Kinda warmed my heart to see positive and constructive replies I missed before. I have to admit,publishing even a free one-man project was a lot of hard work and a lot of heartache despite the good that came along with it too. Very much as sour as it was sweet you might say!

I’d hesitate to say I’m outright “working on a new project” as that builds the expectation “eventually” there will be a product. (And though I’m a failure at some things I rather not be a liar too.) However, I have purchased rpgmaker vx ace for steam (Total of two times buying the same program) and my ability to make okay maps has grown somewhat. Additionally I’ve learned how to insert scripts which was knowledge I was lacking before. (Yanfly & Yami in particular are familiar names to anyone who has dabbled in rpgmaker. Bless them both!)

Yet I am “thinking” about a sequel to Gutterdelve and how additional scripts can improve that core game. Based on the maps I’ve already constructed it dawns on me the successor to the original would be much more open world with a much larger city to explore. Aka, the maps are much larger and not so much in a linear row. (Though you still scroll left or right to go into the various districts and sprawls.) This means having to script a lot more events and come up with a lot more npcs.

Be that as it may, us gamers realize bigger is not always the holy grail. There are times linear games have better thought out stories and better thought out characters. Not every open world game is as good as the next GTA,Elder Scrolls, or Saints-Row. In addition, bigger projects usually equate to more bugs and glitches. (And if you’re just one developer that a lot of work!)

By now I’m sure you all understand my cautious optimism! Many of us have bitten off more than we can chew before and if it’s a case of me doing that at least I was honest and didn’t commit to anything I could not complete. However if I “do” manage to pump out another finished product you all will be the first to know!

Other stuff

1. “Will this potential game have a new direction ?”

In some ways, yes. Aka there will be a bit more of a lighthearted daily life aspect mixed in with the darker supernatural stuff. However, I’m still not going to shy away from subject matter certain “activist crusader types” find to be offensive,trashy,and triggering. It’s not that I “try” to offend people in the audience but realistically we live in an era that’s more volatile/extreme/polarized than previous generations. As a result,those who are demon-hunting for offensive material “will” find it!

1. Combat was trash in the last game. How will this be improved?

To an extent one can only go so far with combat options. One critic said he hated the fact he had to spam magic versus enemies but what is better? Spamming physical attacks as well? Allowing enemies more strategic “blocking & parry options” thus having battles drag on even longer? It’s a very difficult thing to balance just right. However, I am using a system more akin to the traditional Final Fantasy games (Specifically FF 4 & FF6) so if you enjoy those classics you should “enjoy” what will potentially be offered here! (It certainly is a bit more engaging and flashy than Ace’s very lackluster built in combat engine!)

1. How long will it take you to finish the game,assuming you find a good place to start?

I’d give myself 2-4 years tops as this would be a more ambitious entry than Gutterdelve’s first game was. In other words, I’m trying to “open it up” where it’s not as linear and where the city is truly “alive” with people living out their existences day to day. Of course there is the main plot but essentially Gutterdelve 2 would have more side-quests and fun frolicking randomness!

1. Will you be more gracious when it comes to roasting?

I’m sure you all noticed my confrontational attitude towards “a certain someone” and for that I apologize profusely. However he was not without fault either. Though this person’s critiques started out as very helpful and insightful (Such as random battles being too frequent and the use of big-band commercial music getting youtubers “muted” when doing let’s plays of my game) they ended up in the usual subjective opinion zone when he expanded his analysis later. (Aka, he said a conversation between characters was sexist just because it happened in the kitchen and other such outrageous anecdotes) Regardless, I changed the way enemies were encountered and changed the soundtrack primarily because of this person. On the positive side, I felt as if taking his technical based suggestions to heart “did” greatly improve my game but on the negative side,the person in question totally roasted my game a second time after I put in all that hard work and he added insult to injury with remarks that were more akin to character assassination (And sjw witch hunting) than they were about the game itself.

Gliz if it means anything to you, I’m very sorry I left a few snooty retorts of my own. None of the things I said to insult you truly make you a bad person or a potential criminal! I went way too far over the line in that regard! If anything I now have furry fandom friends and I’m very pro second amendment. I guess if I’ve changed in 3 years it’s a given you have as well! I rather bury the hatchet between us if at all possible!

Going forward, my advice to critics would be to stay technical and professional. Developers love it when you bring up bugs,tile-set passage errors,annoying enemy encounter ratios, and broken scripts but not everyone wants to get into a huge ideological debate about how characters are dressed or how having random conversations in certain areas is somehow symbolic of women being only good for making sandwiches!

And if a game is “torture” to play? Welp, I guess there’s a viewership for that sort of masochism? Personally I play games to enjoy them (And stop playing the ones I do not enjoy) but to each their own! Toast to the roast if that’s what you love the most!