The first public version of Pervader was launched on May 5th and it has been somewhat of a success (more than 4800 downloads WOW!). Thank you all so much for trying it out! It has made me very happy to see all of your excited comments about how the story is going to unfold. I know a lot of you are eager for the next update, so I thought I'd make this devlog to inform you about how things are going, plans for the future, and to tell you a little about me and this project's background.

June 5th will be the release date for version 0.2.0.

The update will contain around 15k words (the first chapter had 25k words). Both of these first couple of chapters have been worked on for a few months before the first version was released, so they're probably going to be more polished than future updates. I will be aiming for monthly updates, targeting the 5th of every month.
Version 0.2.0 will introduce a new character, 6 new backgrounds and improvements to Jymsar's sprite (new travel clothes, new expressions). If I have time, I'd like to work on Alen and some chapter 1 content as well, but I can't promise anything.
Patreon supporters have access to a Discord server where I share most of these assets as they are being developed. The Discord will be available to join for everyone once the next chapter is released.

If you would like to become a supporter, check out this Patreon link:

https://www.patreon.com/pervader

Feedback

I've received a lot of feedback on the form (97 responses). Thank you all so much for taking the time to help out! Let me share with you some of the results:

Form question 1: "Which content aspect of the game do you want to have the MOST priority?"
An overwhelming majority picked Writing (66%), while the second most popular option was Character graphics (22%). The story will keep on moving forwards with each update, so there's no need to worry. I'm also aware that it's not enough to only have one sprite for each character. Jymsar will get new expressions this next update, and I will focus on Alen for the next one.

Form question 2: "Which content aspect of the game do you want to have the LEAST priority?"
Most people don't care about the Interface (38%). The second most (least?) popular option was Nothing in particular (30%). While I would like to design an interesting interface at some point, I agree with all of you that it is not worth my attention right now.

I've also received some more specific comments, so I wish to restate and clarify some things.
- There are not going to be a lot of choices in the story. It will play out fairly linearly. There are going to be only a few moments where you can alter the course of events, occurring mostly near the end. Prior to that, your most important choice is going to be your route (Alen or Jymsar), which is still a few updates away.
- Alen and Jymsar are going to be the only romantic interests.
- Characters (especially Alen and Jymsar) will have sprites showing different expressions and moods. I will try to prioritize getting these ready for the next few updates.

If you have comments, bug reports, suggestions or any kind of feedback, you can send me a message at gigasaddle@gmail.com
Check out the feedback form if you haven't already:

https://forms.gle/845kUJ9KZqvpzZJAA

A little bit more about my background

My intro into the furry world as well as visual novels was Morenatsu. That game inspired me to want to create my own world with my own characters. I had no training in art nor writing, but that didn't stop me from creating fanart of Morenatsu. That was about eight or nine years ago, and ever since then I have been drawing haphazardly, slowly getting better. In 2017 I made a commitment to improve my art skills, so I started learning art fundamentals as well as practicing writing and world building. It's been a tough journey, and I'm still nowhere near where I want to be with my ability to craft art, but I feel confident that I'm on the right path towards success.
Pervader is a project that has been in the planning stages throughout that learning period. The first draft is a completely different story with completely different characters. I kept rewriting and rethinking every aspect of the world and narrative until I felt satisfied that I had a blueprint for something really good and interesting. Most facets of the plot have already been mapped out very carefully, so I want to highlight that there is little risk of getting lost as the story unfolds. That said, I appreciate any sort of critique you have on the story or anything else. I'm sure there are many things you can point out which I have overlooked.

Although this project is only just beginning, I will tell you now that Pervader has been conceived as just the first step in a three part series, and possibly more. If it is successful, there will be a lot to explore in the future. Regardless, Pervader is already designed to be jam packed with intrigue, lore and character moments, so you will have more than enough to chew on.

Finally, I'd like to make a habit of doing devlogs between updates, to keep you posted about the project's progress and what you can expect in the future. If you would like me to talk about a specific subject related to the project, art, writing, how I work or anything else, please feel free to make suggestions, comment or send me an e-mail.

That's all! See you next update!
See you June 5th!