The thing that pisses me off the most about the troglodytes that leak games early is that they are either clueless about the problems and negative impact that causes for devs, or they know and just don't give a shit about it.
Even in instances where a dev doesn't release a free version of their game, it pisses me off when a leaker shares the game on F95 almost immediately after the game is released on Patreon or wherever, instead of waiting at least 2-3 weeks so that the dev can properly monetize their game that they have put significant effort and resources into.
The leakers are usually not very intelligent. You can't hope they will think about the consequences of leaking a game:
1.- Piss off the dev: I haven't written a line for the next update in the last 26 hours (since the leak). I feel angry, sad, betrayed, and helpless. I don't want those emotions to bleed into my script.
2.- Delay the next update: If those feelings last for three days, the next update will take three more days to develop. If they last a week... You can see... Let's say 7 extra days. The last update took 61 days to do. The next one would be 68.
3.- Delay the next update even more for free players: The update was leaked 11 days early. If the next update takes 68 days (due to the above point) and it's not leaked, the tiers that have completed the cycle will wait for 68 days, but free players will wait for 79 days (68+11 of this update going free earlier) instead of the 61 they would have waited.
4.- Hit the dev economy: More than 30 subscribers have canceled in the last 26 hours. The ones in upper tiers are pissed off because they paid for something (early access) that they didn't get. The ones in lower tiers, because it's free now. I can't judge any of them. I'm thankful they supported me. It's not only the cancellations, you should add the players who won't subscribe to the lower tiers. I don't have numbers yet but, on average for the last 4 updates, since the lowest point between updates and the peak of subscribers, I get 176 new subscribers and then lose 102 until the next lowest point. I doubt I will get those new subscribers this time.
5.- In extreme cases, kick the dev from the business: I have been told of several devs who have abandoned their games due to being leaked. They were starting to earn a living and a couple of leaks put them under their needed earnings to pay the bills. They abandon the game and look for a "serious job" where they aren't robbed or at least know who robs them.
6.- In not-so-extreme cases, disillusion the dev: Today, I'm not at the fifht point (I have a "serious job"). But today (or yesterday, or tomorrow), I'm not eager to work 10 daily hours on My Dorm besides the hours I work at my job. Every time the game has leaked, and I know My Dorm isn't leaked as much as other games, I've pondered if it's worth continuing. The answer has always been "yes" until now. Who knows what will happen the next time?
I only know one thing: If I get to points 5 or 6 so hard as to abandon the game, it won't be me who is left without knowing how My Dorm ends. Or how the bushes or the new girls are
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