YummyTiger
patreon
Rebooting YummyTiger Gaming!
🕑 Added 2017-08-28 09:11:07 +0000 UTC Good Morning! This is going to be a LONG post. Information on Monday's release can be found at the end.There have been a number of changes to YummyTiger Gaming's Patreon over the past two months. These changes were needed, and represent much of what I've learned the past two years. When this Patreon started, I had zero experience managing anything like it, as well as very little experience building a game. The Patreon was created in response to multiple people playing a very early demo of Aylia's Story and asking if they could donate. I had no website, no blog, or anything to facilitate these requests. I did not start this with the intention of making money, but I also wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. A naive amateur developer jumped into the ocean of game development and YummyTiger Gaming's Patreon was born.
I'm not going to rehash the history and the mistakes along the way. Most of you have been here for the ride, and the relevant posts are still up for those who want to pop some popcorn and read about it. In sum, YummyTiger Gaming has been plagued by grandiose claims, absurd predictions, showstopping perfectionism, naive planning, and other issues. The result of which led to the alienation of many of the people I was doing this for in the first place--something that bothers me more than I can express in mere words. Still, many of you have not given up on me and I don't have any plans to give up on you. Thank you.
YummyTiger Gaming is undergoing significant changes in a number of areas (each will be detailed below):
* Changing from a lone developer to an assisted development approach
* Improved planning and access throughout Patreon
* Discord creation for real-time access with patrons
* Pledge collection and policies
* Modified patron tiers to reflect a new release structure and offering patron tier rewards that can (and will) be fulfilled
* More transparency in terms of project status, goal fulfillment, and reward fulfillment
Assisted Developer Approach - As many of you know, a person with experience in managing game development was brought on in a limited role last fall. He chose the handle, Man in Black (MiB), and offered much needed assistance. In late spring, as my attempt to go full time and jumpstart YTGaming was fizzling, I asked him to take a more active role. He agreed, and has been working with me behind the scenes to launch what YTGaming should have been from the start.
One of the bigger changes is my relinquishing large portions of the creative process through commissions and bringing people onto the team. Sprites and tileset work is now 100% commissioned, Scripting and related work will be divided among multiple people, an additional artist is being vetted for background and miscellaneous system artwork, Editing and playtesting is less and less my sole responsibility. This is all being done to improve development speed by using your generous pledges to do so. Aylia's Story will remain my vision, my dream, but I will now receive the much needed assistance to reach the finish line.
Patreon Access - This improvement is easy to describe, but took MiB a significant chunk of time to implement. As a Patreon ages, things become harder and harder to find amidst the garbage heap of posts. Since April, MiB has been pruning needless Patreon posts and implementing a more effective tagging system. The goal is to provide patrons a quick and easy way to find releases, artwork, game information and lore, tier rewards, and pledge information. We've went a bit back-and-forth on tags, but feel we have the start to a better system in place.
Discord Creation - Frustrated by the message and comment system Patreon uses, a Discord server was created for YummyTiger Gaming. All patrons are invited to join the server using the invite code: wv9vvg7. This server has a SFW discussion channel, a NSFW channel, announcements, and release bug reports and discussions. It provides patrons with a way of communicating with me quickly and receiving instant information on projects.
The Discord server is NOT meant to replace Patreon. I know things have been silent the last few months, but I've no plans to stop posting updates here. What we envision Discord to be is a medium for quick updates, less concrete information, idea brainstorming, and messaging of overall less import. Discord participants should expect that information given is not absolute and subject to change. Patreon posting on the other hand will shift to more concrete information, game relevant posting like lore posts and artwork, release dates that should not be missed. I plan to offer less informal chitchat-style posts (labeled as creator messages), and make Patreon a medium for patrons who just want the key information and rewards.
Pledge Collection and Policies - This area is obviously very important to many patrons, and something that I always want patrons to fully understand. I created this patron with the goal that you'd only pledge in conjunction with releases. Despite all the issues YTGaming has hit along the way, I've never swayed from this policy. YTGaming has run one pledge and released one full translation (the post is tagged for new patrons who are curious).
Pledge collection has been the area where I've had the most back-and-forth with MiB to find a fair middle ground between providing a stable income source to fund commissions and development, but stick to the pledge per release model. Aylia's Story chapter 1 today is a far cry from what I'd planned when I set this page up. It's bigger, more dynamic, has more custom assets and systems, and hopefully, better artwork than I thought I was capable of. In order to keep this level of quality for this and future chapters, we have to run more than one pledge per chapter or divide chapters up differently.
That said, we want you to understand what a "release" means, and we want each pledged release to be significant. Chapter 1 will now constitute 3 pledged releases (only two of which will be pledged for). Each release will contain 5+ scenes, add multiple hours of gameplay, and multiple quests. Chapter 1 currently has over 25 scenes with artwork, so each release would consist of around 8-9 new h-scenes, battle events, sex appeal skill artwork, and all the other custom assets that make Aylia's Story the game I envisioned. That's quite a bit, and actually about what I'd planned chapter 1 to be when I start my Patreon years ago.
The policies regarding pledges will remain patron-friendly. You control when you give money, that will never change. If you're ever unsatisfied with a release, you may request a refund for the last pledge. If you've successfully pledged in the past, you may skip a pledge and still receive access to releases, voting, etc. I will provide you with notice prior to any pledged posts, and label all pledged posts clearly. Pledged posts will not be pruned.
Modified Patron Tier Rewards - If you've been a patron for awhile, you've probably realized that the listed tier rewards have largely gone unfulfilled. A number of polls were ran over the first year, two $20 selections were conducted, etc. I didn't intend to ignore those rewards, but they became less a boon and more of a hurdle. It is important to me that you get rewarded for your patronage. While I consider Patreon a donation, I still want to thank you with actual rewards.
As such, MiB and I have worked to create a reward system is will not adversely effect development and will be realistically doable. The tiers have been changed to reflect these rewards. While I was silent over the last three months, I actually had been sending MiB posts and rewards throughout July and August to evaluate what was and was not realistic before going live. I didn't want another rehash of past "reboots."
Going forward, I will be posting higher resolution artwork for CGs and other artwork available in releases. RPG Maker limits me to 640x480 (which is painful), but all my artwork is vector and can be scaled accordingly. In fact, I often have a lot of detail that is lost when I drop it down to 640x480, so I'm quite happy to start posting artwork at higher resolutions. This is also an ideal reward since it doesn't take much time away from development. The artwork is already done for the most part, just needs minor tweaks to look appropriate at a higher resolution.
We also plan to add developer tutorials from myself and MiB for aspiring developers out there. I've made a lot of mistakes, but I've also learned a ton. Perhaps you can glean some information from these posts and avoid similar pitfalls. We plan to release two pieces of high resolution artwork each month (based on the prior month's voting), and at least one developer tutorial.
Beyond that, YummyTiger Gaming will finally go live with the release model I discussed in May. Releases will now be divided into Alpha, Beta, and Public. Alpha releases will represent more tech-style demos that will show progress, but often suffer from bugs and missing components. Beta releases will represent pledged releases, and will be posted 1-3 days before public releases. Beta releases will be complete chunks of each game and will have gone through an editing and playtesting cycle.
Finally, polls will resume and will be conducted the first week of every month. I can't promise every poll with be extraordinary, but I'll do my best to offer some fun options. One aspect of every poll will be a selection of which character you'd like high resolution artwork of for the following month.
More Transparency - Whew, that was a lot. The last aspect of Patreon changes I'd like to discuss is how we aim to improve transparency. First, for the overall Patreon goals, you'll find a "Goal Status" section telling patrons what has been done and what is planned. Second, on the 1st and 15th of each month, a status update will be made detailing what is planned over the new few weeks and what's been done. This will not be an exhaustive list, but should provide patrons with an idea of where things are going. Finally, at the end of each quarter (March, June, September, December), a post will be made detailing reward fulfillment. This will also offer new patrons information on what artwork, developer tutorials, or other game related posts they missed.
Give me the PRECIOUS! - That covers all the changes we have planned to YummyTiger Gaming. This is the last "reboot." I went full time last January, and enjoyed a half year of meandering through game development. When I spoke with MiB in the spring, one thing he discussed was his experience with artists and other creative persons--actually, how much they can annoy him at times! When the releases were not ready in May, we discussed taking a step back from Patreon and using the summer to get shit in order. I hope we've done that.
In terms of actual releases, Aylia's Story 0.10 Beta release candidate will be posted August 31st at 2am (PST). This will no longer be a pledged POST, as I want to give people at least 48 hours to evaluate whether they want to pledge or skip a pledge. I just ran out of time this month. I WILL be running a pledge next month for the second portion of Chapter 1. The nice thing about doing it this way is you'll hopefully have Chapter 1, release #1 to evaluate and see how much content you can expect per "major update." Either way, it was good to start bringing the pledge amount in-line with those who are still wanting to support YTGaming. Thank you for sticking with me! I really do appreciate it.
The first Chapter 1 alpha is planned for release in the first week of September. Alpha releases through Chapter 1 release #1 will be available to all patrons.
Thank you for your patronage. Despite all the setbacks, I'm proud of the game Aylia's Story is shaping up to be. It's time for the game's Patreon to reflect that.
YT
Comments
YummyTiger Gaming
Updated the Patreon post covering "Give me the PRECIOUS." Given that I won't get the release form of 0.10 Beta out until August 3`1st at 2am, I'm holding off on running a pledge. I've spoken with MiB, and we want to give patrons at least 48 hours to evaluate whether they want to pledge or skip the pledge. It seems disingenuous to post it 22 hours before the pledge goes through. In light of this, I'm spending this evening with family, and hitting the game hard again tomorrow. It will be nice to get more than 5 hours of sleep. Thank you.
Admiral Cheesecake
I am understandably somewhat skeptical after quite a while an many missteps along the way. But as usual I'm willing to see this through. Here's hoping this works out.
YummyTiger Gaming
Bullshit. I've never collected money without releasing something. I'm STILL releasing the Chapter 1 I talked about early 2015 for free. That is release #1. I'm not going to release an entire game's worth of content without allowing people to pledge. You can not trust me to hit release dates, but you're incorrect to say I've given people ANY reason to think I'll switch to monthly. Even if I did, you could just... NOT PLEDGE! Problem solved, I can't connect to your bank and take your money. Second, if I do run a pledge post, I was planning on detailing exactly HOW to go in and skip the pledge if you didn't want to contribute. I offer refunds for the last pledge. In short, you're purposely misleading people and are 100% incorrect.
Azure
Too much confusion with you YT. "There will never be a charge for chapter 1 only chapter 2+" Now there will be several charges for chapter 1+.... Too many broken deadlines and broken words with you to trust you to not change it later to even a monthly pay scheme. I wish you luck on your game for the future.
YummyTiger Gaming
Thank you! I'm very, very glad I have not lost everyone. Hopefully, you pop into Discord some time. Although, if I'd known you were taking a step back, I should have ran a quick monster naming poll! Could have avoided another smasher-masher-flabber-crasher! Haha! :-)
YummyTiger Gaming
Thank you. I am kicking myself in many ways. The only thing I feel I've done right is improving my artwork, writing, and the passion I've put into the game itself. I also hope that despite all the false promises, I've at least respond to you guys civilly and taken your criticisms and views seriously. I can't erase the past two years, but I sure as hell can improve! I'm very excited to finally have help and a plan that seems reachable instead of overwhelming.
YummyTiger Gaming
They are not stand alone. After this update, or Chapter 1 release #1 at the latest, save will transfer between versions. You'll be downloading the full game each time, and when it is released, it'll play through as one really long experience. The game will be very dynamic, and your decisions will carry forward between chapters.
YummyTiger Gaming
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the game as it is released.
YummyTiger Gaming
Thank you! I believe as well.
thswherizat
I understand the idea of splitting up for more updates, provided they are actually major game updates. But nothing you've released so far leads me to believe that you want to skimp on actual content. I'm still here, and I took a step back from engaging while I watched people start to become really hostile. Hopefully you know that a lot of us are still hopeful to see a quality product come along. I'm ready to be back in the cheering section as soon as we start to see some releases! Best of luck.
InsaneBrain
With all that said and done, I hope this helps to keep you on the path. I get the sense that you are kicking yourself quite considerably with how the last 2 years have gone... but hey, game development isn't easy! Really like that you and MiB have taken so much time putting all of this together. And I hope that the future is a little more kinder.
YummyTiger Gaming
Edited the release and pledge information to be more clear. The 0.10 update itself is NOT a pledged update, but it is associated with a pledged POST. That pledge will actually cover the releases planned for September/October. The first portion of Chapter 1 will remain free, as I've promised all along, the second portion will be pledged. I'm running the pledge now for a couple reasons, but overall, with how Patreon charging works, pledges will always happen in the month(s) BEFORE content releases. That is also why I have the refund policy, so you can be comfortable pledging if you're unsure if I'll get a release out the door. As I mentioned, this will be detailed in the post tonight (around 2am PST). But, I wanted to give people a heads up, so they pay attention and are not charged without notice. That said, I do hope the words "pledged update" don't overshadow everything else we are trying to do here. Thank you.
Terrcio D'gar
Im rather new to this and Id have to say I love the idea and the look of the game. Keep up the good work man. 👍
legraf
How will the chapters, or portions of chapters, interact? Is each one essentially a "standalone", or does one transfer the character from one to another, or do later chapters/chunks overwrite the previous ones and add new content? Sorry, I don't really understand the process. Of course, if choices in one chapter or chunk-of-a-chapter don't impact later events, they can simply be standalone.
YummyTiger Gaming
Understandable. That said, you can skip any pledge. You're never obligated to pay. I've even taken that into account in stating that people can skip this pledge and still receive tier rewards if they successfully pledged in the past. This pledge is more of an opportunity to allow patrons who joined after last April, or people who want to offer more support, the ability to do so. I'd like to start disseminating releases to appropriate tiers, but it was brought to my attention that this is unfair for people who didn't pledge April 2016. I can't run a pledge for a few patrons, it's all or nothing. I can just inform patrons how to skip the pledge if they'd like.
YummyTiger Gaming
This is 0.10 that is the prologue. The pledge is for releases next month. This prologue has over 20 new graphics, completely new CGs for most prologue scenes, new battle graphics, the script has been entirely rewritten. No, it is not the same thing as the 2014 release.
YummyTiger Gaming
It's not even close to the prologue from 2014. It is entirely rewritten. It has entirely new artwork. Plus, that is not even what the pledge covers. This is NOT a monthly Patreon. If I'm going to charge for a release, I HAVE to do so in the month prior to releasing it.
stoperArt
Sorry, mate, but I bailed out. I was fine with the delays and whatnot, as long as that didn't cost me a penny. I would need to see you deliver on those promises before I decide to back you up with my hard earned money again. Good luck.
FuFu
so this 0.10b that should have been chapter 1 back in ?? idk how many months, will have nothing new in it? but you said last time it would.
yummy spend alot of words just to tell he will re-release the prologue from 2014 and grab that juicy patreon money xD
Gregory Taylor
I believe I believe I believe I believe
Will the Patron outfit be available in this build then?
YummyTiger Gaming
Good to be posting again. It was painful to take a step back, but I also needed to stop shooting myself in the foot.
YummyTiger Gaming
Me too.
YummyTiger Gaming
I hope so!
YummyTiger Gaming
It will be released between 12am and 2am, Pacific Standard Time. I'll have the entire day to work on any last minute issues. If it's done with hours to spare, I may try to fix any issues in Day 1 of Chapter 1 and officially release that as well to tease people with what's to come. The only official release plan at this point though is the prologue.
Kegg
Do you have any estimated time of release? and in what timezone? Trying to figure out if it is worth it to stay up a bit later than usual today. :P
YummyTiger Gaming
Thank you. I believe the project will be far better with these changes. At this point, all I want to do is start rebuilding people's excitement in Aylia's Story. I've got some fun ideas and I'm quite proud of where I've come as an artist.
YummyTiger Gaming
Perhaps I wasn't as clear as I would have hoped. The tiers have not changed. That's one area where I think things were setup pretty well in terms of dollar amount per value. The rewards in those tiers were tweaked so that they could actually be fulfilled. Running multiple polls per month and holding lots of selection cycles was not feasible, there is only so much game and so many scenes. This is partially a problem in that when I set this up, I never anticipated it would garner this many patrons. If I had like 100 patrons, it would have been more manageable, but things blew up. One change is that $5 patrons get Beta access now, which was the $10 level prior. With smaller releases, betas will happen on a monthly/bi-monthly basis. $10 patrons get alpha access, which should be even more common and will allow patrons to offer input during the early phases of implementation.
YummyTiger Gaming
Thank you, and I can tell you from just the last month that it is far less stressful to be tackling this project with assistance than trying to go at it alone.
YummyTiger Gaming
Thank you.
YummyTiger Gaming
Absolutely, skepticism is the appropriate approach at this point. I look forward to seeing what you think in a few months!
Nine Horse Hitch
There going to be a uncharged beta for chapter 1. He say chapter 1 is being broken into 3 part 2 of which are going to be charged for.
xellos49698
I was expecting this from listening on Discord and I'm sure your doing exactly what is needed Yummy-Tiger. Bravo! It's hard to give up some minor control on your project Yummy-Tiger, but by adding the team you have and focusing on smaller paid releases to pay for that staff, Aylia's Story will now become a reality much faster.)
What happened to not paying to try the first release? Maybe explain before rather than after charging.
This is great to hear! Will be have the opportunity to see the new reward tiers, and change our Patreon Tier before the pledged update within the next 24 hours?
Dorago
Oh, it's cool to see you back in action :)
Hey Yummy! I'm a new patron, and even though I'm aware of the history of this game's development, I have a very good feeling you're going to come through for all of us! Looking forward to more releases!
Ken
Great news! I am really glad you have figured out a better way to work on this project, for your own sake.
Well, when first part of chapter one is released Ill decide if its worth. Until then for me this is a post like any other you posted b4 x). GL
Nick A.
Finally the great news has come! Thanks for the update! Excited to see the beginning of this very interesting story take shape.
Kegg
Oh happy day!
