couldn't complete the game yourself?
Shinororororo ❤️
Humbly glad joining your patreon 🥰 Look after on things that matter to you the most
Thomas J
She wears a yellow vest and little black shorts and her hair is up if I remember correctly!
Thomas J
Must be quite rewarding to see B.A.D at the top of those lists! Stay being you & independent DPC! Never sell out, never bend your knee to the woke mob! I can't stand all the woke crap out there, I find it hilarious seeing all the wokey caricatures in gender studies class lol! Get some right laughs!
Beautiful Bro
It's the attention to detail, and continuity, and especially also the characters. None of them feel like just gags or narrative contrivences (even the Alphas feel like they have lives of their own). DPC has created a HUGE cast of unique characters that really makes it feel like the story is unfolding in a living dynamic setting instead of a weird bubble like a lot of AVNs.
Thomas J
It's hard that we have to wait so long for each chapter to be baked, the icing added and the cherry put on top! It sucks ESPECIALLY to have an obsessive personality lol! This is the only visual novel I am fully invested in, it is really special, has something unique I can't explain. My partner of 5 years (basically unofficial wife at this point) understands it's quality content and she laughs when I fill her in with the story, she literally know the characters names and remembers things I've told her which is always funny xD
s g
Fantastic game, I really like the fact that the characters all have these somewhat tragic backgrounds. Dealing with real issues. Soundtrack is phenomenal. Story is excellent. Episode 9 is great. I’m worried for MC’s reletionship with Jill. Noticed something that does not bode well for them.
Matt - ACB
One question I forgot to submit: Are there any thoughts of retiring at all once BADIK is done, considering all its success? Or maybe, on the less dramatic side, a long ass vacation?
Arcadian Comics
I did enjoy the multiple options for how much you hit Tybalt with tennis balls. I've tried to play different routes each time, so I've uncovered a lot, just that I know there's much, much more to find.
Nordwolf
Only one way to find out though... try it :-) One of my favorite surprises is loosing the tennis double. I won't say more.
Majah Flavah
Millions of players? For reals?!? Mind = Blown! Honestly though, I've played a lot of AVNs and I've enjoyed many of them, but BAD leaves most AVNs in the dust and outpaces even the best of the other AVNs that I've played. The animations and renders are amazing, but the story itself is just on another level. Please, DPC, never stop what you are doing.
Arcadian Comics
Without blowing secrets, It would be nice to have some hints about how to uncover the odd content that comes from "if you did X in Ep.5, then you get Y result in Ep.10" I don't like the idea of fighting all the Jocks at the gym, or nor slapping Tybalt, but I wonder what I'm missing out on.
DogCat
I really enjoyed reading this part of the Q/A. You are very talented and hard working. I wish one day I have a similar experience as you. You are a true inspiration to me.
Alex Romanov
Quinn has all the features of the MG, unlike the rest of the side girls. The chemistry between MC and her is impressive. Their love scenes are just demonic/magic and don't leave you indifferent. Therefore, it will be very disappointing if the development of her relationship with the MC doesn't receive a worthy continuation and final on a level with the rest of the MG. With all due respect to the other side girls, like Sarah and Camila, if they disappear from this history, the game won't lose anything, but without Quinn this game is already impossible to imagine.
Icemedic
I can understand that completely.
Tremolo
Hey! I really enjoyed your game and especially i loved soundtrack of the game. I asked already in your dm but i think you missed it so im asking here, i really want to be part of the game and do something to help you, is there any chance of puting my beat in the game? If there is please tell me, i would enjoy making music for being a dik. Thanks for doing this amount of job, much love.
DrPinkCake
When you don't know the total number of renders you're aiming for, estimating a % is just guesswork that gives false hope and guesses that are way off. That's why I don't do it these days, because it leads to fake rumors that get spread widely with "The release will be in X month", when I know it never will be close to it. I think it's better to state facts in the Status updates, than guesses. And if I guess, I'm very careful with how I do it. % estimations are more suited for the later part of the development cycle, when I can see more clearly how much work remains.
Doezulu
In part one of this Q&A DPC said he felt that people focus on the delineation between MGs and side girls more than they should and that individual side girls will get more or less screen time depending on the episode. I would love for Quinn to have been a MG from the start as she's my favorite, but seeing as how she's very central to the overall story, I imagine she'll stay in that kind of middle ground between MG and side girl. She already gets way more scenes than someone like Camilla or Sarah.
Bodin
You do need to become recognized to be trusted with the entire narrative of a game. But you're also writing a massive game already with a story already longer than pretty much any other game out there given that gameplay is a relatively small part of BaDIK. If you wanted to work in a regular studio some day I'm sure that with BaDIK (and AL for that matter) you have all you need in your portfolio already!
Icemedic
Question # 1 of this batch is almost always a top question for as long as I have been here. I think the status updates and how they change over the course of the development is the main culprit of this question being so "popular" Here is what I mean the most recent update has this line "62 animations and 622 static renders are completed. We're over 100 posed animations, so that's a milestone for the episode development." while updates later in the development of tend to be more along the lines of "there are xx renders left if speed keeps up that will leave xx week/ months left. While that is difficult to gauge and paints you in a corner, it is a bit more informative than the first example, so a middle ground is something you used to do, and it stopped not sure why. Was take the first example, 62 animations compete, you used to say, " i estimate that is xx % of the known work for the episode," or I wrote all week, i estimate 80% of that work is done" Yes, people will always want more and it may still be hard to gauge in early stages it does answer those types of questions to all but the most stubborn. But above all, Thank you for the amazing story, and I cant wait for more.
Arta
I wish this journey would last forever... Thanks for the Q&A
Doezulu
Wait, are you from Europe? Your narratives are so rooted in American mores and collective experiences, I never would have guessed if so. Thanks for the Q&A! Looking forward to future updates.
R2D2TS
Thanks for the Q&A.
Volker R
Thank you very much for the second part of the Q&A session. I appreciate that you don't bind yourself by deadlines. Those deadlines have ruined so many promising games. I think that you work without those, is one reason which makes BaD so special. By the way, i didn't got an email-notification for the second part. I just wonder why.
Scott
Absolutely amazing. Insightful and informative. You have a bit of metal head in you I knew I liked you for more than just the game, lol. Great Q&A DPC. This game deserves all the accolades it gets. Your hard work shows in every little bit of it. Sorry to hear about your loss. Keep on keeping on DPC.
Alex Romanov
Tell me please, do I understand correctly that MG, as it was 5, will remain 5 until the end of the game? And Quinn, in turn, is the face of the "Others" path, and not the sixth MG or will it remain a secret?
Reuben Waters
Thanks for taking the time to provide such detailed and insightful answers. Both parts of the Q&A have been great. Kind of bummed that I missed the deadline to submit questions, but there is always next year. Much like yourself and movies, having worked on the press side of the gaming industry for a decade has forever changed how I play (analyze) games. I typically have a running list in the back of my mind of potential interview questions for developers, even though that is no longer my job. If I ever do decide to toss my hat back into that particular ring, you would be one of my first interview candidates. Anyway, enough babble. Keep up the great work, and Happy Groundhog Day!
Yeezim Borg
Nice read, props!
