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Almost done (90-90 rule, Itch.io version, last steps).
🕑 Added 2022-06-29 23:15:36 +0000 UTCHey there, fellas - I hope you're all safe. I bring news.
(Before we start, if this post is barely readable, it's because I'm sleepy as hell.)
90-90 rule.
Roughly two months ago, I got done with the majority of the content for Chapter 4, including a lot of its code. When asked, I replied that there was only "ten percent" left before the full release. Two months later, now that I'm in the assembling phase (putting renders together, writing code, doing sound, etc) I realize how much I missed. I've put more work in this last 10% than all of the previous 10 months combined.
I had relationships I needed to develop in this chapter that I didn't even write before the assembling phase, so I had to make two extra scenes at the last minute, which means two more paths to write in the code and two extra batches of rendering to do, meaning waaaay extra work. But that's done, now.
The thing that's got me really frustrated lately is that I had the next release sitting at 90%, and just like every other release I've put out in the past two years, I got really hyped to finally be done with this chapter and start working on the next. So I did what I always do and went full steam to finish the last mile...and I kept going...and going...and I can't seem to finish. At every corner, I find stuff that needs doing, and every time I get one thing done, two more take its place. It's easy to get demotivated to keep going at it full-time like I've been doing in the past two months. It's one thing to fight against my hardware, but now I gotta fight against myself, too? Stuff got difficult.
One thing that really brightened everything for me was coming across something called the "90-90" rule. I don't remember how exactly I stumbled across this (I think I was watching some Unreal Engine videos), but it dictates the following:
"The first 90 percent of the code accounts for the first 90 percent of the development time. The remaining 10 percent of the code accounts for the other 90 percent of development time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety%E2%80%93ninety_rule
It really reassured me to know that even though the task at hand is difficult, it has nothing to do with a lack of ability or effort. It's something rather common that could happen to anyone. It really got rid of some of the stress I've been building up and it's refreshing to see I'm not as bad of a developer as I thought.
Chapter 4 makes up for 35% of the whole game. Even though it's been the most difficult chapter to work on and it has undoubtedly taken its toll on me, I am certain that I'll come out of this as a beast, and I see myself having a much easier time raising the bar in the future. In the words of the mighty Fiona Westley, "Iron is forged in fire, and shaped by beating the shit out of it".
Itch.io version.
I don't think I mentioned this before, but I put my game up on Itch.io to bring my story to a broader audience. Mad World is freeware, it's intended as such, and its "standard edition" will likely always stay as freeware. Lately, though, I've been having money issues. I've been neglecting my yearly check-up for years now and I was getting really paranoid, so I went to the doctor and he asked for a lot of exams. In the past two weeks, I've done an echocardiogram, taken a few x-rays, and did the Holter monitor thing where I had a small device taped to me measuring my heartbeat in a 24-hour cycle (the tape itches like hell).
I have one last appointment Friday and boy am I happy to finally be done with it. What I'm not happy with is the gaping hole these exams left in my bank account. Since I'm kinda desperate, I changed my game from "free or donate" to "$1" at Itch.io. To my surprise, it already sold ten copies (half of it overnight). Not bad for a first week, but let's see if it'll last. I decided I'll keep the Itch.io version as a paid one, but I'll make exclusive content for that version down the road so I don't feel like I'm scamming people (which right now, I kinda am). So if you by any chance bought the Itch.io version, rest assured, there will be some cool stuff for that version soon.
Last steps.
Being that I'm no longer cooking, but already assembling the next update, I'm expecting the next week and a half to be the only thing standing between me and my long-awaited update day. I'm putting together writing and rendering. The code for the journal system and gallery is already done. After that, I'll only have music and the UI revamp left. Oh, I didn't really say much about that, did I? It's probably for the best.
I'm still at it. But soon - very soon, I won't be at it anymore!
Thank you for your kind support.
