No, do what you want now. Why force yourself to complete the games if you don't enjoy it anymore? People who tell you to "complete the game" just use that as a convenient excuse to hold you hostage and demand free updates. Normal players care about the total amount of content in the game, not whether it's "completed". For a 2$ game on itch, I'd normally expect 1 level and maybe 2 animations. Your game already has 10x that. So it is already 10x completed.
You know I care a lot about HTA. Look at my donations. But if you don't enjoy working on it anymore, then don't. As you said, you could just have marked it "completed" several years ago. Instead, you kept adding new amazing stuff. Every reasonable person has realized this. Only the most ungrateful people haven't. I bought the game in 2021. When I saw you were still adding stuff in 2023-2024, I was already considering it bonus content. But we're in 2025 now, almost 2026. You don't owe your players lifetime updates.
If back then I had skills I have now, HTA and LSH would have never been made. I do enjoy working on HTA because it has it's unique story that doesn't take much from Magic Ring. On the other hand, LSH is a different thing. I made when I was learning pathfinding and state machines. It's story heavily relies on Magic Ring. I think it would have been better if that just remained a test project instead of being a game.
I'm selling these games cheap because I'm not a programmer and I still make mistakes. I'm expecting people to overlook that since it's cheap. At least compare to other developers. I love making games and working on multiple projects because it keep my mind away from getting tired.
I know you do care about it. You have even made mods for it. Back then I used to thought how could any one create a mod from such messy coding.
Yeah, I could have completed this project soon but I've been promising people extra content for the delays I'm causing to feed my own curiosity or playing some of my favorite game in recent years. I thought people have mentality like you and would be happy that I'm offering this much content for two dollars but I've learned not to promise stuff in past week. People will say it's my fault for promising so much things for 2 dollars instead of appreciating the work that have been put in. And even after completion is not the end. At least for HTA. I mean people would still ask about if I will be adding new content to the game ever after completing all the things I've promised.
Well I'll focus on completing LSH right now since that one is closest to completion.
LAGS have you heard of impostor syndrome? I think you have it. Your games are not just a little above average or even good. They are absolutely amazing, and among the top sellers of itch.io. Same with your code. I could see you were not a programmer when you started, but the code you write now would be considered close to production quality for a game studio. Most people can't even grasp a basic loop, while you've learned to use coroutines and state machines by yourself. This is once again, not just above average talent. This is something that VERY FEW people in the world are able to do, and an extremely demanded skill that companies would pay 100 000$ / year in the US for, so I hope you're making it at least that. And I'm talking about the code, which is the field I know (I am a senior developer) but you're doing ART as well.
The reason why I mention impostor syndrome is because if you truly have it, the only way you can get rid of it is by knowing it exists. People will tell you positive things above your games because they are true, but you can't believe it. You will only focus on the negative feedback, which is NOT true. The problem is, some malicious people are exploiting it. You do NOT own anybody updates for HTA, even if the game "is not completed", this is a cheap excuse manipulative people have found to exploit you. No reasonable person who played your game has ever thought "Oh, I paid 2$ for this and it's not completed, booh what a bad dev". Every SINGLE of us thought: "Wait? I payed only 2$ for this game and it's that good? and we get another free update?? Wait, there are even secrets to discover?? And another update again? And it's free again? and he still doesn't consider the game complete??". It's been 4 years since release. You need a break then take it. If you need money, open a Patreon, I'll sub for 100$/month. A few annoying pricks will complain, but that's GOOD. You do NOT WANT these people in your community. They are NOT customers, they are manipulators. You do NOT want to even TALK with them, your time is more precious than the 2$ they have paid.
Perhaps I chose wrong audience for this story. I'll just remove references to whatever story I was gonna have for HTA 2 and try again with non-erotic audience once I'm free of everything. I will consider myself good when I'm able to understand codes from professionals.
I don't think I have imposter syndrome and even if I have it, it's not gonna make anything different. I had vision for those games because I wanted to learn better coding and improve on my drawing skills but since last year nothing is going well. I guess someone put a curse on me for focusing on Ringman hahah.... I'm just gonna delete negative comments because I'm already at the brink and don't wanna do anything reckless with life.
Thanks for your unwavering support.
I think every thing you do with a public always brings the best and the worst audiences. The thing here is that negative comments always weight more and I understand how you’re feeling. I like that you will delete those comments and keep moving on. I dont think focusing on ringman was a curse, as I always say, there is an amazing community and an amazing audience ringman brought together. I hope you get to feel better and proud of what you have done. I started following your work on college brawl but ringman is what really got me hooked up on following development, searching for lore and secrets and getting invested on its story And characters. Hell, Ringman even made me draw again, something I stopped doing a long time ago xD. Take care LAGS, and think that u have an amazing audience because of ringman. We all love the game and we all love you. Take care, hugs.
None will have comments like it's a 2D metroidvania game that doesn't need a deep story. I think Magic Ring would have failed if it was it's own game. This two timeline things are confusing people. Imagine 13 in that game with different girl as your lover.
This is gonna upset most of you but I'm removing a few quests from Ringman as well. I don't want anyone to recognize my non erotic work if it's comes out in future.
And it's good that these games were able to get you into drawing again.
What quests? The ones that would link the game to HTA 2 or CB remake? It's sad to hear that but it's your decission and we have to accept it. I know that I will keep following your work even if your next big game is not erotic, and I wont' metion erotic stuff on those games to not link you to them. I think this part of your developer life is not something you should be ashamed of, most of us will follow your work because of your erotic games and it's not a bad thing. Keep in mind that all of us that support you do support you because of the world and characters you built, not only because of the erotic stuff. Take care.
Quest and unique character that would appear in HTA 2.
There isn't much information revealed for what I'm going to work after doing all erotic ones. Only characters revealed are Lady Mystery and Lady Merusa who are generic in their design for now. Perhaps when I make part of two of that game with Hailey, Masuo and Ryoko as protagonist then people might able to link but only if they understand Ryoko's motivation in Ringman.
I believe that in every corner of any audience, there will be some rethards demanding more than they paid for... I fear that becuase you made it so cheap, you have unfortunately attracted some cheapskates. But I have seen how erotic audiences can be and still are such supportive people. If not one of the most supportive people I have ever encountered.
I have paid for some patreon memberships and lemme tell you.
1) they are patient
2) they encourage creator(s) to take time to recover
3) They support visions, ideas and polishing of the game, so it is released in the best version possible even if it means delaying the game
people will value things more if they pay good money for it.
for example I will use p0rn sites. People will leave much more possitive attitude for exclusive (paid) content than if it is for free on websites. As it brings much wider audience that may not cater to such content.
THOSE people and of course everyone else (unless they donated) paid 2 dollars for so much content. I know that game with this much content (no matter the coding, it works fine) could cost 10-20 dollars
It's sad to hear that some additional ideas for HTA are getting scrapped, but I would raise the price AND as people said themselves: mark it as completed and actually working on it when you feel like you wanted to.
just a question. Wouldn't it be possible to make a settings where people can turn off mason/masuo ?? It seems like a waste to remove something you worked on and something so many other people appreciate.
And last thing: Like I said with the audience section. If you think that making cheap games (meaning for the same price, not quality) for non erotic audience would bring better people, you are unfortunately mistaken...
Well selling it cheap here is because of my shortcoming as a programmer. No matter how much I test the game I'm gonna make a few fumbles and launch each updates with a ton of bugs. Working on non erotic ones I will have a few friends test it for me making it better. Also I made a big fuckup by releasing games in early access which I will avoid in future.
I know people are patient and that's why I always rewarded their patience with something good as I'm learning a few things with multiple projects.
Turning Masuo on and off is more work with how the code is done for those games. If he matters to you that much will have a cheat code that will enable his animations gallery. Can't do much about image though.
