Deep Russian Depression
Deep Russian Depression Blog (#9)
Deep Russian Depression Blog (#8)
From now, I prefer to be silent about new features in the game, because a lot of things may be changed before the release. In April, I worked on segmenting the code, which will make it easier to translate it into multiple languages in the future. Also, I am still correcting the main story, removing everything unnecessary and adding the necessary to improve the quality of the narration.
Everyday I think about how I should advertise Deep Russian Depression. Given my modest advertising budget, several options popped into my mind. I may print out several hundred pamphlets and hand them out to teenagers hoping they will be interested. However, many modern teenagers never had Steam or personal computer, and somebody may misperceive why an adult strange man approaches unfamiliar children. I may print a lot of stickers and stick them all over the city, hoping that someone will search Deep Russian Depression in the Internet. This option is a little romantic, but not at all productive, alas.
And now a little bit about personal. You may be happy for me — I opened five Anubis Collection Package in the game Counter-Strike, which resulted in me dropping an expensive item M4A4 | Eye of Horus, which has been sold by me for near 666 USD. I do not advise anyone to repeat something like this — I just got lucky once.
It's nice to see that the Deep Russian Depression statistics are growing every day. More and more people learn about this game, which will be released in February 2024. If you would like to support the development, you can donate your money through DonationAlerts. Also, feel free to comment my blog — it's important for me to know what my readers think and don't forget to join the group chat of the game.
The next part of this blog is in a month, as usual. If the next and all subsequent parts do not come out on time, then something terrible and irresistible has happened to me.
Deep Russian Depression Blog (#7)
Deep Russian Depression Blog (#6)
In this game, the characteristics of your character play the most important role — their value determines how events will happens. There are six characteristics in the game. The starting values of the characteristics depend on which character archetype the player chooses. Archetypes are balanced among themselves: each of them has two good (high starting value), two normal (medium starting value) and two bad (low starting value) characteristics. You will never know the exact value of the characteristics of the character — they are hidden and formed randomly at the beginning of the walkthrough. The only thing you know is the range in which the starting value of your characteristic lies: good, normal or bad.
Sometimes during the main story, the game will start a random event from large pool of them. This events are small but variable plots that affect your character. Different results of the different events will give a different combinations of buffs and debuffs to your character, which will change the values of his characteristics. This means you may make your character stronger in several ways: cover your all weaknesses or become the best in some playstyle.
There are dozens of random events in the pool already, but in the future there may be more than a hundred events in the pool. I conclude that the combination of random events seen by the player makes his walkthrough almost unique. It is also important to mention that the sequence of the same actions in different walkthroughs can give different results, because the starting characteristics value of the character are chosen randomly, which makes each walkthrough truly unique!
And most importantly, noone will be able to calculate the correct sequence of their decisions using arithmetic. In Deep Russian Depression, as in real life, you will have to rely on luck and understanding what you and your opponents are like. To prevent the player from broke my gameplay idea, I have removed the ability to undo player's selections. Returning to the save before the choice are impossible — the game will have only one save slot, in which the game will be saved automatically.
It is also important to tell you about situation in Steam. Some users were unable to accept the change in visual style in favor of anime. At the beginning of February 2023, there were noticeable removals of the game from the Steam wishlists, but the situation has stabilized, and now the increase in wishing to purchase the game is much higher than the decrease. For those who don't like anime, I have an announcement: I and one good photographer are ready to make an alternative version of Deep Russian Depression in photorealism art style, but this will only happen if the main game gain recognition and commercial success. That is why I urge you not to delete, but to add the game to your wishlist, follow and join the group chat of the game. I'm sure that Deep Russian Depression will appeal to many people, but these many don't know about this game yet.
I am grateful to the donators of this month: the amounts are small, but greatly simplify my life. If you have a philanthropic impulse, then here is a link to DonationAlerts. Thank you for your attention. Good luck!
Deep Russian Depression Blog (#5)
Deep Russian Depression is a paradoxical visual novel. The paradox is that the game follows the canons of the genre, but does it slightly unusual. Let me explain everything so that you don't have any misconceptions about this game.
Nowaday screenshots in the Steam Store don't match what you will see inside the app. If you are waiting for photorealism art style, I will upset you: Deep Russian Depression is an anime that is generated by Stable Diffusion. Don't make hasty conclusions: I select only those images that correspond to the general style of the game. After that I edit them and get a decent result. Since the visual part is still in development, I don't post new screenshots because a lot may still change. The aspect ratio of the game screen is 4 by 3 and no other options are provided.
Music for the game is not ready yet. If suddenly will appeared something that can create a soundtrack with a correct mood, I will try to use it. If not, I will have to use musical skills of my closed buddies.
The only thing I will never do with someone else's help is a text. My questionable writing style may be (God forgive me) questionable, but not everyone can write essay for 100/100 result in entering exam in academy and get the 1-st place in literature competition «Golden Pen» in the nomination «Let Me Argue».
Deep Russian Depression is a semi-commercial project. First of all, I do it to realize my own ambitions in creativity, but I will not refuse to earn money. That's why the game won't be free, but will cost the lowest possible price in the Steam Store.
Don't wait for game keys or retail versions. The only way to get the game in future is purchase in Steam Store. Whoever you are: streamer, collector, donator, ordinary player — we are all equal in front of Deep Russian Depression!
Finally, I would like to send my respect for everyone who is actively involved in the life of this community. Any contribution motivates me to work harder and more efficiently! I am especially grateful to three donators of this month — your contribution was very appropriate.
I hope after my explanations about the game, you have made a decision: wait for this game or not. And if you're waiting, see you in the next part of this blog!
Deep Russian Depression Blog (#4)
I would like to believe that the worst is over, but it is not, of course. Forecasts are beginning to come true: at the end of December, in the lower house of the Russian parliament began active talk about reprisals against "traitors" who had left the country last months. Soon they may start to look for "traitors" inside the country. The criteria will be set by the local authorities: they will punish everyone objectionable and that will be an intelligible message to "not yet traitors".
Pessimistic scenario. I don't deny that they will come for me too. If this blog stops updating, then consider that I died and Deep Russian Depression will not be released.
Last time I promised to announce the planned release date of the game. I plan to release the game on February 24, 2024 (02/24/2024) — this will be the second anniversary of the day of the Russian Federation shame and moral plummeting. The release of the game in that date has another advantage: Deep Russian Depression will be appear at the Steam Next Fest in February 2024, where everyone can try out the demo version of the game.
There is a link to DonationAlerts for all who want to support the development of the game. Fundraising details in part #3. As before, I invite you to join the group chat of the game.
Happy New Year.
Deep Russian Depression Blog (#3)
For a start, I would like to thank six¹ amazing² readers³ of⁴ this⁵ blog⁶ for completing my request and joining the group chat of the game. There are links to their Steam profiles in the above words. Let everyone know the names of these worthy people!
As expected, winter in Siberia begins in November, bringing cold and darkness with it. And this year, after a short walk at an air temperature of -28 °C (-18,4 °F), I got understanding about the total powerlessness of human in front of nature, especially now. Somebody will object to me because there is an opinion that humanity has been adapted to the cold climate by building many cities throughout Siberia and all over the world. However, outside heated rooms, an unprepared person, as before, is powerless against the cold and his chances of survival tend to zero. But why does this question bother me right now?
I think it is not necessary to explain that the "second wave of mobilization" is extremely likely to happen and may begin very soon. Now the government has the experience of holding such events and it will not make past mistakes. After the official announcement of the "second wave", Russians will not have a chance to leave the country easy. Now is the time to buy a ticket if there are opportunity and desire. Some of my buddies left the coutry already: one is somewhere in Kazakhstan and the other came to the United Arab Emirates, got a job and received the status of a resident.
But what about Russians who cannot leave the country for any reason? Here my anxiety about powerlessness before nature finds justification, because in wintertime it is not be possible to hide from the crime mobilisation somewhere in a country house or in a tent in the forest. In the case of round-ups at my place of residence, I have critical problems: I have nowhere to go (except for the military registration and enlistment office) and no one is waiting for me (except for the military commissar)!
An unpleasant situation became worse by a completly stop of personal income. My main activity for making cash (brickselling) is temporarily suspended because there are no demand during wintertime. And now I have to look for a new ways to get money for live.
That's why I am opening a fundraiser to support the developer of Deep Russian Depression. The only resource I need for a successful release is time and I will have enough of it if I am not concerned with finding money to pay for the Internet and cat food.
There is a link to DonationAlerts for all concerned people. A top-list of donators are already created in Deep Russian Depression app. By the way, the release date of the game is already chosen and I will announce it in the next issue of this blog with some extra information.
Take care!
Deep Russian Depression Blog (#2)
I recommend you to join the game's group chat, where I will post important information about the game before anyone else.
And I also wish everyone a Happy Halloween! Among the common Russians, this date is despised (along with human rights, morality and common sense), but I don't care about their opinion not at all.
That's why I traditionally tasted some gummy worms and made a thematic photo. Do you celebrate Halloween? What did you dressed up this year? Write in the comments, I'm very curious!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2882538229
Deep Russian Depression Blog (#1)
During seven months of illegal stay on the territory of independent Ukraine, the Russian Federation wasn't able to achieve what was planned to be done in three days. And when Russian Federation has run out of contract soldiers and mercenaries from prisons, president Putin has decided to use the Russian civilians for his own insidious purposes.
Many unenlightened Russians have already submitted to his will: hundreds of thousands of men aged 18 to 60 have already been sent or are preparing to be sent to the occupied territories of Ukraine. Judging by the videos from the Internet, these people are completely unsuitable for combat operations. Everyone understands that an inglorious death awaits the mobilized Russians, but this doesn't frighten them, because there are no prospects and hope in their lives.
At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Russians have already left the country, going to Georgia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Bus tickets were sold out, and air ticket prices could reach a million ruble price. Long queues lined up at the borders of those who decided to spontaneously move. Unfortunately, not every one of them left the territory of the Russian Federation, because the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation has taken measures to counter migration.
Propaganda will proclaim everyone who crossed the border as cowards and traitors, but this is not so. They have much more determination than those who obediently accepted the criminal order to mobilize. Both will spend the rest of the year in a foreign land: some as refugees, others as occupiers.
In the current situation, it is difficult to continue the development of the game, but it opens up a huge scope for the knowledge of what we call Deep Russian Depression. Autumn also contributes to this: gray sky, falling leaves, cold nights. I am in a warm and safety place right now, but I don't know what will happen to me before the end of the year.
I may say for sure — I will do everything possible to not become a participant in the immoral and senseless war. I will hide, listen to and be careful (my luck that I learned this). It might not be the best idea to reveal my plans here, so I won't go into details, but I promise I'll try to make decisions that I won't be ashamed of.