So sorry for the late reply to this! I left my reply open in a browser tab and forgot to finish writing it.
robovelociraptor wrote:1. What do you like so far?
It's been said before, but the art for this game looks amazing. Sometimes I tire of the usual anime style of (most) VNs, so it's nice to see something different for a change. It's not only the art style, but the theme and story as well that's different from a whole lot of VNs that I've seen. Maybe I'm just saying that because I have a soft spot for Western themes, but it's nice to see a VN take place outside of Japan. (Which has been becoming more common as of late, I'm happy to say.)
Not to mention, I can tell that I like your writing style already. I don't know how to really describe this part other than by saying that it's very fluid and natural; your character descriptions are great!
Thank you so much! Art style is something I keep wibbling on... make it more anime or less? I don't have a usual or set style, so I don't have anything to fall back on. I've always enjoyed exploring multiple styles and just sort of going where the moment takes me stylistically. When it comes time to finalize the character art, I'm going to have to standardize things a bit more. Hopefully I'll have some feedback by that point as to what people think works best.
This probably helps explain why I've always pursued my writing professionally instead of my art!
3. Which characters interest you or appeal to you?
Personally, I like Lorne, Romero, and Elaine the most, but like I said, it'll be a bit easier and more accurate of me to give an answer to this after I've played through a demo or read parts of the script. Obviously, these favorites are just picked mostly because they're the types I like the most lol. That said, I'm interested in all the characters, not just these ones.
I guess you favor the quieter or more mature ones then? They're definitely the three most likely to behave like adults, despite Elaine being youngest in the cast! ;D
If you want more Patron supporters, it'd probably be best to release a demo and then market like there's no tomorrow. Obviously don't be annoying, but consider sending your demo to VN oriented Let's Players, set up social media accounts wherever you deem necessary and stay active on them, and figure out where those niche little groups are. This, from what I've seen, is how you build a fanbase. Is it time-consuming and requires a LOT of maintenance? Yes, but if you can successfully market your game it can do a lot for you. I'm not some sort of marketing genius, though, so it'd probably be better to do some additional research into successful marketing as well.[/color]
Social media is definitely one of my weak areas. It's not really a thing I know a lot about or engage in myself. I'm hoping the public alpha will bring in support, and then I'm going to engage someone who does know social media once I'm in the beta phase and preparing for the Kickstarter. For now, slow and steady is the name of the game I guess? The alpha is coming soon!
5. Any questions? Other thoughts or feedback?
Man, the amount of time and dedication you've put into this game is inspiring and I really hope the best for you. I want to see this game, and I would definitely buy it, providing you can get it on Steam. You deserve to have more Patrons and supporters, and I'm sorry I can't provide the former for you. Just hold your head high and don't lose hope!
Thank you so much! Your words mean a great deal, I truly value the feedback and thank you so much for taking the time! I hope you enjoy the alpha. I'll of course try to be more on top of posting here when that's ready. ^^