RE: Browser-Based Sileo Builds (Plus a Merch Update)

Hey all,

So we've been talking about a browser-based build for a few months now and had planned to release that this month in beta. 

Unfortunately however, we've reached a point where we have to admit defeat. Ren'Py's web client in it's current state is much too broken and buggy for a web-based release of Sileo to be viable. 

As of right now, it does not work in Chrome, Edge, Opera or any other Chromium based browser. The Ren'Py devs claim this is an issue with Chromium introduced in an update earlier this year and is Chromium's responsibly to fix. I claim (with no sources whatsoever, but with considerable past experience) that this is most likely a Ren'Py issue and them shifting the blame to Chromium is an indication that it won't be fixed, at least anytime soon.

It also does not work on WebKit browsers such as Safari, or any browser on iOS. The Ren'Py devs claim this is caused by limitations present in WebKit browsers. This has been an issue since day one with Ren'Py Web and Apple being Apple, I'm actually inclined to believe them on this one.

Which leaves... what, FIrefox?

So in Firefox, Ren'Py Web runs horribly. I don't know why this is. In older versions of Chrome we used for testing, it ran like butter, but those same builds in up-to-date Firefox are sluggish and choppy as all hell. Not a good experience, especially considering it's one of the very few options left if you want to play Sileo via the web.

So, that means... psyche! We're not done! Of course we're not done!

The saving of persistent data doesn't work via any browser right now. This is something that is handled entirely by the engine and isn't even configurable by developers like us. Which is to say it's beyond our power to diagnose and fix. This prevents things like the gallery, side plots, decision-based dialogue changes and more from working between sessions. It also prevents any settings changes you make from saving between sessions.

So... PSYCHE! STILL NOT DONE!

Further limitations with the web-based client mean that features like animated sequences are not supported. I'd like to take a moment to point out that these are .webm video files. Yes. That's right. Ren'Py web cannot play video files. Video files that you could literally drag and drop into your browser and have them play flawlessly. Figure that one out. 

I could keep going, but I'm sure you get the picture by this point. Essentially, with all the issues present in the current Ren'Py Web client, it just isn't feasible to release a web-based Sileo client right now. If we expected these issues to be quickly rectified, perhaps that would be a different story, but the upcoming release of Ren'Py 8 contains no support whatsoever for Ren'Py Web with a notice that it will return at some non-specific date in the future. Which is to say... it might be years before any of these issues are fixed, and some of them may never be fixed at all.

A silver lining is that all the groundwork has been laid and when such a day comes, we'll be ready for it. We've got an amazing in-house solution for asset prediction (because Ren'Py's own solution does not work, go figure) and a workaround for Ren'Py's abysmal placeholder graphics (we inject our own into the compiled build, and the results are fantastic!). When Ren'Py Web is ready for showtime, we'll be ready.

Now then, it's been a while since we've talked about merch, so I figured I'd quickly update you on that. 

The first batch of t-shirts (Diego on his throne of pizza) are on their way to Pawprint (who will be selling them on our behalf) in California. No ETA on when these will be going on sale just yet, but hopefully it won't be too long. As for the dakis, I'm told samples are on their way to me now, so assuming those meet our standards, we'll give those the green light and they will probably go on sale a couple of months after that.

I'll let you guys know as soon as I receive notification that the shirts will be going live!