Hi everyone,
Thank you for enjoying The Use of Life.
With the release of the Chapter 3 (Misha Route) update, we've received a message from the developer, Daraneko Games, mainly to explain some things about the update, and plans for the future of the game.
It's a little long, but please give it a read:
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Phew! The new chapter update is finally out!
I'm sorry for being so slow, and I'm very thankful for all the players who enjoy my game despite the long wait.
Not even I expected this update to take so long, so I was honestly disappointed in myself.
(I wanted to release it in December at the latest, but ideally I wanted it to be out even earlier.)
I think this is the most behind-schedule I've been ever since I started making games.
As for what caused the delay, there's far too many reasons to list out here...
(More content than usual, my poor physical and mental condition, working three days a week for a game designer gig to earn living and development expenses... and more!)
But one thing's for certain: continuing at this pace won't make anyone happy.
Not me, not the publisher PLAYISM, and certainly not you, the players.
So I would like to talk about how I'll improve my development speed, and also about my future plans for this game (such as how long the next update will take).
◆Measures---------------------------
There are many reasons this update is so late, and the one that can be worked on the most and also affected development the most... is my own temperament when it comes to game development.
When I'm concentrated on my work, I can work really fast (fast enough to surprise even PLAYISM) but when I get stuck, I get really stuck (so much that I can imagine the guys at PLAYISM shaking their heads at me).
Of course, ideally I would keep myself in good mental condition, but to be honest, a lot of times it's hard for me to control.
I spent a lot of the past year in a bad state, and that played a part in delaying this update.
When I'm making games for work, my mood doesn't swing to and fro as much (which might have to do with the fact that there are people holding me accountable), and I can force myself to concentrate when I'm really cornered.
And so, I think this is what I should do to fight this problem:
1. Make strict weekly schedules and adhere to them as dilligently as possible (to put more pressure on me regularly)
2. Share that schedule with PLAYISM, and regularly report my progress to them in voice chat (to create a work environment where other people are constantly involved)
That's what I plan on doing from now on.
Im going to make a strict schedule juuust stressful enough to push me to work without overwhelming and killing me, and get PLAYISM to go "Where's the game? Are you done yet? Can you hurry up already?" and beat me into shape regularly.
(PLAYISM note: No developers were or will be harmed in the process of developing this game.)
This is a personal project of mine, which I'm making based purely on my own tastes and sensibilities, so I can't just hire more people like a company or something.
If something needs to be done, it'll be to myself.
◆Future Plans---------------------------
As for my plans for the future of this game, my current goal is to make and release the entire Misha route, up to its ending, by September this year.
I'm planning on finishing Chapter 4 in around July, not release it in an update yet, make the ending, and then release the whole thing.
As an Early Access game, it might be a better idea to release Chapter 4 once it's done.
But for this game, I want the last branching path at the end of Chapter 4 to be super hype and exciting to play.
So ideally, I want players to play it all at once, in a rush of adrenaline!
So if I release Chapter 4 first, even if everyone loves it and can't stop talking about it and are on the edge of their seats... but the next update is months away, that would be a miserable way to present the story.
That's why I'm aiming for a September release of everything up to the ending.
But PLAYISM's warned me that they won't wait for me anymore if I'm late for the September deadline, so if anything comes up that delays development, I'll release Chapter 4 first in its own update, and then the final chapter when it's ready.
I'll just have to work hard, motivated even more by the desire to present the story how I want to.
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Anyway, for the rest of March, I'll focus on fixing bugs and, based on player feedback, adjusting game balance and adding or improving features to make the game more interesting.
If you could send me your thoughts on the new enemies and advanced classes, it'd be especially helpful for when I develop future content.
With your feedback, I can adjust the advanced classes, and release them in their finished states by the time Chapter 4 is released.
(I'm planning on implementing features to add more variety to the combat, such as with the Swordmaster's combo skills!)
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We at PLAYISM think that the most important thing is that Daraneko can be satisfied with a complete, fun game, so we'll provide support wherever we can.
(And no, we'll wait for Daraneko even if we end up missing the September deadline!! Don't worry!!)
As fans of the game ourselves, we're excited to see where Goshe and Misha's journey leads them, so we can't wait for the next chapter!
Please enjoy the update and keep supporting the development of The Use of Life!
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