The Big Announcement · 10:08am Jan 4th, 2022
First of all, Happy New Year to all of you, and I hope you have some time for me, because this blog will be a rather lengthy one. So get a beverage of your choice and sit back while you read this. There’s a few things that I want to cover here.
The start of this year marks a major change in my life, as I’ve quit my job to fully devote myself to creative endeavors where I can dictate my own work. It’s a decision that has been growing in my mind over the past year and there are two major projects I am now embarking upon. The first and most important one is that I intend to develop and release an indie videogame through Steam by the end of the year or beginning of next year at the latest.
But there’s also a thing a want to continue doing, which is to bring you quality stories here on FimFiction. Because here’s the truth: Ever since I joined FimFiction in 2013, this is the place where I was able to grow my confidence as a creator and realize that, yes, I can actually be creative and successful as shown by the responses to my works. This comes from this wonderful community and you, my readers. (And seriously, I have over a thousand followers now which completely flew under my radar. Though I suspect with the length of time that has gone by, some may not even be active on FimFiction anymore. Regardless, I am grateful for all of you which are still here.) I would not be where I am today without you all, and I want to say thank you for that as well as make a promise to create new content here for you all to enjoy.
I know I’ve not been overly active over the past couple of years as my job as a software developer has kept me very busy.
The game I intend to develop, named The Martian Trails for now, will be my main priority and focus going forward. And you’ll probably see news on that coming here as well as the project progresses. But as a secondary priority, I will be continuing to write and do so in a more structured fashion than I was able to until now. Going forward, I will be releasing at least one major chapter or one-shot story per month here on FimFiction. And to kick us off for the month of January, I’ll be releasing two. One will be the first chapter of a new major story I’m starting, and the other will be the next chapter in a story I’ve long neglected but intend to finally finish this year.
Now, taking the step of going into full self-employment from a full-time job comes with the downside of cash being sparse, obviously. That is why I’m starting a Patreon. Now let me stress that any stories I post on FimFiction are and will remain free, of course. Anyone who doesn’t have the cash to spare, will still be able to read and enjoy my upcoming stories.
For those of you who do have the means and inclination to help me out, I hope that you will consider joining me on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/naughtyranko
Some of the benefits include being able to read new chapters a week early and the chance of voting on what my writing focus should be for the next month. At the end of every month, there will be a vote, and whatever chapter or one-shot is selected will be released publicly during the next month (as well as a week early for patrons of the appropriate tier.)
Patron-exclusive posts will also contain regular updates on my upcoming game as well as (if you’re crazy and/or have too much money) exclusive early alpha and beta builds at the highest of tiers. Plus, random ramblings and behind the scenes looks at how I work.
One additional word on the game, though: Yes, the Patreon income will also help the game. However, if you’re unsure/unable to go with a monthly payment, maybe wait a little. I intend to run a separate Kickstarter campaign for The Martian Trails later, probably around March/April when I actually have some game assets and a working prototype to show. If a single donation falls more into your range, maybe wait for then and grab one of the rewards I’m planning for that.
So, two chapters coming this month. I’ve already put up a public blog post on Patreon explaining what they are and when they’ll release. So head over there if you wanna find out:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-beginnings-60712710
And purchase a membership if you like while you're there.
Here’s to the New Year! Can’t be that much worse than the last two, right?
Congratulations on taking this step, and I look forward to following along on your future success
Congratulations on being able to pursue your passion .
Would you mind telling us what your game will be about? The title drew me in.
5624259
Well, I'll release more information as development happens. But the main premise is that it'll be a sorta roguelike in a retro style. Think the old Oregon Trail DOS game. But instead of a wagon in the old west, you're piloting a robotic rover across Mars. (Put these two together, I'm sure you can see how I came up with the name.)
5624266
That is a cool concept, I hope development will only be bumpy and not a roadblock. Because I can't wish you a smooth development because there is no such thing, but I can wish you a development that is only mildly tedious. I hope your bugs will be understandable and your vision crystal clear. That I can say.