For those unfamiliar with the VN genre, it's common for longer works to be released in an episodic format, examples: Umineko or Higurashi. Similar to a Telltale game series, the game is released over several smaller releases. However, unlike Telltale, each 'episode' is long enough to constitute a smaller VN of its own.

Walkerman's acts are each organized around a benchmark of about 5-6 hours of playtime (average reading speed), culminating in 25 hours for the whole series. Each act also features a unique combat segment, and additional illustrations/art assets. However, since many assets are going to be re-used throughout the series (mainly character sprites, backgrounds), we didn't feel comfortable charging an equal price for them.

Pricing is as follows:
Act 1: $6.99
Acts 2-5: $2.99 each

The end result is a $20 dollar Visual Novel that should give the average reader 25-30 hours of playtime for a single play-through. 

Because this was a common question throughout the development process, I decided to pin this to the discussion board. Hopefully this avoids any issues with players who feel uncomfortable with episodic releases, and would prefer to wait until a series is finished before starting play.

That being said: enjoy Act 1, and I look forward to completing the series together.