Since Iāve been getting a lot of emails lately and there seems to be a bit of confusion, I thought Iād make a small post here too:
I made the game public again. š«£
Mostly because I finally felt brave enough to share it again. And honestly, my partner also encouraged me a lot when it came to putting it back out there.
To clarify one thing though: Iām not really ābackā on Tumblr itself. I just donāt think the platform is really the right one for me... Or maybe Iām not right for the platform? Either way, thatās okay haha.
Iām still active on Discord, through email, and occasionally on Patreon where I share updates, announcements, progress, and so on. (Everything remains completely free, as always.)
And for anyone wondering: I never stopped writing.
This story has been with me for years now and, gods willing, I honestly donāt think Iāll ever stop working on it, no matter how long it takes me to finish.
Iām also planning to add a proper update log directly into the game itself soon, so even the silent lurkers among you can more easily keep track of where things currently stand without having to hunt through posts and announcements.
I hope you all have a beautiful summer and get to spend a lot of good time with the people you love. š«¶
It's me again, sorry for sending several asks at once, I just wanted to make sure you read my apology.
I am very sorry for what I said, I shouldn't have said those things, it was awful. I'm going to pretend that original ask doesn't exist because I'm too embarrassed about it.
If I could go back in time and not write it, I would.
Hey, Iām really glad you reached out again. I saw all your messages. I understand that you regret how things came across, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to say so. I absolutely accept your apology. We all misstep sometimes, especially when emotions run high.
Thereās no need to dwell on it and itās all in the past. I do hope youāll understand, though, that I decided to keep the original ask public, since it gave me the chance to explain that the game isnāt gone or abandoned - just private from now on.
You too are always welcome to send me an email, and Iāll be happy to share the private link with you if youād like to keep reading.
Wishing you all the very best, regardless of anything. š
If you're receiving negative asks about using AI, simply stop allowing anonymous asks. 99% of this problem will be solved. (And don't allow DMs from strangers)
But don't use that as an excuse for the fact that you were never going to finish this game (not really) and you deceived all your followers, stealing money from those players who helped you on Patreon. These "authors" ALWAYS came up with the lie that their computer exploded, to the point that it became OBVIOUS that several of them were lying (although some were telling the truth). Now the new lie they're ALWAYS using is the anonymous asks (Obviously, there are several real cases among this bunch of liars!)
I'm tired of this bullshit of an "author" starting an IF game, creating a Patreon, getting a ton of money from those who believed in them, and then simply deleting the game... Or worse, they wouldn't delete the game and, instead of writing the main game, would keep making endless drabbles for Patreon for YEARS. At first, "I didn't care about it", but when it started happening more and more and more and more and more... This month alone, 3 IFs were deleted; including yours, that makes 4 (Two of the "authors" didn't even try to explain themselves; they simply deleted their games or disappeared. Both had Patreon accounts.). And of course, one of them used the excuse that their computer exploded without providing any proof.
I wasn't going to send this ask, but I ended up sending it because I simply lost patience with this IF community. I'm simply going to do what I learned from "authors" like George Martin. Never follow an "author" who doesn't provide updates about their game or, worse, makes players pay for them (I'm not saying this is your case, I'm speaking generally!!!). Never follow an "author" who starts making one excuse after another for why they aren't writing the game. Never follow an "author" who, instead of writing the game, only writes endless drabbles for years (I know an IF that's like that and it hurt when I realized that game was never going to be released). Never give them money on Patreon unless the author truly deserves it.
I recommend that all other players do this so they won't be disappointed anymore with this IF community. One of these 4 IFs is one that looked like it was going to be REALLY cool, but it seems like it will soon be deleted as well.
Fableforger was also very cool, but now this has happened. Again, I wasn't going to send this ask, but I'm tired of it. I'm going to follow my own advice so I don't get disappointed again.
Hey, I completely understand your frustration. I really do.
But - without meaning any disrespect - I think writing it to me mightāve been a littleā¦ insensitive. I understand that you felt like you needed to let your frustrations out, but after what Iād written, you probably knew that I wouldnāt be in the best place to handle a message like that.
Now, I wonāt respond to most of your points (not because I donāt care, but because I donāt have the energy for debates or lengthy justifications right now.)
Still, thereās one thing I seem to have worded poorly, and I want to make it absolutely clear:
Iām not stopping writing the story. Iām just stepping back from promoting it and sharing it publicly.
Over the past few days, Iāve realized just how many people have found something genuinely meaningful in this story and that means the world to me. So yes, Iāll keep updating and even sharing the game, just not openly anymore. Itāll stay private, but everyone whoās already here and truly cares about it (and enjoys it for what it is) will always have access to the link.
The messages Iāve received these past days honestly moved me to tears, and Iām still slowly replying to each one. Everyone whoās written to me will get the link (if they want to and donāt already have it), and Iāll let them know whenever I update.
What I wonāt be doing anymore: no promotion, no Patreon, no devlogs, no romance asks, no Tumblr.
The only way to reach me is through the email address ([email protected]) and updates will take as long as they need to without me feeling guilty about it.
I genuinely think this is a good solution for everyone involved, because this way, no one will come across the game unless they truly want to and there's also no money involved on any level. And this way, it also feels more like what it was always meant to be: a hobby project for me and friends.
Over the next few days, Iāll be replying to all the messages youāve sent me. I just want to say that youāre all absolute angels for taking the time to reach out. Iām genuinely so grateful that each of you exists. Youāre wonderful.
Creating this project has been an incredible experience - joyful, exhausting, transformative. But also, truthfully, a difficult one. I know this might come as a bit of a surprise. Yet I learned something personal today; something that made me question my priorities and my well-being, and realize that maybe Iām simply not made to share parts of myself so openly.
I also want to address something thatās been discussed in a few places online. The use of AI - I know itās something many people find unacceptable, even deeply upsetting. And thatās valid. Most of the comments about it have been respectful, but ... some were not. And Iād be lying if I said it didnāt get to me.
And the truth isā¦ I donāt have much energy I have left to keep this project alive while facing that kind of backlash. I can take criticism, but Iām not built for big arguments. But please donāt misunderstand me - Iāve also seen every kind message, every bit of encouragement, every person who felt something through this story.
And I want to thank a few people in particular. One playtester - who stood by me from the very first test of Chapter 4, and who has already taken a look at parts of Chapter 5. You know who you are.
And another person, who offered to help with fanart - you also know who you are. I wonāt name names, because I donāt know if youād want that, butā¦ thank you. Truly.
At the end of the day, this was always a hobby.
Yes, I made a Patreon page. Maybe because I wanted to feel like I belonged to a space Iāve loved for so long. Iāve adored Choice of Games titles for decades. Iām not the youngest anymore, and Iām not a native speaker.
I write everything myself. The only thing Iāve ever used AI for is translation, coding, and a bit of help with phrasing things idiomatically. Thatās the truth, and Iāve never hidden it. Maybe some of those translations carried patterns people found too āAI-like,ā and I understand why that upset them. Itās fair. But please know this story - all of it - came from me. From my own thoughts, my own heart. Every idea, every scene, every character.
I think the hardest part is admitting that Iām justā¦ not built for this kind of exposure. Iām a people pleaser. I try to see the good in everything (or maybe just want others to see the good in me) and to make everyone happy. But I can see now that, even without meaning to, I angered people. I stepped on toes. Some felt personally offended by how this project came to be, or by the tools I chose to use. And I'm sorry about that. And so Iām pulling the plug.
Iāll delete my Patreon in a few days.
Iāve already refunded everyone who subscribed in the last few days (just as Iāve always offered to previous subscribers as well).
And I want to be clear - I never wanted to make a real profit from this. Not then, not now, not ever. I have a full-time job, a full life outside of this. I only wanted to create something people could talk about with me while we waited for the next big stories to come out.
So Iāll upload everything I have right now. Chapter 4 is finished. Chapter 5 is almost there - some routes are still missing, and Iām sorry to those who were looking forward to them. The demo will be set to private. You can find the link to the (private) game at the very bottom, in case anyone still wants to read it and see where the story was heading, even if itās unfinished for now. But I donāt want to draw in new people or promote it any further. This is just for those who already cared enough to get invested.
I hope youāll still be able to see, through Chapter 4 and most of Chapter 5, where I wanted the story to go and maybe, despite everything, that you can still enjoy it for what it is. I think Iāll keep writing privately, for myself for now, and perhaps one day share it again with those who wish to see where it leads.
I know this probably feels strange - especially after I just announced the update yesterday. But thatās life, isnāt it? Messy. Human. Sometimes you think you can handle the storm until you realize itās been wearing you down grain by grain.
Itās nerve-racking for someone like me. I honestly thought I could take it. But it turns out I was wrong and thatās on me. I know Iāve disappointed people now, which feels even worse...
And please know, I never once claimed to be an author, or the next great writer, or anything close to that. I never tried to make a living out of this. I only ever wanted to create something I could share.
I want to express my deepest respect to every writer or artist or creator who puts their work out there and faces public judgment. Itās brave beyond words. Itās terrifying, draining, and it makes you vulnerable in ways most people will never see.
Iāve neglected parts of my real life for this project. Pieces of my world outside the screen. And maybe Iām just not very good at keeping āreal lifeā and āonline lifeā apart, no matter how much Iād like to believe otherwise.
So yes, this message probably feels unexpected. But if youāve read this far - thank you.
Thank you to everyone who supported me.
Thank you to everyone who cared enough to read.
I hope you donāt feel betrayed. I hope I was honest enough with you.
When you share something with the world, there will always be people who dislike it and others who love it. But Iāve learned that I simply donāt have the tools to cope with the former.
I didnāt know that about myself until now.
So once more - thank you. To this community, to everyone who took part in this journey. Over the next few days, Iāll quietly disappear. At the end of the day, no matter what I decide, Iāll never be able to please everyone - so this time, I have to choose to please myself.
God, reading this back it sounds like a self-pity party sprinkled with justifications... But thatās not what I mean. Please donāt take it that way. Iām leaving with something Iāve learned about myself. And Iāve felt wonderful emotions through all of this. Iāve had conversations Iāll remember, spoken with people who cared, and shared pieces of a story that meant something to me. And that, in its own way, is exactly what Iād hoped for.
Have you ever thought about making a discord for your game
Oh, interesting - no, I actually havenāt thought about that before! I donāt know all that much about Discord, to be honest.
But feel free to let me know in the poll below if youād be interested! And Iād be extra grateful if you could also leave a quick comment about what youād enjoy most on a server like that (if you vote yes, of course). That would really help me get a better idea of what it could look like. š
Iād love if you took part in the poll and if you voted yes, feel free to drop a comment about what exactly youād find interesting about a Discord server. Thank you! š«”
So, this one ended in quite the funny tie - between āyesā and āI donāt care,ā which in hindsight makes me wonder why I even added that third option in the first place (because itās basically just a polite āno,ā isnāt it? š).
Anyway, I think Iāll wait until a few more chapters drop before asking again. By then youāll have more content to theorize and speculate about and maybe a few more people whoād want to join in. I do like the idea of giving everyone a little space to talk about the game together, even if itās just a small group. But for now, letās call it postponedā¦ not cancelled š
I love the game! I can see how much effort you make to make it fully immersive fleshed out and personalised and have the charachters feel fully real rather than just very flat so thank you for that š„° I have a question, after a certain scene, when Iām about to move on to the next chapter, the screen always takes ages to load and then I just give up and leave it but I think itās an issue with the platform itself, Iām wondering if itās supposed to do that if it could be because there are no other chapters after that point? š
Ah, thank you so much for the kind words. That honestly means a lot to me š„¹š
And yes, youāre absolutely right! The long loading screen isnāt your device; itās just the game trying to find the next chapter that hasnāt been uploaded yet. It used to loop endlessly because technically it knows thereās more content, it just canāt find it. Iāve fixed that little hiccup now, so it should stop properly at the end of the demo instead of hanging forever.
Thank you for catching it, and for playing. Your message really made my day šæ
How deeply tied is Agryan to the WRATH part of their domain?
What I want to know is, can I go full-on vengeful Kratos mode?
Also, - what separates them from other Gods like with that same kind of domain-overlapping, like Ares? Ares is a God of War and is Wrathful, is Agryan in the same respect.
Thank you so much for your questions š
The answer to your first one: deeply.
The answer to your second: yes, there will be moments when you can absolutely lean into that, if you choose to.
And as for the thirdā¦ well, thatās the real question, isnāt it? š My thoughts are these:
Ares embodies war in all its forms - rage, yes, but also strategy, hunger for dominance, the cold thrill of command. His domain is about the will (or compulsion) to wield power, to measure oneself against others, to conquer, to prove. The reasons behind it can vary and not all of them born out of anger.
Agryan, on the other hand, is wrath in its purest state. And where does wrath come from for you? For me, it comes from hurt, disappointment, humiliation, betrayal - all emotions that strike fast and burn bright, but eventually fade. They donāt always lead to war (except, perhaps, the kind that rages within).
In short: Ares is the need for people to seek control over others. Agryan is the moment the control they have over themselves shatters.
Im gonna be real-i was SO stupid and misread the RO information and was disappointed because i thought Drakon was only romanceable by male MCs (as i prefer playing fem or NB characters) and i assumed that was the case right up until flirt options appeared for my MC. Then i realized he was genderlocked. Oops.
Haha, Iām glad it turned out to be a pleasant surprise then š
Inescapable Consequences winning the poll makes way to much sense for this story, Mortals deciding to rise up against gods for the slights and troubles they've brought and inflicted on them. Then those mortals gain possession of inescapable consequence and potentially the loyalty/love of that force/deity, just has so much meaning and insight behind it, because; generally the gods don't get punished for the things they do to mortals with mortals being the ones to suffer and take the brunt of the burden and now the debt must be paid as consequence travels with the mortals.
For context click šš» here
I completely get what you mean and Iāll let you in on a little secret: the god(dess) of consequences is sometimes the hardest one to write. š
Not because itās meant to be the ārightā choice for everyone or because that path gets extra flavor text, but because capturing that whole karmic concept and translating it into story form can be tricky.
But when it does click, I think/hope that perspective can be just as fascinating for the reader as it sounds in my head. š
Have you ever thought about making a discord for your game
Oh, interesting - no, I actually havenāt thought about that before! I donāt know all that much about Discord, to be honest.
But feel free to let me know in the poll below if youād be interested! And Iād be extra grateful if you could also leave a quick comment about what youād enjoy most on a server like that (if you vote yes, of course). That would really help me get a better idea of what it could look like. š
Iād love if you took part in the poll and if you voted yes, feel free to drop a comment about what exactly youād find interesting about a Discord server. Thank you! š«”
Have you ever thought about making a discord for your game
Oh, interesting - no, I actually havenāt thought about that before! I donāt know all that much about Discord, to be honest.
But feel free to let me know in the poll below if youād be interested! And Iād be extra grateful if you could also leave a quick comment about what youād enjoy most on a server like that (if you vote yes, of course). That would really help me get a better idea of what it could look like. š
I hope you have been doing well, and I can't wait for an update! āŗļø also, I miss Drakon š«£
Ahh, thatās so sweet of you - thank you! I hope youāve been doing well too. And yes, Drakon is definitely overdue for another appearance here. šš„
I donāt think Iāve ever actually said this official (and Iām not sure if it was obvious or not) but: Echoes of Olympus will be a standalone book.
(Not a series! Just one very long, very overgrown standalone, haha.)
Iām not ruling out possible spin-offs or stories set in the same world someday, but thatās far down the road. For now, this story stands on its own.
On a related note: playtesting for Chapter 4 has been going really well so far! The first reactions have been super encouraging, which is such a relief, honestly.
So once again - thank you to everyone whoās taken part, sent feedback, or simply shown interest. š
Iām diving back into Chapter 5 now - wishing you all a lovely weekend! āØ
I think Agrya!MC might not have so many haters. Agrya!MC can free slaves and help farmers liberate themselves from their oppressors. So I think this god/goddess would have fewer haters as long as they weren't an arrogant idiot towards others š¤
For context click: šš» here
Ahh, I completely see where youāre coming from. But every coin has two sides. Where Agrya can stand for righteous fury and the strength it brings, that same power can also feed the wrath of kings and queens who let their people suffer or of those who hold the whips in their hands.
In the end, it all comes down to how the Gods view mortals and what kind of moral compass they followā¦ if any, haha.
But yes, Agrya definitely has the potential to be either deeply reveredā¦ or deeply feared.
Is there a hierarchy system within the Greek domain of gods.
Is one God lesser than another based on their kind of power/domain?
Well, Zeus stands above everyone else, followed by his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Then come the rest of the Twelve, and only after them the so-called ālesserā Gods - where the MC belongs.
Among those lesser deities, though, there isnāt really a fixed hierarchy unless one is created. I picture it a bit like a wolf pack: if one challenges another, a pecking order might form between those two, but the alpha still remains above both and it would not really affect the others.
As for a hierarchy between the domains: Gods donāt really use their powers directly against one another - the destruction and fallout would be too great. (At least until nowā¦ š¤«) So it doesnāt usually shape their hierarchy; itās something far more relevant to mortals than to the Gods themselves.
And with Gods, itās never just about raw power or domain anyway - diplomacy, politics, intrigue, and even reputation can tip the scales. So Iād say: no, beyond the Twelve thereās no real hierarchyā¦ unless someone manages to carve one out for themselves. š
hello again! i just noticed something i love; for the customization options, there is a choice that reflects one of the god(desse)s. the deep sea deity has flowing water like robes, the shadowy cloak for the deity of shadows, etc.. does this pertain to the hair colours too? i cant match each one up as perfectly as the clothing, but i can imagine a god of luck having golden hair or one of wrath having dark red.
i just thought it was really interesting! your story has so many little details and layers that i adore. as always, take care of yourself and keep creating :)
-ā
Hey, thank you so much! š Youāre right - that was very much the idea, to give everyone the tools to ābuildā or visualize their God(dess) as closely as possible. Iāve always loved those little touches in other games, so Echoes of Olympus is basically me piling together all the things I personally enjoy reading and playing haha.
When it comes to hairstyles, hair colors, and eye colors,thereās no deeper pairing at play - itās all about what feels right to you. āŗļø
