441 - What Do You Think?
HELLO, and welcome to another Monday Post! Another Monday, another post by Akabur. The tradition shall be kept alive forever. Let's do this thing, brothers!
SHOP. The new item in the shop/gallery is another drawing from 2012. Looks like I was really productive that year. I try not to think about how old I was back then, because then I start thinking about how old I am now, and it ruins my mood. Anyway, go check the new item out.
FUCKING CORPOS! Last year, Yahoo nuked one of my two email accounts, along with all the photos and old letters I was keeping there. They did that because I hadn't logged in for a few months. Bastards. If that wasn't enough, they've been trying to force their new shitty UI on me for a couple of years now. I kept refusing to switch, but a few days ago they just did it forcefully. And right away I got a pop-up asking me to pay money. Very nice. My Yahoo Mail account is extremely old. I think I created it 25 or so years ago. I mean, you'd think they could leave the old guard like me alone and let all the new accounts have fun with their new shitty interface and subscriptions, but no.
ONE DAY, BUT NOT TODAY. The good news is that I'm a persistent little pest, and I figured out how to access the old UI. I got lucky, one of the tabs in my browser was still open and displaying my yahoo mail page with old UI. After comparing the page addresses, I figured out which part of the URL led to the old UI, and copy-pasting it into the newer one actually worked. So now it requires a bit of fuckery, but I can still use the old, convenient UI for now. I am happy. Fuck Yahoo and their weak-ass attempts to make me play by their rules!
IS THAT YOU, ELON? Somebody gifted me a Premium membership on Twitter. Or at least I think that's what happened. I have no idea. A few days ago, I got a notification that my account was approved for a blue check mark (even though I didn't initiate it). Even more interesting, when I checked my subscription, it said that Premium+ had been gifted to me. Who did this? 0_0
LUMINOUS ARC 3. I have finally reached the final chapter. There was a choice to spend some time with one of the girls before the final battle. At first, I went with the princess (Inaluna), but then I realized she wasn't the one I really wanted to choose. I only picked her because she's the "princess" character (and you know I'm a big fan of princesses). Anyway, I reloaded a save and went with the childhood friend character (Eruru) instead and did not regret it. ^_^ But after that, the final boss fight started, and of course it was a multi-stage battle. Even though I was overpowered, the third stage spawned enemies right next to my main healer. When she got taken out, I knew I had lost. There was no chance to save, so I had to start all the battle stages from the beginning. I had no energy to do it all over again, but this week I will definitely do it and beat the game! ^^
ABOUT THE WORK. Over the week, a thought struck me: what if I release Reporter Trainer in episodes? It's going to complicate things for me, but at the same time it would allow me to start releasing the game this century and start collecting feedback along the way. Kind of like I did with Star Channel 34. Reporter Trainer has an infinitely more complicated structure, but I think I can still pull it off. Tell me what you think. I haven't decided anything yet—I just want to hear your opinion for now.
AND THAT IS ALL I have to share for now. Thank you for your support, and I will see you all next Monday. Laterz.
-Aka-
A few links just in case:
subscribestar.adult/akabur
Comments (54)
I know early on there was talk of a demo, maybe that's a better approach then episodes?
Yeah. As of right now I am thinking that releasing a DEMO could be the best way to go around this.
I like the episodes, especially considering I much prefer the later parts of starchannel, after some more of the fine tuning
Yes, doing episodes is a great way to keep things exciting. I'm just not sure it would work well with Reporter Trainer since I didn't plan for it from the beginning. I'll think about it some more while I keep working...
U cute
No U
I highly recommend going with the episodic release! Honestly, you are the one who stands to benefit the most from this approach. With every new episode you drop, your support, community engagement, and momentum will grow. I know it adds a lot of complexity and can be incredibly tiring for you, but building that step-by-step feedback loop is absolutely worth it. It keeps the hype alive!
Yeah, that was exactly my train of thought. The only problem is that I should have planned it ahead of time. I think it might be a bit too late for Reporter Trainer, but I do think episodic releases are the future. That's something I'd like to try with my next game. -_-
I feel like, if you want to do episodic you need to plan for this from the beginning. Right now you have a full feature length movie that you then want to chop up into episodes. IMHO this would not work as well and might end up feeling disjointed. I am more than happy to wait for the full release
Yeah, pretty much. As expected, I'm blessed to have the most reasonable fans. What you're saying is exactly right. I'm interested in episodic releases, but that's something I should have planned from the beginning. Doing it now would hurt the project. With my next game, I'll probably try an episodic release, but for Reporter Trainer I'll just stick to the original plan for now. :) P.S. Thank you for your patience.
As much as I want to see Reporter Trainer ASAP, I have a feeling taht forcing episodic structure might damage the game structure. It's not a linear VN, as far as I understand, so I would rather wait for a full version.
Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. I kind of appreciate you talking some sense into me. I should just get back to work for now. Thank you for your patience. I really appreciate it.
I'm happy waiting for a full release, good things take time.
Thank you. Every time you guys say something like this, it gives me peace of mind. Honestly, I really appreciate your patience!
Depends how many, I think I would enjoy it much more if there was 2 episodes, something to look forward to once I beat the first one and get the feeling of the game
Somehow, I didn't consider breaking the game into just two or maybe three parts. That way, it would feel more like separate parts than episodes. Something like Reporter Trainer – Part 1. Hm... Well, I'll think about it while I keep working...
As for breaking up Reporter Trainer, That has to be up to you. I'm willing to wait. You just said it would cause headaches and personally I deal with enough of that already. Yes not much to say, been burned out, need a computer break for about a week. Take care, have fun, get laid if you can.
Burnout is the worst. I think we could all use a break from our computers. The only problem is that, these days, not everyone can afford that luxury. Anyway, after reading through all the comments, I'm thinking I got way too excited with my Monday post, and that releasing Reporter Trainer episodically might not be the best idea. For now, I'll just concentrate on the work and maybe think about releasing a demo or something later on...
While SC34 was fun to see episodically because of the potential for added characters and sometimes disjointed character arcs that convened at some fun points....a trainer type game like this should definitely be a full experience with full integrated narrative arc. I was happy with what I got to see after 3 years in QT...if its 3 years for RT so be it.
Yeah, that's what was missing from SC34 for me as well. I couldn't really do the proper training arc—you know, the most satisfying kind, where you train the girl all the way to a fulfilling ending. That's what I'm really enjoying about working on Reporter Trainer now: I can give the girls proper development arcs, sometimes even with a couple of different endings. It's fun to work on, and I know you'll enjoy playing through it. The only downside is that it takes a lot of time to do it properly. Don't worry, though—there's no way Reporter Trainer is going to take three years. QT was an exception. P.S. Thank you for your patience. I really appreciate it. It allows me to work in peace.
I am on team "Episodes"! Playing a new chapter every 1-3 months instead of binge-playing it for a few days straight is more satisfying to me. In times of SC34, every Monday was very exciting.. is it maybe coming already today? Is it?? And with one episode, you really caught us all by surprise and released the next episode in only one week! Good memories :) Of course, you should not completely turn the game on its head just to enable a release in episodes.
I am definitely into the whole "episodes" thing myself. I'm glad you appreciate the episodic nature of SC34. That being said, I should have thought about it beforehand. Right now, breaking Reporter Trainer into parts would hurt the gameplay, I think. But I definitely want to do the episodic thing with my next game because I think it's more fun and engaging for everyone. I just need to make sure I plan for it before I start working on the game. :)
I liked the episodic style of SC34, but...it felt like a game mostly planned to be released in episodes. If Skat...Reporter Trainer will be a mechanically more complex game then I'd say, stick to the "all at once". (And keep the episodic format in mind for a future sequel of SC34. :D )
The "Skat" part gave me a jump scare. XD Yeah, after thinking it through, I'm slowly coming to the realization that I should probably just shut up and keep working. An episodic release wouldn't work very well for this particular game, unfortunately. But maybe I'll release a demo or something...
Navel fetish special episode? Awesome!!
It's not a fetish. It's an artistic exploration of the abdominal topography.
Honored to be one of the "brothers" LOL, episodes sound great, I really loved how that worked for SC34
Hey, if I start addressing you guys as "brothers and sisters," I'm afraid the Inquisition will come after me. I'm glad you appreciate the episodic nature of SC34. That being said, despite my question above, I don't think releasing Reporter Trainer episodically would be the best idea. I'll probably incorporate an episodic structure into my next game from the get-go, though, because working on a game for too long without releasing anything starts to damage my sanity.
I prefer it all at once, but if episodic release would be easier on your sanity I'm fine with it! Go with what makes your life easier, you've put in the time in the coding factory.
Thanks you for your faith in me. I really appreciate it! ^^
About the Twitter/X Premium+ gift: I honestly didn’t even know you could gift that to an account that isn’t yours. That’s pretty cool, though, some mysterious cherished bro out there decided you deserved the sacred blue mark 🥷🏻 Maybe it could be a good opportunity to use X a bit more, even just to post a link every Monday pointing people to the new Patreon update? As for Reporter Trainer being released as a full game or in episodes, personally I usually prefer a complete, nicely packaged game: title screen, intro, full story arc, proper ending, credits, the whole thing. That always feels more satisfying to me. That being said, I’m not fundamentally against episodes either. ▶️ For me, the real question is: what would be better for you? Would releasing episodes help you stay motivated, get feedback sooner, and avoid getting tired of the project? Or would it create more annoying work with testing, uploading, fixing, managing versions, and all that technical suffering? Since you were also considering Steam at some point, I wonder if episodes would mean even more paperwork and store-management headaches… but maybe also more regular visibility and income over time? So my selfish player preference would be: one complete, polished game. But if episodes are better for your motivation, sanity, and creative energy, then I’d support that too. The most important thing is whatever helps you keep the Reporter Trainer vibe alive without burning out. ^_^
Yeah, I honestly don't know what's going on with Twitter anymore. Maybe it's a new feature or something. The main thing I've noticed lately is that, since there's money involved now and people can monetize their posts, there are a lot of engagement-bait posts. :( As for Reporter Trainer, I also prefer to release the whole thing. But when development takes this long, it sometimes gets on my nerves. I think I'll just keep working on Reporter Trainer and maybe eventually release a demo or something. For this particular game, episodic releases might not be the best idea.
Look, whos back in the sunlight. 😜 Week already over? Damn thats fast. 🤣 U should ignore ur " guilt" to lick the princess unshould know, they become the whore for the whole town pretty fast...🤣 Go for the shy, silent one..😁
Yes, the days just fly by, huh? Also thank you for the relationship advice! Sounds about right! XD
Oh yeah I would rather wait until you finish it honestly. I've been following and supporting you long enough to have full trust in what you're making and what you make is ultimately always amazing :) Hmm but I also understand your concern as well with wanting to give people something to chew on while they wait, especially for holding onto supporters who may not have the same patience. 🤔 It's a really tough call though and I know sharing spoilers is not fun either. I'm in the same boat where you pour all of this energy into moving the work forward, and anytime you put making stuff you can post is also time taken away from the game. I think your Monday reports have been very affective "I'm still here" and is a cool glimpse into just what's happening with you.
Yeah, thanks. I'm glad to see you're going through the same thought process I am. Everything you said here pretty much matches how I feel. I think I'll just keep working for now. But in the future, I'd like to figure out a way to structure things so that an episodic release would be possible...
How about both why not just make a Beta build of Reporter Trainer would give you infos from tester and wouldnt strain you out in the long run
Yeah, a BETA build or a DEMO could be the way to go. I need to think some more on this.
You can release Reporter Trainer with a subtext, like " Reporter Trainer - April Saga ". Later you did another update/episode with it, you can release it with new subtext. " Reporter Trainer - Battle Turts", " Reporter Trainer - Cowabunga!" - Subtexts in Alphabetical order avoids confusion for new people. Inside the game, the player can have the option to play the " April Saga " portion, also move to new one if you keep all updates as one game. Or use the alphabetical order and release the episodes as each update. With having the subtext, it doesn't hurt anyone. And people who are not aware of your plans, don't think it as a promise for sequel episodes until you show work progress for the sequel episodes. And you can stop them at any version (if you want to move to another project), and people still be fine with it. [ Battle Turts rhymes with Battletoads - the game ]
Sounds interesting, but I realize now that it is something that I should have planned ahead of time XD
Depends - how far are you with the game? Are you able to tell if its 50% or maybe 80%? If you want to release next week, we can wait that much xD But if not, looking at the project for several months has built appetite. With single release, it will just be consumed like bing-watching entire season of favorite tv series. But with couple chapters, maybe it would evenly spread that nice taste for each smaller release? You don't have to slice it in 12 parts, it can be e.g. chapters 1-3 with their major arcs going on - then it would be easier from the story standpoint and to make the parts more even. Btw. And then, in unknown future, comes Mercenary Trainer with Ashelin Praxis! I won't be able to look patiently at weekly updates of that one - definitely slice it to episodes then xDDD Btw2. Dividing release to chapters/episodes doesn't have to divide the game mechanics. You can make it impossible to start in the middle, so with the final part it will result in full standalone game you wanted to be.
All valid points. Yeah, I got a bit too excited. The game needs to be fleshed out more before I can even think about episodic releases. Also, this particular game wouldn't work very well as an episodic release... I'll have to think about it some more. Releasing some kind of demo could be a good option, though. In general, an episodic structure has to be planned from the very beginning. This game was meant to be released as a complete experience, so turning it into episodes might actually hurt the final project. Also, if all goes well, I'd like to make that Ashelin game you mentioned after Reporter Trainer is completed. Things might change, but it's something I'm keeping in mind for now. I'd love to dedicate an entire game to the Jak universe. :)
To be fair, i liked Star channel, i think the concept was good and the execution of the channel itself was good overall, so i have Big hopes for this Game, if your "worst" Game was an OK then anything else Will be amazing, keep up My lord 🔥🔥
Ha-ha. Thanks, man. ^_^
Just do what you think is going to be best for the project, and maybe do a poll? It should give some good feedback of what people might want then again I'd say to go with your gut
Thanks. I appreciate you trusting my judgment in the end. The truth is that what's best for the project is to avoid releasing it while it's still in development. I shall give this some more thought...
Great job on recovering your account, fuing yahoo as for releases whatever you want, I don't have strong feelings
Thanks Ace. I appreciate you trusting me to do the right call :)
Episodes are ok if it will not end like star channer 34 and you chose to make visual novel out of it. It make me sad to this day.
With Star Channel, the plan was always to make it a visual novel. The clicky stuff in the first episodes was there because I didn't have the balls to go the full VN route from the beginning. I'm not saying it was the right choice, but it was something I wanted to do at the time. And it's also the only realistic way for me to get things done in a timely fashion. That being said, Reporter Trainer has a much more complicated structure than your regular VN. It's a bit of a mix between a VN, light resource management, and the Witch Trainer-style training for April. It's also planned from the get-go as a finished, self-contained story, unlike Star Channel, where the story is all over the place and only exists to facilitate educational scenes.
I'm not a huge fan of episodes. We see you putting in the work. I'd rather just be patient and have a finished project to enjoy
Yeah, I also prefer to release the finished product. But the thought is always in the back of my mind. What if I figured out a way to release a game episodically, adding new content with each installment without it feeling weird or ruining the experience for the player? To be honest, I'm not even sure it's possible, but I keep wondering. Anyway, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
Me? I Prefer a finished product rather than episodes. Maby do a poll?
To be honest with you, I think I know how such a poll would turn out: the majority would be against the episodic release idea, and rightfully so. I myself am only considering it because I keep telling myself that there is a way to do it so well that even people who thought episodic releases were a bad idea would go, "Oh, that actually works!" :)