I definitely appreciate the sentiment!
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!