Poll: If/when I end up having a bigger budget, other than the art, what should I try to improve the quality of?
Added 2022-06-15 23:36:34 +0000 UTCThat’s a question I’ve been asking myself for a while now. It’s a bit hard to tell what people prioritize, even more so when it comes to porn games. I’ve been mainly focusing on the art aspect by adding animations/more CG sets, but there’s a limit to what I can upgrade/change on that front (unless I do something drastic like changing the artists, but that wouldn’t be a good idea at this stage).
It might not look like it, but I always try to make my games feel more than just porn. I invest time on things that might very well not be worth it. I want it to be an experience; that’s really important to me. So if I have a chance to create a better product, I obviously want to take that opportunity. The problem is that I don’t want to use a part of my budget—budget that I acquired because of you guys—for something that no one cares about.
So I decided to make this poll just to get a feel of what the majority think on the matter. It can also help me find ideas for goals to add to the page. Or, at the very least, it will help me plan better for when I work on new projects.
Sound effects
I think this is extremely underrated. Good SFX can really set the tone of a scene, and it also helps visual actions that are not properly (if at all) illustrated. Right now, I mainly use free sounds available on the internet that I edit a little, but sometimes the recording is subpar and it can also be very hard to find specific sounds for my need.
Music
Music is obviously important. It can elevate a great story to something memorable. For most of my projects, I’ve hired composers, though I always had difficulty expressing what I want—music is such an abstract art—which oftentimes led to disappointment. Since The Edge Of, I’ve transitioned to buying packs of music with pieces that I feel fit my need. It’s a lot less costly (since custom music can go from 50$ to 100$ per minute depending on the composer), but consequently, it can be a lot less satisfying and special.
Background
Backgrounds are extremely expensive. They can easily be 100$ a piece, and you need a lot of them if you want to portray a story properly. I wouldn’t be able to create such a big project if it weren’t for packs of backgrounds that can be bought online. I only hire an artist for specific backgrounds when there’s nothing available on the internet. It does make the universe a bit more bland since I can’t properly show my vision, but then again I don’t think the cost is justified when it comes to something as boring as corridors or roads.
GUI
I’ve always done the game interfaces myself, so of course there’s a lot to be desired there. Still, I think as long as it’s clean and minimalist, I’m personally satisfied. But that’s just me.
Still art, always art
In the end, I’m guessing most people would still prefer to have better art over anything else. It’s a porn game after all, so that’s fine. I know there’s a lot of improvement to be made there. I’m just not an artist, so I feel like I lack the type of intelligence needed to give another dimension to scenes. I guess I need to work more on it.
Comments
Music effects sets the mood in opening then continuation and sound is impact. Your work has shown it in Promise, tense song for tense moment of Laura then amplified with sound effects "oof, that hurts" easy to go overboard though. I wish for more NTR from you please. Maybe short stories? Background is about bringing life to the atmosphere, only can improve so much. GUI... nothing much unless you're going away from VN though it can be more expansive like "go left/right/ explore". Art is the is the most important because this is the most engaging with viewers and what we would want. I like how you did with "revealing scene" moving from one part to another then whole revelation, eye point of view. (speaking with no proper understanding this point) Maybe consider the lighting/shades of brightness? as to put some depth, example most karaoke rooms are bit dim.
Nutting The Rueful
2022-06-23 19:11:06 +0000 UTCPeople are more interested then you think. And those who are not - they dont care, they just dont read it and wait for the next update. Well the use of such posts would of course always be a spoiler of a certain extend. But hey, if thats not your thing or style please dont feel like yu need to do something like that. This was just a suggestion.
Pete
2022-06-20 11:07:06 +0000 UTCI would like to post more and be more engaged, yes, but at the same time, I just want to post if I have something to say. Most often than not, even for the monthly CG previews, I don’t have much to say because I always try to avoid any type of spoilers. In order to explain what I’m working on, or my thoughts on the story/characters, I would have to go into spoiler territory, and that’s not really my style. Also, it’s always hard to tell whether people are actually interested in my point of view/what I have to say. I feel like I’m annoying just by running those semi-meaningless polls now and then.
hangovercat
2022-06-19 07:02:30 +0000 UTCif I may suggest something: Weekly updates or teasers on your patreon page would be nice. Like N_Taii does with his PoLs (Proof of Life posts) on every monday each week. The teasers dont always have to feature lewd stuff and those posts dont need to be very lengthy, but maybe give a little insight in what u are doing atm and at the same time serve to tease a little bit. This way you keep very excited and impatient patreons (like myself) busy while waiting for the next update... just a proposal though, take it or leave it ;) (I personally would like to have something comparable)
Pete
2022-06-17 20:30:59 +0000 UTCInvest in a new GPU for faster rendering ;)
Pete
2022-06-17 08:56:57 +0000 UTCI pretty much agree with the other posters: concentrate on art first and then sound second. The other stuff listed isn't as important in my opinion.
LinenZero
2022-06-16 15:33:55 +0000 UTCI voted sound, reason being that art is already quite good. Only way i can see it improve without making the 'old' cgs outdated is maybe adding more CGs like you do already to previous random events. ^^
Artimec
2022-06-16 09:08:55 +0000 UTCI’m pretty big on sounds. I think if the art is in a solid spot, more unique sounds and music will help set this game apart. I’ve played a fair share of porn games, and I notice the same sounds used again and again across different games (which is understandable considering the cost). When I hear good, quality sounds that I’ve never heard before, it makes the game feel a lot more professional and often makes the scenes more enjoyable. Personally I really enjoy a good ejaculation sound (however unrealistic it may sound).
AhegaoLover
2022-06-16 08:25:01 +0000 UTCArt first, sound effects second. I didn't really care for sound effects before but when done right, it makes the game feel so much more alive. I think you're doing great with that btw.
Ffr0v
2022-06-16 03:31:14 +0000 UTCAlways Art. In my opinion, art and story are the two most important aspects of VNs. Especially in terms of increasing popularity, art can be said to be the gate of the game. When people recommend a game to friends, it is easier to attract them in a short time with a few beautiful CGs than to describe how wonderful the plot is in words.
2022-06-16 01:55:22 +0000 UTCJust keep doing what you've been doing.
Spojenko Sparlic
2022-06-16 01:25:12 +0000 UTC
