This may not be what you need, but if you ever feel like you want help with coding JEA, I would gladly do it. While Unity is more my jam, I bet I could orient in renpy without issues. Well,not RIGHT now cuz I have to finish my bachelors thesis that I have to turn in in less than 3 WEEKS FUCK, all my fanprojects are stewing on the back burner until then, but I am availaibe after that. Also,fuck capitalism. I love making games so much, I just want to make queer indie games. Screw having a day job.
The coding is not the issue. I actually deeply enjoy Ren’py coding. Like at the start of JEA, I was writing the game in a basic script format, but as City showed me how they were turning that into the code, I was like “oh that’s pretty flipping sweet” and I just wrote directly in code, and the entire back 2/3s of the game was completed like that. It’s very lightweight and easy to build in, I adore it.
It really is a matter of…. I feel like to replace City’s involvement, it would take several art people to make that style consistent and to troubleshoot GUI issues. Like City didn’t just do sprites, they built the look of JEA and it was phenomenal.
On top of that, I need to be able to write a lot. And in the choice between keeping fanfiction coming out or making a game, only one of those can win.
Which okay for a month or two, my patrons might tolerate. But I know the scope of episode two. It’s about 60% larger than JEA ep 1. How long will my patrons put up with that? With the only projects I’m working on being secretive ones– my novel and a game you can’t have a lot of previews of before the final product comes out.
And shit maybe this is a question I should be asking my followers and patrons. Maybe instead of 2 fic updates a month you want me to make that fangame magic happen. When I sit and think about it, I could attempt to make a process that works with my reduced free time and with City’s stepping away from the project.
But I also need that patreon $$$$ to cover my health insurance payments right now.
So. It’s complicated.