Thank you! We wanted to try and provide a more complex visual novel experience (that’s still reasonably accessible), so we’re very happy to see it inspiring secondary readings with greater depth revealed.
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.
