DevLog v.08 Final Thoughts (Patreon)

So here's another of my ramblings; a giant wall of text formidable in length and arguably lacking much substance :p

So v.08 is complete and I have sent it off to a few people for testing and comments. I wanted to share a few notes before I hopefully post it within the next few days. I'll warn you, this log may be a bit more personal than my other logs but I'll share anyway.

For You Size Queens

For many, the length of the game updates usually matter. Many forums are chock full of people bitching about the length of an update--particularly, when they have to wait for it. This update is shorter than most in my opinion. However, it has the same amount of content as most other updates. 

Here's the deal...in past posts, I talked about having several versions of the poker game. Version v.08 is just the poker game with a few after thoughts to set-up things moving forward. For those of you who choose one version of the poker game, the update will be very short. For those who play all versions of it, it will probably be about the same length as other updates. While some of you may be upset about the length, I wanted to write this important moment to meet several different perspectives on how the game should go. Thus, to appease flexibility in the story, I essentially told the same story 3 kinda different ways. This took time to do so we didn't move the story forward as much as most updates. Based on the fissure between fans of Team Zack and Team Braden, having this choice seemed important to not only the fan base but to me as well. Plus, this is the end of Chapter 3 so it just makes sense to break here. Some may be disappointed in the shorter update but I'm personally ok with this because there was a ton of work, learning, and emotion that went into this one.

Personal Thoughts

It just wouldn't be a Str8 update unless I stated "this update was a bitch." To fans of the game, I can honestly say this update is a physical manifestation of a neophyte game designer's anxiety. It's not perfect. But I'll admit being the most anxious I've ever been about this particular update release. Basically, because of the build-up, the teasing, and that damn smirk from v.07. 

To truly meet the expectations of everyone is impossible. I have been both excited and dreading this part of the story since Day One. That internal debate over how the poker game would play out has been a raging torrent since the game inception. I chose the story mode and don't regret it. In retrospect, it was the best decision given my coding experience and the banter between hands was fun to write. Like any writer, you're always your harshest critic. I think it worked and I hope it meets whatever expectations you set. 

That being said, when I release the update, let me know you thoughts. While I'm nervous about this update, I don't want people to spare their feelings, feedback, or thoughts about it because that isn't constructive for the game or me. I'm sharing this more for those who care about the thought that goes into the game as well as the behind-the-scenes aspect. 

Hopefully, it'll drop in a few days...maybe even tomorrow if I can get some feedback from my testers and they don't fucking hate it  :p 

 While I dislike giving timelines, I would say Sunday at the latest.

Regards,

-Aaryn