After releasing the demo, there will be two immediate concerns:
- Is Osana functionally broken? Do I need to upload emergency bug-fixing builds?
- Is Osana poorly designed? Do I need to re-design any aspects of Osana in response to player feedback?
After addressing these two issues, the next concern would be the determining the timing of the crowdfunding campaign.
When would it be okay to launch the campaign?
The crowdfunding campaign can only succeed if the Yandere Simulator fanbase is large and healthy. It is currently difficult to judge the number of Yandere Simulator supporters. I haven't uploaded any YouTube videos in months, so we can't use views/comments/likes/subscribers as a measuring stick. The subreddit and Discord are currently "closed to the public", so we can't use their activity as a measuring stick, either.
After I have uploaded an Osana Release Date video, uploaded the demo, and made a video about the demo, the activity on the demo video will - to an extent - allow us to make more meaningful estimations about the current size/health of the Yandere Simulator fanbase.
Anti-YandereDev propaganda was allowed to spread unchecked throughout 2020. If this propaganda has reduced the Yandere Sim fanbase to the point that a crowdfunding campaign no longer has a chance of success, the next course of action would be to attempt to undo the damage that was done by the Anti-YandereDev hate community.
The most direct way to do this would be to release a series of videos systematically debunking every false narrative, disproving every untrue accusation, and establishing that the Anti-YandereDev hate community mischaracterized me by spreading misinformation.
This will most likely have the side-effect of leading to a second wave of Anti-YandereDev drama videos desperately attempting to keep the debunked narratives alive. In anticipation of this, it will very be important to establish that clickbait drama YouTubers have no credibility; they are entertainers who sell amusing narratives, and are not valid sources of information.
The Anti-YandereDev community will not be swayed by anything I have to say in my defenses. Their favorite recreational activities require them to continue believing that I am an evil villain, and so they will refuse to let go of those beliefs, even if I systematically debunk every one of their narratives. There is no point in speaking to a brick wall, so my videos will obviously not be aimed at them. Any video that I create in my defense will be aimed at the neutral people sitting on the fence about the matter, not at brainwashed people whose minds cannot be changed.
From here, there are two outcomes:
- YandereDev manages to restore the damage that was done to his reputation; the size and health of the Yandere Simulator fanbase are restored to December 2019 levels.
- It is proven to be impossible to undo the damage that was done by clickbait drama YouTubers who mischaracterized YandereDev with false information. People simply prefer to believe in entertaining fictions that permit them to ridicule and harass without feeling guilt.
Depending on which timeline we're in, the next thing that happens is either...
- Crowdfunding campaign (Game's development speed will increase)
- Abandon idea of crowdfunding campaign, search for a company willing to finance Yandere Simulator's development (at this point in time, there are already two interested parties) (Game's development speed will be determined by the company, not by me.)
- Continue to develop Yandere Simulator as a volunteer-based project with no budget (Game's development speed will remain as it is)
After all that is sorted out...
then Amai's development begins.