Announcements - Release Changes, Poll Results
A few things to get through today, so I'll try and keep this brief.
First thing, after discussions with other devs and the backers, I have decided to make a change to the way public releases work. This probably won't be the most popular decision, but I'm increasing the time between backer and public releases. Statistics show a lot of people are playing the game when the public release comes out with only a very low (a few percent) conversion rate. I'm hoping by having the public version be behind the backer one, the promise of new content immediately upon pledging will persuade a few more people to chip in. This wouldn't be a problem if the game didn't cost so much, but quality assets are expensive, and I strongly believe in the current aesthetic of the game. I haven't decided how far behind we will run the public releases yet, but I will make an announcement on this at a later date.
Now, onto poll results. Our backers have voted that for the time being they would prefer us to do one CG per scene (and return to do the other two later) so that more scenes would at least have some art until funding increases. As of next month, we will be switching to that system.
Taking into account the results from the other poll, here is what we'll be doing for those CGs:
May
1. Jezera x Alexia
2. (if funding goes over 2k this month) Andras x Rowan (throne room)
3. (if grand patron stays on) Patron's choice
June
1. Orcs x Helayna (lots of bodies = pricey)
2. TBD (depending on cost of above, funding amount, etc. - new poll)
So, a bit of a mixed bag I'm afraid. It has been a really good month funding wise though; a few more like this one and we'd be well on the way, so fingers crossed.
Comments (8)
Somehow my posts are getting eaten by Patreon. So third try. Guys, I guess there is no need to worry. The raising of the CGs for porn's sake is just a short term solution, just something to get the game a bit more fleshed out on the visible side (side dish^^). As you all may remember Lord Arioch had several requests in this post section and per mail why people cannot unlock certain scenes. We, the long time patrons or patrons who are just shorty here but have read everything because they are totally smitten with the game, know why. But newcomers or people who just played the public release do not know why. So a first way to get these newcomers on the hook, could be to increase the visible porn. I have suggested so, to increase the funding for further game development, for I love this game because of it’s story and writing not because of the CGs (which I love too by the way) and I could not stand the frustration Lord Arioch had experienced while looking at the transfer rates. An interesting poll (<a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/in-nsfw-scene-to-8940008">https://www.patreon.com/posts/in-nsfw-scene-to-8940008</a>) was just recently released, which clearly shows how the majority ticks. Just take a look and maybe you understand why I suggested to raise the scenes with CGs by doing, just for a limited time, only one CG per scene. I totally love the writing of Lord Arioch and Dark Master, and I cannot await to see the story unfold. But like you I see the problems with the game in its current form, therefore I have suggested a lot in my community post, (<a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/8757633"> https://www.patreon.com/posts/8757633</a>), which Lord Arioch and Dark Master have looked over and decided to implement in parts. You are all right, that visible porn is not the reason why we are all here, we are here because of the story and the writing, but the game is indeed in some parts lacking at the moment and that is something what Lord Arioch has realized too, so in addition to the change in CGs he and Dark Master are working at the moment to enhance the gameplay, see <span class="3jg-components-post--title"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/some-thoughts-on-8832015"><span style="">Some thoughts on a proper journal</span></a></span><span class="3jg-components-post--title"><span style="">, to hone out the existing game. And my guess is it will be more awesome when they have finished to implement what Lord Arioch has mentioned in the according document. Furthermore they both know that the castle is lacking in gameplay at the moment, as Lord Arioch has often talked about the NPC jobs, which still are not implemented. So just hold on for a while, while they flesh out the game a bit more, while they get the money to do so from raising the CG ratio. </span></span>
Congrats on hitting the goal!
A lot of people are talking about the sex scenes being rudimentary but I think another big factor is the missing gameplay. There is a huge hole where the combat system should be and the main keep is full of missing pieces and empty rooms that do nothing. There are more blank spaces than working ones right now when it comes to gameplay, and that would make more than a few people skeptical about the game.
I don't really know how worthwile this is. If I compare it to, say, Noxian Nights, they had the same release schedule you had (or even less, releasing the game 1 week after Patreons for public) and atm they receive ~$3800 a month (having not released a version of NN since about August/September). I think the problem lies less with release dates but more with gameplay not really being a thing yet and H-scene content being all over the place, which means people who have one specific fetish might not be interested in pledging yet. So a lot of patrons don't have anything to connect to yet, aside from potential and promise. Furthermore, as you mentioned, this has been a good month when it comes to backing, even though you hadn't announced the delaying of releases yet. So I really feel a lack of backing is more due to content than release dates.
I was going to say something similar. Seeds of Chaos is a jack of all trades erotic game, not focused on any one fetish too much, which is great for those of us (Like myself) who can get off to most fetishes but not so much those who can't, while just a sprinkle of another fetish will chase away an entire group. Examples (And these are as the game stands now, not what it intends to be later): Not enough homosexual content to make the game engaging for those who primarily want that, but too much dick on dick action for normie tastes. NTR, even with the off option, will keep people away...At the same time, those into NTR probably see 99% of the existing game as pointless filler getting in the way of Alexia's hot demon dickings, while there are other games dedicated to the fetish completely. Or for those who like het Maledom, there's very little of it, while at the same time the femdom might bore them to death. And there's only one scene I can think for those Yuri fans out there. Then, of coursr, you have those disgusting "Vanilla romance" fetishists who only ever want to see good old fashioned romance, with the fact that Rowan is already married putting a damper on it for them. And then there's the golden ticket fetish, incest (Just look at how much Big Brother is earning in such a short amount of time) which doesn't seem to really have many possibilities outside of Jezera/Andras and Min/her family atm, but with Rowan apparantly having no blood relatives, it kills the chances for him personally to hop aboard the incest train. The change to the CG's will probably help though, I know one turn off was just the lack of art for most scenes. So that alone will probably bring in more money and then fix a lot of the potholes on the road of development.
In the future, it will be possible to betray or defeat the Demons ?
We are planning one path where you can do that, but it won't be until very late game.
You must consider that the game is still in it's barebones, many systems lacking, and many place holders. It isn't easy to convince people to contribute with this alone. But the game is good until now, I think after some time, when it become more wide content wise, you will attract more patrons.