This art... is so gorgeous!
Smokeybear73
Recent community posts
Gonna say here what I said in Eternum, too... You really should consider putting this gem on Steam!
It is a new audience, and a lot of the stuff on Steam in the genre doesn't even rank ankle high compared to this!
For Steam, I can buy Steamcards and don't need a creditcard, I'd buy in a heartbeat... maybe make the patreon stuff a DLC?
And with itch switching up the payments... just saying...
You really should consider putting this beauty on Steam, especially with itch changing their payment options (or so I hear)
There are a TON of games on Steam which look like *expletive deleted*, and are only a fraction into as much development as Eternum... and another reason: I can buy Steam cards, so I don't need a credit card or paypal or whatever... I'd buy in a heartbeat... and maybe add the content for patreon in a DLC or something?
getting the word out? when the police might be in on it? heck, maybe the President also plays...
That would make for a really short story hehe..
I'm a leftist, social dude, helping people is always my aim in real life. But not everybody I know who has the same beliefs would feel compelled to actually step up and be a hero, I blame the system for instilling the notion that one persons actions can never amount to much.
Which is completely contrary to the accomplishments of giants like Ghandi, MLK, Marie Curie or Rosa Parks (though Claudette Colvin also refused to give up her seat in a bus in march 1955, but that never got attention)
Anyway, I think what I am trying to say is that I really hope I would be the hero, but there is always the reality test.
Kind of odd to say in a game about a virtual world, but morals and character don't change, which ever Universe one finds him/herself in I guess.. Well, virtual worlds that can cause physical harm, anyway...
I hope this makes sense, lol... my mind tends to jump quite a bit.
I get what you're saying, but there are several things to nuance this.
The initial premise, the discoverys made about the fate of the ones who get their accounts terminated, might lead them to a point where they actually have a very visual enemy, and have something to fight against, as opposed to stumbling around in the dark, seeing vague shapes and hints of this antagonistic force.
Maybe their actions are already causing change, using loopholes in the system to get to a result that the system wasn't prepared for, and is ill equipped to deal with.
Maybe, through the progression of the story, it becomes more clear which are the rest of the forces at play... I personally think there is some parallel world or worlds being exploited through technology, and in the end, the player will have to face the choice of either freeing all those entitys, or continuing on with the enslavement... remember, the game isn't exactly approaching the finish line.
And let's face it, when faced with a world like this, how many people's first thought would be "ahhhhh, awesome, now I have yet another world to save! Who cares about pleasure and fun when I can play this game to be as depressed about the state of the world as possible!"
I, personally, wouldn't exactly enter such a world with that mindset, but I think, through the storyline, it will become an integral part of the game to really become the hero... and who's to say being a hero can't mean getting some action, as well, lol
The world is a bleak place, indeed, but that is exactly what we avoid every time we turn on the tvtv, or read a book, or turn on the PC to play games or keep up with the current news even if it is biased and totally focused on the misery of other people.
Key word being other people.
Even the worst atrocitys only affect us only to a certain degree, and it becomes a focal point to numb the difficultys that are personal and do have effects in the real world, but which feel so much less under our control, to which we are helpless.. I'll take the Eternum path out of it, any day too, if it existed in real life.
It's not easy to give substance to fictional characters, in any game of any sort. And yet, I feel like some characters have shown more depth then typical.
*Minor Spoiler alert*
For example, the day Alexandra becomes Alex, that felt emotional to me.
To me, Eternum is one of the most fascinating games of the moment. How far the world has come from the times of Pong lol
Hey man, you're doing so much for many people, I for one am happy that updates take priority over social media, which is awesome news btw, thank you very much!
The post was mainly me hoping you personally had met people who are as open, understanding and loving as the personages in Straight!?.
That is living the dream, and a total abscence of people like that can lead to some dark places where love don't grow. Self loathing thrives there in abundance though.
Ah well, that was the gist of it, the rest was basically interjecting personal experiences into it which didn't serve any purpose besides feeding a certain sense of emotional exhibitionism,
Anyway, thanks again for your work, past and present, much appreciated!
*edited to add* Not prioritizing money only makes me like you more, Respect man!
Dirk
This is not a game, it is an experience.. which on so many levels is so relateable that calling it a game would be demeaning..
I'm close to 50 , and this experience feels so familiar to me for close to 40 years now.
Mostly, I stay in the closet because of my mother, who always sent out conflicting signals.. "I would rather not see it, but if you would turn out to be not exactly straight as an arrow I'd accept it... propably..."
She always had my back and helped me though, so I feel I can't dissappoint her now, in her twilight days, sadly.
And for fear of how my colleagues would react, which is silly since I'm a trucker so I spend most of the day alone or talking with customers anyway.
It's in my head always about what others will think and how people will judge me that forever keeps me from coming clean with myself.
Odd.. I've never spoken to anybody about this. Not in real life, and not online. And yet, here I am, admiting to myself and to the world who I really am. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, aaryn.reese !
I'll be certain to keep an eye on this experience to see if any updates are made. and I have maybe an odd question:
I bought a paysafecard exactly to be able to reward some people on here with a little money but the projects I was thinking of supporting use patreon, with a membership thingy, and that just isn't gonna work for me since I don't know for certain if I'll be able to keep paying in the future.
But do you maybe have a means I can use the card to donate it to you? With the emotional thunderstorm you have created in me, I feel like it is the least I could do.. I don't know if private messages are a thing here, but by all means, feel free to drop by, it'd be an honor!
Thank you
Dirk
I was always reluctant downloading games, fear of virusses and stuff, but this PC is nearing the end so I figured, why not?
And am I glad I did... really well drawn, written and funny, sometimes downright hilarious (like in the defloration scene lol)
I'm at my limit, financially, or I'd jump on board right away, but once I have a little windfall I'll be sure to subscribe and support, you ppl deserve it!