Not abandoned + why the holdup? (Patreon)

I won't beat around the bush for this one: I'm sorry for getting everyone excited by announcing testing and then not being able to finish it. There's not much I can say other than I have been routinely dealing with IRL issues, and every time I've believed, "okay... I'm finally back to the grind and things are back to normal," something comes out of nowhere to derail everything like getting hit with a freight train.

Rather than inflating this post with personal details, I believe this is what matters:

• No, the game is not abandoned. I've said numerous times that I would rather die than abandon this project and while it sounds like banter, I've always actually meant that. Radiant is everything to me, you guys are everything to me. Beyond Radiant and this community I have very little that provides me fulfillment in life, I've lost everyone and everything I've ever cared about in the last six years. Now... every year or two... I'm hit by the weight of that, and all I have to look forward to is you guys and the joy/satisfaction that creative work brings me.

• Yes, testing is all that remains of Chapter 8 and yes, I'm working on that. Testing is normally a few days or a 1-2 week process at most for Radiant. Sometimes it can take longer than that due to schedule conflicts between myself and Alorth, personal issues, etc. but I never imagined it taking months: otherwise I wouldn't have announced it and got everyone's hopes up. Unfortunately, after I started testing the chapter I was once again faced with some rather serious personal matters that occupied most of my time, slowing the process to a near halt. However, I have resolved those matters.

• I'll give a very safe estimate and say that Radiant Chapter 8 will be in your hands in about two weeks, give or take. If I need an extra day or two, I'll let you guys know immediately.

• We haven't forgotten about your wallpapers, and in fact I'm going to be doing a big wallpaper drop that comes with the ones we missed + a few extras to make up for the lateness. Right now, however, our priority is obviously finishing up Chapter 8 and getting that to you, not wallpapers... so it will be a little longer. However, you can expect the late wallpapers + the extras to drop shortly after Chapter 8's release.

What about after all of this is said and done?

Well, things obviously can't keep going on like this. It's not your guys' fault that I've been dealing with personal issues, nor should it be your problem. If I was working a normal job, I'd have already been fired. I can be a bit naive and overly optimistic but this fact is not lost on me, and I feel like shit because of it. However, this is a special circumstance, as I am Radiant's writer and director, and without said writing and direction, it would be a very different game. You guys have been more than patient and I fucking love you for that, and I'm not just going to keep letting you guys down.

So with that said... an announcement: I am seeking a part time writer for the project. Someone who can follow instructions, closely mimic/replicate my writing style, who is willing to undergo an indefinite trial period... and most importantly someone who is well familiar with Radiant, preferably a fan, who understands the ins and outs of the game such as its choice system. If you'd like to apply, please reach out to me directly on Discord (username: sirdammed). You will be able to DM me directly if you're a member of the RK Studios Discord server. I will also be posting external advertisements for this, so if there's no one here who's up to the task, do not worry. I'll find someone.

Once I've gotten someone trained up and ready to work on the project, I will be able to significantly speed up the process of releasing chapters, and we can finally get on a consistent schedule that isn't dependent on my own personal issues and schedule. And by the way: do not worry. I would never compromise on the quality of Radiant's story. If someone isn't up to snuff and can't provide the same level of quality that you're used to from the game's writing, then I simply won't be able to hire them. This of course means that it may take a while to find someone, but it will be worth it in the long run. This process also will not interfere with my work on Chapter 9.

I love you guys and sorry for the extremely annoying and grueling wait.