Status update Episode 7 (Patreon)

Episode 7 status:Script 90% finishedRenders completed 68

Hi all!

I've never done a post such as this one before, but I feel that I need to address something based on comments/DMs/PMs I've been receiving in this short time after Episode 6 was released.

Where do I start? There's so much to touch upon.

First of, I'm thrilled by the general response and support I've been receiving these past months. I never would have thought that the game I'm creating would reach this level of popularity. It's humbling, but also very scary for many different reasons.

I've been playing adult VNs for a very long time and, as much as I've enjoyed them, none of them did really scratch the itch I had. So I set out to create a game for myself.

A game that I wanted to play. As much as I love your support, this game is written for me, but I'm very glad that I can share this experience with you.

My goal was to create a game that would make you feel something. I wanted to invoke all kinds of emotions: happiness, sadness, love, hate and fear. The game was never intended to be a "porn" game. It was supposed to be an adult game, with mature themes.

The theme of each update goes hand in hand with the nature of the feedback I receive. 

In early updates, where focus primarily was happiness and love, comments and feedback were very pleasant to read. I really enjoyed hearing how my words made you laugh and feel for the different girls. What I enjoyed the most was hearing how much you all like Liam, which is funny because he's probably not the reason you picked up the game.

Midway through, events happened that were supposed to make you care for the characters and feel for them. Comments and feedback were steeped with sadness. You were affected in the way I wanted you to be affected.

Starting with Episode 5, the theme turned sinister and dark. The hate and the fear elements kicked in. At this point in time, I made a decision to leave certain forums where I interacted with fans. I really loved the fan interactions, but I received very personal threats and demands, so I chose to leave. As much as I understand the fear and the hatred, such a reaction should never be aimed at a developer, a normal person trying to give you an experience to remember.

Those of you who have played Episode 6 know that the game is still very dark and, once again, it's reflected in the feedback. The amount of insults I've been receiving since yesterday is mind-boggling, but also weirdly flattering because it shows that you are truly immersed.

Life is tough. The story is supposed to hit close to home, a lot of things I write comes from personal experience. Liam is loosely based on my dad, who got cancer and didn't tell me for years, and the relationship between Ana and the main character is influenced by my past relationships.

Now, I know that the story may make you feel like shit at times and that it can become too much for you to stomach. Hell, I've lost track of the times I've cried while writing dialogue for this.

So the natural response of an emotional player might be to stop playing. That's your choice. I can't force you to continue. But if you've played the game up until this point, you are ensuring that the experience you are left with was indeed a sour one.

I want to end this post by saying that nothing that you write to me can affect what has happened or what is to come.

It's not that I don't appreciate your thoughts, it's because that the story is already set in stone and planned to a level of detail that you can't appreciate just yet.

I'm not that kind of developer who gives up my vision.

I hope you find the courage to continue playing the two remaining episodes.

Cheers and hugs!

Dr PinkCake