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Is Nimin Dead?
7 years ago
Short answer
Yes. Just assume it is. If you've been holding your breath since the last release for the next one, I hope after 4+ years that you have exhaled. Do not wait anxiously for some giant update, there has been little to no progress and any hype would just lead to disappointment. Expect nothing. If some day there is some kind of update in any shape or form, be excited at that time that something new is there.
Long answer
Sorta. The Nimin that has existed is dead. After much thought and questions and experience gained elsewhere, I have come to the conclusion that Nimin in its current incarnation cannot continue, it is an exercise in futility to do the things I wanted to do with it in the state it is in. No matter how much I sought help, no matter how much I redid bits and pieces, no matter what inspiration I could drive, the momentum kept vanishing.
To that end, I haven't been doing nothing, exactly. I have bouts of creativity and I have been making an attempt to foster those bouts, make something come from them. I almost started working on a whole new game to fulfill the concepts I have had in my head. I even wrote up the overall structure and style of the game and had only just begun actually writing the code. But as I was writing the first couple scenes, I came to the realization: why am I writing a lot of this again? It may be slightly different, but it's very similar to what I was aiming for with Nimin (just with a different perspective). The only reason I was doing it anew was because Nimin had been written into a corner I couldn't get it out of and was bloated with things I didn't care about. And while it may seem like such an obvious idea, it wasn't until I got to that point that I recognized it: why not just take Nimin's engine and start Nimin over from scratch, this time actually planning for all the things that had pushed me into a corner already.
So, that's what I did. I spent a week or two brainstorming, using a lot of your guys feedback, and even more of the lessons I had learned and stories I wanted to tell. I outlined what I want a "New Nimin" to be, from the core gameplay elements to the overall world, keeping in mind something that is "doable", as opposed to the original flow of "all the possibilities". I've got a nice document with enough leeway for spur-of-the-moment decisions, but with enough focus so I know it should make sense. I even started writing for it, something I haven't done in a long while.
HOWEVER, that is not a sign that something is coming. That is not even a "some day this will happen". That is just a statement of what has been done in the past few months.
As I have stated in previous journals, I cannot put as much time towards making things as I used to, not even close. Those bouts of creativity? I'm lucky if I get one weekend a month to follow through on them. Why? Well, before I was an unemployed 20-something living in the middle of nowhere with my parents, with no life and no friends outside of the internet, that used creativity to keep myself afloat in a sea of depression and likely would not have existed much longer at that rate anyways. Now I have a job, live on my own, have friends both online and irl, and other hobbies I can actually do. But, I am also a 32 year old virgin that has never had a romantic relationship, despite deeply wanting that special someone and starting a family. I know I am not the only one in that boat, others have expressed the same, and I want to make sure I do something about it rather than wallow in it. I have been trying for 3 years now to fulfill that and it is not easy. Staying at home working on a porn game does not help in that avenue, so I have to prioritize against it, maybe even for another 3 years (though I really hope it doesn't take that long).
So, will I be making anything ever again? I think so; I believe a core part of who I am is somebody that creates erotic fiction. Will I be making anything in the foreseeable future? Maybe. I have plans and when creative bouts come I try to build out those plans. Yet I cannot confirm nor deny that anything will happen, I have no clue how long anything would take or if anything can come to fruition, and I need to keep it that way for a while.
While this journal is informing everybody out there about the status of things, this journal is actually more for me. I already know a lot of you support my lack of content; this isn't the first time I've stated a lot of this. But, this journal is to cement what my current path and objectives are, to solidify the fact that while I do want to create, I have other priorities, and I can't use one side of my life to make excuses as to why I don't perform in the other side of my life. I will do both as I can, when I can, and try my best to not fall too far behind any of it.
Thanks! And if any conversations ask "is Nimin dead?", here's the journal that acts as proof that "Sure, just assume that it is".
Yes. Just assume it is. If you've been holding your breath since the last release for the next one, I hope after 4+ years that you have exhaled. Do not wait anxiously for some giant update, there has been little to no progress and any hype would just lead to disappointment. Expect nothing. If some day there is some kind of update in any shape or form, be excited at that time that something new is there.
Long answer
Sorta. The Nimin that has existed is dead. After much thought and questions and experience gained elsewhere, I have come to the conclusion that Nimin in its current incarnation cannot continue, it is an exercise in futility to do the things I wanted to do with it in the state it is in. No matter how much I sought help, no matter how much I redid bits and pieces, no matter what inspiration I could drive, the momentum kept vanishing.
To that end, I haven't been doing nothing, exactly. I have bouts of creativity and I have been making an attempt to foster those bouts, make something come from them. I almost started working on a whole new game to fulfill the concepts I have had in my head. I even wrote up the overall structure and style of the game and had only just begun actually writing the code. But as I was writing the first couple scenes, I came to the realization: why am I writing a lot of this again? It may be slightly different, but it's very similar to what I was aiming for with Nimin (just with a different perspective). The only reason I was doing it anew was because Nimin had been written into a corner I couldn't get it out of and was bloated with things I didn't care about. And while it may seem like such an obvious idea, it wasn't until I got to that point that I recognized it: why not just take Nimin's engine and start Nimin over from scratch, this time actually planning for all the things that had pushed me into a corner already.
So, that's what I did. I spent a week or two brainstorming, using a lot of your guys feedback, and even more of the lessons I had learned and stories I wanted to tell. I outlined what I want a "New Nimin" to be, from the core gameplay elements to the overall world, keeping in mind something that is "doable", as opposed to the original flow of "all the possibilities". I've got a nice document with enough leeway for spur-of-the-moment decisions, but with enough focus so I know it should make sense. I even started writing for it, something I haven't done in a long while.
HOWEVER, that is not a sign that something is coming. That is not even a "some day this will happen". That is just a statement of what has been done in the past few months.
As I have stated in previous journals, I cannot put as much time towards making things as I used to, not even close. Those bouts of creativity? I'm lucky if I get one weekend a month to follow through on them. Why? Well, before I was an unemployed 20-something living in the middle of nowhere with my parents, with no life and no friends outside of the internet, that used creativity to keep myself afloat in a sea of depression and likely would not have existed much longer at that rate anyways. Now I have a job, live on my own, have friends both online and irl, and other hobbies I can actually do. But, I am also a 32 year old virgin that has never had a romantic relationship, despite deeply wanting that special someone and starting a family. I know I am not the only one in that boat, others have expressed the same, and I want to make sure I do something about it rather than wallow in it. I have been trying for 3 years now to fulfill that and it is not easy. Staying at home working on a porn game does not help in that avenue, so I have to prioritize against it, maybe even for another 3 years (though I really hope it doesn't take that long).
So, will I be making anything ever again? I think so; I believe a core part of who I am is somebody that creates erotic fiction. Will I be making anything in the foreseeable future? Maybe. I have plans and when creative bouts come I try to build out those plans. Yet I cannot confirm nor deny that anything will happen, I have no clue how long anything would take or if anything can come to fruition, and I need to keep it that way for a while.
While this journal is informing everybody out there about the status of things, this journal is actually more for me. I already know a lot of you support my lack of content; this isn't the first time I've stated a lot of this. But, this journal is to cement what my current path and objectives are, to solidify the fact that while I do want to create, I have other priorities, and I can't use one side of my life to make excuses as to why I don't perform in the other side of my life. I will do both as I can, when I can, and try my best to not fall too far behind any of it.
Thanks! And if any conversations ask "is Nimin dead?", here's the journal that acts as proof that "Sure, just assume that it is".
Best of luck on your real life pursuit!
I’m not saying you SHOULD do that...but I’m just using that as an example. Just me making a suggestion! Because I loved Nimin and even plan on getting arts of a character that I developed in your game. I also loved the writing you did in the game! Just marvelous! And I would love to see your writing as you are now as a writer! :3
But I do wonder, how do you feel about open sourcing your engine? It's pretty robust for what it is.
I strongly believe in doing what makes ya happy. if your not motivated, if you have no drive or desire to do something then I don't think you should force it.
thank you and don't be a stranger!
1) I'm not completely done with Nimin. That might not have been clear, but I have outlined and started work on a revamped Nimin that removes the flaws that are blocking its progression and gives it a more cohesive feel. It's just a slow process with no guarantee of results, due to trying to have a life.
2) While somebody else starting a team to work on it is possible, to that I generally say: Nimin isn't all that special, it's just a general fantasy layout with some built up characters and some common engine themes. So, if you were able to get a team together, you wouldn't necessarily need the rights to make Nimin, you could make something similar. The difficulty is in actually making a game, the writing and coding that are involved, which is why you don't see many games get too far off the ground. That would be your larger hurdle to tackle first, rather than rights.
With those said, if you wanted to fund a continuation of the game and could get a team to write and code, I'd even offer my services as a director. It's the writing and coding that I don't have the time for, but working on the framework and direction is less time-intensive. Worldbuilding and game theory come somewhat easy to me, if that's the value people see in Nimin.
I've also been contemplating setting up a Patreon to work on Nimin, since there has been people suggesting funding the continuation. But I haven't done anything to that regard yet.
I apologize if I was insinuating that you wanted to completely drop the game. I really am more interested in funding you directing a team of your choice to help develop the game. With the popularity of these kinds of niche games, like Corruption of Champions, Fallowing, and Fek's Rack 2, it makes a game like Nimin far more attractive. I, for one, wouldn't mind putting a little money into paying for a team. Although, speaking from experience, directing is just as much of a time-consuming job.
on FA and other sites many "free hands" they may help, please public source code of nimin at "github"
under GPL license