badtimetales
patreon
A dev's life -13
🕑 Added 2023-02-17 21:15:03 +0000 UTCThis post isn't about me.
I have realized that times have changed.
Admission. Support. Feedback.
That's what a developer wants. Some want more feedback, some want more approval, many want and need more support.
And I don't blame them. Creating a VN takes dozens of hours a week if you want to deliver a reasonable amount of content and a good story in more or less good quality.
Not to mention the hardware, the cost of assets and electricity.
Developers starting in 2018/19 or earlier had a much easier start in terms of building a fanbase.
Why is that?
One reason is the flood of new games.
But that's not all.
Isa's last update got an estimated 50k-70k+ downloads, just from my sources.
Plus the pirate sites.
While I have loyal followers and fan base after more than a year (thanks guys!), new developers see the time they invest and the feedback they get.
Which is next to nothing.
A dev asking you to whishlist their game on steam.
Almost no response.
Another asking you to rate the game. On a pirate site. Nothing.
There is a reason why so many games get abandoned - and it is not always because the dev thought they could make $10k in a month.
Abandoned games are why I hear "I won't support a dev, there's a chance they'll stop developing".
Chicken and egg.
Just as an example:
Isa has 670k views on a pirate board.
With 380 likes and 37 ratings.
Would you offer a product for this ratio?
Likes and ratings don't cost anything except 3 minutes of your time.
Hundreds of hours of work don't deserve 3 minutes of your time?
As I said, I've made my peace with the situation.
And while I'm using Isa as an example, it's just to show the numbers.
Isa will be finished. No matter what.
But if you want new games: Give those damn likes, ratings and wishlist entries.
And yes, that's one reason why I'm going for a steam release.
The Patreon way doesn't work anymore.
Sorry for the rant, but I have seen three (new) devs get frustrated about this in the last few months.
Thanks for your support!
BTT
Comments
That's where you are wrong. If the like it or hate it. 99% will keep silent. And if some raise their voice, it's mostly the once who don't like it.
Alexander Hochbaum
Sadly, as a German, I cannot help wishlist lewd games on Steam (and GOG) because I cannot even see them. I will try to give some reviews, but the problem with unfinished games on said pirate site is - some start out great and then... get boring (for me). Either because the story couldn't hold the interesting start or - even worse - they just became a fuckfest. Sex all the time, without any effort to get it. But as I said, I will try to rate some games I have high hopes for. And don't forget, most that don't comment are satisfied - else they would complain. ;)
No need to, been there.
MoonLight
Thank you BTT
