I'm back hitch hiking

I know, it's been ages. Let me start fresh. With a reference to the past.
I used to hitch hike through Europe, with a close friend. We'd work in farms and factories during the year to make money to go and hitch hike in summer. Everywhere. The good thing about hitch hiking, we figured, was you only meet the nice people because assholes don't stop & take you with them. Only nice people do. Worked like a charm.
But I was 16 then and the internet not invented. Would take almost a decade more.
And now we live in the time of the internet and I'm starting to realise it's reversed. It's the other way around now. Nice people digest and, like or not, move on. It's only the assholes to stop and comment, negatively. Downvote AND comment.
You'll never get it right for the assholes. There's always something to bitch about. Also, assholes don't read, don't take in information but only shitstorm from their rectum. "It takes forever to get to the porn, this is such a BAD game!"
The first sentence under my adult content warning is that this is a LONG game and you'll have to navigate at least 90 pages before you get to the animated porn. Added to that is: if you are here for a quick fap I suggest you visit porn hub. No hard feelings.
But no. They rage and rage because they can't wank fast enough and, worse, that this is my fault. I came here with an *expectation* and YOU didn't meet that expectation, you fucking bastard! I did NOT get the instant gratification I'm so accustomed to and it's YOUR FAULT you cunt!
All the nice people drive on, all the fucking cunts stop to bitch.
It gets worse.
I register supporters on a database, manually (I like not trust the code of others) which I do as soon as possible and always within 24 hours. So what's the posts, ALL THE POSTS on my community channel? 'Het man, how do I log in' Red text, black background, first parapraph, in your face kind of thing: "Please remember I have to manually add you to the database which I'll do as soon as possible but within 24 hours. You'll get an IM when it's done."
Red, black, big, first, it doesn't matter. "Hey, I can't login, whatsup?' It gets even better. Because, and I think it must be a record because I was about to go to bed on a Sunday, 3AM when I see there's a new patron. Oh. Payment not confirmed. Let's give it a few minutes. Ah. Pyment confirmed. Let's add him/her to to database and go to bed.
Before I can do so however I get an email alert because I have a new post: "Yo! Dude! New Patron! How do I log in?" This is 15 seconds after payment was confirmed, right smack on top of 5 other posts asking the same thing, getting the same answer: "I'll have to .... which I have just done ... see the IM .. have fun"
3AM. On a fucking Sunday. What am I? Your bitch? Fuck no. Your demand for instant gratification will not be met. The internet has made you believe that you have the right, no, the obligation to be a self obsessed cunt but I'm not playing along. Thank you for your support but a fucking $1.49 a month doesn't give you the right to 'Yo' me. We didn't go to school together. This is not the McDonalds because you will be treated the same way as you treat. By lack of employees people work here and if you don't treat them with respect I'm going to get a blow torch and get medieval on your ass. And if that doesn't meet your standards on how the world should behave in the time of the Internet, please remember there's folk around older than the Internet and they just don't take that shit.

Thankfully, even the people who don't read the big, red, first warning are polite (and sometimes a little confused). Hell, most new Patrons seem to read and understand it and I get no hassle at all from them. So, in that respect this post is about an infuriating minority. But it's the assholes that stop. Try to get the analogy. All the nice people, all the 'normal' patrons, they drive past you but it's the assholes that stop and shout at you that give the impression everybody is a cunt. And it's, seriously guys, it's depressing and disheartening. Imagine going to school and get all A's and one single B and everybody is bitching about the B. Is that motivating? Inspiring? Hell fuck yeah THIS is what I work for? No. It isn't. It makes you wanna give up because all the feedback ever is negative. All the nice people drive past.I'd like some nice people to stop once in a while, cheer me on before they continue their journey. Just so I know it's not just assholes in cars in the world around me. For eternity and ever after.

Poolside, Queensport Episode 3 is LIVE

 Ladies, gentlemen,

I'm happy to announce Poolside, the third episode in the growing collection of Queensport HTML5/Canvas games is LIVE. Play it here. It has been live for 2 weeks but I've been busy and forgot about this blog.
What can you expect?
Basically, the city of Queensport has been established as over-arching game environment in which interlinked and at times individual episodes take place. From episode 3 onward the game runs on mobile devices! A main quest has been introduced and the story will develop over time as you play more missions or episodes.

This means that the third episode also introduces the new and improved game framework. Now boasting 5 canvas layers, the colour difference between animation and background is gone. I couldn't solve the compressions difference between MPG4 and JPG that caused this problem, so I've now got a 1 frame MPG4 background with the same compression as the animations. Interestingly, this isn't a bigger file-size. On occasion (especially when I used 1600*1200 backgrounds) it's even smaller. With this framework I've also changed the database approach. Read about player data on my Wiki. There's also a pre-loader now, so after the first few images the game should load faster. I try to keep the animations small, between 2 and 3 meg each.
The fifth canvas layer allows for a consistent in-game help function where you'll be able to get additional information and clues at each stage of the game.
More information about my growing games collection can be found on the wiki mentioned above so I'll keep it at tihs.

Blackmail (Queensport Episode Two) is LIVE!

There's a new episode available in the ever growing colection of QUEENSPORT (links below). It features:

• Area exploration; find things to use later
• Inventory management; inspect what you have, use items
• interactive dialogues and animated scenes you remember from Episode one
• Supporting relevant audio under many scenes
• Audio narrated interactive animations

(by the way; two of the existing interactive animations in episode one are now also audio narrated)

You can continue to Episode two after you finish with episode one or start fresh.
In episode two the main protagonist character is an accountant (the advisor in Episode one, Tuition fees) who has the keys to the office and a lot more options. You can also keep your character from the four other narratives from episode one or create one random. They can finish the quest but have less choices and areas to explore. In episode three the accountant will be a supporting character and the story will focus on some of the others.
All characters can finish the quest: your/the assistant is being blackmailed. Do something about it.

This episode also introduces the new game feature 'Love Shack'; a player home which you can use to invite NPCs you've met during your adventures to engage in interesting activities outside of the main story line(s). It's only an introduction at this time since I've focussed on the audio narratives but I've done the animations and renders and will increase content on a weekly basis. Give it a run, enjoy.

 New general game information site
 Start with episode one here (and continue to episode two or play again once you've finished the episode)
or play episode two here (you can always restart or jump back to episode one after you've played it through)

With Episode 2 and the Love Shack (Player Home) comes a new Splash

Since the growing collection of games can be played individually or in sequence I've decided to place the stories in a fictional city 'Queensport' (with a nod and a wink to Lovecraft's 'Kingsport') and call the games episodes instead of chapters, which suggests a mandatory  play-through but I aim for freedom.

I've created this city myself[*] and it's much bigger than this single picture shows. In the future you'll be able to explore this city to encounter characters and/or find items to add to your Love Shack Contact List resp. Storage. Like I've said before; with Tuition Fees I've built a shed while collecting the tools. Now I'm going to build houses, castles, cities even. I've only just started. Patreon stores when Patrons joined this effort and I will reward loyalty and stamina :) Episode 2 is expected to be released in the weekend of October 22. Stay tuned.  
[*] Open Simulator 3 dimensional virtual world

Introducing: Player Homes

With the release of the next story line comes the introduction of an entirely new feature: Player Homes or Love Shacks. After the adventures in chapter one you've developed a taste for more. Away from prying eyes and obtained the keys to a private home.

In your Love Shack you can invite the characters you've met for interesting additional activities outside of the main story line. But, you've got to make sure they like you enough. And you'll need furniture because nobody, at this point in time, will want to have a romp on a cold hard floor. You'll start with an empty place.

You can obtain furniture by completing story lines and various other (undecided) means. At this point in time you'll get a carpet once you finish the Advisor story line in Chapter 2. You'll have to place and manage your furniture because eventually you'll have more furniture than slots for it. Additionally, the available furniture in your Love Shack determines which activities are possible. And not all characters you'll meet over time have the same preferences.

The more furniture and items you collect, the more possibilities you have in your Love Shack. This is an example of the possible situation after some time. Make tea or coffee, Netflix and chill, dance. You'll win the heart of even the most reluctant visitor. And have some fun with them.

You'll use your land-line to contact characters you've met over the course of the game. Whether or not they want to visit you depends on their attitude toward you, which you influence by your previous actions. Similarly, the activities they are willing to engage in depends on that attitude. But, once they have arrived you can improve that attitude again by dialogue and using items. Obviously, if you pay them (read: ME!) they will have very warm feelings for you as well.

Once they arrive, you'll immediately see how they feel about you. In this example the visitor is extremely happy to see you. That will be a piece of cake. A good thing, because all you have is a carpet. For now.

Player Homes are exclusively available for Patrons and every patron will get one for free with the release of next chapter, expected nearing the end of October 2016.

Massive, epic update.

The next update, probably to be released to the public this weekend and currently being played by my patrons is truly epic. It's got a new, third animation in Chapter 1, highly interactive and with different views; you can complete the entire sequence without ever seeing more than her face and  tits with nipples or you can look down to where the action is, and switch between these views. But that's not the most important part of this release. The completion of the game framework or foundation is: a bespoke database. 

Players can now store their actions and decisions which will have an effect on future chapters. Some of this stored data (character names, played protagonist) are stored if the player decides to do so. Some other data (attitude, behaviour) will be stored automatically. The selected, remembered character will determine which story line the player embarks on in the next chapter. Choices will determine the NPCs attitude towards the protagonist. Some options may simply not be available if the player didn't walk that path or explored that branch.  

Chapter 1, the prologue, was a relatively quick and simple introduction. It wasn't extremely challenging to reach one of the three potential endings even while some fatal mistakes were possible. But decisions have been made that carry forward. Chapter 2 will have some story lines or branches which are a bit more demanding form the player as well as the relatively quick and easy scenarios.
Chapter 1 was the trunk of the tree with three branches and now these will grow and fork in turn. Continuously.
An alternative metaphor is that while gathering and crafting the tools I've built a shed. Now I'm going to build houses with rooms, castles, a city. A city populated with NPCs who have a story and an attitude which is influenced by the player's actions.
I've played hundreds of games in all the genres you can imagine. I'm going to combine these experiences in an environment that is rewarding for gamers but also caters for a more casual approach in case you want to sit back, relax, enjoy. I'm also slowly implementing previously established ideas like the three different story modes (fast, medium, immersive) and the PG versus hardcore choice, as indicated in the first paragraph
I have only just started.
Register on my members site to be kept up to date about when, exactly, new releases are going public. Here's a screenshot of one story start of chapter two. Oh, I almost forgot; that starts with scene exploration and involves items to collect and an inventory

The day Google Chrome lost

Market dominance is never a good thing. It makes for sloppy. Careless. Arrogant. And so it is with Google Chrome. If I check my stats Chrome leads with 57%, followed by Firefox with 21% and the rest is under 10%, Safari at 7%, Qt and Internet Explorer at 6%. So you'd think they lead but they actually lost, in performance, from all others, even fucking Internet Explorer.
Because Google Chrome is the only one that doesn't correctly display the video I've embedded in my HTML5 Canvas. It makes things up. It changes dimensions.


I've put a great deal of thought into making everything independent from viewport size; I don't work in pixels, I work in percentages. So that the images and video always scale and align perfectly, on a big screen or on a tablet and even on a phone. And that works like a charm for every god damned browser, even Internet Explorer, apart from Google Chrome.
Now, obviously, you don't have to give a fuck about small independent developers like me when you're one of the biggest, richest companies on the planet. Totalitarian, monopolistic rulers don't have to give a shit about anything or anybody any more, apart from how to hide their money from the tax-man.
Yes, I'm infuriated. I've sent some tweets to the Google Chrome Devs but, sure enough, just silence is the result. I've searched my ass off to see if they had some obscure list of acceptable aspect ratios or something. Zip. Nada. So Google Chrome is fucking up my video, my display and none of the others do. THEY ARE FUCKING UP MY GAME!
It isn't me. If it was, it would happen in other browsers as well. It's them. And HTML5 is a standard, so is the video. Google Chrome fucks up standards. Big enough to get away with it.
And now I've got to spend tons of time to try and fix it. Fix Google Chrome's mistakes. Can I send them an invoice for the hours spent? Shall I just bill them? Well, they'll have many lawyers in their employ, and can afford them, to make sure nothing like that will ever be successful.
Once, long past, Google declared it didn't want to be Evil. Well, those days have passed. Google is Evil and Chrome is it's evidence. And it pisses me off to no extent that these arrogant bastards, again, rich as fuck, richer than many countries, with the smartest developers on the planet in their employ fuck over somebody like me with plain, pure, indifference, carelessly crushing ants. It's what giants do.

On a side note, Safari does change the colour depth of my video. I've got to look into that. Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer and Chrome don't. But obviously, Apple is as Evil as Google. I think they have a secret competition. Who can be the biggest cunt on the planet? Get away with the most obvious atrocities? Microsoft, once contender, is out of that race for a decade now. And displays my embedded video as intended.