Hello, Meerkats!
Some big things are happening, and I want to be transparent with you, the fans.
So, I'll be moving to a new country in a month. There really isn't much time, and this happened very suddenly because of some personal life circumstances. It's exciting (not to mention slightly terrifying), but it's also a big financial change for me. Between the move, higher living costs, and how the art budget for this game has grown over time, I'm going to have to re-evaluate how I'm spending and earning to keep the project sustainable.
When the game first started, I poured basically every dollar I made into it. I thought of it as an investment, and that the game would grow faster if there were nice visuals accompanying it. I'd like to say it worked out, as the game grew tremendously in its first few months. The revenue growing by 2000 USD a month was common, which let me reinvest even more into art.
But that isn't the case anymore. It seems I've already picked up most of the audience who's looking for trans content. The game's growth has slowed considerably. And yes, some of you might see the membership (which I keep public for transparency's sake) and wonder what I'm worrying about. 9000 USD a month? That is a LOT of money, and I'm very aware of that. However, art is also very expensive. The game's main selling point is its high degree of customization, but that requires a lot of assets. Between the game's modular CGs, a ton of clothing options, nearly 100 achievement icons, and the upcoming backpack project, there really isn't much left. I'm not taking home 9k a month, trust me.
So since I'm moving and my expenses will be doubling (at the minimum), I'm going to have to find a way to monetize this game a bit more. I've been trying to keep it as light as possible, as I appreciate all the support. The fact that this many people have believed in this project enough to spend their money on it is amazing, and I truly appreciate it. But this Patreon's only "real" perk is the early access, which is... a month or two ahead. I did this to be as fair as I could to the public players, but I'm going to have to figure something out.
One thing I've decided to do is to weigh polls. Subscribers' votes will be weighed more depending on their tier. So Bronze Tier (5 USD) will have their votes weighed 5 times more. Silver Tier, 10. Gold Tier, 15. So on and so forth. There will also be polls on the Patreon more often, as they've usually been held on the Discord server.
Now, the rest are things I'm considering and I wanted to hear your thoughts. There will be a poll below where you can vote. Please select all the methods you're okay with.
Cutting Back on Costs: This is a simple solution, but still quite effective. Basically, there'd be less art for the game. Yeah, there's not much to elaborate on here.
No Adult Content: Yeah, this is seriously under consideration. The truth is, I could advertise in more spaces if this game were safe for all ages.
More Adult Content: Okay, you might be confused. But if I added more adult content, it would bring in more of the crowd that play this game for reasons other than fluffy gender euphoria. Do consider the last update with an adult scene was eight months ago.
Cosmetic DLCs: This would be packs priced at 3-5 USD that would add more accessories. Basically, more clothes, more pins, etc. I was thinking of the Gender Euphoria Pack, which would include a lot of trans icons. Maybe a blahaj keychain!
Story DLCs: These would be DLCs that have side stories or extra content. Some will be canon, but not essential to the main game's story. (Maybe a Madame Serena Origins pack or an Aurora's Past pack) There might also be short scenarios that aren't canon. (Maid Café scenario, Fantasy Scenario, Jessica's Secret Sleepover scenario)
Extra Early Access Builds for Diamond Tier: Diamond Tier would get access to the most recent build every two weeks, no matter what my progress is.
Hair DLCs: More hairstyles and hair colors!
Those are basically my ideas. I'm really not trying to nickel and dime my fans, who are already donating to the game, but I am going to have to do something about this game's finances. I hope this is transparent and helps you all understand the future of this game.
Much Love,
Amaty