Announce (1/2) Regarding the results of the practice and policies change

Good morning, it's Naenae here! 👋😌

First of all, this post is based on the upcoming survey, and if there is a majority in favor, the content will be applied... If there are many opposing or modifying opinions regarding the policy, we may discard or modify it accordingly. If the changes are confirmed with a majority in favor, they will be implemented starting from April 1st, including the adjustments to the character nomination plans and other changes that involve requests.

To sum it up so it’s clear even if you only read this:

1. Over the last two months, my practice has led to me being able to complete one drawing in 1-2 days.

2. Due to Gumroad's policy change, I can no longer sell R18 content. Therefore, I’m considering using Google Drive or MEGA for file downloads.

3. I will change from the previous 'character recruitment-voting' system to a 'character recruitment-random selection' system.

4. All content has been made accessible to the 500 Yen plan. However, the accessibility of past works depends on the survey results.

5. Looking forward to your participation in the plans!

The following content has been translated with the help of DeepL and GPT. Although it has been reviewed, there may be parts that differ from the intended meaning. Please keep this in mind while reading. Your understanding is appreciated.

Now, let's get to the main topic

1. About the Results of My Practice

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who continued to support me over these two months, despite it being for my personal reasons. Thanks to you, I've been able to complete a drawing in just one or two days.

However, the new method of working is not very suited for creating variations compared to before. In many cases, it might be faster to draw an entirely new pose. Despite this, the fact remains that it been fast - I managed to draw 7 illustrations from the 1st to the 15th of this month, and among them, I created variations for 2, although they were few. I even had days when I could draw one illustration per day.

Once again, thank you so much to everyone who supported my practice.

2. Regarding Gumroad's Guideline Changes

Firstly, regarding the hot topic of Gumroad's guideline changes, the sale of sexual content as done before is no longer possible. To address this, I am considering the use of Google Drive, MEGA, Dropbox, or leveraging my NAS for a personal server. The decision hasn't been made yet, but I will inform you once it's decided.

You might wonder, "Why are you hesitating? Just use something like Google Drive if you think of it."

With Gumroad, there was a useful feature that showed which sites the links were used on, allowing us to discern the use on illegal sites. Losing this feature makes it harder to deal with such issues, and I'm pondering if this new method is truly suitable. Of course, completely stopping this is not realistic or possible, but there are still parts I find hard to accept...

That's all about the Gumroad situation.

3. About the Main Policy Change

The content mainly involves the selection of characters.

I am planning to change the monthly 'Character Nominations – Character Voting' process to a 'Character Nominations – Random Selection' form, similar to what we did this month. Additionally, once a character is chosen, it will no longer be excluded from selection the following month. Another adjustment is that, with the elimination of voting, the deadline for nominations will be extended to the end of each month.

First, let’s discuss the advantages:

1. The most significant advantage is the possibility of lesser-known characters being chosen.

2. Since characters won't be excluded anymore, there’s a chance your favorite character might be selected each month.

3. Voting manipulation becomes impossible.

4. Without the need for voting, fatigue is reduced, and you won’t have to experience the disappointment of your favorite character receiving fewer votes.

5. It allows for quick response to newly trending characters.

However, there are also some issues:

1. The approach of random selection requires 'trust'.

2. There's a possibility of feeling greater disappointment if your favorite character is continuously not chosen.

3. There might be dissatisfaction due to the loss of voting rights.

4. There’s a chance that characters of no interest to you might be continuously selected.

But the previous method had its own set of pros and cons. Starting with the advantages:

1. It’s considered fair as the results are based on selections made by many people.

2. There’s the excitement of hoping your favorite character will be chosen.

3. The anticipation of waiting for the results can be enjoyable.

4.The same character is not drawn repeatedly, ensuring variety.

The problems with the old system included:

1. The voting system was prone to manipulation.

2. Experiencing significant disappointment when your favorite character received fewer votes.

3. Once your favorite character is excluded, it limits the opportunity for them to be featured again.

Personally, I've always thought that choosing the characters myself would be better than bearing the risk of vote manipulation. I've maintained this approach because I really appreciate and look forward to everyone's participation.

However, as I've come to a point where I can draw more than twice the number of illustrations compared to before, the question arises: 'Up to what rank should I draw?' Especially now, when working in the style I did this month, even top-ranked characters might not get their variants due to the new work process. So, I've been wondering, maybe this new approach could be better? That's why I'm proposing these changes.

This concludes my thoughts on the character selection process.

4. On Limitations of Nominations, Content Updates, and Tier Changes

Previously, the 500 yen plan offered access to variations of illustrations, while the 1000 yen plan included work videos and PSD files. Higher tier plans, however, lacked additional benefits beyond some old content access, essentially being overlooked.

Therefore, following the changes in nomination procedures, I've revamped the plan content. Before I discuss each plan's benefits, let me first talk about updates.

1. Access Permissions

Including the summary post from February to March, future posts will no longer have restricted access or be deleted like before. All content will be accessible with the 500 yen plan. 

Also, the practice of public posting will be discontinued. (Fanbox)

*Regarding past works, the survey will include a question on whether all previously posted content should be made accessible for the 500 yen plan. If over 75% agree, I plan to change the restrictions accordingly.

2. About PSD Files

Some supporters mentioned that receiving PSD files isn't very meaningful if they can't use graphic tools. So, I came up with the idea to develop a web interface based on browsers, which would allow the creation of variations locally. After discussing with GPT, it seems this is a feasible solution. Essentially, this means that you can create variations using a browser like Chrome, instead of needing Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint.

However, I must admit that web design is not my area of expertise, so this might take some time to develop. Additionally, since this solution would be reliant on being run locally, it could be limited by the specifications of your computer, and it wouldn't be applicable for those without a computer. As of now, this is just a plan and has not been implemented yet.

I'll keep you updated on any progress or good news regarding this development

3. Work Videos

Providing work videos might be challenging for a while. Some may suspect the I used AI or find it suspicious that suddenly complete one drawing a day. 

But, This is due to the poor compatibility between my new working method and Clip Studio Paint's time-lapse function.

My new method, which sacrifices layer management for speed, easily surpasses 100 layers even without variations, making it not good to match with time-lapse.

To resolve this, I considered recording with use a OBS. 

but there are several concerns: my selfie references for poses when drawing, potential personal information exposure, and the unwatchable nature of the video due to frequent zooming. Even if I only added mosaics and avoided speeding up the video, videos are over 15~25 GB per illustration. the size would be impractical.

So, I think until I find a way around these issues, I cannot provide work videos.

4. About Updates and Original Characters

The ultimate goal remains the same: 'Game Development' and 'Manga Serialisation.' But as game development is not yet realistic, I plan to create modern-style original characters first and practice with manga creation (expect it to be sexual content).

Monthly workflow will involve drawing characters nominated in the previous month from the 1st to around the 15th~20th, followed by original character illustrations and manga. 

Regarding update timings:

For drawings with variations (like recent Asuna or Hindenburg), upload them on the day of completion or the following day.

For drawings without variations or with only simple 1-2 variations, I'll determine a day and upload them all at once.

5. About Each Plan

1. 500 Yen Plan

Access to all content from February onwards. (Depending on the survey results, all past posts can be changing to available for viewing too.)

However, no longer be able to participate in character nominations as before.

2. 1000 Yen Plan

Same content as the 500 Yen Plan.

You can participate in character nominations.

3. 2000 Yen Plan

Same content as the 1000 Yen Plan.

I'm considering providing something additional, but as I'm still thinking about ideas, I welcome suggestions from supporters on this plan.

4. 5000 Yen Plan

Besides participating in character selections as in the 1000 Yen Plan, each person can make one 'request' per month.

However, this is not yet confirmed and is more like a 'possibility' under consideration.

The reasons for this are:

1. Character selections may become meaningless in some cases.

2. little benefit to me.

3. The process can be complicated.

4. Pixiv already offers a request feature, presenting a clear alternative. However, this would diminish the exclusive benefit of the 5000 Yen Plan.

Therefore, I have added these options to the survey:

a. allow request with conditional.

b. make a higher plan and make it possible for to do it every month without any conditions

c. use Pixiv's request function

d. I just want to support you with an expensive plan, so don't worry

The condition for option 'a' is something like, 'If you have requested once, you cannot request again for the next three months' to prevent confusion.

Option 'b' involves creating a plan around 10,000 Yen, but this may deter many due to its cost, so it's less likely to cause confusion.

Option 'c' involves using Pixiv's request feature, which might be more convenient for both sides. but 2000 & 5000 yen plan's benefit is not change as to before.

Option 'd' was added based on feedback I've received before; some supporters just want to support without worrying about additional benefits.

6. Seeking Your Support

I generally believe that discussing financial matters publicly isn't ideal, but I need to address this issue due to the changes being proposed.

What I’m seeking is your support through your participation in the plans.

After completing the commissioned work scheduled to start on the 20th of this month, I have no other bookings lined up. While I would prefer not to depend on commission work or continue taking new commissions, the inability to use Gumroad has put me in a financially tight spot. Abruptly stopping commissions now would only worsen my financial situation, so I am considering adjusting the benefits of my plans and adding more attractive options to the higher-tier plans.

However, everything depends on the outcome of the survey. If there is a majority opposition to these changes, I will continue with the current method of operation. With the current income from Patreon and Fanbox, I am only able to cover about 60-70% of my necessary expenses, including loan repayments and living costs. Therefore, if these changes are not implemented, I may have no choice but to continue accepting commissions.

That's all I wanted to convey for now. I will report back on the results of the survey around the 25th.

Thank you always for your support.

＊I hope there won't be a loooong notice in the future.🥺