Estimate release dates of next games

[jack1974]

Yes I'll post some previews of them in the blog (I already did on Patreon). I want to do a "proper" blog post introduction though.

I don't expect to be out next year because the game isn't written in Ren'py, Fen wrote it in a word doc. "Translating" it into Renpy will probably take 1-2 months just that (because of its size).
Then, there is all the scripting. For such a big game, that's another 2-3 months.
Then, at last, the RPG design. Rules, gameplay, inventory. If I was using Loren/SOTW framework MAYBE I could get it done in 5-6 months. But I'd prefer to use the new framework Anima is working on, since has support for ammo and other stuff (in current one I should hack it).

So we would be already around October/November next year, assuming there are ZERO PROBLEMS (all the romance CG are to be done, and some art, the full soundtrack as well, etc). And all of this doesn't include testing

If I was like some devs that just use RPGMaker, reskin the art, and keep same rules, would be easier for sure but as you can imagine a RPG with Steampunk setting is VERY different from a fantasy one.

[SerTabris]

Today's update is about Roger Steel writing. Fen it's almost done with Ann's story, and like with Loren, Arthur's story will reuse most dialogues except the romance/dialogue scenes, so should "only" add a few thousands words more

With how common the idea of 'male-as-default' is, I'm happy to see Ann's story being written first.

[jack1974]

First update of new year! Nothing big though:
- Amber's Magic Shop: Aleema is scripting the game while I'm doing the shop builder sim (currently planning the art)
- Undead Lily: doing the gameplay design, while some artists are doing the icons and the GUI for the battles
- Roger Steel: Fen decided to spend the first two months (maybe less if he can finish sooner) transposing the current script to renpy format, and then finishing the story directly in renpy, since it's faster
- Love Bites: got all the music for it
- <CURSED GAME> more art, almost all the new CGs are finished
I had several more updates with other unannounced games but as you know, from now on I'll talk in public only about the currently announced games

[Pace675]

That too, but there is an age gap also. Isn't adding new stuff too.

Doesn't make any sense to me, but I'd rather you be the expert on MILFs and cougars than me, so I won't press the point.

Hahaha. I know this is a bit old, but its absolutely hilarious..hahaha.

Lol yup...

Sometimes random discussions can be fun and interesting XD.

[Franka]

Well yeah, just because I'm ruthless doesn't mean I can't be funny.

[jack1974]

I've been thinking if perhaps instead of the progress bars, which could also mean nothing in many cases, is better if I just made a list of the games expected release order?
For example there's... <cursed game> that is stuck with >90% on many field since years so not because a game has almost everything done, means it will be out soon.
I think a simple list which I'll update, would be more "realistic" than it is now. I think on next update I'll change it to that

[Troyen]

I think it's helpful to have some indicator as to what's holding up a game (or alternatively, what's going very well for a game). The progress bars don't quite do it - I don't know what "90%" means - but some sort of milestone indicator would be nice. You already give us tidbits on the individual game forums like "main route is coded, ann's romance still needs to be done" and such, why not aggregate those here? Instead of 90%, you could say main story - complete, 3/8 romances done or something? I'm not sure how you calculated your percentages, but they often seemed overly optimistic.

The estimated release date order isn't very useful honestly, especially since so many things can delay or speed up games. Just skimming the past several prediction posts, most of them have been 80% wrong. Also, I think the component answer is closest to what people really want to know - "when will this game be ready?" (Sure, when a writer has something blocking them from completing that last scene, the game can linger in "almost done" state for a while, but I still think it's more interesting to see "2 romance routes remaining" than "maybe in 2018". Especially if one isn't interested in some of the other games on the list.)

[jack1974]

Yes instead of percentages I could use descriptive text, since it's also hard to say "this game writing is 50% done". Maybe during development we decide to add more lines to a route because is shorter than others... and the 50% is not true anymore
Regarding the order, I can at least write the one I'm working on. Like for example, Amber text is all done, so now I'm working on it, and even if I don't know exactly WHEN will be out (March? April?) I know it will be 100% the next game to come out.
In past year for example I knew the exact order, the only surprise was Heirs & Graces because writer did a bunch of writing very fast in the last months and speed up everything

[Astrala]

I think something like a quantitative check list would be good. That way everyone still has a decent idea of what's been finished as well as what's left to do and you can simply change numbers add any new features to the list, rather than try to guesstimate percentages. You could even have sub-categories for the development bigger features, like number of rooms for the AMS shop builder.
Something like this:

Game X
CGs = 2/5
Main Story = 13/16 events
Romances = 4/6
Cake game =
_____Frosting = 2/4
_____Ice cream = 1/3 (Sorry, I'm craving sweets)

[jack1974]

Yes though I wouldn't go such in detail - since writing for example 8 out of 10 rooms finished wouldn't be meaningful, if I get the art I could implement 5 rooms in a day. So only if the milestones are something bigger, like a whole character route that surely takes times to write/script
But yes something like that could work.