Update: Inching Closer
Added 2023-08-23 20:06:06 +0000 UTCThanks so much to everyone who voted in the poll. Based on the results I will most likely change the updates to public - maybe from the start of the work I did on 0.5.2 going forward - but that's a whole other job to do, and right now I'm focussed on getting this update finished.
Speaking of which, I'm not sure if you've taken a peek at the About page recently, but I've been adding in a little progress bar graphic to show how close I'm getting to finishing. Just updated it again!
But in case you can't be bothered to click the link, here's a recap:
Heather and Jennifer second quests are now done in first draft (they just need some polish, plus I need to add in and double-check all the extra little event flags and whatever, to make sure that the scene is totally set for whatever comes next). I've got most of the stores stocked with 'core items' now - although these still need a LOT more stock, something I plan to keep adding too with each subsequent update, don't worry - and I've got the sex display stuff and one test hook up just about working as planned (although again it needs some tweaks and polish).
The next main thing to do - apart from playtesting the hell out of it - is adding back in the Amy liquor quest and subsequent (rewritten) cut scene that happens. if you remember, it's hanging out in her room, playing a drinking game, and this time it'll lead to the sex game I already shared ...
One other thing I wanted to update you all on is the following: i'm working flat out, trying my hardest to maintain a monthly (or thereabouts) update schedule, and I figure that once I have the main Amy, Heather and Jennifer scenes done, maybe that's the time to push out 0.5.2. Originally I wanted to add in a bunch of other fun stuff - the shady alley, the adult bookstore gloryhole booths, another (male) hookup in the nightclub - and I do still intend to work on those ASAP, but how would you all feel about getting them in say 0.5.3 instead? It's honestly about another week's work and if I shifted those extras back to the next update I could hopefully get a playable build out to you in a few days and, all being well, push the public update out around the end of this month! I dearly want to keep momentum up on Girl Games, and I feel like maybe this is the way to go -- essentially adopting more of a 'release early, release often' approach, rather than leaving another longer gap again -- but I'd like to hear other opinions.
I'd originally posted this with a request for thoughts in the comments, but actually another poll seems much easier! So yeah, vote away!
Comments
Yeah, exactly. I hope it's kinda clear from these posts, but I'm really trying to think about this long-term. Obviously in a perfect world I'd be able to work on this full-time and get an absolute ton of stuff done with each update, that would be totally free of bugs, full of new content, etc. But I've already started thinking about this in terms of UI and bug optimizations, too - each release will hopefully iron out a few of the kinks. And each release will hopefully add in some fun extras, too - items in shops, extra side content - as well as the main big 'chapter' content updates (which are the 'main' updates of each version). I think I have a tendency to get carried away and excited and make huge promises, i.e. "Version 0.5.2 will have x, and y, and z, and also ... whatever!!!" and I do still want to include as much as possible. But I also don't want to make the mistake of just waiting so long that the game drops off the map again, and it seems like regular updates is the way to go in terms of keeping the momentum going. Hopefully I can strike a good balance on this release!
Dana Savage
2023-08-24 09:49:36 +0000 UTCTry to think of it in terms of an “agile release train” even if you didn’t finish your main goal by release date, you still usually do some other stuff that ads value to the end user, like bugfixes or minor optimizations.
Vik
2023-08-24 09:42:20 +0000 UTC