I don’t want to promise anything, because the story is always open to change. But I will say Ravy and Kavir are both canonically versatile (as they discuss in CH 4), so it’s on the table.
It looks like any game that runs afoul of Visa/Mastercard updated policies on adult content will be permanently removed from the site. It has not been made clear yet WHAT those policies are (but I expect it’s going to be related to incest, sexual content with minors, and rape, as was the case with steam).
There’s some artistic license here and there because it’s challenging to keep sizing consistent between sprites, cgs, and multiple artists.
That said, including the antlers, Crown is the tallest, with Kavir next at around 7ft, yes. On down the list is Tarrolf, Liya, Jiv, and Darek, with the rest of the cast being shorter. Not including ey0ne’s projection, Yuraeli is the shortest.
If we create a “streamer mode” it will simply be a toggle in the preferences that throws up a black box over the naughty bits of certain CGs. None of the words or scenes will otherwise be altered.
Presently, however, there are no plans to develop this until enough streamers request it.
Edit: I adjusted the post above to make this more clear.
I appreciate your thoughts! I think lore and exposition ultimately boils down to reader tolerance, but as you say there are ways of making it more palatable.
I’m obviously biased, but I certainty encourage you to keep going as there are narrative constraints placed on Ravy’s ability in part to handle that concern.
I have a lot of theories on why engagement has been limited, and obviously you may come up with your own upon reading. But generally speaking, I’m taking a lot of creative risks with this project (risks in the fvn space, a least), and I think the community-at-large is still trying to determine exactly how they feel about it.
The usual problem of “sex sells” aside, if I had to outline the basic issues, it’d look something like this:
The game’s still young, and takes a long time to produce because of the detail. I know many folks who have said they’re interested but want more content before they commit to reading. And with the packed field these days, there’s a lot of other options with more content.
I’ve also been told by many that science fiction is an immediate turn-off. This is in part because of the conceptual demands it places on the readers (and I’m definitely leaning into that).
The game has a somewhat unwarranted reputation of being too information-dense. I say “somewhat” because while the database is entirely optional reading, the prose itself is still rich with detail. I recognize this more literary style can be a challenging read, especially if unexpected. But a challenge is what I want to offer, within reason of course. Something to chew on.
There’s a large cast to develop. I think it’s been a drag on readers getting really invested in a favorite character since we haven’t had a ton of time with any single one for more than a chapter (yet).
If you end up having any thoughts or feedback after your read, feel free to share!
You’re absolutely fine! Everyone appreciated the shout-out.
Also thank you for all of your support and encouragement!
It’s funny that you mention “orientalism” because I’m familiar with Edward Said’s work and very conscious of how indelicate depictions of non-western cultures can be. My intention is definitely to provide a nuanced view of every culture (and their inspirations) to the best of my ability.
You’re very correct about both the complexity and the metanarrative. I’ve tried to artfully layer meaning and foreshadowing in different ways, some of it quite veiled. As mentioned in the other itch post, ‘getting it’ isn’t required to enjoy the work, but it’s there for those who enjoy reading into things. (I encourage it!)
On Aerran x Ravy: I probably spent 40+ hours writing and rewriting that godforsaken scene lmao. Some feedback has been it’s belaboring the point and could be expressed more simply, and I don’t necessarily disagree? But the belaboring is trying to accomplish a lot of things: Characterize Aerran and his big brain opaqueness, metacomment on complexity, and as you stated, leave the scene with unresolved tension to capitalize on later.
On Darek: (I did not realize that about his name, but it works!) I’m glad he came off the way you’ve described. He’s definitely supposed to be a character with unclear motivations. I don’t want to say more lest I give away too much.
On Crown: You have characterized him very well, and we’ll definitely be digging more into all of that in chapters 3B/4.
On Kavir: Exactly.
I love that you spent so much time thinking about all this. It’s why I put so much effort into being really specific with construction often down to the word. It’s unfortunate when it doesn’t land, but it’s soooo satisfying when it does and I get feedback like this.
Thank you!
My programmer recompiled and reuploaded the mac file. Redownload and it should be working as expected now!
For Reference’s sake:
So I had my folks look into this more, and it looks like there was some compiling issue that’s breaking the default macOS unzipper. Using a third-party unzipper (they were using https://theunarchiver.com/ ) works just fine, which is why we didn’t catch it initially.
So that’s a temporary solution in the event this happens again. But it looks like a simple recompile on our end fixed it with default macOS.
I typed “command” but it was apparently “control.” I’m very mac-illiterate lmao. But yes, give the instructions in the link a shot and then please circle back and let me know. We’ll figure it out.
I am being told by my mac testers (I’m not a mac user myself) that the first time you open an unverified app on a mac, you have to hold the control key while launching the game. If that doesn’t work, please let us know!
My inspirations for this project absolutely include Bladerunner. We’re looking at Film Noir, Spy Thrillers, Cyberfantasy Speculative Fiction video game staples like the Xeno series (Xenogears, Xenosaga), and obviously Cyberpunk staples like Neuromancer. Pretty much all of these explore different nuances of the human condition, and argue there’s often few clear distinctions between the virtuous and the villainous.
I’m not going to pretend that I’ll explore those themes as gracefully as elevated authors like Philip K Dick or William Gibson, haha, but rest assured that black and white is not the aim here.
Wow, thank you for this extremely in-depth review and critique. I made it a point to share it with the rest of the team, especially the musicians!
I’ll look into some of the other things you noted. The writing I can speak to now (since I do that).
Your observations are astute! Especially about the pacing of Ravy’s inner thoughts in the middle of dialogue. Time essentially stops whenever narration or exposition begins, so there’s a very limited window to express information before the tension of the moment begins to fade. But sometimes you just can’t express everything in dialogue. So what you see in the prose right now is me trying to find creative ways to use that limited window as efficiently as I can. I’m definitely learning as I go.
To your other point: I’m absolutely taking some risks with the prose. I’m trying to balance figurative and symbolic “litfic” moments with the crisper and snappy dialogue/action moments more typical of visual novels. I want to provide readers the fun and comfy as much as I want to challenge them with greater complexity–something to chew on and have reason to come back if it doesn’t make total sense on a first pass.
A lot of my favorite writers come from Science Fiction stock and they do so many interesting things with broad vocabulary and symbolic imagery. I’m trying my hand at it here. I am certain it will succeed in some place and not in others, and therein lies the experiment and the risk.
The places it doesn’t work, I’ll probably return to later in the development process when we have a broader and more mature understanding of the work. I’m very much a “nothing is set in stone” sort of writer. I’m very open to changing things to create the better story (within reason).
You’ll definitely be seeing more of Crown going forward! He absolutely has a “stage face” vs his normal grumpy scrungly self. And yeah it is Crown that thinks Ravy x Kavir being in relationship while working together is a bad idea.
As for Kavir, we’ll be seeing more of him in Ch 4 to better answer your questions about that. The short summary is that Ravy x Kavir are indeed close but have a complicated relationship.
Thank you! And not yet, but Volume 1 (chapters 1-3) will 100% be getting a release on youtube. For spotify, we still need to figure out licensing arrangements, but we’ll announce it once that’s figured out.
My feelings as well. I may have overstated that particular issue somewhat, because in the greater VN community this may already be well-understood. I’ve just had it personally pointed out to me several times that not including choices in the visual novel medium is a weakness of game design. Obviously, I disagree with that sentiment. 😅
