Sunday, April 15, 2012

Future plans.

Well then, where to begin..

Needless to say, Kurovadis was a massive success. If Kurovadis was a test, I'd say it proved one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt; not only is working on these games as a career possible, it's actually a realistic alternative to working in the mainstream game industry. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have everyone who purchased the game to thank for it, and I don't plan on wasting the opportunity.

Next Game

Kurovadis took around four months to complete while working on it off and on, so I figure that four months is more than enough time for me to make a far superior game, working full time. I'd like to streamline my process a bit before attempting something more complicated with a longer development cycle.

As for what kind of game it will be, I don't know any of the specifics yet. However, it will be a linear platformer with far more content than Kurovadis, and much higher quality graphics. Rather than simply going from room to room, I'd also like to come closer to how old school platformers used to be, where transitions between parts of the level were seamless, backgrounds changed, etc. There will also be a story, however limited, and there will be an English and Japanese version. (My games will never have spoken dialog, so I'm just talking text.)

Curious Factory, the DLsite distributor, has told me that it would cost $0.15 per word to translate a game into Japanese, so I'm using that as my basis for cost, even if I don't get it done through them. The other option is working with a visual novel translator. Either way, with the number of DLsite sales, I more than owe it to Japanese players to have a Japanese version, regardless of the cost.

Unlike my previous attempts at making games, this one is going to be completely on paper and planned out before I start anything, so it won't be like Kurovadis where I had something that was playable within a week. This will be the first time where I don't have to cut any corners due to time, so I don't want to waste any time redoing things.

Template

As for what I'm doing now, I'm currently working on a template for future games. This means implementing features that should be in every game from here on out. If you have any suggestions for features, feel free to make a request. Though I will say that the following will be in it,

-Options screen
-Voice, sound, and music volume
-Screen settings
-Unlockable CGs with a recollection screen.
-Multiple save slots
-Config file that saves option settings and customized controls.
-Dialog during H animations.

As well as a bunch of other stuff I can't think of at the moment. All in all it's just organizing everything I use in such a way that it's more accessible and easily manipulated to suit any game's needs, and finding a standardized way of having everything work together.

Taxes

I suppose this is less interesting, but for those of you who are interested,

To give you an idea of the amount of money I've made, after the sales die down in a couple weeks it will probably be around $20,000. However, I have to pay both sales and income tax, which comes out to around a third of what I make. This means that in the end, I'll have to pay around $6000 in taxes, bringing it down to $14,000.

Now, this is were things get way out of my league. If I register as a business, I can get tax deductions on some of my living expenses, and anything else related to my company. This is also where it starts making sense to pay for voice actors, translations, or other things, because there are tax deductions when you pay somebody for a service being used for your company.

Of course, there's no working under the table here. If I plan on doing this for years to come, I'll have to hire an accountant, keep records, and make sure things are done right. I may go into some detail on this once I've actually gone through it myself.

Edit: Polos15 reminded me of something I didn't even consider. DLsite charges sales tax already, included in the price, so I don't think I'd have to pay sales tax, just income tax, so it will probably come out to less than a third.

Tutorials

Last but not least, I frequently get questions about working with game maker, getting started in game development, etc. After I've finished more of the template and decided between the many methods I've gone through at this point, I may put together some tutorials on various aspects of game development, both for H games specifically and in general. I also don't see much reason why I couldn't release the template for people to use. We'll see what happens, I suppose.

Anyhow, that's it for now. In terms of release dates and the like, I have no idea. Right now I'm getting things sorted out in terms of hiring an accountant, registering as a business, deciding what I want to do in terms of gameplay mechanics, working on the template, and taking a bit of a break. I'll post an update in a week or so, probably, with some sketches and concepts.

Until next time.

35 comments:

  1. Today i started and finished playing Kurovadis. took me like 12h or something.. and the thing that most probably was the most exiting for me was the old fashioned simplicity of game, saving in checkpoints.. destroying my desk when i fail in the middle of somewhere.. :D it really was a pleasure to play it.
    The thing that i'm trying to say is.. games doesnt need thoes all fancy options and stuff for it to be awesome :) and i hope your next one will be even more awesome than this one.

    Keep up the good work :)

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  2. Well, I have a few suggestions for other things to include in your templates:
    -epilogues (can be brief) to bad ends or loss rapes that don't kill the PC (What happens to her?)
    -sound tests, relive the music you've seen in game.
    -end game unlockables, bonuses you get for finishing the game, stuff like challenge modes, new game pluses, a small commentary on the game by you, changed dialogue for something silly, or different PCs.
    -An end game score card that people can share with each other and compare their runs through the game, includes stuff like number of deaths, time to finish the game, how many collectibles they got. Don't need to grade them on how they did or have bonuses exclusive to getting specific levels, but it would be nice for if you facilitate people like speed runners.

    That's what I could come up with right now for your future games.

    As for the rest of it, first off I'll say congratulations on your current success. I'm afraid though that I've got no advice when it comes to finance. I'm good with games, not money.

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    1. While I very much would like commentaries and additional stuff, in agreement with the bigass wall of text in your last blog entry, I'd like to voice my vote against unlockables, challenge modes etc and instead have all the time necessary for that put into polishing regular game.

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  3. Well, I'm glad to see your massive success in this game, and for that you have my congratulations, not many devs make it to this point, then again not to brown nose, But most devs don't carry potential around like you do.

    Game wise I'm horrible, but I can say to get professional advice on those tax rates because you're currently getting the crude and maliscious 30% tax deduction, I am currently with the 18% deduction just because I've managed to cut corners with Family checking and living expense tax returns. Like I said, try your best to get those corners and tax percentages shaved off because it's always your money.

    Hope for the best in your futures mate, Cheers.

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  4. Well, I certainly look forward to your next game. As long as you'll improve, make a solid engine to streamline future releases (maybe, thanks to single engine, one will be able to merge them to have all H stuff in one place?) and keep an eye on people's opinions (I suggest checking again blog entries and their comments after release of Kurovaid) you should do fine.

    And one day, one day you'll make a dream game of mine, like Rune Factory but with H, several times as much dialogue, dialogue options, customization to all characters, developed characters, endings, non-linearity, different professions not just farming and.. and.. and generally hentai fantasy world one can play for month and still not go through all possible paths etc.

    People looking for waifus will probably pay mountains of cash for something of such gameplay length and advancement and H gamers like me also will do what they can because there will be no other game like that..

    Err.. sorry. Looking too far into the future, maybe dreaming too big. Nevermind.

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  5. In regards to dialog during H animations - while making the basic streamlined engine should allow maximum of options with minimum of bugs, make sure that the dialogues are actually fitting and nice.. or there are none if they do not fit. I very much enjoyed Kurovadis without dialogues during the h-anims and HCG and I think that in that game that would actually decrease my enjoyment. And decrease it even further if it wouldn't be good quality dialogue but generic 'Monster: Imma raep you. You so tight! Girl: Oh!.. ohh!.. ohh!'.

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    1. Gotta agree here, a lot of text during those scenes seem kinda...."really?!". Nothing quite as annoying as the character or person stating the obvious.

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    2. Good to know. I'll have an option to turn it off.

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  6. If you do include text, make it seamless to the actual act. Pretty much all RPG Maker games have pause breaks for reading. I suppose that's fine for RPGs, but for platformers, you have too much going on to do that. I'd work it so that the text appears/advances in relation to the duration of the scene. If you want to give it a real college try, make the text vary in accordance to how much you're struggling at a given moment, if you decide to use that mechanic again!

    You could also do like Japanese makers do sometimes, and make the text/sounds a graphic in relation to the sprite, i.e. appearing next to the sprites in animation. That's something I've come to appreciate over the years.

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  7. Woah! I'm happy for you that this game had such a profitable success! I'm glad I chip'd in my little 5$ to help you ^_^ The game is great and I can't wait to see more from you!

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  8. Perhaps consider licensing your template as well? Would help supplement income.

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  9. Wait, so who collects the $6000? Dlsite? JP government? CA government?

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    1. ....

      Shit, your right. DLsite already charges tax, don't they. >_>

      Okay, so I'd just have to pay sales tax on my blog sales, and then income tax on what what's left, so it wouldn't be a third. And yes, it would be the Canadian government.

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  10. you inspired me to make my own game too man, will need a few tips here and there of course.

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  11. I honestly think that, even if you didn't go into game making, you should try your hand at making game music. I think you've got a knack for that 80s/90s feel for game music. Eventually, game devs are going to realize that using pop music bands makes for shitty soundtracks, and they're going to go back to the people that know how to do it. Like you.

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  12. I think it is better that there's a story in the game, and what will be the kind of the game? Still ACT?

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  13. I think an In-Game Menu with customizable equipments that changes the appearance of the character would be a nice template to work on. Maybe plan on a grapple system on the enemy side so there could be rape without being knocked down, and possibly other monsters can join in for different combinations.

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    1. I for one would very much enjoy a system where many enemies join the rape. The existence of the system itself contributes to the gangbang feeling.

      There are psychological sides to consider in everything.

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  14. What development engine are you using? Is it one of your own making?

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    1. Pretty good for using Game Maker! You're making me itch to try doing something on my own.

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  15. Oh! I thought of one other thing you may want to consider. The option for the PC to be the rapist, as well as possibly having sex scenes not tied to enemy attacks or being defeated by enemies. It's always nice when you can give back too.

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    1. I'd like that. Although that depend son circumstances and character.

      I very much wouldn't like character such as girl from Kurovadis to be raping character on her own. She just didn't strike me like as an aggresive, dominating personality. On the other hand, I would like scenes where even good person maybe initially is taken by the enemy but soon, by sheer stamina, gets the upper hand. And instead of gangbang we have a band of drained, unconscious enemies and her, somewhat tired but satisfied.

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  16. Awesome fun.
    Honestly I downloaded the game off a torrent site, but enjoyed it so much I bought it, and will buy future similar games. Great work!

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  17. I just wanna say that Kurovadis had one of the smoothest, challenging action I've played in a 2D sidescroller in a while, probably rivaling the Megaman X series. Keep up the good work!

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    1. Nothing rivals the Mega Man X series. Not even sex.

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    2. Your mileage may vary.

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  18. for the things i would like to see umm *thinking* i would like to see another kurovadis style (as in gameplay and sprite style look) but maybe with swordplay instead of punching?
    -and like what the last guy said it game me a idea, maybe a wall climing ability (much like MMX or MM zero) when you can slide down and jump off the walls instead of wall jumping
    -maybe a system when the more the girl gets caught by a certain monster the more she would like it and the dialog would change to show this, this could lead to more different positions when the girl is more willing to do more pervy things to the monster she likes
    -and maybe letting you choose to be like a monster girl (like if you wanted to be a succubus or a nekomata ect ect) instead of a human
    -last but maybe different positions depending where you got caught (like for example if the monster hits the girl by the front and to her face the monster would make (or even willingly) her give it head) something like that
    -oh this one isn't part of gameplay but i would love to see it in but a gallery of when a monster catches you (unless they are going to be just CG scenes then you are already thinking of it lol but i would rather see sprites moving rather then a single CG pic to words tho) but what (few things) i didn't like about kurovadis was if i wanted to see a monster (like the zombie golem thing at the start lol) get kuro (lol unofficial name) get caught i would have to go all the way to where one is and get caught (this is even worse when you want to see a monster that is in only one area like the nekomata's) so maybe something like (best example) angel girl's gallery when you can see what the monster does to her (from start to end) when she is caught, i would love to see something like that most of all

    thats just some of the ideas/request (XD) i have, sorry if i misspelled anything ^^|

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  19. @Anon who's comment I deleted for obvious reasons.

    Thanks for the heads up. I'm looking into ways to prevent it, at the moment.

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    1. If it's a bug, one bug I've found with the recent version is that if you kill one of the giant tentacle penis creatures just as it picks you up to try and eat you, the game will bug out. You'll pan to the top of the screen, be stuck in an infinite rape loop, and you can only restart. Seems to happen when using the ice beam, which causes delayed damage.

      Not a HUGE bug to avoid, as you can avoid it by not killing the thing with the ice beam while right next to it, but still a bug.

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  20. You mentioned voice. Will there still be a text alternative? I'm deaf, so it'd be appreciated.

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    1. My games will never have spoken dialog, so no worries there.

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  21. Hmm, if I may, I have a little suggestion for the template...

    What about some kind of ``Bestiary´´? Y'know like in the latest Castlevania games. A list of the defeated enemies with their stats and perhaps a little description. I personaly like that a lot, and I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who does so. And it also adds some depth of plot by explaining things like why happent to those zombies or who was the mad scientist(Kurovadis examples).

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  22. Why don't you get some fansub group to translate for you, instead of paying for translation? haha.

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    1. I'll probably be getting someone who does visual novel translations to translate it. Even then, though, I'll be paying them. Anytime I get somebody to do a service for me, I need to pay them the same as any commercial developer would.

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