Status update Episode 2
Added 2019-02-15 15:19:21 +0000 UTCAfter one week since the official launch I've received great feedback from patrons and I'm thrilled that you like the game.
Player feedback
I've been analyzing a lot of comments trying to figure out what I can improve upon. I'm very happy to see so many excited fans for this project!
Every fan has different wishes and thoughts; it is very easy to see that I never can please all of you. So, I will settle with what I believe is best for the game in the long run.
The minigames have been discussed a lot in the feedback.
88% of +$10 Patrons said they will play the game with minigames enabled and that makes me very happy as my survey before the release of BADIK showed that the majority of players don't like minigames in general.
The minigames aren't perfect and there has been some frustration with some of the gameplay elements.
First off, the minigames will be a lot easier to pass as time goes by and you fully upgrade boosters and cheats by buying them from Magnar and Derek.
That said, it shouldn't feel overwhelming at the start of the game. The changes I have decided to implement are the following:
For one, I will increase the English test timer with ~30% and see if that helps, yet remains challenging.
I will also find another way to make the "non-minigame" route receive the special renders you miss out on from not playing minigames.
I don't want minigames to be a chore that you endure just to see some extra pretty pictures. I want them to be something that you enjoy playing and that's why I'm making this change.
So for the minigame players, you will still get renders from playing minigames, but I will limit the number you can get in brawler, so it doesn't get tedious to play it every free roam.
Furthermore, I have fixed a bug with the Shuffle app that caused the board to be unsolvable at times. This fix will be included when Episode 2 is released.
Current Status
Currently, I'm hard at work on Episode 2. My strategy is to render animations early on. This gives me a lot of time to simultaneously write the script.
4 animations are completed thus far, and 14 animations are in the render queue.
Episode 2 has been given the title "Episode 2: Maggot Brothers".
I'm aiming to release big updates every time, because it's much more fun to play big releases, right?
This does of course mean that the development time increases per episode, in comparison to Acting Lessons that also was far less complex than Being a DIK, but I hope you all think it's worthwhile. I have a mental aim of 40 animations per Episode, but sometimes it will be more and sometimes perhaps less; it all depends on the story.
Poll winner and future polls
The first poll for Episode 2 just ended; +$10 patrons voted on the animation type to be featured for one of the main girls.
Boobjob won hands down in all polls, so I won't tally the final results. So, look forward to a secret main girl who might treat you with something special in Episode 2.
Today, I will release polls for which side girl who will be featured in the Special renders in Episode 2. Since Riona won for Episode 1, she is not included in the poll for Episode 2.
That means that either Cathy, Jade, Camila or Quinn will be the winner.
There will be a lot of polls, for Episode 2, in the near future. My plan is to continuously release new polls. The order of the polls is determined by my rendering needs.
Have a nice weekend!
Dr PinkCake
Comments
I actually didn't mind the english minigame difficulty. Its possible to bypass it if you struggle, and it's also possible to get bonuses that boost your grade to a passing game...plus, it reminds me of scrabble, which is good. Anyway, other than that, awesome game. I'd like to see more of Quinn or Josy, if possible. Followed by Camila, Jade and lastly, Cathy. But at the end of the day, all options look good anyway. Great game, by the way. Very exciting to see you raise the bar for VNs.
Remplier
2019-02-18 03:03:22 +0000 UTCMaybe the non minigame game is better for you? As I mentioned in the post, starting with episode 2, you can still get all rewards that the minigame route gets you but in a different way. That way you can just enjoy the story and the freeroam without being bothered by minigames. :)
DrPinkCake
2019-02-16 08:33:13 +0000 UTCThanks for the support Dracker Drap! I want the game to be enjoyable for as many as possible and that's only possible if I care about player feedback. Since it was the first release it's easier to change big things now than later, that's why early feedback is so valuable.
DrPinkCake
2019-02-16 08:30:40 +0000 UTCI really liked Acting Lessons but the name alone for BADIK kinda left me with a bad image of this game. I should have kept the faith, since I don't have to act like a DIK to play and its funny and fun. Your mini-games don't distract from the story (at least the ones i've seen so far). I have seen a few that require hand-eye coordination beyond my feeble abilities or just require me to hit the space bar repetedly for 30 seconds. Those are not fun. I think Derek is hillarious, so I don't miss Leon as much. Thank you - looking forward to the next installment.
Robert Maxwell
2019-02-16 06:50:44 +0000 UTCIt seems you really took everyone's considerations into heart. That's always great to see from a developer regardless of genre. I'm glad you're keeping the minigames in but also trying to find a way to have the non minigame players rewarded as well. I became a patron after playing through the first release of BADIK and judging by your communication and posts, I'll be a very happy patron for a long time to come. Keep up the good work!
Dracker Drap
2019-02-15 23:37:05 +0000 UTCGreat! Thanks a lot!
Bruce Vahl
2019-02-15 21:16:54 +0000 UTCIt's funny. I've worked this hard for almost a year now. It's become a standard of living. I know I'm working way more than I should, but I love doing this so it doesn't feel like a chore. That's why I think I can push this hard. But don't worry, I will take some off days when I know my PC can work uninterrupted to rest up once in a while. :)
DrPinkCake
2019-02-15 21:14:20 +0000 UTCI know there was a lot of feedback Doc, so thank you for taking the time to go through it. I know you can't change everything that folks bring up but it is appreciated that you do what you can. I for one definitely appreciate the time you put in to this project and making it an amazing piece of work that we will all enjoy. Even if it takes a little more time on the renders and animations that you plan to put into each episode. Thanks for letting us know!! But first and foremost, make sure you take time to rest and avoid burnout from working too hard. =D
Wolvy
2019-02-15 20:39:26 +0000 UTCI can raise the time limit for Shuffle as well. It is a little bit too tight, I agree. Renders are saved as persistent variables across playthroughs, so they won't be found again once you found them. :)
DrPinkCake
2019-02-15 19:05:44 +0000 UTCI'd like to point out that once a player has achieved a special render, it doesn't have to be found again, on any subsequent route or playthrough. Actually, it CAN'T be found again! It will remain in your render folder on the phone. By the way, I thought something was wrong with the game, when I couldn't access the phone anymore. Until I realized that the MC had lost it for a while. Nice touch! I see you intend to raise the time limit on the English mini-game. Could you also do that for the Shuffle app?
Bruce Vahl
2019-02-15 18:58:56 +0000 UTCCathy will be back, too.
DrPinkCake
2019-02-15 16:17:22 +0000 UTCOh hell yeah! My girl Josy coming back!
TheKryptonian
2019-02-15 16:13:02 +0000 UTCThank you so much, I'm so glad you liked my games. Josy will of course be appearing in Episode 2.
DrPinkCake
2019-02-15 16:05:09 +0000 UTCYou have become my favorite game developer and I must say Being a DIK is my favorite VN. If all future VNs will be this good you will have me as a patron for a long long time. Now on a side note I hope we get to visit Josy in the next episode because she is my favorite.
Sebah
2019-02-15 15:52:19 +0000 UTC
