I know what you mean because I have the same problem as a player x3 but even then, I only know about stuff if a friend tells me or if I'm searching certain tags on itch, cos I don't really do social media, so marketing via that is unlikely to reach me since I'm on it so infrequently. 

I miss game manuals! That used to be one of my favorite parts of getting a new game, haha. That's nuts about the tournament though! I had no idea they did anything like that back in the 90s :o

As always, your suggestions are solid advice, and would work wonders for 99% of people I imagine! There's just a lot there that I personally can't handle T_T

I can definitely do trailers, well, maybe more like possibly than definitely x3 I'm no video editor and I struggle with it + don't particularly enjoy it, but I managed to knock something up for A9, haha. 

The rest of the stuff I just can't do though >.< And I don't mean that in the sense that I'm incapable, because I can do it if I force myself to, BUT, (and it is a very big but x3) working on promo/marketing/social media makes me so stressed and exhausted that it actually causes me to lose all motivation for gamedev. 

I know it sounds overly dramatic, but I'm not exaggerating even a little bit :( That's how draining I find that sorta stuff. It just totally sucks all the life and passion out of me, haha. And if I try to do it to the degree that's necessary, I know I would wind up quitting gamedev completely because I just hate it that much. 

It's the same reason I'm just not on social media in general. I don't like using it to post, and I don't like browsing other people's stuff either x3 I find almost everything about social media repulsive and exhausting >.< I'm guessing my extreme aversion to it is most likely down to my ASD. I know every individual on the autistic spectrum is gonna have a totally different experience of autism, but I have a number of autistic friends who are also very social media averse, haha. And all of us communicate like penpals via email xD

It's not like I haven't tried either with Twitter and stuff, but I just can't keep it up without losing the will to continue making games >.<

It's extremely frustrating cos I realise it's a necessity in order to have any sort of success with stuff like this! But at the same time, I'm kind of used to constantly being at a disadvantage in society when it comes to pretty much everything, so I don't know why I would ever think it would be different with an online hobby like making VNs x3

It may be a little different if I were an artist because I'd be constantly sketching things and could fling them out there on social media without really saying a great deal, but I'm not, so I can't >.<

I don't even watch stuff on YouTube aside from fail compilations with my brother during lunch breaks xD So I wouldn't know where to begin with contacting content creators, and even if I did, the stress involved in contacting people would again just kill my motivation to work on stuff. And like you say with hanging out on people's discords and stuff, I just really wouldn't want to do that. I've already muted most of the servers I joined that I was actually interested in because the constant pinging of everyone else's communications just stressed me out and made me feel ill >.< I can't keep up with or stand instant chats like that. It's all too much. 

I know it must sound insane cos using stuff like that is such a normal part of a lot of people's lives, but I can't state enough how much notifications and constant updates and such to my phone makes me want to throw it out the window while I go hide in a dark cupboard x3 I find it really stressful and intrusive, which is why I keep my phone on silent and only check stuff when I feel comfortable to. A ping from something on my phone is the equivalent of being slapped in the face outta nowhere for me >.<

And again, I mean, I make a huge effort to respond to all comments on itch because, even if it takes me a while, I find the interface and way things work on itch manageable to communicate through at least :3 It wouldn't surprise me if I respond to more stuff on itch than most devs on there. But yeah, I already said how I feel about discord, and I don't think anything is ever gonna change that cos I can't help the way I am >.< email will always be the best form of communication for me.

And like I said, I've tried Twitter too x3 I despise it, haha. Composing just 1 tweet generates enough stress in me to completely exhaust me for the rest of the day and feel like I need a complete break from my PC for a day or two! 

I could never cope with any of those social media sites and apps, and it will forever remain a mystery to me as to how others manage to without feeling like they either need to sleep for a week after logging in for 5 mins, or tunnel deep into the ground and avoid all contact for the rest of the week x3

Using social media stresses me out to the same extent as things like job interviews, arguments, or moving house. 

Actually, the best way I can think of to put it into perspective using recent events is that I was less distressed having my arm broken than I am when attempting to use social media xD That is how painful I find it to try and use those platforms for promo and stuff >.< I would rather break my arm again and again every day of the week than have to try and use social media to do marketing T_T because that would actually be less painful, haha. And I'd be more likely to continue to pursue game dev with 1 arm than I would be if I constantly had to try and use social media for promo x3

I know how important of a role that stuff plays, but I'm basically unable to participate in it if I want to retain the passion and motivation to make stuff >.<

It's like no matter what I try to do in life, there are barriers :( giant, bloomin insurmountable barriers. I used to love volunteering at the animal sanctuary, but had to stop cos I was bullied by the vet students there for being the odd one out. And in jobs where you have to face customers, I try my best, even have folks who returned just to see me because I was a friendly face and took the time to speak to them when others don't (mostly old ladies, haha), but even then, I would get moaned at by managers and assistent managers for not having enough 'meaningful interactions' with customers, not pushing enough promo stuff, or failing to meet loyalty scheme sign up quotas.

It used to really bug me that they would say I was such a hard worker, and that if I just tried a little harder, I'd manage to do those things that they thought I was lagging behind on. But that's the problem, they never seem to understand that I am trying my absolute best at everything I do. The problem is that my best is just never good enough >.<

Thanks :D And I'm trying, haha. It's quite uncomfortable, but just have to accept no PC for me for a while x3 Been typing up stuff slowly on and off on my phone notes, watching some TV, and reading a book! Hoping I might be able to balance my potato laptop on me somehow and maybe play some stuff from my list if most are VNs without minigames that only require 1 key to click!

Haha, yeah, it's definitely not ideal x3 Hoping I will be able to train my left hand to be a bit more useful so I at least get something out of it xD

Cheers ^-^ It's a mystery to me why someone that happened to like at least 1 of my games wouldn't go on to check out the rest, but it is what it is I guess x3

And, well, I did anyway xP It actually helps a little to break up my day if I type up small amounts at a time towards replies in my phone notes in between watching some TV and reading a book, haha. Takes me ages to do it, but I'll get there eventually :D Did the post bit by bit over a few days, haha.

Thank you <3 Haha, yeah, it would seem I'm growing into a bit of a calamity like my auntie! Though, I have yet to fall into and get stuck in a toilet like she did x3 It would be nice to have a regular break that's illness and injury free though, haha.