So it's been over a year since I made a post here, but I've been thinking lately, and since something came up this morning I'm a bit more re-energized by the idea. So to the like, 30 people who happen to pass through here on any given day, (Holy shit how are there so many I've been dead for a year) I want to pose a question.
If I were to open up a Patreon to get back to work on Shield High, would anyone look at supporting it? I've been playing with the idea of getting back to work on Shield High on and off for a few months now, to the point where I have a new framework that avoids most of the bugs of the first one lying on my computer waiting for me to inject a combat system into it. Really the only thing lacking is an incentive to get working, which the promise of even a few hundred dollars a month would probably provide.
Alternately, regardless of responses to this point, I'm looking at pitching the game to Nutaku, who are looking at investing the in adult games. They're also apparently picking up a sales team out of the community so if any of my fans happen to be on said team, throwing in a good word would be much appreciated.
And as a final point of news, mostly to people who would be on the fence about Patreon and need a little more incentive to throw their voice behind me doing it, in the past couple of months I've befriended a rather reliable artist, who I today asked about helping out with Shield High. I asked for the Nutaku thing, however given his tastes, regular commissions off Patreon money would probably also be an option.
So yes, that's the situation relating to Shield High and my considering bringing it back.
For those who care about my personal life, I finished that book I mentioned, and it's now sitting in the inbox of a bunch of publishers waiting to be rejected. I also wrote a whole other light novel in the past 2 months which I'll be publishing on Amazon probably next month. It's not at all lewd, but I'll throw out a link to it in the comments for those of you who just love my work in general.
Pudding Earl
Holy shit. I think he's alive. I think before you start up a patreon you should go to some smut sites like hongfire or loverslab and advertise a bit with a new release of SH. That way people would know that you are back and serious about doing smut (not sure how many people I speak for, but a recent group on patreon recently dropped the ball with over 150k/month. There might be some cautiousness of supporting you, so my adivce is basically build trust before patreon)
ReplyDeleteSo that's my paragraph of two cents on the internet. Nice to see that your back,and excited to see what you come up with in the future
I'm at the very least going to get my new engine-thing completely functional (this time with all the features before any content) and put that out with the Karen fight (and possibly a bit more) before I start up the patreon, as a show of good faith that I am alive and working on it. And yeah, I'll do a round of advertising and the like when I do release it. Or rather, if I release it, I don't want to over-promise again and disappoint everyone.
DeleteIf you're really back, I would support you for sure. I loved the original(s), since I have been playing them since pretty much the first incarnation (though maybe not the first release of said incarnation).
ReplyDeleteBut like as been said, I would probably like to actually see something. Nothing against you, personally, it's just that there's been a lot of promised stuff that's never gone through, ESPECIALLY with smut games. And I don't exactly have a bunch of money I can throw anywhere I want, so there is that too.
Under no circumstance would I open up a Patreon without making a strong showing of "Look, I'm working on this again". If I haven't at least got a fully functional engine with the first week in it, then I'm not going to be asking for money. I know what I'm like, and I know that there's no guarantee I'll finish the project even now, so I wouldn't ask anyone to take that gamble on me.
DeleteHey, just saw you were back when someone posted in LoKF forums. As for the game, difficult as that's going to be big on personal preferences. Maybe a poll would be good?
ReplyDeleteSo my quick thoughts, sure it will get big still lol.
- Writing is the thing, and the multiple story paths. Your Rags version didn't have pics, yet lots loved it. Personally don't need pics, but a description or basic pic on your status could be cool. Bit like 'The Potion Wars' game which I believe you know. That is if your condition carries over into the next scene so it matters, sore butts matter in the next event heh. And clothing things with your slave status. But won't be as impactful (imo) as some games that rely on the massively titted 3D pics to get fans (and that's not in character for your girls).
- Engine. Have to say was never a fan of the new engine. I'm sure it was more flexible, but was a bit of a mess and buggy. But as you were still working on it, no idea the potential end result of it was and now Rags was limiting you. A thought as all the time you pour into getting that working, is invisible to any sponsors who are watching for story progress.
- Combat. That also I perfered the simpler orig version, except for maybe wanting an easier way to sway results when I want to (as opposed to save scumming). Seems a ton of work writing up all the descriptions for each attack/defend combo, when after the first few times people won't be reading it anyway.
Combat, unless you're going to make its details of the story, is really just a way to chose paths in the story (win/loss). If somehow the battle itself is important (as in maybe getting spanked a lot, or getting stripped more changes/modifies next few events in the story), then makes more sense making it more detailed with stats and details. Might be a good poll question, but iirc the mail complaint with the old system was just the randomness of it when someone wanted to try and w/l. Not that it wasn't detailed enough.
So maybe want to toss around some design ideas. Can in the forums (like Legend of Krystal) for quicker/easier discussion of folks preferences.
I didn't even know people were posting on the LoKF forums about me. I guess I'll head over there and check it out. As for your thoughts:
Delete-Good point, though the interface does look a bit...lacking...without images. I may actually shift from full body pics down to just bust pics for the dialogue, and a face that blushes progressively more in combat. I know I need *something* to complete the interface, and making it not-porn might actually be an idea. I'm aware the big deal was the writing, but thanks for spelling it out for me so I could actually think it over.
-The new engine was a mess, which is why I threw it out and am starting from scratch with my new understanding of things. The biggest limiting factor of RAGS was really combat, however my ambition has grown a lot since RAGS, and I can safely say that it won't support some of the features I'd like to add to Shield High down the line. I get what you mean about it being invisible to fans, which is why I'm trying to basically get the engine to do 90% of what I need from it first, so I only really need to add features that were literally impossible for me to sort out without some content to shove into them. And even those I'd like to do a bit before releasing anything.
-Combat! I'm fairly insistent that this needs changing. A porn game, in my opinion, needs some actual gameplay to it and the original really didn't, it was just spamming one move then the other until you had won. The second version had some element of tactics to it but I never made a proper AI for it so it was retarded, and at the end of the day it didn't address my core issues with the combat system. Right now I'm taking a third, and hopefully final, run at the system. I'm going to be stripping down the amount of attacks that you have(to start with) but still adding a few more, so at the beginning you'll have the good old spank/tickle combo, and that's about it, but I have an advancement system in mind to let you pick up more attacks as you go. The system now also has some vaguely tactical element to it beyond the cheese strat I worked out almost instantly from the old system, and I intend to make it much more transparent, so you understand what's happening, and why bonuses are being added and so on.
Interestingly, the way the stats work, I might actually be able to make them carry on into following scenes, or do something like a gauntlet of fights in one event where each gets harder because damage carries over. I hadn't considered it, but it's quite doable, so I'll keep it in mind.
Anyway yes, will now browse Legend of Krystal a bit, and likely if I do a poll, which I probably will when I'm back to work. (So, after I've watched the International and had my fill of No Man's Sky)
Yeah, I hear on on the combat. I just chose the old system as if neither are working as you'd like, pick the shorter one.
DeleteGoing to be difficult balance, there's a reason why aaa games will throw up their hands and go quick time minigames.
Make it tactical, and unless complicated and good AI, the person finds the one best combo and spams nothing but that ignoring all the other choices.
Put RNG into it to remove that, and too much ends up like the RAGS version where it's mostly random.
Make it like the Hentai RPGs, and it's all the grind done before the boss fights.
Making more/new options being added before fights is interesting, adds reasons to explore and ties in the story with combat. Things like asking that woman an the library who 'charges' for her advice on enemy students? Would certainly help to win/lose a fight through not doing enough exploring as opposed to just messing up the actual combat choices.
Anyway, just some thoughts, and good luck on the game reboot!
PS. heh, hadn't actually thought about combat damages carrying on through a gauntlet style series, was thinking more later in the story (post combat). But would work well, keeps it contained to just the combat and so not having even more paths down the story line. But gives room for some personnalized comments or such from whom you're fighting next etc.
My big goal for the combat is to make everything equally viable at the beginning, within reason, and then letting players decide what they like doing to their opponent, and so picking up feats to make doing that thing easier/more effective. It'll retain it's RNG elements as always, though more consistently. Before you would roll against each other with bonuses, this time it's against a target number, which can be affected by a bunch of things going on with your opponent.
DeleteAs for AI, I haven't started on it yet, but I have a more studious friend who recommended some AI stuff for me, so I intend to hit him up for some help programming out the AI.
Also, definitely aiming to make Joyce more impactful, and less annoying to deal with. Mostly by making the AI have more options, and be more consistent with how it behaves.
Tl;dr options will still be ignored but because people don't find them as sexy rather than because they're objectively bad.
Cool, hope it works out without too much pain heh.
DeleteBtw a thought on pictures/descriptions of your character. As you're good with character development, along with whatever picture style you decide to show your status, you could also have your two buddies who are usually with you talk about about how you look clothing and body wise if the players asks for a status update. I remember one being pretty comical with post battle comments already, and later in the game you can end up being a bit of a mess (stuff that won't show in pictures) if you've become someones pet.
Okay, if you are actually back I would easily dump 5$ a month to support you, I donated about 30$ back in the day before your own engine, as for layout and combat I would really advise checking out Night Games, the combat style would lend itself very well to your game in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteIt is great to see you back Puddingearl, I look forward to what you develop.
I played a tiny bit of Night Games on your recommendation and it's got some similarities with what I'm aiming for and some elements that I loathed, that I'm trying to work around in this new version. Before I was going for a semi-intuitive but largely hidden set of mechanics, which I have since decided was the worst decision I've ever made, so I'm aiming to make things as transparent as possible, and the way Night Games kinda...didn't...really annoyed me.
DeleteI appreciate the advice all the same, seeing something like what I'm trying to do is helpful for giving me an idea of what else I could be avoiding.
Yeah I figured there would be some aspects that would click, there are many I hope never would be implemented into your game also, the main part of the combat I was referring too was the win condition, building up till x-point to strip like building up a % to aid in strip chance, having some girls be weakened by tickle or spanking some resistant to those.
Deletemake it so 100% is almost or completely impossible to obtain just so the fights don't become too routine.
Hey dude nice work, and I'm glad to see you're back. I had a question about potentially continuing work on the Rags version of the game as a secondary option if that's alright? It runs better, I can work on the game from that perspective, and even add in your new additions to the game from there. I suppose I'm just an oldschool fan of the rags version, but honestly it's more stable, and has that classic text-crawler feel I love. Let me know if you'd be interested in allowing me access to your rags files for it?
ReplyDeleteI'd definitely consider putting a modest donation forward for you to continue development on the game, Pudding.
ReplyDelete