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The Future of Ceylon(?)
To be honest it feels weird posting a postmortem cause I always feel like it should be posted when a project is dead. And although Lingering might be underwhelming in release compared to Amplitude, I don't really consider Lingering 'dead' cause I'm actually still working on artbook and such. But here we go.
Whew Lingering has been quite an interesting ride for me. Conceptualized in October 2017 because I was feeling really emo and suicidal tbh (I'm fine now btw, not good but fine.)
College was being a real bitch to me back then, not that different from the University story in Lingering. And I wasn't the only one experiencing it, a lot of my friends got shit for graduating later than we should. The peer pressure was horrible, very Asian, lol. So, at first I wanted to make a mobile game about my University. Lexy was supposed to be the main lead and the Lingering cases was much simpler back then since it was all on campus. Sakon (Ceylon team member, now focused on Freak Quency comic. Used to draw Amplitude BGs) was supposed to be the main artist. We made concepts and everything. But then we won the Lezhin competition and Sakon focused solely on the comics.
Meanwhile I focused on my final paper and waited for my graduation on April 2018. A lot of death happened around that time, both suicidal and just nature doing its course. I was really upset and decided to make Lingering myself, same characters as you see now, but quite different plot and flow. It was a lot more hateful and in your face back then. Anyway, one death that really hit hard on me was 'Kayla' this is an alias, but I did put her real name that she goes by in the credits. I won't go too deep into the details, but after her attempt on campus, students really showed their ugly side. I graduated already at this time, but still helped out on campus as an assistant of sorts (not sure what is the correct english word, but the professors asked me to help in the labs and such)
Anyway I heard a lot of fake rumors about her, saying she did it cause of a lover or got knocked up, when it was a real deep family and complex issues. We stopped her attempt on campus, only for her to pass away not long later. This was around the same time Lingering Kickstarter was airing btw. The hurdle that decides if Lingering was going to continue development or not, which it did. So Lingering to me, started with death. I decided to grieve with it, plot changed a bit overtime than initial plans.
A bit softer, less hatred and anger, but I still wanted to convey the stories that you read now in game. It was hard, but I tried my best. Lingering is technically made only by two people afterall. I got a lot of support from others like Sayaka and Annelise, my backers, but the main team for game itself was just me and SilentMorti, who is still studying art in university. So, yeah, speed wasn't really our strongest point, but we made it work.
Art and conversation was our main focus in Lingering. Narrative text is my weakest form of writing so I avoided that altogether. There are less map explorations compared to Amplitude too. I do like this more than Amplitude though, because of the topic and cases that I based off my friends with their permission and such.
Lingering might not sell well, but the sister of 'Kayla' said she liked Lingering and appreciate the thought. The one I based 'Calvin' from is also now free and thriving despite the worlds' situation right now. So, really, I'm good. Is there some things I could've improved on with Lingering? of course, but I truly felt I did my best with all the things going on at the time.
If there is any regret with Lingering though, it probably is the fact that I know most Indonesians will still avoid it cause both LGBT and Mental illness is still very much shamed on. Like, so much so, I hope most Indonesians never find out my real identity because I know I will get heat from it. I don't want to get disowned, thanks.
But other than that, I think Lingering is my best work so far. Is that sentimental of me? Yes. Will Lingering sell? Probably not.
Will I continue making VNs? Now that is the real question. I do have an idea, a relatively large one at that. But I think if I do decide to make another project, I would prefer to make a patreon and post my progress there. So I can get your input and have fun just building something together. I will of course focus on Lingering artbooks first, but after that, I do want to give my new project idea a shot.
But only if you guys want it that is. I don't know, what do you guys think? Should I just end it here with Lingering or keep making VNs?
If the patreon works out, I kinda want the game to be free to be honest. I suck at marketing and rather just share my stories for free, but unfortunately the job market right now does suck and money does help ensure quality and push me to work more. Because I don't want to be labeled as that creator who ran away with all their supportes money, so you best bet I will work my ass off simply cuz I feel guilty receiving your money without results!
Anyway, that's all I can think of for now. If you guys want to ask me more technical stuff like how and why Lingering art looks like it is stuck in the Emo years of My Chemical romance's reign or coding nightmares and stuff, please ask away.
Criticism on Lingering is also welcomed.
Thank you, and hope to hear from you guys ^ ^
Get LINGERING
LINGERING
Beasts lurk deep within human hearts…
| Status | Released |
| Author | Miss Xero |
| Genre | Visual Novel, Interactive Fiction |
| Tags | Casual, LGBT, Manga, Mental Health, minigames, Mystery, Pixel Art, Romance |
| Languages | English |
More posts
- Mew Year, New Project!Jan 07, 2023
- Slightly OOT but Bare with MeJul 06, 2022
- A new little game demo - C.U.P.I.DApr 14, 2022
- Future Plans updateSep 22, 2020
- Patreon UpdateSep 01, 2020
- Some Honesty and Future Project PlansJul 20, 2020
- STEAM RELEASE!!Jul 07, 2020
- Summer SaleJun 26, 2020
- Artbook hints and sneak peeksJun 16, 2020
Comments
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Update! I made a Patreon, link here : https://www.patreon.com/ceylon_ent
hi! I just finished Lingering on steam (most of all of the endings at least)! The moment I saw a update on Amplitude show up in my steam library saying this game was available I bought it immediately. Your games are all amazing and Lingering didn't disappoint and is definitely my favourite. I will support you in any future VNs you make and I think you definitely should. Patreon is a smart way to fund and produce VNs if you are wishing to release them for free. I would definitely sign up for that. As I see in your comment, putting WIPs and sneak peaks etc for games, or behind the scenes extras is a good incentive for people to help out, and I would definitely like something like that.
Thank you for creating these amazing games, and also representing queer characters well! One of my favourite things about Lingering was the vast range of queer people. I am glad I am able to support you and your amazing games and please keep on going with it if you are inspired to do so and I will be here to continue cheering you on!
(also if you have the guide can you please send it to me, I can't for some reason unlock 2 of Angel and Dolls endings and idk if it's bugged or if I'm just a dum dum)
Thank you for your kind words and support for my games. I'm glad you liked them :)
also i added the Lingering ending guides in the steam guide page so please check there ^ ^. I had players who had gotten all of Angel/Doll endings so I dont think it is a bug ,but let me know if you still can't trigger the 2nd ending
Thank you!
Hi hi!
I have followed the guide and have had no luck getting any of the Angel/Doll endings but the Leader one. I've tried starting a fresh game and also editing previous chapters in a complete go but no such luck. Any further help appreciated as I've gone through so much :') To add I've had the dialogue in the last chapter that they have where Doll can say something or it's crossed out but this hasn't triggered the ending to be available.
Hi, I will try to further check this out but it might take some time. Thank you for your understanding and sorry for your inconvenience
We have now updated the game in steam to fix the issues. Turns out the ending errors are due to our fix for another bug when triggering the Date chapter in Doll. Hence not triggering the other two endings properly. We have updated the game in steam (and updating here as well) to fix these issues.
Thank you for pointing those out . So sorry for your inconvenience > <
Replaying the Trauma chapter and Mate/More chapter should fix the issues. Also check the Date chapter when Doll/Angel are dating will now trigger a cleaner event, previously we had some texts overlay or in the wrong position.
So sorry about everything and all your troubles :'(
great thanks for the quick fix! I will go on to complete these :))
Thank you for everyone's kind words. If any of you want to comment more please go ahead. I am going to check patreon a bit and see how it works. Do you think I should post my idea on lemma? So potential patreons know what I will be working on (besides Lingering)?
I won't post too much though, because if I do get a patreon up, I want the art and WIPs to be displayed there and only there
Thank you, feedback is highly appreciated ^ ^
I haven't had the chance to buy the game yet but I absolutely loved the demo. It was a style of play unique to other VNs I've played on this platform and I hope you're able to keep making games.
Thank you for your kind words, I hope you can get the game later on when possible and tell me what you think. ^ ^
Hello, I haven't gotten the chance to play Lingering yet; but I've been watching your progress as a creator since Frequency... Which feels like a different life these days. That first VN was far from perfect; but it stole my heart and I continue to adore it to this day. You could even say it was one of the defining experiences that got me interested in indie games in the first place.
What I mean to say, is that I've very much enjoyed the stories you've told. And if you continue to make them I will continue to play them. But I understand that the process of game development is draining. There's a reason why everyone wants to make indie games, but so few people do. Money is definitely a strong factor when it comes to productions like this, and I think Patreon is a really good idea moving forward.
I could probably write a whole essay, and would love to; but maybe not on a public forum?
Thank you. Would you be willing to talk via email? At ceylonent.ind@gmail.com?
I would love to hear your thoughts ^ ^
But no worries if you don't have the time too, I understand :)
I got lingering and I would absolutely support you on patreon. I say go for it! Of course I also say do what your heart tell you to but don't forget to earn for food :)
Thank you ^ ^
Yes, food is very much important haha. Mainly why I wanted to make a patreon because jobs are scarce and I would love to keep making VNs but yeah, finances > <
Thank you for being so open about your experience with Lingering and everything leading up to and influencing its creation. I just finished the game for the first time and got the Darkness (+ Marriage) ending.
As someone struggling with mental illness myself and especially with getting professional help, Lingering has been, despite the heavy matter, a strangely comforting read that resonated with me deeply. You created extremely engaging characters and dialogues (in a way that never made it too heavy no matter what was going on), the character of Goldie alone has been on my mind constantly ever since I picked up the game. I found a lot of comfort in her character.
I also spent a lot of time simply staring at the amazing artwork. The minute you create a Patreon, I'll be right there and waiting for your next release. I hope I can share this game with others until then. Please don't stop creating visual novels (as long as that's something you wanna do).
spoiler-ish stuff ahead
I had to put Lingering down a couple of times and collect myself. Especially the "next march" plot point hit me hard (harder than any of the explicit scenes) as one of my closest friends would always tell me they'd kill themselves at a particular point in their life. They're more stable now.
You also did a great job with the subject of supporting people in a crisis through mental health professionals rather than violence, force and prison sentences. Pretty sure both Jacob and Calvin talked about this directly, it's an important discussion to be had. Especially considering what's going on in the world.
I'm looking forward to achieving all the other (hopefully happier, ha) endings!
Thank you for commenting and saying that Lingering was a comforting read (despite its heaviness) means a lot. Your whole comment and feedback is basically what I hope people get from Lingering. So really, Thank you!
And thank you for stating your interest on supporting me on patreon ^ ^
Hope you do get better endings later :)
If you have any trouble getting the endings, you can check the Lingering endings.txt
I would be fine with having a Patreon to fund future games but I would hope the finished product would still be released through a platform like Itch.io for a cost for non Patrons to be able to purchase.
Thank you for your input ^ ^
I agree on the itch,io part but idk if I should just set it pay what you want or have a set a price for future games (if the patreon route works)
What do you think?
Me personally I would say have a set price but I can understand both sides. I always feel bad when developers set it as pay what you want and then there's always someone who pays nothing to spoil it. Usually what I do is pay for the base game and if I enjoy the developer's work I subscribe to their Patreon for a low tier ($1-5) to help them fund future games. I am more likely to pay for a higher base price than a higher Patreon tier as my monthly money fluctuates. I'm pretty anal and consider everything from how much I liked a developer's previous games; whether they offer a demo; a DRM free version; a day 1 Linux version; whether they use a FOSS engine; whether they use Vulkan; whether they allow a manual save option; etc. I have a spreadsheet for all of this, I like numbers haha. In case you're wondering I would pay up to $37.49 CAD ($27.75 USD) for a game from you so Lingering is more than a fair price and I hope to pick it up soon.
to be honest same with you that indonesia is still like this ( especially with me as the part of the community which a lot of people in this country hate the most ) i think this game of yours actually hit me hard rather than Amplitude bc of the topics. while everyone wants a game or media that out of the real problems that they have right now, i want it to be on the game so then i can face them all.
some dev from indonesia that i know making type of LGBTQ themes game is Mazjojo ( my friend meet them in japan festival in indonesia ), Meiyaoi, Erda Ernos and a lot more ( which i follow on twitter ). some of them are showing their own self on public while a lot of are still hiding, so it's normal for you to hide from that. since you post this game on medsos and not sell it face to face with this country people, i think it's alright to show that type of theme freely in here without any problems ( since internet is big ).
overall i think this game is your best work for me since the topic are real and i love the art style so much ( it fits perfectly with the game ) since it kinda hard to find a game that has that type of art so good job for the artist. making the game free actually is a big nope for me since you guys working hard on this masterpiece and i think it a bit of waste if you making it free, but it's up to you guys. everyone want you guys to keep making more vn or other games, if you want to make it. if you guys need help i can help you especially recommend all your game.
i'm writing this too much so sorry about it ( and sorry for annoying you guys with me rambling a lot ), but good luck with what you guys doing now :D
You're not annoying at all, I made this post so we can have discussions, so by all means let it all out, lol.
I agree with you regarding facing my problems in game. Maybe because in Indonesia facing them in real life is too hard or not worth the effort, haha.
Yes we know Mazjojo too, he is an interesting man hahaha. I definitely won't show my face though, aku pake kerudung aslinya :') takut diflame ~
But honestly thank your for your suport and comment. I'm glad there are fellow Indonesians that are open to these kind of games ^ ^
thank you so much lmao i'm just scared since i am bad at english and my rambling always be nonsense to everyone ( but thanks for hearing me out ).
yeah i like type of game when they have real life problem so that i can face them in real life and stop being weak ( since i have weak body and getting sick easily that makes me wanna die and give up ) so heavy story makes me stronger.
actually not just indonesia but every country that love to play games are like that bc they want to escape real life.
ahhh you already meet Mazjojo?? now i kinda jealous lol XD
yep true and especially me who always keep hiding my own sexuality and my illness bc i don't want anyone to know that i am weak and always bullying me.
iye lebih bagus sembunyi dr orng2 lain krn kita tak tau nanti mrk apain kita ... temen dekat lumayan tau soal rahasiaku sih dan biasa2 aja ( aku kristen ... tp tetep sama aja takut keluargaku yg religius bngt).
you're welcome and actually there's a lot of fellow indonesians that are open with this kind of games especially if they're same as me, but everyone is hiding about it while on medsos they can open up about it easily, same as me.
thank you for making such a great game and i always support you (i wish i can meet you someday and have your autograph www) :) keep getting that money for your life and food cuz getting money is so hard this day lol.
I'm planning to buy both Lingering and Amplitude once I have the money, and I'm very excited to play them! It's up to you if you keep making VNs, do whatever makes you happiest. I personally would love to see more VNs from you in the future ^-^
Thank you, I hope you like the games when you get them!
I haven't read Lingering yet but I have it on my wish list :) I did read Amplitude though but from what Ive seen and read from Lingering you've improved immensely! At the end of the day it your choice if you want to keep making VN's but if you ask me Id love for you to keep making them.
Side Note: I loved the art from Lingering even though it looks like its stuck in the Emo years of My Chemical Romance lol
Thank you for your comment, if you have any thoughts on Lingering please let me know. I always love hearing feedback, bad or good.