Figuring Out Scope

One of the hardest things to do as a game developer is to figure out just what to trim off of a game you are working on. Before I even started making this game I had already decided to focus on just a few characters representing the original 4 letters of the LGBT+ acronym. I wanted the game to have branching dialogue where you chose each week who to talk to and at least one set of conversation choices for that week. Those are still the core goals for the game, but there were a bunch of other things I wanted to work in that I am now realizing I am going to have to trim out in order to keep this project manageable.

The worst part of this decision is that I know know that what was supposed to be the narrator's main character arc for the game is going to have to be pushed to a sequel. There is no way that I will not be doing that story at some point because it means so much to me. There is just no way I can handle putting it in the current game without it causing significantly more work to the point where I don't think I would be able to make myself finish the game.

The other thing I am going to be trimming out is romantic relationship options that I had planned on putting in the game. I don't want these relationships to feel rushed or forced so I am pushing them off to be handled in another game. This game is going to be about making friends and gaining an understanding of certain things that the main character did not have experience with before.

At my current rate of development it is going to take quite a while to get not just this game but the next few completed as well. I understand if this is going to come as a disappointment to some, but I see it as better to make several smaller games that I can actually handle than trying to make a mega game that I honestly can't.