Where to start?

First, let me apologize in advance for writing such a long-winded topic for such a small thing. But it's not a small thing for me.

I have a game I've been working on. To be honest, calling it a game is an overstatement at the moment. I've been working on it on and off for a long time. Several years at this point. Previous versions were (to various degrees) option driven with a lot more mechanics coded in the background. I had a time system with automatic hunger and tiredness progression for instance and it just got out of hand and I focused on the wrong things.

Now, I'm working on a new version that I've stripped down to story. Just to get ahead and not get bogged down in mechanics and branching meaningful choices. This is why I don't really want to call it a game. It's a basic visual novel. But I have plans to make it into a game. I'm moderately happy with the story so far. Well... at least happy enough to let others have a look and see if there's any interest. I'm at a branch in this whole experiment you see. Either I just let the thought of making a game for real go and view it as an experiment I've learned from. Maybe put in some work just for fun but nothing serious. Or, I put down some more time and effort, promote my patreon account. Get some sort of following and a reason to keep going. Look for someone to make art. That sort of thing. 

I guess it kind of depends on the interest. I'm way too self-critical (working on that), so I'd rather depend on external opinion. I'm aware that some may crap on it completely and I'm ready to take that and disregard any non-productive criticisms to possibly get some encouragement and productive advice. Or to finally let it go and not let it bother me and absorb time I could spend on more real options. I have a lot more in mind. Both story wise and mechanics wise.

As I said I've tried to focus on the story exclusively and I've generated AI art to illustrate. Unfortunately I'm not that good of an artist and I don't have the means to buy art. I've worked out at least as much story as I've completed so far and I have a general idea of where it will go,  how to get there and how it will conclude eventually. It may turn NSFW (the subject matter lends itself well to that), though I've decided to keep it safe for work for now. Again, that part distracts me from progressing, and also I'm simply not good enough to produce the graphics and make it truly worth while.

I've built up a world in my head that is a combination both of existing media and my own imagination. The main inspiration for the concept was the TV-series Heroes with a big twist. What if the vast majority of power manifestations were unhelpful or even deadly for the person? What if powers manifested with puberty for a large portion of the population? What if the governments and different organizations vie for power by controlling superhumans and their powers by different means? It's a much starker reality. Our protagonist is in a detention center for children with the potential to form such powers. He's one of the few that will actually get out as he seems to have developed a power so insignificant that it can even be detected. At least that's what his handlers (and he) believes. In reality he's developed a power that subtly and subconsciously influences people in his vicinity to like him and want to help him. An effect that increases with exposure. The vast majority of children detained here die as their powers manifest with puberty (Imagine suddenly discovering that you have the power to teleport just to realize you've teleported a lethal distance straight up or down, that you have the power to explode, some mental capacity that drives you insane and forces you to kill yourself or any of a myriad of powers that alter your physicality in some lethal way - think a power augmented cancer, some gland that release lethal toxins into your body or something similar). Some develop powers that are useful for the government and are recruited in one of many ways. Some develop powers that are simply too dangerous to allow and are eliminated. Others are resistant to recruitment and are eliminated for that reason. Our protagonist is set to get out though, and the security officer seems to have taken a liking to him (for some reason he and she doesn't understand) and gives him an offer he can't refuse. This leads him to his new home, a gated community of sorts and a tranquil island in a world in chaos. One of many that have popped up around the world for the talented and wealthy to escape to in exchange for their work or money. The outside world is in chaos following the wave of deaths of a whole generation of children and the havoc their uncontrolled powers created before the system of detainment was implemented to protect the people. Society is reeling from the damage that was done before the government took action though. The government of what is called the commonwealth is on track to take back control and stabilize everything, but at what cost? Who is really in control? What is really going on?

Our protagonist sets out on a personal journey to discover who he is, what his powers are, what they can become and what his role is in this chaotic reality is. Will he try to use his powers to help people or for pure self interest? Maybe a combination of both is possible? Will he fall to any of a huge array of dangers around him like anti-power sentiments and vigilantes, people and organizations who would want to control him and his powers for their own gain and many more? What cool powers exist out there and can he discover some way to gain more powers or control the powers of others?

I have the beginning of this story as version 0.01 and I'm ready to share it with anyone who is willing to take their time to give me feedback, advice, help me eliminate errors in text (English is not my first language) or just straight up provide encouragement. For now, I'm avoiding to set up a patreon account and hiding it behind there. That's an option though.