I think Option 2 is best! You've built up quite a bit of a fanbase for Jack, so I think the feedback you'll get from an update will have a better chance at creating that feeling of accomplishment, while also giving your fans the opportunity to give constructive feedback (if you want it, of course!)
Ultimately though, it's whatever works best for you and helps you prioritize your mental health and creativity :)
Sorry for the late reply! I wanted to replay the game again so I could give the most accurate feedback possible, but my laptop broke. ๐ฅฒ Had to borrow my wife's Mac, RIP.
So, first off I have to say that I'm very impressed by how engaged you are with fans! I think it's a big deal when a creator hears some constructive feedback and actually wants to work to improve the areas that fans are struggling with while still maintaining the integrity of their creative vision. It speaks very well of your character and makes me even more excited to see this game completed; because I know that you and the team are working extra hard to make this game the best version of itself possible! Thank you~ I'm very glad to hear that you'll be implementing some illusory choices, and I can't wait to experience them firsthand!
As for ways to make the pixies seem less suspicious...the only suggestion I really have is to possibly make the pixies a bit less hostile towards Sev in the beginning. While I can see that that is simply their personalities (toned down even, yikes haha), the most red-flag aspect to me is how cruel they sometimes act in comparison to Shyloh; who (while definitely somewhat creepy) was always kind to Sev in their interactions. Some of the pixies (Helios and Merka in particular) were a bit too aggressive in the way they speak to Sev at times. This definitely makes sense in hindsight, but at the time had me shaking my head at Sev: 'Honey, why are you taking their verbal abuse when baby boy is right over there? ๐'.
However, I do want to emphasize that I don't think it's completely necessary to change the way they speak to Sev. I think adding the illusory choice to go with the pixies at the start will go a long way towards reducing the impact of the red flags they're initially giving off. On subsequent playthroughs, I was picking up on hints and dialogue that I was simply unable to in my first playthrough due to the fact that I was focusing so heavily on my frustration with the lack of a choice at what felt like a very pivotal scene. For example: in my first playthrough I found it very suspicious that the others weren't even slightly concerned with helping Helios when Shyloh grabbed him, but on my second playthrough, I realized that Helios literally explains why afterwards! I just wasn't paying attention the first time because I was hyperfocusing on my frustration. ๐คฆโโ๏ธ
I hope this all makes sense; if there's anything you're confused by, please don't hesitate to ask me to elaborate! This ended up much more long and rambly than I intended, haha. Anyway, thanks for hearing me out! Each time I play this demo, I get more and more excited for the full release! I will definitely be playing every single route at least once, but Shyloh's will absolutely be getting played at least a dozen times, I'm calling it now ๐
Just played for the first time, and I am very impressed so far! The story is very interesting and all of the characters in the painting feel like characters I would have made up as a kid (twist included!!) so it felt incredibly cathartic to read and definitely got me invested. xD
I will say that I agree with RinRan below completely. The most frustrating thing for me while playing was Sev's naivety, which I can understand to a certain extent. You do a good job conveying how sheltered they were by their family so it makes sense that they don't know who to trust and aren't picking up on certain details in their interactions with the pixies. That being said, it's very frustrating as a player to not have a choice during what feels like a very pivotal moment (going with the heros or staying with the villain), especially when we get to make very minor choices leading up to that moment and then getting to make the same choice later on in what feels like a less meaningful moment. I agree with RinRan that an illusory choice would be ideal in this situation where the outcome is ultimately the same, but still leaves the player feeling in control of Sev and the story.
I'm so excited to see what else you have in store for us, particularly with Kai and Rosario. It feels like there's a lot to them lurking below the surface and I'm excited to learn more! Regardless, as long as best baby boy Shiloh is involved, I can't be disappointed~๐
Still running into issues unfortunately. I wiped my file folder again to be on the safe side, however while playing the nsfw version I got the 'exception has occurred' page at the end of Day 1 just before the nsfw scene would have played. Please see below for the error that I received. While the game file now correctly downloads to my pc as version 2.2, I'm still not seeing any of the changes that were mentioned in the devlog.
While running game code:
File "game/script.rpy", line 2910, in <module>
NameError: name 'nsfw' is not defined
Let me know if you need more info :) I'm sorry if this is causing you any grief. I've been absolutely amazed with everything you've accomplished with this vn and I can't wait to see where you go with it! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Didn't think I would need to take those steps since the file was still landing on my pc as the old 2.0 version, but I gave it a try! Can confirm that I wiped my old file folder and was running a blank slate. Unfortunately when I downloaded this time, it still landed on my pc as 2.0 and none of the new features mentioned in the update devlog were present.
Yesssssss~ I knew I saw some glimpses of unhinged devotion in there! (The stalking by proxy as an example) It's so exciting to find a story that is interested in exploring the relationship between two beings who do not necessarily share the same ideas or values when it comes to romance. Nothing drives me crazier in fiction than when you have a character who is non-human, but would be entirely human otherwise if it weren't for their odd appearance.
I do wish we had a better term for this sort of character. I love yanderes, but it does feel like the concept has become overly bloated with subgenres and sometimes leads to confusion among fans. Not to mention that an all-consuming love that prioritizes the other over the self has existed in literature since...pretty much forever.
Please don't feel pressured to categorize your characters in any way that doesn't feel right to you! I and many others already adore everything we've seen of Jack so far! You have a real talent for crafting stories and characters, thank you so much for sharing it with us!
This game absolutely consumed my life for 2 days straight. I don't really have anything to add that wasn't already said, but I just had to let you know how much I enjoyed this game and happily paid for the DLC within the first 2 minutes of playtime. I would LOVE to see more DLC, especially if there was some R18 content involved, but more than anything I just want to spend more time with Grim: the most literal personification of the word 'babygirl' I have ever had the privilege to witness~
1) What do you mean? This game is geared towards every group except lesbians (and even then, this lesbian still adores how much of a babygirl Grim is~)
2) There's a LOT of otome games out there (both paid and free) that you can play. And if there's something specific you want to see, you should try making a game yourself. This type of comment can be very disheartening for creators who put a lot of time, energy, and themselves into their games. I'm assuming you are coming from a sincere and well-meaning place, but unless a creator specifically asks for what type of games their audience wants them to create, it's kinder not to say things like this.
I absolutely adore your games, but I do have to give some light criticism with this update.
As a player, it becomes frustrating when I set my character's appearance, then I find out later that the options provided were not just cosmetic, but have actual consequences that lead to death later in the game no matter what I do, thus forcing me to start over from scratch. I think if the death had come up very soon after setting the appearance, it wouldn't have been as frustrating and would have been a good indicator that I should consider my options more carefully. Setting the death later on in the game feels like an unfair punishment, if that makes sense?
I don't want this to come across as unjust criticism and if you have a reason for this particular death end, I would be very glad to hear it. I apologize if you did already state as much somewhere and I just didn't see it. The only answers I found were on your most recent walk through, which simply stated that my chosen dress was what led to that particular death end.
Thank you for hearing me out and thank you for developing these incredible games! I'm not actually a very big fan of Undertale and have never played it before, but your games are just so well written with such interesting branching paths, I can't help but to keep coming back for more! All the best~
I have to say that I am very impressed, especially considering that this is your first VN. I absolutely love what we've seen of Jack so far! He's tooth-rottingly sweet, with a hint of sinister that comes from being a member of a species with a reputation for unhealthy (by human standards) courting habits. I always love seeing fiction that tackles the fair folk, and so far I am loving your depictions of them! I'm also just loving the vibe~ there's something very unique about the style of this VN, which I love to see!
Congrats on publishing your first chapter! I can't wait to see where you take us next~
Haha thank you~ I love floofy sweet animals so this game is right up my alley ^w^
Finished playing through all the endings and voice versions last night, and this game really exceeded my expectations, especially for a game completed in a month (how did you do that you are a GOD among puny mortals we are not worthy)!!
The design of the Buns is just *so* good, I am pretty hard fem typically, but ya'll made me of all people jealous of their gender! The fem vocalists did a beautifully incredible job, but I do have to give a special "OMG my HEART" to the mascs. They really took the script and sprinted to the heavens with it! And the SCRIPT...was so damn good. You really hit that difficult balance of sugary sweet and subtly sinister~ Definitely my fave version of yandere and you completely nailed it! You also tackled a really difficult subject in a way that didn't feel alienating and instead was very sincere and honest...if that makes sense. Though I definitely wasn't expecting the twist, it all made perfect sense and your intentions were very clear to me in the end. The soundtrack was wonderful -especially the vocal tracks- they fit the vibe perfectly and I seriously can't get the main theme out of my head! And I gotta say, all the effort you clearly put into the timing of expressions with the script, hit just soooooo Good~ There was obviously a lot of care, love, time and effort put into this sweet little game and I can't thank you enough for sharing it!! I get it if you get busy or you need to take time for yourself, but I'll definitely be keeping my fingers crossed for a Blythe? route update!
Thank you thank you THANK YOU again~<3
Oh my lordy, these 2 Buns have a complete stranglehold on me~ Thank you so much for this game, I had no idea how desperately I needed it in my life! TwT
Will leave some more concrete feedback once I've had the chance to play through the whole thing. I just really needed to say 'thank you' asap!! Much love~
Oh nooooo, this IF is already *SO* good!!! ๐ I am absolutely in love with both Desi and Sam~ I can already tell that Desi is just gonna completely melt my heart and honestly there are very few things sexier than a cynical Demon in your head lol
Your writing is lovely and I'm really excited to see where this super interesting plot of yours goes! Please keep up the incredible work! I'll be over here, waiting patiently, but so very eagerly~
