HTML Female Agent [v1.20.1p] [Crushstation]

3.50 star(s) 125 Votes
Discussion Reviews (125)
0

0Jg6@^$WYe

Newbie
Apr 8, 2018
78
253
I wish more devs did layering instead of chunking of content, and this is often the first example that comes to mind. For example:
  1. Story release: Release a linear, mostly text, complete version of the canon main plot (unless that would spoil too much, in which case, leave off the very ending)*
  2. Art release: In the next release, add some/all of the art
  3. Interactive release: Add player decision points and/or game mechanics
  4. Repeat steps 2-3 as long as player interest/support holds
The advantages:
  • No half-complete stories
  • Bad stories or concepts can be abandoned before you and players have sunk too much time into creating their supporting assets
  • Less player frustration about constant cliffhangers: slow or small releases or the possibility of abandonment. The game is technically "complete" again after each release.
In the case of this game, I feel like the behind-the-scenes coding adds a ton of development, as well as all the scene variations that it means need to be written. And the irony is, most players don't even see all the results, since they pick a route and go. The dev might as well release one canon path as a flat story, then add some art, then add some of the decisions and scene variations, then add some RPG elements like a character creator, then add more art, etc.
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* I think most devs assume that players are there for the story, so the idea of releasing the whole thing seems absurd. But the fact is, the stories on these games are almost impossible to follow with 2-3 months between chapters, and/or you replay the beginning so often that you're sick of it. If a dev cared about story, they'd actually release it in as small a period as possible, then focus on adding good reasons for replays.
 
robin312

robin312

Active Member
Jul 6, 2023
546
1,225
0Jg6@^$WYe said:
I wish more devs did layering instead of chunking of content, and this is often the first example that comes to mind
Click to expand...
We all wish
The problem that most devs just did a concept and didn't think about the plot itself, because of that they can't release the full story - they just don't have it
Classic example of such dev is Crush - each new release he is thinking about how to progress the story instead of focusing on branching or programming, he is writing the book, not game scenario
And the book will be writing as long as there is good enough support
 
U

Ulyx

Newbie
Aug 18, 2017
88
67
robin312 said:
We all wish
The problem that most devs just did a concept and didn't think about the plot itself, because of that they can't release the full story - they just don't have it
Classic example of such dev is Crush - each new release he is thinking about how to progress the story instead of focusing on branching or programming, he is writing the book, not game scenario
And the book will be writing as long as there is good enough support
Click to expand...
Using your book analogy, Crush could finish the book (mission) and begin a new one. This mission is a terrorist in Bangkok, next one can be a drug lord in America or an arm's dealer in Europe. He already have the platform and the history only would need minor changes. So, in theory, he shouldn't have to stretch this one forever. He has a way out, if you compare to other corruption games. But hey, if the money is coming every month, who am I to question his approach, right?
 
C

Carl0sDanger

Active Member
May 22, 2020
549
824
Ulyx said:
Using your book analogy, Crush could finish the book (mission) and begin a new one. This mission is a terrorist in Bangkok, next one can be a drug lord in America or an arm's dealer in Europe. He already have the platform and the history only would need minor changes. So, in theory, he shouldn't have to stretch this one forever. He has a way out, if you compare to other corruption games. But hey, if the money is coming every month, who am I to question his approach, right?
Click to expand...
I think you may be missing the point here.

Crush doesn't know how the story proceeds from here, never mind how it ends.

I completely agree that a dev who had the stories (plus a solid mechanic) could have turned this IP into a series of CYOA adventures by now.
 
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shadow415

shadow415

Member
Oct 14, 2019
153
255
Meanwhile, I'll be busy making some story improvements based on playtesting. I feel like every single scene could be improved, but I'll just do what I can.
Click to expand...
Ok so at least 3 more months. I will check back before the new year.
 
P

prawnstar700

Newbie
Oct 6, 2023
19
158
Harebariossahan said:
If he manages to get it done by Halloween this schedule will have been dead accurate WRT "White Russian". Except a year later :ROFLMAO:
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Somehow chanced upon the year end report here -
You must be registered to see the links

Our agent will soon be "buzzing around the Gulf of Thailand on a jet ski, to becoming a Muay Thai champ, to using your spy skills to investigate international organised crime."

Crush is serious, he's going to go full time on development and he's got a plan. So what if he missed a couple a deadlines in 2023? Definitely things will change in the coming year!
 
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V

vicaddict

Member
Sep 29, 2019
206
422
Seeing this 2022 schedule I wish I hadn't asked for it :D

I am not even mad that he swapped planned content for another idea. After all, content is content and if the dev thinks he has something lined up that makes more sense, then why should we complain? But seeing how this turned out is brutal. Especially given the fact that the actual content seems to miss the mark more and more.

I fully understand why he doesn't finish the first book and moves on to the next as some people have suggested. By progressing all paths at the same pace he keeps the audience, rather than losing out on the ones who got their ending. I get it. I'd probably do the same thing and I won't hold that against him. But seeing that he clearly has no idea where the overall thing is supposed to go, is disheartening. There are games that I play over and over again with every release. If I am invested in it and I like it, then I have no issue with that. FA on the other hand reaches the point where you just pick up where you left 4 months ago. There isn't even an incentive to play the beginning again. After all, it is just a novel at this point. We are aware of the general twist and every couple of months I need to be reminded who the characters are, but that's about it.
 
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D

Deleted member 2631085

Newbie
Jul 21, 2020
43
119
prawnstar700 said:
Somehow chanced upon the year end report here -
You must be registered to see the links

Our agent will soon be "buzzing around the Gulf of Thailand on a jet ski, to becoming a Muay Thai champ, to using your spy skills to investigate international organised crime."

Crush is serious, he's going to go full time on development and he's got a plan. So what if he missed a couple a deadlines in 2023? Definitely things will change in the coming year!
Click to expand...

Wow, that was an interesting read :oops: Especially, this part....

"I’m going to quit my real job and focus full-time on Female Agent. This is a little trickier than just handing in my notice (because I’m in senior management), but I’ve let them know I’m exiting and that I’ll be delivering a transition plan. This will mean my mind is fully focused on game dev."

So he quit his "senior management" job in 2019?

I guess that's a one-way street. What will you say in a job interview, when the only thing on your CV in the past four years is procrasti developing a sex game in Twine/sugarcube/HTML?
 
A

asdfasdf12341234ACSACA

Member
Apr 3, 2019
308
972
Harebariossahan said:
Wow, that was an interesting read :oops: Especially, this part....

"I’m going to quit my real job and focus full-time on Female Agent. This is a little trickier than just handing in my notice (because I’m in senior management), but I’ve let them know I’m exiting and that I’ll be delivering a transition plan. This will mean my mind is fully focused on game dev."

So he quit his "senior management" job in 2019?

I guess that's a one-way street. What will you say in a job interview, when the only thing on your CV in the past four years is procrasti developing a sex game in Twine/sugarcube/HTML?
Click to expand...
He's on the older side of life, and since he used to be a project manager, if he needs to actually find a job, he doesn't need to be specific in his "work in past few years". Even if you don't straight up lie about it, you can absolutely just say that you were managing personal/family projects and that's it.
 
leg28

leg28

Well-Known Member
Aug 15, 2018
1,068
1,959
asdfasdf12341234ACSACA said:
He's on the older side of life, and since he used to be a project manager, if he needs to actually find a job, he doesn't need to be specific in his "work in past few years". Even if you don't straight up lie about it, you can absolutely just say that you were managing personal/family projects and that's it.
Click to expand...
he can just explain how he milked suckers for years with html story and there is no hedge fund that won't give him top position

prawnstar700 said:
Crush is serious, he's going to go full time on development and he's got a plan. So what if he missed a couple a deadlines in 2023? Definitely things will change in the coming year!
Click to expand...
since link was plan for 2019, you are either trolling crush big way or you are his top groupie sucker. either way your post is funny
 
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SikaNauta

SikaNauta

Newbie
Jul 21, 2017
77
114
asdfasdf12341234ACSACA said:
He's on the older side of life, and since he used to be a project manager, if he needs to actually find a job, he doesn't need to be specific in his "work in past few years". Even if you don't straight up lie about it, you can absolutely just say that you were managing personal/family projects and that's it.
Click to expand...
It is actually astonishing that he used to be a project manager at an actual company that paid him actual money to do it. This project doesn't seem to be managed at all.
 
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A

asdfasdf12341234ACSACA

Member
Apr 3, 2019
308
972
SikaNauta said:
It is actually astonishing that he used to be a project manager at an actual company that paid him actual money to do it. This project doesn't seem to be managed at all.
Click to expand...
It isn't that astonishing when you've seen how corporate works. Project manager is a job where success is easily recognizable (project was estimated in X time and Y money but was done in 50% of that), but failure is very hard to attribute to one factor (project got delayed by three months? Well maybe it was because someone got sick and there was a shortage of building materials and also a new regulation came out and an infinite list of possibilities)
 
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prawnstar700

Newbie
Oct 6, 2023
19
158
leg28 said:
he can just explain how he milked suckers for years with html story and there is no hedge fund that won't give him top position


since link was plan for 2019, you are either trolling crush big way or you are his top groupie sucker. either way your post is funny
Click to expand...
How dare you insinuate that anyone have anything but admiration for the sacrifice Crush has made to develop this full time into the branching cinematic 3D RPG masterpiece that is Female Agent, where every choice has consequence and every dice roll will decide your fate?

So what if the post was actually about 2018? You know what's the problem? COVID. All that lockdown, it's hyper distracting to be full time at home for years writing this magnum opus. There's just no way, and you critics don't empower him enough. What we should all do is to raise more money for Crush so he can get a private jet to fly to Bangkok.

Only then will he be able to fully soak in the atmosphere and finish the story, I have faith in that. Who cares about "track record" or "results", we need more visionaries like Crush. That's why I put my life savings with SBF in FTX, and use Theranos for my health checks.
 
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3.50 star(s) 125 Votes