Response to exit servey:
Added 2017-12-13 01:23:08 +0000 UTCI've seen a lot of exit serveys, especially this last week. Exit surveys is something that I can see, but I get no notices, and it never tells me who left a comment.
Typically, I receive a response that someone selected from a drop down menu, on rare occasion I receive a few words as well ("New Fees" has been a popular comment this last week, seen quite a few of those.) but I have to say that this is the first time I've ever received something so detailed.
Lacking the ability to message the person directly, I figure this is the next best way to reply would be to do it through a post on the grounds that a couple of the things I have to say may prove relevant to others.
Here is the message:
"I have found myself, after several starting playthroughs for Inheritance that I simply won't be able to continue playing it. And since Wanton Cove is basically done, that leaves me with a game that I don't want to play. Why can't I play Inheritance? The opening is just too harsh. I realize you wanted to set up the uncle as "the worst kind of monster," being a sadistic torturer who, if they weren't dead, should be in jail forever for the heinous crimes they've committed... and then the Protagonist comes in, and 1/3 to 1/2 of the choices are, "continue to be an asshole to these broken, abused women." It'd be like if you wrote a game where you save a dog from a dog-fighting ring, only to give you the option to toss them right back into it. Of course, I realize that this is a fantasy world, a game, it's not real. But, this is supposed to be an erotic game, right? I'm supposed to want to have sex with these women. It's kinda somewhat the point. But there's nothing that kills my boner than seeing someone being abused, and then just giving you the option to continue the abuse. Why those girls haven't just jumped off the roof, I will never know. Now, I don't want you to think that I feel you're a bad person. I certainly do not. You've simply created something that I've found that I don't necessarily want to support. I realize it's just a dollar, and I could continue on, but I have other creators that I would like to support now with that dollar. By the way, I want to say that you are the most-responsive creator, by far. Multiple daily updates about what you're doing is just fantastic. Most of the others give me maybe weekly, at best, or often just once or twice a month. So I think you're doing it best in terms of responsiveness to your backers, and you should be applauded for that. "
First, I don't know how long you have followed, but thank you for doing so. I know that sometimes people need to move on, and I wish you nothing but the best moving forward. I hope that you some day return, either for the sake of continuing to follow Wanton Cove, or because a future project brings you joy. Regardless, there are free versions of all of my projects, so I hope that you will continue to follow and enjoy any of my games that interests you.
Regarding Wanton Cove itself: Yes, the main narrative is nearing completion, however there is still a LOT of room for growth. Even as I write the scene that ends the game, I am planning out a story involving Azumi's mother, and that is only the first of three stories I plan to tell for sure that will run parallel to the main narrative. Once those are done, only then will I be willing to declare the game complete, and if there is interest in it, there are probably a dozen more stories I have planned should people want to see the game continue to grow. Rest assured that while the main story may be in its final stages, there will be much more to explore before our journey is done.
Regarding Inheritance: I do believe that's the first really negative review that I've seen for Inheritance. I thank you for sharing your honest thoughts on Inheritance. It amazes me how often I will hear someone say something negative, but then never give a reason for it. Your taking the time to reply in detail goes to show both the depth of your feelings on the matter as well as allowing me to see what you see as shortcomings in my work. And having someone share what they think does not work allows me to work to fix it on the occasions that I agree with their assessment. In the case of Inheritance, I think that the darker elements are important because the only way to truly appreciate the wonder and beauty in anything is if you also can see how bright that beauty shines against the darkness around it.
I'm a little sad to hear that the darker elements in Inheritance will prevent you from playing, but I thank you for giving it a try regardless. Inheritance is intended to offer a contrast of actions, allowing anything from a continuation of their lifestyles all the way to a loving relationship. I personally prefer the more nurturing content, and that's where the bulk of my work will remain for quite some time. My intent through the intro was to provoke a sense of compassion and protectiveness in the player, and from many of the messages I have received regarding the game, I believe that goal has been achieved (I've heard from several people who said they intended to approach the game as a typical slave maker game, only to find themselves unable to do any harm to the girls and want nothing more than to make the girls happy. I even saw a short discussion on one site about the moral high ground of either rejecting her advances the first night vs making beautiful love to her. I consider that a win.) While I do intend to include access to some darker content within the game for people with those leanings, the primary goal for the game is to tell a tale of hope, love, and redemption that will fill the girls' world with wonder and happiness.
Thank you for the message, I appreciate the thought and time that you obviously put into writing it. I am happy to know that Wanton Cove has brought you joy, and I am equally sad to hear that Inheritance fails to bring you that same sense of fulfillment. I am however very thankful that for however long you have followed, that Wanton Cove was able to be a bright spot in your life that you felt was worth supporting.
May you find other games that bring you every bit as much joy as mine have, and may your journey through life bring you happiness, . . .
Comments
I thank you very much for your generosity. I tend to be pretty diverse in my interests. Wanton Cove actually came about with a discussion that started with "What kind of game should I try making? Something that hasn't been done a lot?" With a reply along the lines of "Eh, I've never seen much erotic horror." and me deciding, "Why not?" And the rest is history. I enjoy horror, but its something I tend to enjoy more when I'm broody and even then in moderation. Inheritance in contrast is my "Feel good" story. ;) Very happy to hear that you enjoy Inheritance so far. I openly admit that Teaching Feeling has inspired the feel of the game (And I've even placed a couple of little easter eggs for fun, kind of a nod to a game that I love) and I can honestly say that Teaching Feeling is one of my favorite games. I can only hope that Inheritance brings people a fraction as much joy as Teaching Feeling does.
Aftermath Team
2017-12-16 04:03:13 +0000 UTCA fair number of people hear saying inheritance isn't for them, which is fair. But hear are my feelings to add some balance. After playing; "Teaching Feeling: Life with a slave" I was looking for more like it, and found inheritance. While there isn't much content to inheritance yet I feel confident that there will be, and that I will enjoy it. After trying inheritance I tried wanton cove, which honestly isn't my cup of tea. Supernatural horror doesn't really do it for me. But the care and attention that's been put into WC was clear, and its history of development inspired confidence in me that inheritance wouldn't be abandoned. So I decided that it was worth putting down a couple of dollars a month to see where inheritance goes. I am really looking forward to it.
2017-12-16 03:26:29 +0000 UTCI have my moments
Elysion
2017-12-15 03:53:25 +0000 UTC"The setting is art, just right in its own twisted and contextually evil way." That might just have been the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said about Wanton Cove, . . .
Aftermath Team
2017-12-15 03:48:36 +0000 UTCI tried Inheritance, so far I personally don't enjoy the setting too much but since it's still early in development it may change later. I am really here for Allure of Wanton Cove, the setting is art, just right in its own twisted and contextually evil way. That's just what I like. But with that plan for a post apocalyptic game which sounds very promising so I'm sticking around ;)
Elysion
2017-12-15 03:42:03 +0000 UTCThis. So well put. You can't take away free will without making your choices largely meaningless.
Aftermath Team
2017-12-14 16:10:30 +0000 UTCI have only experienced one game that has had options that I felt would be so heartbreaking to do, even in a game, and that game is 'free cities' the 'turn them into a fuckdoll' option, that is gruesome when you really think about the implications of that decision, but damn do I love that that decision is there, because my decision to not make a slave into a fuckdoll only bears weight because I have the decision to make a slave a fuckdoll. So in inheritance... that I can be a sadistic evil manipulating prick of a pig in human skin, actually makes it meaningful not to be and vica versa ofcourse. Think about Fallout 4 as an example, the children faction, you are not able to kill them, to just brutaly murder the bunch of brats who are so irritating, and therefore it is irrelevant to take action to be nice to them. You are forced to be nice to them and that feels hollow!
waffel
2017-12-14 16:06:02 +0000 UTCHere's hoping you give it a try then! Seriously though, I really like working on more than one project, partially because it gives me a couple of very different things to work on which in turn helps keep things interesting. But it also has the added bonus of appealing to a larger audience than I could with just one game. It does seem like a lot of people are here for one game or the other rather than both, . . . . but I'd be curious to know how many people cross over between them (Sounds like a good excuse for a poll?) I would encourage you to play Inheritance in its infancy, play through the intro before the game becomes big. I think that the intro gives a good enough feel for the game that if you play that much, either you'll want more, or you'll be reasonably certain you don't like it Also, once 1.0 of Wanton Cove comes out, I want to have a good talk with everyone about where to head next, whether adding additional side stories to that game should be a long term project, or if people would prefer to see me take up a different project in its place once I've finished adding the side stories I think are most important. And if people think its time to move on to something else at that point, we can talk about the nature of any new project, size, scope, and theme. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there. ;)
Aftermath Team
2017-12-13 17:19:13 +0000 UTCI must admit, from the description Inheritance isn't my cup of tea either. With that said, I haven't actually tried it, so it might, like fungus, grow on me.
Rune
2017-12-13 16:56:28 +0000 UTCYou were a fan of my games before I ever started a Patreon page, and you have been with me here since almost the beginning. It is always a pleasure to hear from you! I had debated with myself at length whether it was in good taste to reply to the message the way that I did. In the end, I figured that the lack of a user name associated with it meant that it wouldn't reflect on the person who wrote it, and in the end I felt that good taste or not, it was important to speak my mind. You are right, I'm still telling the same tale I set out to tell in the beginning. I try my best to let my work speak for itself, (Ok, so I may post an occasional teaser. :P) and I feel that if I do well, people will enjoy what I create and follow. Its worked well so far! I agree, one of the most beautiful things about a game is that it gives us a chance to explore the "what if's." To see how our decisions affect the world around us. And the human heart is a truly amazing thing, its darkest depths can suck the life from everything around it, but at the same time, at its brightest it can touch and change lives in truly amazing and positive ways. There is a lot to be done with Wanton Cove still. As I mentioned above, I have quite a few side stories I would like to explore, three of which I feel are important enough that I WILL write them regardless of how much interest there is in them (For my own sense of completion if nothing else.) I have additional NPCs planned that I still need to write, I want to go back and add a host of improvements to the game, ranging from alternate text for some scenes, to additional skill checks worked into some scenes, to mechanical improvements. My hope is that if I split my time fairly evenly between side stories and improvements, that the three primary side stories will resolve themselves around the same time I finish with the major improvements. All said and done, the 1.0 version of the game is probably going to be 2/3-3/4 complete. Its always great to hear from you.
Aftermath Team
2017-12-13 02:47:40 +0000 UTCThank you so much for the kind words. Knowing that so many people people enjoy my work is what makes me so excited to work on these projects all the time. I appreciate the support very much, but I also know what its like to juggle bills just to keep the power on and something resembling food in my belly. Never feel like you have to give more unless you really feel like you want to. I have free versions of all my projects because I want everyone to be able to enjoy my work. Not going to lie, its AWESOME that I make enough through this that I don;t have to go looking for a "real" job, but once the bills are paid, my most sincere desire is to create games that people enjoy playing. Its kind of amazing to be able to do what I love!
Aftermath Team
2017-12-13 02:28:38 +0000 UTCVery happy to hear that you're enjoying Inheritance so far, and that you are looking forward to seeing the entire range of content I hope to eventually include within the game. I've always thought that personality can make or break an otherwise good story. Even people you meet in passing are individuals, even if you barely notice them in the story, are their own person. I always try to think about a person, where they have come from, where they are going, and what makes them who they are, even if they are only going to appear for a moment in a story. Its something I have tried to do to a degree with Wanton Cove, but I see Inheritance as a really special opportunity to not only meet them, but to get to know the characters on a deeply personal way. "OMG a dick let me suck it." Isn't moments like that SO much more special when you care about the people involved?
Aftermath Team
2017-12-13 02:21:42 +0000 UTCAdditional lovecraftian games? Absolutely! If there's interest in doing so, I would gladly make another game like that. When I first started working on Wanton Cove and realized that people authentically enjoyed it (I was convinced it was going to be a flop for the longest time, was blown away by the positive reaction people had to it.) I actually made a rough outline for two more games that would have created a trilogy. Allure would have been the middle game, but the others would have told Tom's tale before Allure, and the third one would have followed Peter as he tried to learn what drove his former partner to do what he does at the end of Allure, . . . I've sense decided to do a two story set if I revisit the setting instead of three, instead of telling Tom's tale, I instead want to tell several side stories in Allure still that will give clues to how and why he ended up in Wanton Cove, while leaving the larger experience a mystery. ;) Other lovecraftian games, just like the above, I'd be interesting to revisiting the theme even if it wasn't the sequel to Allure.
Aftermath Team
2017-12-13 02:13:58 +0000 UTCSo much props for reposting and addressing this so well. As well as for sticking to your artistic vision - it shows you thought things through and did them intentionally instead of trying to use sensationalism to get followers. I think the first game that really shook me like that was Crossguard and it's impressive to be able to create that - and that's what we remember most in every other story medium. There are lots of reasons to create and consume not only the divine but also the profane, and games are the only medium where within the same story you can explore both paths, to their highest and darkest and ickiest depths, so you can understand them and yourself. Good job. :). That said, I'm here for Cove first and so glad to hear there's continuing :D
HypnoKitten
2017-12-13 02:13:03 +0000 UTCEver play a game called "Teaching Feeling: Life with a slave"? The feeling that you get when playing that game, the joy her smile brings, the compassion you feel for her, that's what I hope to accomplish with Inheritance.
Aftermath Team
2017-12-13 02:06:10 +0000 UTCyour response to this and your obvious commitment to your hobby/profession has blown me away, please keep it up, am a fan of inheritance but am not a fan of wanton cove, i do prefer to follow the love option rather than the slave route, very much looking forward to the next release of inheritance, would love to pledge more but money is tight, please continue your good work
2017-12-13 01:51:18 +0000 UTCas for Inheritance.. I'm actually really curious about the darker side of it.. Not because I don't feel protective towards the girls themselves but rather because the whole psychology aspect of it really intrigues me. I'll probably play through both sides, honestly. I want to experience both the happy moments and the painful moments of each side and see just where they take me. Thanks for the hard work, by the way! I really enjoy the way you actually do portray fear and pain rather than just another ''omg a dick lemme suck it'' type of game, y'know?
Zombie Muffin
2017-12-13 01:50:18 +0000 UTCSpeaking of Wanton Cove nearing its completion.. Do you have any interest or thoughts on making an entirely new and different Lovecraftian game? You really nailed the concept in Wanton Cove so I've actually been sitting on that question for a few months now, haha.
Zombie Muffin
2017-12-13 01:47:53 +0000 UTCto be honest i have the same feeling with Inheritance, I do not understand where you want to bring us but i'm curious.
Jouni
2017-12-13 01:46:32 +0000 UTC
