Status update Episode 10
I've been coding for the better part of last week, but I also wrote some story and posed art.
Mostly, I've been working on an updated version of Brawler this week, and I need a few more days of work with the remaining art before I am done with it.
It's an ambitious upgrade of this mini-game, which is now taking its third and most likely final form.
Even though it's been remade from scratch, it will feel familiar but improved and expanded upon. I'm very pleased with how it plays.
Here are some screenshots of it.
As you may have noticed, I've been powering on with mini-games lately since I know I have to do a few more for episode 10. I'm trying to get most of it out of the way early, so I can focus on writing and creating art soon.
After Brawler, there's one shorter mini-game and some final work on a scientific mini-game left to do.
I have a healthy animation queue alongside this development. It allows me to focus without being interrupted.
I can also notice how the usual stress I feel about Custom renders being completely gone now that I have removed that tier reward.
I've been able to put an unhealthy amount of hours into coding this week because of this, and I love every second of it.
I will have the first part of the Q&A posted sometime next week. I'm splitting it into two parts, like last year's Q&A.
First, there will be a part about your Being a DIK questions, and after that, a part about game development. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions!
A special render poll is currently ongoing here - where either Maya, Sage, or Isabella will get a set of renders dedicated to them in episode 10. If you want to participate, you have until next Friday.
Have a nice weekend
Dr PinkCake
Comments (38)
With options like Lilly, Jill, Josy, Sage, etc., why would you realistically waist time with Sally????
Cause Sally is hotter than Jill, and Sage. Plus we know nothing about her at all. For all we know she's freakier than Quinn.
don't push yourself to hard doc. we all want the next chapter, but don't kill yourself getting there.
I’m the only one who really wants to get with Sally? 😏
Negative. I think we're building towards it, but maybe not.
Good stuff DPC . Can't wait for it
I have done programming and customising for some years, so i understand that it is better to finish parts regarding this matter, because if i had to postpone them before finishing and picked them up later, it took me some extra time to get back into the details of that work. On the other hand, sometimes it is better to switch between different tasks, so that one doesn't gets to exshausting or not to loose the fun of doing it. I like the minigames, but what drags me into Being a DIK are the outstanding detailed relationships of the characters and i am looking forward to see how these will evolve.
Very true. As long as you don't burn out doing the same task without switching it up, it's the most effective way to work. Luckily, python code is very simple to read/write, and once you have a coding style, it's easy to pick it up after a while.
This isn't fair! You just released a banger of an episode and you're already building anticipation for the next one. New brawler graphics look amazing.
Wowwwwwwww! I love this game and story so much!
The problem with the current minigame is that it was very easy to max the stats and using the pocket money it was even easier. I think it was intended for season 1 fights only. Unintentionally this is a spoiler, when I thought we had already fought all the "villains" this is telling us that even more difficult fights are coming, get ready diks and chick affinities refrain! :D
Yoooo, the brawler looks tight dude!
will these new fighting skills carry over into possible fights with Caleb and the jocks or possibly Vinny?
Looks like the discord/patreon Problem is back. Can't see anything there
Standard thing, go to the Patreon, disconnect from Discord, then re-connect.
Just one thing.. Please add "The Waiter" as an opponent in the new Brawler so he can suffer for his sins each and every time.. 😟
Yes!
Will we get to train with that dude in the gym for a match against Caleb?
I gotta assume that guy is our lead in to the new brawler minigame.
Thanks for the update Doc its looking good the new visuals of Brawler , have a nice weekend
No way, now we also get Mortal Kombat inside BaD and that even with better visuals. Always expect the unexpected :-D
I liked the Brawler mini-game. I thought it was exactly what a mini-game should be: quick, simple and to the point. This seems a little bit more complex, but I guess we’ll see once we get to try it. Also, I hate to be the guy that pisses on your bonfire again, but referring back to our exchange a couple of months ago when I was questioning the increasing development times, this is kind of what I meant. More and more efforts towards mini-games, free roams, complex SFW animations etc. Things that are nice, but add comparatively less value to the game in relation to core scenes and dialogue, whether it is for main-story events or fun side-stories, or with main-girls or side-girls. And before you get fed up with my negativity, I want to clarify that I have the utmost respect for you as a developer and what you have done with Being a DIK. It is by far the best AVN on the market and you have set a new standard in the industry. After all, this is the reason why the wait is frustrating, because I really enjoy your work. I also realise you have no obligation to listen to anything I say, but I do want to offer up a different point of view than the endless praise I tend to see in the comments. I am someone who wants the game to be as good as possible, but also wants to see the conclusion to the story and play it is much as possible. The perspective I feel is missed is that sometimes, the value of actually releasing an update, or actually finishing the story, is higher than the value of continued polishing of some specific aspect of the game. Everything comes with an opportunity cost, and lately it feels like these opportunity costs aren’t really considered. If you have the chance to add something, you add it, regardless of the relationship between input-output or how much value it adds in relation to how long it takes. That is my main point, that some things just aren’t going to be worth the development time. Even so, I know that it is a complex trade-off, because you probably need to take certain liberties in order to maintain your motivation to develop the game. But I still want to share my perspective, so that you aware that there is another side to the story, and that not everyone is excited about whatever improvements you decided to make. Ultimately, my worry is that recent trends suggest we’re heading to a point of one episode per year, because it would be quite discouraging to be faced with a prospect of not seeing the game’s conclusion until 2030. P.S. I know we’re early in the development cycle, and that your ways of working might easily provide you with enough time to spend on the mini-games given rendering times, so take my comment as general for the last 1-2 years, and not specifically for Episode 10. This is also my sentiment based on the information available to me.
As someone who's been a professional developer for 10 years, I can tell you that sometimes there's more to long-term game development than just pure efficiency. While you may be correct in that there's potentially more value in focusing on core story aspects to the game, when you work on one project for long enough, it's really easy to get bored with doing the exact same development cycle over and over. Honestly implementing a wide variety of mini-games to shake things up from a code point of view is probably how DrPinkCake stays sane through these crunch cycles. I have no idea if he actually feels this way, but that's how I'd feel working on one project for so long. At the end of the day this is his passion project. While we may be excited and impatient for more content, it's ultimately up to DrPinkCake to decide how he wants to spend his time developing this game.
Love your work
Will all skill points from the previous brawler build be transferred over? Or will this require us to build back up again?
It won't transfer completely, but I'm investigating giving a slight advantage/ head start with respect to the old system. Part of the fun with the new version will be building from scratch, so I will tweak this until I find a sweet spot.
With all the changes you've made to the menus and brawler and character modles will you ever go back and redo the first chapters like a director's cut or remastered versions?
If I do, it won't be before the game is completed. Remaking old stuff while developing new episodes is never a good strategy as it makes for slower progress.
brawler is the only mini game I really like, glad it's getting upgraded
Looks amazing. Great job as always.
Great update to read! and I LOVE that new Brawling minigame look, I guess it's like the sparring with sage in episode 2 style fight? love it! also, great to hear that the stress level is going down! keep up the great work! have a great weekend DPC :D
You are a machine! This upgrade to Brawler looks incredible
Looks great, ty Pink.
Lower stress levels are always good.
Brawler is looking so cool! I can’t wait to play it!
Have a nice weekend, Doc.
thanks for the weekly letter Pink, cannot wait to fist fight everyone again
Brawler Looking really cool! Good job Doc