CaVE Beta and Mods Progress

I figure I should at least try to post some Patreon only content. But I can't really say any info I post here will be exclusive. I tend to enjoy talking to my Discord channel to keep that community apprised. And I have been posting to my website when I have something worth mentioning too. But I'll try...

How about... how I am now approaching the Beta development, and how long I feel it may take?

I have tried various ways over the years to build a small community and following around the project. I have never deluded myself to think CaVE was anything other than niche, and thus limited in its range of appeal. But I, and thus it does require SOME fandom/community. It REALLY sucks when I work hard on something, post it and all I see is silence. That conveys that no one cares. So I of course feel like "why am I doing this at all then?".

This response has been what comes with CaVE since I first started it. Sometimes, the response is great! Other times... horrible. I generally lose interest for awhile, before coming back. And when I do, I try new stuff in hopes of leading to some change in the community responses. And this is the result of that, in its current form.

My focus is on the community that supports the project. That has been the community that responds encouragingly, or provides feedback. And now... this Patreon!

I hope to dive more into these focuses. Initially, the Invite Access for the Beta was just to combat the silent leechers. But if I am going to be forced to do something, I would rather make the best of it. And that is to embrace the idea of providing first, and most to the supportive community with this stuff.

The Private Beta Access will be invite only, and for the community that supports the project the best. This need not be patrons, but people who I feel stick around, encourage me, and in general help the community.

There is a second level to the access that I still have not completely figured out yet. It's not supported here, and the rewards are not set in stone. But currently its a unique mod. That being a Theme mod for NSO. But only 3 of the 6 apps currently. If not for feeling the need for something special to provide to people that go above and beyond to support the project, by all rights those mods should be merged into DisplayEx. I have done tests, and they can. But if I did that, they would no longer be special. So if I do go that route, there will maybe be a DisplayEx+ or something.

I should make that mod available for patreons, but would rather it be a separate tier. Maybe a $10 tier? To do the mod as I want... it would require a lot of extra work. I would like to expand the theme support to NES, GB/GBC and GBA too, and once done... I would like to expand it to support some level of customization. The customization would be the easier of the two. Supporting the other apps would require at least creating some sound effect packs.

Anyway. I am not 100% certain how long CaVE v1.5 will remain in beta. I feel I should probably eye some date soon, else I might risk losing the little of the community I have. So I hope I feel its stable enough soon. I am not yet 100% certain about the mods though. I have put in a LOT of work on DisplayEx. Im thinking of maybe keeping that privledged to supportive community members and patrons. But it is kind of meant to replace some existing mods... Either way, the old Widescreen mod is DONE. Im not producing that crap anymore, and I'm not going to try to tune it up. I guess I can offer the Hide PlayerIcon and Background mods still. They are replaced by DisplayEx, but are lesser versions of what that provides. They take nothing for me to create now, as they are automatically generated.

That all said, the only news I have right now is that a update for the Beta should be out soonish. And I just started advancing DisplayEx some more, by including the PlayerIcon Hide option I alluded to above, as well as a Hide SP Banners in game option. This is done and working for SNES right now, so I just need to port it to the other apps.