📦Survey results and future policy (Patreon)

Hellow! Nae is here! 👋😌.

This time I will reply to all the opinions... so I don't have a choice but it will be very long.

💠The Japanese version of the answer is in Fanbox!
💠回答の日本語版はFanboxで！
💠日本語版：https://nae2.fanbox.cc/posts/7660027

0. Applicable Period & Overall Policy

The following content will be applied starting from April 1st.

Regarding changes in our overall policy, until now, we've been focusing on 'concentrating on selected characters and variations'. However, moving forward, the emphasis will shift towards the act of 'drawing illustrations' itself. Personally, I believe drawing more will make it easier to promote my work and expedite my growth as an artist, as well as increase the range of things I can do. Therefore, I think this is a good direction to take.

However, I do plan to continue adding variations as much as possible, especially those that have become a bit of a 'selling point' for my work, like lactation, heart eyes, and Some white things. Naturally, this is difficult with illustrations that are inherently wholesome... 😓

Now, let's move on to the explanation of the policy decided by the survey.

1. Plan Details

$5 : You'll have access to all of my works, including older ones.

$10 : You'll be able to nominate characters for illustrations.

$20 & $50 : The chances of your nominated characters being illustrated will increase.

$100 : This plan will be added starting April 1st. By supporting this Tier, you'll be able to make one 'request' per 1 month.

Pixiv Requests:

💠 If I start using Pixiv Requests, I will let you know through X, Discord or etc.

①．Detailed Plan: You can make more detailed requests. You can specify costumes and situations. However, the restrictions will be similar to the 10,000 Yen plan. The price is under consideration, about 20,000 Yen.

②．Original Plan: You can request illustrations of your original characters. However, this is only possible if the character has already been designed. If the character is not yet designed, this cannot be done. The price is being considered at around 30,000 Yen.

③．Design Plan: The price for this hasn't been set yet, but essentially, it involves 'designing an original character'. The contents will include:

・A single illustration of the character from the front and back

・One illustration based on the completed design

・Several emojis for use on Discord, etc.

I think I will accept this plan after getting accustomed to the new work style. The price might be around 70,000 to 100,000 Yen, but it depends.

＊Regarding the Pixiv requests, including each plan's price, I plan to gradually reduce the prices as I become more accustomed to the workflow and can update more steadily. Starting with the Pixiv requests, the ultimate goal is to phase out the $100 plan and make original character requests available under the $50 plan.

Request Rules

①．Non-original Requests

💠For fan art of cosplayers or influencers, even if detailed settings are publicly released by them, it will be treated as original.

②．Uncertain About Variations

💠As I continue to work with new methods and get used to them, the possibility of preparing more variations may increase. However, at this stage, I cannot determine this without actually drawing the rough draft. Therefore, I cannot guarantee that variations will definitely be prepared.

③．Cannot Specify Situations or Costumes

💠Original and more detailed requests will be handled through Pixiv requests, so such specifications will be possible there.

④．Excluding NIKKE

💠I have nothing against the characters, but given the developers' activities like Destiny-child and CEO, I can't trust them and I don't want to engage this IP.

⑤．For Uma Musume, 100% Wholesome Illustrations

💠This is due to the secondary creation guidelines of Uma Musume; it's an unavoidable aspect. If similar guideline changes occur in other games, I will apply the same approach.

⑥．Even if you have a large number of request chances, you can request them only once a month.

💠This measure is to prevent monopolization.

⑦．Requests Limited to About 30% of Monthly Work

💠Under the assumption that I have received a request, the actual request work would be a minimum of once and a maximum of 3-4 times per month. This is because exceeding this would negate the purpose of the 1,000 to 5,000 Yen plans. This percentage is based on an assumption of producing about 10-15 pieces per month (this month, I worked on about 7 pieces up to the 15th), but this may change later.

⑧．For Patreon, Due to Significant Exchange Rate Differences with the Dollar, Simple Specifications Like Situations or Clothing Are Allowed

💠'Simple' here means,

for example, if 'Kashino' from Azur Lane is requested, specifying a location like 'bedroom' is possible, but in exchange, specifying clothing, time of day, or situation is not possible.

2. Character Nomination (Old Character vote prepare) Related

From now on, participating in character nomination will no longer be available in the $5 plan and will only be possible for those on the $10 plan or higher. However, the following changes will be added to character nominations:

As per the content above,

I'll check the nomination form and the code received, verify the supporter, and then increase the chances for the nominated character.

For example, if you write 'MORE MILK PLEASE' during the nomination and then tell me the same phrase in a comment or DM, I'll verify which plan you're on and increase the chances for the character you wrote about.

Some might think, 'Wouldn’t it be better to create more nomination forms?' However, I decided against it because:

①．Even if multiple Google accounts are used for nominations, only one can be verified, so the impact is minimal.

②．(Personal desire) This method increases supporter’s participation.

③．It allows supporters to appeal directly to me (consequently increasing the chances of their nominated character being drawn).

There are pros and cons, so I discarded the idea of creating more nomination forms.

The multipliers for each plan are as follows:

$10 : 1x

$20 : 2x

$50 & $100 : 3x

Some might think, 'Shouldn’t it be 5x or 10x for the $50 & $100 plans?'. However, if that were the case, even with many nominated characters, the number would be around 40, meaning if there are 5 characters at 10x, it would almost exclusively become 'drawing only the characters nominated by the $100 plan supporters.' Also, the $100 plan is intended for requests, and a 3x multiplier is quite significant, so I judged this to be appropriate. However, as this needs to be tested in practice, the multipliers may change in the future.

3. Work and Update Related

Regarding the download mechanism:

①．When there are multiple variations (like more than 5), they will be uploaded upon completion.

②．If there are no variations (0 to 4), I'll set a specific day and upload them all together.

③．Once a certain number accumulates (around 20 to 30), I'll make them available for download via Google Drive or similar, and older files on the drive will be deleted after some time.

However, for the third point, a better method might be found, and it requires regular management, so it's not yet finalized.

About Random Selection

The method of choosing which character to draw is as follows:

①．Random selection by GPT

②．Direct selection

③．Requests

In the case of GPT, I throw the entire list to it for random selection. I could use a roulette, but I’m learning web design and other skills through GPT, so I’m making effective use of GPT this time too. This might change to roulette or something else in the future.

For direct selection, I will choose from the list. I select based on my whims at the time, and sometimes I choose in a 'this doesn’t quite fit my style, but let’s go for it' way (like with Rosa this month), so in a sense, it’s random... in a way.

For requests, I plan to start them as soon as I finish the work I’m currently doing.

In terms of order, it will likely be :

1 👉 1 👉 1 👉 …

with ② occasionally inserted, and ③ will be inserted immediately after it’s requested.

About the Files

As mentioned in a previous announcement,

PSD: I said I would create something that can be opened in a browser like Chrome and generate variations, but this is not realistic with my current skills, so please forget about that.

However, because Patreon's attachment feature is limited to 200MB, I've downsized the canvas size from 5000x8500 to 3700x6000 in the process of finding a solution.

By doing this, the average size can be reduced from 220-260MB to 140-180MB, so I think this will be fine for a while.

Work Videos: The CLIP STUDIO PAINT I use for work supports time-lapse features, but it's not suitable for high-resolution work, and the compatibility with the new method and time-lapse is the worst. So, I chose to record with OBS, but...

If I record the work screen, it's not suitable for accelerate due to frequent zooming in and out, and providing the video would result in a size of about 15-20GB each time, which is not practical. So, I am still looking for a method.

I am recording just in case, but I don’t know if it will be useful... 🤔

(For Rio, I tried recording in a new window similar to time-lapse, but this loses the advantage of OBS recording where you can see 'what I'm doing,' and even if accelerate , the size makes posting difficult, so I’m still looking for a method 🤔)

Monthly Flow

As said in a previous post, from the 1st to 20-25th of each month, I plan to draw the characters nominated in the previous month, and after that, I want to draw original character illustrations and comics.

Character nominations will take place every month on the 15th, with the deadline being the last day of the month.

Then, around the 1st to 3rd day, I will post all the drawings without variations and include the list of nominated characters.

The summary is over!
Below is the answer to the questionnaire.

１．

Q1. go for Google Drive or MEGA, but add hidden password on time limit to prevent illegal downloads

Q2. I would chose the 2nd option or you can set up a google drive or mega with some encryption code for supporters?

A. Regarding password, it's something I've considered before. The problem is that 'if files are leaked, the password might be leaked along with them'.

And, I've often seen cases where once leaked files are recompressed and redistributed.

So, the conclusion is that password is 'meaningless.'.

And, It would actually increase the hassle for everyone, as they would have to copy the password each time.

Even if I upload directly to the site, Fanbox has a 300MB limit per file, and Patreon has a 200MB limit.

With platforms like MEGA, there's no recourse if files get shared publicly, and the likelihood of leaks increases.

Therefore, as a final plan:

①．When there are multiple variations (like more than 5), they will be uploaded upon completion.

②．If there are no variations (0 to 4), I'll set a specific day and upload them all together.

③．Once a certain number accumulates (around 20 to 30), I'll make them available for download via Google Drive or similar, and older files on the drive will be deleted after some time.

I think this is the best plan for now, but it’s not final regarding point 3 as it requires regular management."

２．

First of all, the feedback was much better than I expected.

Thank you all!

The C1, etc., mentioned before, are ratings where C1 indicates satisfaction and C5 indicates dissatisfaction.

Variation Related

C4. I liked that in the past there were more variations for each illustration, even if there were less illustrations total

C2. The increase in pictures is good. More differences would make it amazing

A. Regarding variations... I'm still not completely used to the new work style... I will try hard...! There's nothing else I can say... 😓

Others

C1. I'm satisfied with the increased frequency of your posts
A. I also enjoyed being able to drawing a lot! Thank you!

C1. Mainly because, in a way, you are drawing what you want.
A. Thank you! 😇

C1. Still enjoy the artwork that you produce.
A. Thank you! 🤝

C1. I knew you were practicing new drawing methods, so no posts at all is no problem
A. I also enjoyed being able to post more! Thank you! 😌

C2. I thought the rewards were good and I had no issues
A. Thank you! 🥰

C2. Feeling like lacking some details.
A. It’s inevitable due to the characteristics of the new method... I think I’ll be able to focus on the finer details once I'm more accustomed to it.

C2. While there is not much noticeable change in the drawing, it feels like the drawing is more efficient and on point
A. Actually, that was the most important point of this practice...! Thank you for understanding!

C3. Some char, just not my favor
A. I'm sorry 🥺

３．

Unanimous agreement... Thank you! 😅

Q. I want to support you
A. Thank you always 🥺

Q. It was refreshing to see characters drawn by Folia that I haven't seen before
A. It seems like there will be more of that coming!

Q. Despite having a lot of points to recommend characters I never use them because my character would never have received the votes necessary to win compared to some of the more popular Azure Lane or Genshin characters
A. I understand... I've also added few characters secretly in a vote, but sometimes they didn't get more than 5 votes...

Q. It is no longer a popularity contest (Voting manipulation becomes impossible).
A. YES. 🤝

Q. I support whatever decision you want as long as it's comfortable with you
A. Thank you always!! 🥺

Q. Couldn't really choose. I am mainly on the fence of supporting and opposing.
A. I was hoping to hear more about the reasons for dissatisfaction... 🥺

Q. If it improves NaeNae's working environment, then that's good
A. Thank you always 🥺

Q. I believe gumroad changing its policy is an unnecessary and this new policy is the best option so far
A. That seems to be the case... 🥺

Q. I'd like to see more variations for each illustration if possible　

A. As mentioned earlier, regarding variations, first I need to get used to the current method of work, so I don't expect major changes for a while. However, just like in the past, I think the number of variations will gradually increase.

Q. Nothing in particular

A. 😇

Q. Instead of 1-month ban for selected character, maybe a 2-3 month ban is better.　

A. The character exclusion has been eliminated, but I intend to try to avoid repeating characters I've already drawn, even though the selection is random. However, if I 'really want to draw a particular character' or 'suddenly a character becomes popular', then I might draw them as is...

Q. No, i'll i'm okay with the new policy　

A. 🤝

Q. Both are fine by me, just depending on how others feel.

A. 🤔

Q. I would still like it to be a voting system and not a randomized system.　

A. I fully understand! Personally, it's easier to leave the choice to supporters...

But even if I continue the voting system, the benefits are low compared to random choice... 🤔

And I can't guarantee how many characters will be drawn 😓

４．

Since the approval exceeded 75%,

Regardless of the opinions received, all posts will be made available for viewing even in the 500 Yen plan starting from April 1st.

Personally, I feel... a bit relieved... but also a bit sad... 🤔.

Q. I don't see any downsides
A. 🤯

Q. I think it would eliminate the case of "I want to see the posts from the previous month, but I don't want to pay $10 for it."
But then you would have to add value to the $10+ plan.
A. I think so, too, and that's why I suggested it...! And... from now on, I will be competing with AI, so it is important to have good skills, but in my case, my drawing skills are not yet matured, so quantity will be important, but if I continue as before, I will keep losing in many ways... 😓.

Q. From what other artists I support have said, people might only pay once just to get something from the past and then leave. So making it a bit more expensive is better financially for the artist.
A. Then, the important thing becomes 'getting people who have supported once to support again'. The solution is simple, to get better at drawing...!... I will do my best 😇

Q. I support whatever decision you want as long as it's comfortable with you
A. 🤝🥺

Q. Mainly I guess I'm in the 500円 tier .... that and I did miss a few times to view before it was taken down. That or you can release content to those from a long period of supporting (only if you can see how long they have supported you) 　
A. I occasionally get DMs asking for 'missed links', so with the major policy change, I thought it was time for a change. And as a result of the survey, now everything is viewable in the $5 plan 😌

Q. If the price is set to take into account the perkiness of the time of posting, it is not a problem. Also, if past works can be viewed with the $5 plan, new people would be more likely to subscribe to the plan on a trial basis.
A. Ultimately, to increase supporters, a cheaper plan is necessary, and the number of likes and comments also relates to the creator's credibility... So, that 'trial' is the most important part. So... the perks will likely diminish to almost nothing, but please understand... 🥺

Q. I feel that those who pay more deserve to see older content.
A. I partly agree with that... but to act more steadily and for a longer period, eventually... the 'number' of supporters becomes important, so it's an inevitable aspect.

５．

The most chosen option was '①．Conditional Possibility', but... as the 'conditions' weren't clear even after gathering opinions...

Additionally, something like a 'cooldown' system, which had been considered and discussed before, also has various issues... 😓 Before the survey, I wondered which of these two would be better:

①．'One request is possible immediately after joining the $50 plan, followed by a cooldown starting after the requested drawing is completed.'
②．'Calculate based on the number of months supported in the $50 plan, allowing one request every 2-4 months.'

But, There were also opinion like 'waiting several months for one request is unreasonable'.

And, With option 1, using multiple accounts could bypass the cooldown, and with option 2, the hassle of verifying support that changes from $50 -> $5 -> $50 increases...

Ultimately, choosing between these two would be similar to the previously used RP (Request Points) system...

In the end, as I was looking for a method to reduce the hassle for both requesting and accepting requests, I concluded to 'make requests impossible under the conventional plans.'

Regarding the new request system,

I decided to adopt both Plans B and C.

For Plan B, I intend to create a ¥10000($100) plan, with the number of times supported in this plan equaling the number of request opportunities.

However, considering the significant difference due to the exchange rate with the dollar on Patreon, and the uncertainty of how this might evolve... If someone supports via Patreon's $100 plan, I'm thinking of allowing them to choose clothing or scenarios. But this would overlap with Pixiv requests, limiting the range of choices or allowing only one of the options.

Please be aware that even if you support this plan, the number of characters I work on per request per month will be limited to about 2-4.

For request rules, please refer to the summary above.

The method of requesting is simple.

'Just tell me, either in a place where support can be verified or by a method that can prove it.'

For example, for Fanbox, it’s done by commenting on any post. I can verify support history, so I’ll handle the follow-up investigation.

For Patreon, the same applies to comments or DMs, and telling me which character you request on Discord. It's also an option to capture your support history and tell me via DM on Twitter, etc.

For Pixiv requests in Plan C, if I decide it’s impossible, I’ll just cancel it, making it easy to manage and schedule. Also, in this case, I plan to use it for more detailed requests than those from Fanbox or Patreon, especially for original characters.

However, the problem of pricing is still unresolved, and I don’t think it can start soon.

By the way, for my original characters, you can include them in requests from Fanbox or Patreon!

Q. I think it would be good if, for the $20 plan, personal requests could be made every few months (e.g., every 3 or 6 months). In such a case, to reduce Folia-san's burden, there wouldn't be a 'by when' requirement)
A. Previously, I introduced 'Request Points' so that all supporters could make requests, but... modifying the list of dozens of supporters every month was really hard... so... this suggestion is quite close to an idea I've already abandoned... 🥺
Also, if it's made possible every few months, even if supporters calculate it themselves, I still need to review it, so in reality, it doesn't reduce the burden much...
And, if too many supporters are focused on requests, it also increases my psychological burden... 😓

Q. I think for $20 you can double or triple the rates for the character selection. Their drop rate would be boosted slightly like in a gacha. $50 could be that you pick an old illustration to add differences to based on the supporter’s fetishes (within reason). The total amount spent could also just give preference when deciding which pixiv request to accept. Example: a long time supporter of $100 has his $200 request considered at $300 in value. A non-supporter would have to raise his price to $300 to receive equal consideration.
Q. offer a higher probability
A. I have adopted this idea.

Please refer to the summary for more details!

Q. Maybe just line-art sketches for the $20 or $50 tier (no color).
A. This is one of the main issues with the new work style, but offering just line-art is a bit tricky...

Taking my recent Musashi as an example, it would turn out like this.

This could be considered artistic in a sense...? But also might be more suited for L2D style work...?

It's not that there are no methods, so I'll try to think of something.

Q. Maybe access to previous drawings from years ago
A. All the drawings will be viewable in the 500 Yen plan now... 🤔

６．

Q. More milk please! 🍼😋 and keep up the great work!
A. YES🤝😌

Q. Seeing Folia-san's drawings has become a joy in my life, so please continue your drawing activities, I'll support you from behind the scenes
A. Thank you always!

Q. I believe either option B or C would be best for requests. Settling on a ¥10000 tier for requests seems a lot simpler than the request point system. I wonder if it would be tiered for what characters can be requested still, as in the old system requesting an OC was very expensive compared to an illustration of New Jersey. I am also wondering it would be a quick 1-2 day drawing received monthly like your work this month. And if so maybe consider letting people defer to an illustration every 2 or 3 months, but with R18 and differences. example: you can either redeem monthly for a basic illustration or save up for months for a more impressive illustration. Either way, I will patiently wait for an opportunity to request my OC! I also do not mind being contacted if this seemed confusing.　
A. For requests, it has become something similar. For OCs, I've basically left it to Pixiv requests, and for Fanbox and Patreon, it’s similar to a slightly enhanced version of the traditional Character Nomination (Old Character vote prepare) . Continuously finishing drawings within 1-2 days is probably physically impossible, and it will likely be more like finishing one piece every 2-3 days. So, in reality, I think I can provide about 10-15 drawings per month.

Q. Hello Nae. For the $50 tier, I think you definitely make a higher plan and set a limit on how many people can buy it.
A. The specifications for the $50 (5000 Yen) plan itself have changed, so I don't think it's necessary to limit the number of participants. 🤔

Q. If you feel like you want to draw something on your own (like your child or some other characters you have interest) feel free to stop the request a bit to draw them. I will support you regardless. Keep going!
A. Thank you! However, I think it’s better to 'enjoy together' rather than just me having fun, and I think it's good to draw characters that everyone wants...!

Q. 推しのキャラ、🍑っている？落書きや、没下書きとか拝見してみたい (Do you have sketches or discarded drafts of my favorite character 🍑? I'd like to see them)
A. Due to my personality, I don’t do much doodles...

But If anything, what I use as emojis on Discord might count as doodles... (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

As for drafts, I usually 'keep correcting until it’s finished,' so they hardly ever get discarded... 😓

That’s all for the answers!

Below is the list of characters I will draw next month!

💠アズールレーン・AzurLane
HMS　ハウ・howe
HMS　インドミタブル・Indomitable
IJN　高雄・Takao
IJN　愛宕・Atago
IJN　大鳳・Taihou
IJN　武蔵・Musashi
IJN　加賀・Kaga
IJN　赤城・Akagi
KMS　ローン・Roon
KMS　エーギル・Ägir
KMS　グラーフ・ツェッペリン・Graf Zeppelin
KMS　プリンツ・ハインリヒ・Prinz Heinrich
KMS　アウグスト・フォン・パーセヴァル・August von Parseval
KMS　フリードリヒ・デア・グローセ・Friedrich der Große
KMS　レーゲンスブルク・Regensburg
MNF　クレマンソー・Clemenseau
MOT　ゴールデン・ハインド・Golden Hind
SN　ソビエツキー・ソユーズ・Sovetsky Soyuz
USS　ブレマートン・Bremerton
USS　グアム・Guam
USS　イントレピッド・Intrepid
USS　キアサージ・Kearsarge
USS　アンカレッジ・Anchorage
USS　ニュージャージー・New jersey

💠原神・Genshin Impact
クロリンデ・Clorinde
アルレッキーノ・Arlecchino
ナヴィア・Navia
八重神子・Yae Miko
モナ・Mona
甘雨・Ganyu

💠ブルーアーカイブ・Blue Archive
角楯カリン・Karin
浦和ハナコ・Hanako
狐坂ワカモ・Wakamo
錠前サオリ・Saori
調月リオ・Rio

💠ラストオリジン・LastOrigin
シャーロット・Charlotte
セラピアス・アリス・Serapias Alice
宝蓮・BoRyeon
C-77紅蓮・ C-77 HongRyeon
フリッガ・Frigga

💠崩壊:スターレイル・Honkai Star Rail
ブラックスワン・Black Swan
黄泉・Acheron
カフカ・Kafka

💠エコカリプス・Echocalypse
レビヤタン・Levia
フェンリル・Fenriru

💠ファイアーエムブレム ヒーローズ・Fire Emblem Heroes
フレイヤ・Freyja
グルヴェイグ・Gullveig

💠その他
2B
ユーベル・Übel
ウィスラッシュ・Whislash
アルベド・Albedo
リット・Rit　(リーズリット・オブ・ロガーヴィア・Rizlet of Loggervia)
マギサ・Magisa
中野三玖・Miku Nakano

💠うちの子・My original characters
フォリア・Folia
クラーケン・Kraken
イリス・Iris
ミミック・Mimic
ヒナナ・Hinana