Chasing Sunsets FAQ

[Stone Fox Studios]

Q. Why can't I autoforward text or skip dialogue?

A. You can. You summon the Quick Menu with the "Q" key and those options are there. You must ensure you've selected "Skip Unseen Text" in the Preferences/Settings menu before skipping will work, however!


Q. How much sex is in your game?

A. Chasing Sunsets is first and foremost a story with adult elements. It was conceptualized as an adventure where the sex occurs organically as you cultivate relationships with well-developed characters in the game. It's difficult to avoid "porn logic" completely, and we do not claim to have done so, however the game does not throw a lot random gratuitous sex at the player. In exchange, we have made every effort to make the payoff more impactful when it happens. We do try to add a psychological or cathartic element to it that we find often lacking in these games. We also don't plan to skimp on those encounters when they make sense within the context of the story. We realize this design choice will not appeal to everyone.


Q. Will your game hit me in the feels?

A. Everyone is wired differently, and there is some sad content, but overall the story should be a happy one if you play with even a rusty moral compass. Specifically, the story touches briefly on abuse, loss, and suicide. If you are sensitive to any of these topics, we wanted to be up front.


Q. Is the game voice-acted?

A. No, though this was a conscious design choice. In visual novels, we have found a few problems with voice acting. The first is that often, the voice of the actor/actress does not match cleanly what the player imagines as they read, but we acknowledge that a fully voice-acted title can mitigate this. The second is that many players actually read much faster than they speak. As such, we found that players often cut off voiced lines before they completed playback. Lastly, while the game is being offered in English initially, it's a far easier thing to add additional languages in text than it is to have multiple voice actors.


Q. Are there animations, or all all scenes still images?

A. For the first three chapters, images are either still, or use a technique called "Dynamic Images." That means a series of still images are played back in rapid fashion to simulate motion in certain scenes. That said, the game in early access does consist of nearly 8000 individual still images rendered at 4K and reduced to eliminate artifacts, fireflies, and other anomalies endemic to the 3D rendering process. In Chapter 4, we began to add true animations to lewd scenes, and we are committed to continuing to add them going forward as long as the motion and lighting can be made consistent with the primary art. Additionally, as we finalize the game, we will review the content which lacks true animations currently for the potential to retrofit them with animations of their own if we can do so without breaking immersion. The last thing we would point out is our image density for the dialogue. Most players of VNs are used to seeing the same image repeated over and over during conversation or clicking through 8 or more lines of dialogue before the image changes. WE DO NOT DO THIS! Nearly every line of dialogue or narration has a unique image.


Q. How many love interests are planned?

A. There are TWO central love interests that the plot of the story is tied to, however there will be a significantly larger selection of interesting ladies to get to know intimately along the way!


Q. I'm not going to have to choose which girl dies in a fire, am I?

A. No.


Q. How much of the game is complete? How much is left to do?

A. The game is envisioned as a Prologue + 9 Chapters for 10 total content updates. Chapter 4 is out now, which puts the game at the 50% complete point. We hope the game will be 100% complete in 2023, at which point we'll decide whether or not to begin a new project.


Q. Do you plan to translate the game into languages other than English?

A. While there is an ongoing effort to translate it into Brazilian Portuguese, we will continue to watch our Google Analytics to see where interest is coming from geographically, and evaluate whether the potential market supports the expense of a quality translation service.


Q. What is the role of points in Chasing Sunsets?

A. Love and Trust points are gained with either of the two principal girls depending on your (or even their) actions. It's meant to represent a SHARED perception of the relationship between the main character and the girl. As such, you can lose a Trust point by betraying a girl who doesn't yet know you've betrayed her. Because YOU know. Points are not meant to be min/maxed, and Love doesn't necessarily mean "Romantic Love." Therefore, don't panic if you gain a Love point with a girl you have no intention of building a relationship with because she's not going to go yandere on you.


Q. Is having a perfect point score important?

A. It really depends on what's important to you. The game is constructed in such a way that you cannot max points for both girls in the same playthrough. We have made very few elements of this game dependent upon a perfect score, because we want the player to play according to their conscience, rather than chase a number. That said, there are currently two minor nuances in the game which play out slightly differently with a perfect score. A perfect score will not be necessary to have a happy ending with either (or neither) girl, however.


Q. Where can I learn more about you guys and your game?

A. Our Youtube channel, Discord, and Twitter are linked on our Store Page. Our YouTube channel hosts our fan livestreams, so you can hear the two of us talk about our story, plans for the future, and the challenges we had to overcome. You may find that other fans have already asked us questions you may have and that we've answered them there.


Q. What kinks and fetishes do you plan to incorporate into the game?

A. We generally don't talk a lot about this because given how the story unfolds, it would amount to a spoiler. I will only say that the two of us have been active in the Adult Visual Novel community for a few years now and that there's not much we shy away from. That said, what you can definitely expect is that we won't incorporate edge material that would violate the rules for adult content on Steam or other platforms. It's particularly important to point out that while we'll see several characters in childhood flashbacks, they will never engage in indecent activity. Let children be children.



Q. What about NTR?

A. This story does not contain NTR in the traditional sense. That does not mean that if you reject a girl, she'll spend the rest of her life waiting for you to change your mind. That said, if she ends up in another relationship, the player won't be subjected to scenes of them having sex.


Q. Why does Jaye have such a dark tan? Redheads don't tan!

A. This is a work of fiction, and we recognize that we're asking the player to suspend disbelief occasionally. We do try to research our subject matter, but neither of us are scientists, doctors, engineers, or professional sailors, so our work will invariably tweak somebody who knows more about these subjects than we do. In Jaye's case, we just like her with a tan.


Q. Where can I find a song I heard in your soundtrack?

A. All of our music is either Free Use, or licensed through a third party. If you have a question about the title or source of a given piece of music, contact us on our Discord and we'll help you out.


Q. Do you plan to add additional Steam features later, like Trading Cards, etc?

A. We are evaluating that and will update this section when we've come to a decision.


Q. After the release on Steam, when the new episodes are completed, will Steam players get each episode as it's released or will they have to wait for the game to complete to get the new content?

A. New episodes will be patched into the original Steam purchase as they release. Steam players will not have to wait until the game is complete.


Q. How much does the game dwell on controversial subjects like suicide and loss?

A. There is one brief visualized apparent suicide of an unsympathetic peripheral character, and three deaths of more prominent characters (two non-visualized.) These events are not dwelled upon, and are central to the plot of the story. The overall story is meant to be upbeat and becomes increasingly lighthearted as it progresses.

[Street]

Okay, here's the thing. A lot of well known devs didn't care enough to write smth like this in order to clarify things and to help prospective customers. Kudos to you .

[Broken Piece]

After the release on Steam, when the new episodes are released on patreon. Will Steam players get each episode as it's released on patreon or will we have to wait for the game to complete to get an update?

[Stone Fox Studios]

@Luna: Added to FAQ

[Broken Piece]

Originally posted by Stone Fox Studios:

@Luna: Added to FAQ

Thanks for the answer, looking forward to play it.

[Iron Monkey]

Originally posted by Street:

Okay, here's the thing. A lot of well known devs didn't care enough to write smth like this in order to clarify things and to help prospective customers. Kudos to you .

Wish more developers would do the same.

[JapanGamer29]

How long is each chapter?

[Furyhunter]

Originally posted by Stone Fox Studios:

@Luna: Added to FAQ

I read the FAQ, I hope analytics will show good results in Russia and there will be Russian subtitles.)

[Pantherr]

I'm sorry but I need to ask this.. How "briefly" does this touch on suicide exactly, and in what form..?

I ask because my older brother committed suicide when I was 17, and it was my father and I that found him. Now although that was many years ago it is still a rather tender subject to me and could well determine whether or not I purchase this AVN, and I "was" planning to...

Thankyou..

[Stone Fox Studios]

Originally posted by Pantherr:

I'm sorry but I need to ask this.. How "briefly" does this touch on suicide exactly, and in what form..?

I ask because my older brother committed suicide when I was 17, and it was my father and I that found him. Now although that was many years ago it is still a rather tender subject to me and could well determine whether or not I purchase this AVN, and I "was" planning to...

Thankyou..

Good question, and worthy of adding to the FAQ!

[Domenico a.k.a. TDG (3)]

Originally posted by Stone Fox Studios:

Q. How much sex is in your game?

A. Chasing Sunsets is first and foremost a story with adult elements. It was conceptualized as an adventure where the sex occurs organically as you cultivate relationships with well-developed characters in the game. It's difficult to avoid "porn logic" completely, and we do not claim to have done so, however the game does not throw a lot random gratuitous sex at the player. In exchange, we have made every effort to make the payoff more impactful when it happens. We do try to add a psychological or cathartic element to it that we find often lacking in these games. We also don't plan to skimp on those encounters when they make sense within the context of the story. We realize this design choice will not appeal to everyone.


Q. Will your game hit me in the feels?

A. Everyone is wired differently, and there is some sad content, but overall the story should be a happy one if you play with even a rusty moral compass. Specifically, the story touches briefly on abuse, loss, and suicide. If you are sensitive to any of these topics, we wanted to be up front.


Q. Is the game voice-acted?

A. No, though this was a conscious design choice. In visual novels, we have found a few problems with voice acting. The first is that often, the voice of the actor/actress does not match cleanly what the player imagines as they read, but we acknowledge that a fully voice-acted title can mitigate this. The second is that many players actually read much faster than they speak. As such, we found that players often cut off voiced lines before they completed playback. Lastly, while the game is being offered in English initially, it's a far easier thing to add additional languages in text than it is to have multiple voice actors.


Q. Are there animations, or all all scenes still images?

A. For the first three chapters, images are either still, or use a technique called "Dynamic Images." That means a series of still images are played back in rapid fashion to simulate motion in certain scenes. That said, the game in early access does consist of nearly 8000 individual still images rendered at 4K and reduced to eliminate artifacts, fireflies, and other anomalies endemic to the 3D rendering process. In Chapter 4, we began to add true animations to lewd scenes, and we are committed to continuing to add them going forward as long as the motion and lighting can be made consistent with the primary art. Additionally, as we finalize the game, we will review the content which lacks true animations currently for the potential to retrofit them with animations of their own if we can do so without breaking immersion. The last thing we would point out is our image density for the dialogue. Most players of VNs are used to seeing the same image repeated over and over during conversation or clicking through 8 or more lines of dialogue before the image changes. WE DO NOT DO THIS! Nearly every line of dialogue or narration has a unique image.


Q. How many love interests are planned?

A. There are TWO central love interests that the plot of the story is tied to, however there will be a significantly larger selection of interesting ladies to get to know intimately along the way!


Q. I'm not going to have to choose which girl dies in a fire, am I?

A. No.


Q. How much of the game is complete? How much is left to do?

A. The game is envisioned as a Prologue + 9 Chapters for 10 total content updates. Chapter 4 is out now, which puts the game at the 50% complete point. We hope the game will be 100% complete in 2023, at which point we'll decide whether or not to begin a new project.


Q. Do you plan to translate the game into languages other than English?

A. While there is an ongoing effort to translate it into Brazilian Portuguese, we will continue to watch our Google Analytics to see where interest is coming from geographically, and evaluate whether the potential market supports the expense of a quality translation service.


Q. What is the role of points in Chasing Sunsets?

A. Love and Trust points are gained with either of the two principal girls depending on your (or even their) actions. It's meant to represent a SHARED perception of the relationship between the main character and the girl. As such, you can lose a Trust point by betraying a girl who doesn't yet know you've betrayed her. Because YOU know. Points are not meant to be min/maxed, and Love doesn't necessarily mean "Romantic Love." Therefore, don't panic if you gain a Love point with a girl you have no intention of building a relationship with because she's not going to go yandere on you.


Q. Is having a perfect point score important?

A. It really depends on what's important to you. The game is constructed in such a way that you cannot max points for both girls in the same playthrough. We have made very few elements of this game dependent upon a perfect score, because we want the player to play according to their conscience, rather than chase a number. That said, there are currently two minor nuances in the game which play out slightly differently with a perfect score. A perfect score will not be necessary to have a happy ending with either (or neither) girl, however.


Q. Where can I learn more about you guys and your game?

A. Our Youtube channel, Discord, and Twitter are linked on our Store Page. Our YouTube channel hosts our fan livestreams, so you can hear the two of us talk about our story, plans for the future, and the challenges we had to overcome. You may find that other fans have already asked us questions you may have and that we've answered them there.


Q. What kinks and fetishes do you plan to incorporate into the game?

A. We generally don't talk a lot about this because given how the story unfolds, it would amount to a spoiler. I will only say that the two of us have been active in the Adult Visual Novel community for a few years now and that there's not much we shy away from. That said, what you can definitely expect is that we won't incorporate edge material that would violate the rules for adult content on Steam or other platforms.


Q. What about NTR?

A. This story does not contain NTR in the traditional sense. That does not mean that if you reject a girl, she'll spend the rest of her life waiting for you to change your mind. That said, if she ends up in another relationship, the player won't be subjected to scenes of them having sex.


Q. Why does Jaye have such a dark tan? Redheads don't tan!

A. This is a work of fiction, and we recognize that we're asking the player to suspend disbelief occasionally. We do try to research our subject matter, but neither of us are scientists, doctors, engineers, or professional sailors, so our work will invariably tweak somebody who knows more about these subjects than we do. In Jaye's case, we just like her with a tan.


Q. Where can I find a song I heard in your soundtrack?

A. All of our music is either Free Use, or licensed through a third party. If you have a question about the title or source of a given piece of music, contact us on our Discord and we'll help you out.


Q. Do you plan to add additional Steam features later, like Trading Cards, etc?

A. We are evaluating that and will update this section when we've come to a decision.


Q. After the release on Steam, when the new episodes are completed, will Steam players get each episode as it's released or will they have to wait for the game to complete to get the new content?

A. New episodes will be patched into the original Steam purchase as they release. Steam players will not have to wait until the game is complete.


Q. How much does the game dwell on controversial subjects like suicide and loss?

A. There is one brief visualized apparent suicide of an unsympathetic peripheral character, and three deaths of more prominent characters (two non-visualized.) These events are not dwelled upon, and are central to the plot of the story. The overall story is meant to be upbeat and becomes increasingly lighthearted as it progresses.

Commendable that the lead developer has chosen to take the time to fill in the blanks and explain (and also many technical aspects, magnificent I might add) some of the """uncertainties""" that many players have for the Steam release as this isn't the usual.

It should be so because this high level of transparency allowed me to quickly figure out the feature that mattered most to me that the game had and allowed me to buy it and support... for all of this, YOU have my respect Stone Fox Studios.

Can't wait to start my journey in Chasing Sunsets!

[Pantherr]

Originally posted by Stone Fox Studios:

Originally posted by Pantherr:

I'm sorry but I need to ask this.. How "briefly" does this touch on suicide exactly, and in what form..?

I ask because my older brother committed suicide when I was 17, and it was my father and I that found him. Now although that was many years ago it is still a rather tender subject to me and could well determine whether or not I purchase this AVN, and I "was" planning to...

Thankyou..

Good question, and worthy of adding to the FAQ!

Thankyou...

[Serpico Stringfellow]

I'm glad I played Leap of Faith before this. Any chance we see any other characters from that game showing up in this one or will it just be Jaye there and Lexi here one time? By the way, that was super cool. It didn't hit me at first right away. Great job on the story. I've only been playing AVN's for a few months but lately the writing has been great.

[Un4Given-]

"A perfect score will not be necessary to have a happy ending"
Now we are talking

[QKant-1]

Salut Stone Fox Studio
Je me suis bien amusé sur les quatre premiers chapitre et pour l'instant j'aime beaucoup l'idée du jeu en lui même.

Mais j'ai une question, auriez-vous la possibilité de traduire le jeu en français dans un potentiel futur ?

(Je traduis tout sur Google Traduction)


Hi Stone Fox Studio
I had fun on the first four chapters and so far I really like the idea of the game itself.

But I have a question, would you have the possibility of translating the game into French in a future potential?

(I translate everything on Google Translate)

[Jaggid]

How does one apply to be a beta tester? I have extra time on my hands!