Episode 6 Options

[Wolfschadowe]

Hello everyone,

With my one week dev stop, plus getting caught up with real life work after being out for a week for the funeral and related family business, the Inclusion content won't be ready by the end of August.

I would like to open discussions on what to do. I'm not doing a vote this time as I'm more interested in opinions and feedback, then I'll make the decision.

Option 1 - Delay
Delay S1EP6 until September end.

Release Schedule (Subject to change):
Sept S1EP6 - Inclusion content [Azumi + Natalie content + Jasmine content]
Dec S1EP7 - Thursday Bar [Faith + Emily content]

(tentative)
Mar S1EP9 - Dance Club [Natalie + Jasmine content]
June S1EP9 - Emily Date Night (or Thursday Strip Club + Campus) [Emily content]
Sept S1EP10 - Thursday Strip Club + Campus (or Emily Date Night) [Faith + Natalie + Azumi + Emily content]
Dec S1EP11 - Season 1 Finale part 1
Mar S1EP12 - Season 1 Finale part 2
Jun - Break time
Sept S2E01 - Season 2 Opening

Pro's: More time to tune and tweak the logic. More time for testing. More time for Translation.
Con's: Another fucking delay!

Option 2 - Swap
Release EP6 next week with alternate content from content in the holding bin. Including a meeting on Campus with Azumi, and picking up Emily at her apartment. Move the inclusion content to EP7 for release in November. (The campus scene was originally planned to release in about 2-3 episodes, along with the Thursday Strip Club.

Aug S1EP6 - Campus + Emily Pick-up
Nov S1EP6 - Inclusion content [Azumi + Natalie content + Jasmine content]
Feb S1EP7 - Thursday Bar [Faith + Emily content]

(tentative)
May S1EP9 - Dance Club [Natalie + Jasmine content]
Aug S1EP9 - Emily Date Night (or Thursday Strip Club + Campus) [Emily content]
Nov S1EP10 - Thursday Strip Club + Campus (or Emily Date Night) [Faith + Natalie + Azumi + Emily content]
Feb S1EP11 - Season 1 Finale part 1
May S1EP12 - Season 1 Finale part 2
Jun - Break time
Sept S2E01 - Season 2 Opening

Pro's: New content immediately (Mostly story), Additional inclusion content from the Campus scene in EP7
Con's: Delay of expected content from Inclusion. Possible disappointment from Story only content in EP6.

Let me know your thoughts.

[JFR]

It looks like Option 2 would be rather disappointing, just shoving out some less interesting material in order to avoid yet another delay whereas the other option (#1) would provide a more satisfying chunk of gameplay, albeit a little later. It would also give us the highly anticipated Thursday bar scenes this year rather than waiting until next.

My two cents would be that after the extensive and repeated delays already - Episode 6 was originally planned for April, May. June, then July, August and now September - a disappointing mash-up of spare material shoved out the door just to get something out on time would be a little like adding insult to injury. After the extensive delays, I feel like I want it to be great, not substitute stuff.

I'd rather wait a bit longer and get the "good stuff" as originally planned. It is frustrating, yes. Another delay is not welcome news. But real life sometimes interferes with our hobbies. A death in the family certainly qualifies as real life. If the next release had come at the same time I had such an emergency, I would certainly have put the game on hold for as long as it took to deal with life. I don't see you doing the same as being any different.

Perhaps you could placate the patrons, or even all of the users of this forum, by re-instituting the "teaser image" threads. Like an appetizer before a meal, give everyone a little something to quiet the hunger pangs. Dribble out an occasional image or two or some other "insider stuff" to keep us happy while you properly finish the work.

JMHO.

[Lucii3n]

It's only one month, so for me i prefer the option 1 ... Pending is very difficult for me but i prefer to wait and have a fantastic episode like always...

But i'm ok with JFR for the little something xD

[d22249]

Option 1. I was going to suggest moving the release to September anyway to get back to the old quarterly release schedule. One of the other selling points for option 1 is I like the proposed release schedule.

IIRC you probably wouldn't have done the "all hands on deck" inclusion if you knew you had to do most (all?) of the rendering your self.

There hasn't been much grumbling. I think you were smart to go with a only pay when content released model rather than a monthly pay model on patreon. It really cuts down on the hate mail.

[Fenrir Darkwolf]

Hi Wolfshadowe, first I beg you to accept my sincere condoleance. My opinion aim to the first option. I prefer waiting another month and have a game with a structured story. Plus like you only take the pledges on patreon when an episode is out, I can't say : " I've paid so, release it now !" (even if I will never say that.). The only thing I want, is that you continue to work on BEW with serenity and regularity and this, without putting aside your family life.

[Blutrabe5000]

Another vote for Option 1. Yes, it's another delay - but I think taking the time to release the scope of content as originally planned is worth it.

[elk998]

Option 1 sounds better to me. Better to have a delay and get a good release than a patch work.

[Wolfschadowe]

Better to have a delay and get a good release than a patch work.

Just to clarify, Option 2 wouldn't be a patchwork. The campus scene is about 120 pages of content that continues the Natalie Corruption path through Thursday evening, leading to the Thursday Night Strip Club scene. It's fully developed, rendered and tested, and is a logical next step in Natalie's story. The Emily Apartment scene is 57 pages of fully developed, rendered and tested content that continues the Emily Only path into Thursday evening, leading to the dinner scene and Movie scene. Again, it's a logical next step in Emily's story.

Those two scenes are about the same size as the Inclusion content. Remember, that the inclusion content is just a tip of the iceberg. It may not seem like much work if you go by page count, but keep in mind that I had to rewrite the entire game logic from Wednesday night through Tuesday Night of Episode 3, and the game and models to account for the new NPC's and interactions. This was the main workload and was highly complex. Also, it needed to be done before full storyboarding and rendering could start. Really, I underestimated the amount of work it would be to do the inclusions, and overestimated the amount of time I'd have to commit to the game.

With all that said though, We are positioned well for the rest of the game, and most of the complex work is done. To give an idea of complexity, one of our testers, Crossy, has written over 1700 automated test scripts just to test the game through part of Thursday's office scene. Thanks Crossy!

After the inclusions ship, a majority of the work for future scenes will be finalizing storyboards, and writing and rendering.

[JFR]

Let me propose a new action. Why don't you poll your development team (or maybe just yourself) and release whichever option will best fit into your workflow and move your progress forward. If it would help you to devote more time to the inclusions by releasing the already completed material in Option 2, then do that. I'll be happy with whatever will help move the game along best. When I looked at the options, I was looking ahead to Episodes 7 and 8, which looked to be later in Option 2. I was also looking forward to Jasmine and Azumi being bigger parts of the story. On the other hand, I am definitely on Team Natalie so any option that moves her story along will make me happy. Actually, I want both. But that option doesn't help you much.

Just do your game your way. We'll like it whichever way you choose to go.

[buster23]

I'm down for Option 1. However, JFR has a valid point.

[OpineegChipp]

Definitely put me down for option 2. I'm chomping at the bit and eager to see more if only story or not. I won't be disappointed and perhaps it will relax your schedule if just a bit in consideration of recent events. What ever you decide to do, I believe it will all turn out great because you rock!

[Shepard]

I think Option 1 is the better choice, here. I much rather wait a little bit more to get the inclusion content (I was eagerly waiting for Jasmine and Azumi, mind you) than getting it swapped. Also, due to how important this content is to the overall game, the sooner we get this out of the way, the better.

[PlayNiceNow]

I'll take option 1 myself. I've been waiting on the inclusion content since I first heard about it and another month waiting will be well worth seeing it sooner, and with this option we get new content on a earlier schedule than the alternative.

[tonytj87]

I say get it out buddy. As you said the main content is there. If nobody else wants it now i'll happily test it I love this game!

[Ralcen]

If I understand it right, the main difference is that in Option 1 we have to wait a month for the inclusion because you need more time for it.
In Option 2 you would take another scene first and the inclusion in November so that you would have plenty of time for it! Right????

And if the quality is the same, I would vote for opt 2, because we would get a great new scene and you would have the time you need.

A win win situation!