Happy Friday! Strap in, this is going to be a big one!
I’m doing well, my family is well, (They had some flu earlier this week, but that’s over!) Dobby is doing well (He’s currently sitting behind my back with his head on my shoulder as he always does.)
Now that that’s out of the way, Infinite Stars! <3 (I also have a favour to ask a bit further down!)
The huge public release is going out today. (It’s already out! You can download and play all the new content right now! For free! <3) It continues Episode 4 and paves the way for its climax and wrap-up. Depending on how good you are at avoiding FOMO and Discord spoiler tags, you might already know a few things about the content, but to summarise, it’s very different from what you’ve been used to, it has some big emotional punches, and it does a few new things. I was nervous about this at first, but the feedback has been excessively positive. That’s all I’ll say. Go try it!
I’ve also updated the Patreon builds. They have a lick of new content, and a ton of fixes, especially for the Android version, which should no longer have any UI issues!!
Next is the HRM contest we’re planning.
Anyone can participate. And it’s really easy. All you need to do for now is write a short story or scene taking place on the Tabitha. It can feature the Mah’Abeu, the established crew or your OC characters. (We’ve found a solution for implementing OC characters on the screen!)
Your story can also take place off-ship, but you might have to settle for plain black backgrounds.
Regardless, start writing! It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to be ready when we have the next HRM workshop! <3
I've given the store page an update, you'll notice the gorgeous new cover image!
I’ve been focusing on marketing these past few weeks, building funnels and lead magnets, testing some paid ads, etc. This is where you come in.
Infinite Stars is free because I grew up in South Africa, and I know that for some of us, a $5 Patreon pledge a month is one cup of coffee less in our budget, but for most of the world, $5 is several hours of hard work. I don’t expect or even want you to support us financially if that is your reality. There are, however, other ways you can support us, like posting about or linking to Infinite Stars wherever you go! (Did you know we have a super secret ‘Fedaykin’ title with super secret rewards for when we notice a fan in the wild consistently helping out like that?)
I’ve recently started adapting Infinite Stars into a novel. The goal for doing so wasn’t additional income. It’s still free, but I hope it becomes a lead magnet that will attract new free players, and some of those will convert to Patrons if they can and want to support us. I’ve tried nearly 10 different platforms, but Royal Road seems to be the one with the most promise, despite Infinite Stars being off meta. You can help by going to this link, reading a few chapters, and then favouriting and following the story and leaving a review. I’ve checked with the Royal Road moderators, as the infux of traffic to a relatively unknown story might appear like bots, but they’ve given the all clear, as long as your review has substance, and isn’t just ‘Another great story by the author!’ etc. I’ll never ask anyone to be dishonest in their review, but I would ask that if you intend to leave a negative one, reach out to me privately first with your issues, and I’ll try to fix them so you can leave an honest, positive review.
In keeping with our commitment to monthly(ish) releases, I have some news. Neon, who did a ton of legwork for ‘Unclaimed’ and some of the other Infinite Stars scenes, has received a job offer that would be silly to decline. It’s sad to part ways with them, but I’m also tremendously proud of them and happy for them! <3 We’ve already approached another writer who has been helping in the background for the past month, and we’ll make an official announcement welcoming them to the team in a few more months. That said, if you are a writer and a super fan and would like to join the team in a part-time capacity, reach out privately with your portfolio! <3 (Before you do, the remuneration is in line with 3rd world countries, because unfortunately, we’re a 3rd world country studio.)
In the meantime, I also wrote a short bit of Kiaria's backstory. If you're a purist that only pursues her in the new content, this one is going to kick you in the chest like an old earth donkey. (You'll see what I mean after completing the new playable content! I plan to write more snippets like these for all the crew.)
Anyway, I hope you have a lovely, peaceful weekend. I hope you are safe. I hope you are loved. And I hope you are experiencing joy. Enjoy the new content and be kind to each other <3