Poll: Update Release Plan
Added 2025-05-22 15:01:03 +0000 UTCHello Patreon Meerkats,
I'm realizing this update is going to be huge. Even bigger than I expected—and I already thought it was going to be massive. Let's start with a quick recap.
I was originally planning for one really large shopping update, letting you go with a character of your choice. After a poll on the Discord, I decided to go with the most popular characters people wanted to shop with. The results are below:
After some thinking, I decided to go with Mom, Lily, Samantha and Jessica. There will be four variations: Mom, Mom & Lily, Samantha, and Samantha & Jessica. Obviously, putting this all into one update will be tough, so I decided to split the update in half. 0.24 was going to be the Mom and Mom & Lily update, and 0.25 was going to be Samantha and Samantha & Jessica update.
For the past three weeks, I've been working on the Mom shopping trip variant. I'm getting close to wrapping it up, and it's currently around 38k. For reference, what I have so far is already large enough to be the third largest update this game has had. By the time I'm done, I think it'll go up to second place. I'm hoping I can reuse some content for the other variants, but either way, this update is looking big.
The issue is I don't think I can get 0.24 out by the end of this month. At least not with how it's looking right now. I won't lie to you all, I've been struggling a bit lately. My motivation is very low and my health issues are persistent. But even then, I've still written 38k words in 3 weeks. I'm still very dedicated to this game, and I really am doing my best to get more content out for you all. However, I just don't have the capacity—physically or mentally—to churn out 80k words in a month.
So I'd like your input on how to roll out these updates.
Option One
First, I can split the shopping update up into four parts. The next four updates (0.24 - 0.27) will be focused on a variation. Public releases will go out two versions behind, as always.
0.24: Mom
0.25: Mom & Lily
0.26: Samantha
0.27: Samantha & Jessica
Option Two
Secondly, I can release just the Mom variant as a Patreon-exclusive update. Basically, we'll stick to my original plan of keeping this update in two parts, and there WILL NOT be a public release. There'll just be a preview update showing the Mom variant while you guys wait for the full 0.24 release. I'm fairly certain I'll be able to get this preview out by the end of May.
Option Three
Lastly, you all can just wait until I finish the full update, and I'll release the Mom and Mom & Lily variations in 0.24 sometime in June.
Please let me know what you prefer!
Thank you so much for your support.
Much love,
amaty
Comments
Hi! In case of update I have slight preference for 1 update overall, but if it will be easier for you, I have no problem with 4 updates as well. From perspective of the plans, I would really love to see separate route for Lily. Me and my brother known each other real well, and our outlook on the world was always very similar - which my parents did not understood. So we were very often going to places on our own without our parents supervision.(It was not uncommon that me and my brother kept (minor) things secret from the parents) My friend from school also had a sister with similar amount of years apart from each other. They also understood each other really well, in comparison with their parents. So in my experience it is really not uncommon for sibilings in that age range to have good relationship, and get each others back. I feel like having mom there really takes away from the quality of evolution of relations between Ethan and Lily. I would greatly love the only Lily and Ethan on the trip together, and this helps them to better siblings and understand each other better. This sceario feels like a great and equally valid alternative to getting closer to mom and going there with her. If you have time, let me know what you think! In any case, this is only my view and I still love your work so far! Good luck regardless of what you decide in the end!
Defss
2025-05-24 12:41:28 +0000 UTCOh i missed a poll. Funnily enough the choice I would’ve picked ended up winning anyways. If you are worried about losing patreon members i find that frequent small releases tend to maintain engagement better than larger releases spread out. At least that’s what I’ve observed as an avid reader of web serials for a decade. Keep up the communication it goes a long way towards maintaining good will in an audience. That being said i agree with the others to do whatever puts the least strain on you.
Alice Hiess
2025-05-22 23:17:46 +0000 UTC
