Seconding what everyone else has said so far - length is not a detriment to these devlogs. The more content, the merrier.
I would say though, if you're looking to optimize these devlog updates for maximum reader enjoyment, the key dimension to prioritize is neither length nor frequency, but rather regularity.
If people can expect a monthly / bi-monthly / quarterly update, the anticipation will go a long way to keeping people around and engaged.
Honestly you should be proud of being able to create such a compelling and novel aesthetic so early on in the development process. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my feedback. I'll admit that part of my motivation is a personal fixation on this particular issue.
I've always been annoyed at how the 8-16bit handheld generations established this expectation that because you can only fit so many words on a screen, you shouldn't expect anything resembling quality writing. The pokemon games are perhaps the most egregious example of this (to this point where the hypersimplified, zero-subtext dialogue is now part of the brand). Any games with the potential to buck this trend are always going to be on my radar, and with the playdate I think the juxtaposition between 1-bit graphics and modernized writing standards would be that much more pleasing.
But that's just me - I fully understand that writing might not even be something that you're prioritizing for your game and that's totally okay (I'll still be following it with great anticipation). Just wanted to share my perspective.
Hey! Love the detail and the format. Your project is one of the ones I'm eagerly looking forward to when I receive my playdate (hopefully) next year.
I gotta ask though - why the extra-wide spacing between words? I'd imagine if you're going through the trouble of crafting fonts based on spatial economy, standard spacing would be the way to go.
