When you have nothing good to say

[Segnbora]

An update to a game I've been anticipating for a long while recently posted, and my response was utter bewilderment that anyone could possibly think this was sensible or quality content. Well, whatever. It happens.

I've been very active in the game's thread since the earliest offerings and even outlined some bugfixes and significant issues with the latest update, but I've been avoiding saying what I think about the game in its current version.

It's the dev's first project. I don't want to deny him support. I don't want to turn people against him. But the update sucks, I kinda think most players agree but are holding back from saying so, and he's on his way to a horrid travesty of a game unless he completely junks his most recent update and entirely rethinks his approach. And so my dilemma is: do I tell the truth in the thread, or do I take a "if you don't have anything nice to say..." approach and just step away? Because that's my overwhelming instinct.

Opinions?

 

[Vanaduke]

At least your anonymous game has an update. Meanwhile in Dual Family...

 

[obibobi]

If it's an issue that is within the devs ability to resolve than put forward some constructive criticism, in Summertime Saga I was open about my dislike for major branching paths. That sort of thing can work in full games but in games with updates it just means less focus.

On the other hand if the writing in a game is bad through and through you can't really tell them to write better.

 

[Segnbora]

Well, okay, it's Because I Love Her (at the moment you'll have to go to the last few pages of the thread to find the updates). I thought I was getting a slow-burn (or, actually, quick-burn) NTR/cheating game. Instead...

Spoiler

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It's not about bad writing, though this is bad writing (for one thing, I now despise all but one of the characters). It's saying, "I hate this because [reasons]" and realizing that [reasons] are pretty much the entire last update. The only way to make me reengage with the game would be to burn it to the ground and salt the earth.

Which is why I think I should just shut up and walk away.

 

[rodneyeatme]

Negative reactions and feedback are fine. Some people will bitch about the negativity, but those brown nosers should be exiled to Facebook. Praising good work and pointing out areas of improvement should go hand in hand, but simply blowing smoke up someone's ass has never accomplished anything other than inflating the recipient's ego.

Negativity becomes a problem when it is repetitive. You keep harping on the same shit everyone has already read/heard 15 times already, and you're just a lash. And probably on the autistic spectrum. And boring. I haven't read that thread or anything, so this isn't meant to say you are doing this. Just something to watch for.

 

[Segnbora]

In the game thread I haven't said anything about the content of the latest update yet, but some coding/gameplay meta-issues. Telling the truth would be an epic eruption of negativity. As I said, I don't want to talk the dev out of continuing his game, and I'm afraid of contributing to/catalyzing a climate in which that's his choice. Which is why I'm leaning towards just holding my tongue and walking away.

Alternatively, maybe I should just say what I think in a private message. That way I don't stir up negativity, and the dev doesn't suffer public damage.

 

[rodneyeatme]

In the game thread I haven't said anything about the content of the latest update yet, but some coding/gameplay meta-issues. Telling the truth would be an epic eruption of negativity. As I said, I don't want to talk the dev out of continuing his game, and I'm afraid of contributing to/catalyzing a climate in which that's his choice. Which is why I'm leaning towards just holding my tongue and walking away.

Alternatively, maybe I should just say what I think in a private message. That way I don't stir up negativity, and the dev doesn't suffer public damage.

Well, before reading your reply, I unsuspectingly read your game dev's post in another sub-forum. You are dealing with someone who is conflating serious family issues with his audience's approval. I think real life issues are causing him to view fantasyland knucklehead porn game nonsense far, far too seriously. And it is doing him no favors.

So, if I were you, and I know I'm not, I'd probably just take a miss on this round. Let the poor guy get his equilibrium back in order. Some people always react defensively to negative feedback, but sometimes it's simply a matter of time and place. In a couple months, maybe his time and place have shifted. Or maybe not. At least by showing restraint, you aren't contributing to the misery of someone who is clearly suffering right now.

 

[Winterfire]

It depends on the person but when in doubt, speak up.

They may react badly but at the end of the day you can say you have tried to give your feedback and tried to help, if they cannot take it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[fitgirlbestgirl]

Ha, I was wondering if it was Because I Love Her. I also thought that game took a weird turn. The thing is, when your problem with a game is the general direction of the story there really isn't much you can do. Most devs are already bad at taking criticism, most people in general are, but when your criticism basically is "I don't like the story you decided to tell," it's not like they are going to go back and redo the last episode because you didn't like it.

 

[Nephyril]

"It isn't what you say, but how you say it."

Thus, you have two options:
1) This update sucks!! WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU?!
2) I love and support your game, but a few things are bugging me with this update: <list grievances cordially>

 

[Segnbora]

You are dealing with someone who is conflating serious family issues with his audience's approval.

I hadn't read that. To you and to all the other respondents, this confirms it: I'm just going to tiptoe away and let him do his thing. Thanks much.

 

[Dependable_223]

the problem you mention i think it was resolve in verion 3.1.1 where you playing 3.1 by any chance like was ?? if so, some part of ntr got mixed up with the love path that should not have happenend, this was now fixed check the thread for version 3.1.1 not 3.1 or 3.0

 

[Carpe Stultus]

If you have nothing good to say about an update you can always point out what you didn't like, of course in a constructive way and not in a way that a lot of people here do. Most developers want to know if that what they released is good content for their audience.

 

[Winterfire]

Yeah, knowing what you do not like is essential for us developers, it is one of the reason that (at least I) release games in an early stage since a fresh build is easier to edit and shape to people's taste.

 

[Segnbora]

the problem you mention i think it was resolve in verion 3.1.1

No, it was fundamental to the update. In that I hated about 98% of what he produced, and not because it wasn't what I wanted, but because it was bad.

I'm going to give him some time for the personal issues and then send feedback privately. Not soon, though. I have no thought that it will change his narrative, but I think that ship has sailed.

 

[Carpe Stultus]

Yeah, knowing what you do not like is essential for us developers, it is one of the reason that (at least I) release games in an early stage since a fresh build is easier to edit and shape to people's taste.

This is obviously the main reason but the people who try your game can also give you fresh ideas, things you didn't even think about yet. Some dev's even ask in their threads what we, the pirates, would like to see in new content. Thats the beauty of this forum here, most players and dev's care and like to communicate with each other.

 

[Winterfire]

This is obviously the main reason but the people who try your game can also give you fresh ideas, things you didn't even think about yet. Some dev's even ask in their threads what we, the pirates, would like to see in new content. Thats the beauty of this forum here, most players and dev's care and like to communicate with each other.

Yup, I have got an useful suggestion first thing first from a kind uploader that took his time to make a thread for me, despite having a game design already written that was not something I had considered before he pointed that out.

Of course not all suggestions are viable but I always appreciate them when I get them, this includes feedback be it positive or negative.

 

[Carpe Stultus]

Yup, I have got an useful suggestion first thing first from a kind uploader that took his time to make a thread for me, despite having a game design already written that was not something I had considered before he pointed that out.

Of course not all suggestions are viable but I always appreciate them when I get them, this includes feedback be it positive or negative.

Yes not everything is viable or doable in a reasonable amount of time or fits into the game at alll, i made a suggestion in a game myself where i knew, in the moment where i wrote my idea down, that it would take a lot of work to make this happen.

I really like if a dev is communicating and discussing with the people here and take the feedback that they get serious, be it positive or negativ. In the end we all just want one thing and thats a good game that is enjoyable to play.

 

[Segnbora]

I've turned my attention to a different game that has some issues but could be legendary were they fixed. The key difference is that the dev has a game that can be fixed, though. BILH isn't fixable without trashing a lot of the most recent update.

 

[Dependable_223]

No, it was fundamental to the update. In that I hated about 98% of what he produced, and not because it wasn't what I wanted, but because it was bad.

I'm going to give him some time for the personal issues and then send feedback privately. Not soon, though. I have no thought that it will change his narrative, but I think that ship has sailed.

I think allot of users got put off with the violend end of the pool if it was suppose to be on the ntr only path right ?? i dont play for ntr, only for skippable part love path. is it really that bad for ntr point of view from the beginning or did completely change for version 3.1 i played 2.1 but have not seen that much complain yet from ntr users like it is now.

Also i never seen this daryl before or even named one suddenly this character crashed the pool party and starting calling my fiancee bitch and all that on the love path i was like wtf i just witnessed. first off who was daryl who invited this jerk and how the hell could he just walk into my house like he owend the place.. then i read the forum this part was not suppose to be in game for love path and i was playing 3.1 and 3.1.1 fixed it but after witnessing that i could not get that shit out of mind even if it was never suppose to happen on my playtrue. that certainly killed my impression of this game.