2019 in Review (Patreon)

Time for another yearly review, looking back on what was done and forward to what comes next. Overall, 2019 was a year of experimentation for me. Some time was wasted on dead ends, and I regret that, but overall I felt the year was very helpful for me.

Reflections

TLS Progress: Last year we finally wrapped up the Ivalan synod, visited Stenai, fought the Thenoursan War, and launched the final chapter with the return to Stineford. I had hoped to be a little further along in the fifth chapter by this date, but I feel I made the decisions necessary to keep the quality at the level I want.

TLS on Steam: I finally put TLS up on Steam and it's been good for the game, with a daily stream of new people trying it out. It's become my more reviewed game, which I hope will help when it leaves Early Access.

Side Projects: This was one of my failures in 2019 - I wanted to get a major side project off my plate so that my energy would be less spread out. That didn't happen. However, patrons got to play Once Ever After and I've completed the majority of the creative work. The demo of Don't Save the Princess was about as well rated as my previous demos, but the work on that will likely keep extending as I wait on others.

Novels: One discovery of last year is that writing novels can be very lucrative. If I was doing nothing else, I could put out a couple medium-quality novels a month and bury myself in money, but fortunately thanks to all of you I can follow my creative muse. In 2019 I finished the New Game Minus trilogy and I don't have plans to return to it.

Financial Goals: Stability has always been my goal, but the various ban waves over the years led me to especially seek it. I'm now in a position where I can promise you that I can finish TLS so long as I am of sound mind and body. There is no scenario where Patron/Valve/Amazon decides to turn against NSFW content and my work just ends. Longer term, I think I can also guarantee that there won't be a scenario thirty years down the road where you have a "Remember [creator] from [beloved old project]? Donate to stop them from becoming homeless" situation. I can create for the rest of my life, so if I ask for money, it should be so you can be part of something cool I'm doing. ^-^

Post-TLS Thoughts: I devoted a meaningful chunk of 2019 to polling patrons and sharing thoughts about what project will replace TLS. Though I received some valuable data, unfortunately I don't feel I have any clear answer to some of my core questions. I'd really like to have a long time to reflect on the next project before it begins, so I hope 2020 will lead to updates in this regard.

Projects for 2020 

TLS: This will continue to be my primary focus, with updates starting next weekend. This year will include some major updates and answers to questions that have been raised since the beginning. It's a bit difficult to predict exactly where the game will be by the end of the year, but I'm hopeful that you'll all enjoy what I have in store.

The Artwork Update: Annikath has finished 16 CGs, but more are needed for the big artwork update. This will definitely take up a chunk of time when it occurs, but I hope that it will draw a new audience to the game.

Novels: Two books of Street Cultivation are finished and there will be at minimum a third. Honestly, the continuation of this series will be determined primarily by whether it's a net positive or net negative to my energy and creativity levels. The one book series I'm committing to long term is The Brightest Shadow; if that launch goes poorly, my productivity may take a hit, but I've worked ahead on the sequel, so there should be no major time drain on other work this year.

Side Projects: I think that OEA and DStP will be mostly on the back burner, but patrons should get a chance to play more of both. It's remotely possible that one of these will get a release, dependent on how quickly collaborators work.

Overall, 2020 should be less scattered than 2019, which is a positive change. I hope to deliver a solid amount of content this year, hopefully capping off some other side projects. Hopefully you look forward to coming along with me!