It looks more like an island survival game than a life sims game from what I can see... the animals they kill to get meat to survive etc... a
lot of first person play, the storm llooks cool but I don't think it's my personal style of game play, not a fan of that much first person.
There’s “a lot” of first person there alright, it’s very distracting... 😂
I personally enjoy the FP play style though. It’s like a lucid dream.
The world looks nice and I like the survival element. It’s a game I could definitely get into it, but I’d rather wait until it’s developed a bit further.
I have to wonder if any of these clips will show up in the Newbery game play video at this point haha
Indeed. Im eagerly waiting for the next sloppy copy situation.
The world is definitely gorgeous haha!! If it wasn't so much first person and I didn't have to violently kill animals I'd probably be interested in this one!
Ah, there’s nothing wrong with hunting down an ‘ol goat and a rabbit or two. I wouldn’t use a hammer though.
On a different note, it’s hilarious that this thread is slowly starting to change into a fashion show. 🤣
Haha yeah, maybe not, but I can't do it myself, even in a game LOL!!!! In real life I can barely kill mosquitos and most the time don't with the exception of if they are after my kid haha!!!
And yep lol!!! I guess it's maybe a wee bit off topic. Thread needs to be renamed... "The Very Stylish People of Newbery" or maybe more accurate "Newbery Island and Some Fancy Dresses".
Sorry, I'll just take that part down then! It's just would be nice if all these life sim games have better clothes. (And I really miss New York City)
No need to apologize! I'm enjoying it too haha
It wasn't meant to be a joke though and I'm puzzled why people would laugh at this? I do realize it WAS off topic though in a game forum but people reacted to it in a way I didn't expect (first time I've ever seen it being made fun of). That's why I took it out. It's not something I'm sharing to be made fun of.
It looks more like an island survival game than a life sims game from what I can see... the animals they kill to get meat to survive etc... a
lot of first person play, the storm llooks cool but I don't think it's my personal style of game play, not a fan of that much first person.
There’s “a lot” of first person there alright, it’s very distracting... 😂
I personally enjoy the FP play style though. It’s like a lucid dream.
The world looks nice and I like the survival element. It’s a game I could definitely get into it, but I’d rather wait until it’s developed a bit further.
I have to wonder if any of these clips will show up in the Newbery game play video at this point haha
Indeed. Im eagerly waiting for the next sloppy copy situation.
The world is definitely gorgeous haha!! If it wasn't so much first person and I didn't have to violently kill animals I'd probably be interested in this one!
Ah, there’s nothing wrong with hunting down an ‘ol goat and a rabbit or two. I wouldn’t use a hammer though.
On a different note, it’s hilarious that this thread is slowly starting to change into a fashion show. 🤣
Haha yeah, maybe not, but I can't do it myself, even in a game LOL!!!! In real life I can barely kill mosquitos and most the time don't with the exception of if they are after my kid haha!!!
And yep lol!!! I guess it's maybe a wee bit off topic. Thread needs to be renamed... "The Very Stylish People of Newbery" or maybe more accurate "Newbery Island and Some Fancy Dresses".
Sorry, I'll just take that part down then! It's just would be nice if all these life sim games have better clothes. (And I really miss New York City)
No need to apologize! I'm enjoying it too haha
It wasn't meant to be a joke though and I'm puzzled why people would laugh at this? I do realize it WAS off topic though in a game forum but people reacted to it in a way I didn't expect (first time I've ever seen it being made fun of). That's why I took it out. It's not something I'm sharing to be made fun of.
No one was making fun of your posts. Not myself nor @CAPTAIN_NXR7 that I can see from these quotes? If you are talking about my comments saying the thread should be renamed? that was some light hearted joking meant to make you smile, not making fun of you or the fashions.... If you want to remove the posts to keep this on topic, go for it. Sometimes conversations stray a bit with the natural flow of conversation, but we weren't making fun of the fashions you like.
Back on topic, developer is now saying that he 1) Never said game play was 100% done, 2) The game will be using the assets he bought as it'd take 5 years to make his own, so does that mean he's NOT redoing them? But then on another post he says he's gonna pay $2000 (or get his friends to help pay, his words) so he can redo them...
Language may be a barrier but he needs to stop just going back and forth if he wants anyone to trust him. This sure looks bad at this point. I'm waiting to see that video he promised in the next day or two, but at this point I am doubtful we are going to be getting a new gameplay video at all.
It looks more like an island survival game than a life sims game from what I can see... the animals they kill to get meat to survive etc... a
lot of first person play, the storm llooks cool but I don't think it's my personal style of game play, not a fan of that much first person.
There’s “a lot” of first person there alright, it’s very distracting... 😂
I personally enjoy the FP play style though. It’s like a lucid dream.
The world looks nice and I like the survival element. It’s a game I could definitely get into it, but I’d rather wait until it’s developed a bit further.
I have to wonder if any of these clips will show up in the Newbery game play video at this point haha
Indeed. Im eagerly waiting for the next sloppy copy situation.
The world is definitely gorgeous haha!! If it wasn't so much first person and I didn't have to violently kill animals I'd probably be interested in this one!
Ah, there’s nothing wrong with hunting down an ‘ol goat and a rabbit or two. I wouldn’t use a hammer though.
On a different note, it’s hilarious that this thread is slowly starting to change into a fashion show. 🤣
Haha yeah, maybe not, but I can't do it myself, even in a game LOL!!!! In real life I can barely kill mosquitos and most the time don't with the exception of if they are after my kid haha!!!
And yep lol!!! I guess it's maybe a wee bit off topic. Thread needs to be renamed... "The Very Stylish People of Newbery" or maybe more accurate "Newbery Island and Some Fancy Dresses".
Sorry, I'll just take that part down then! It's just would be nice if all these life sim games have better clothes. (And I really miss New York City)
No need to apologize! I'm enjoying it too haha
It wasn't meant to be a joke though and I'm puzzled why people would laugh at this? I do realize it WAS off topic though in a game forum but people reacted to it in a way I didn't expect (first time I've ever seen it being made fun of). That's why I took it out. It's not something I'm sharing to be made fun of.
Why so serious? 🤡
Just letting you know I wasn’t making fun of your taste in fashion either. It was only some lighthearted banter about the slight change of topic. Could have been anything. From anyone. Don’t take it personal.
Back on topic, developer is now saying that he 1) Never said game play was 100% done, 2) The game will be using the assets he bought as it'd take 5 years to make his own, so does that mean he's NOT redoing them? But then on another post he says he's gonna pay $2000 (or get his friends to help pay, his words) so he can redo them...
Language may be a barrier but he needs to stop just going back and forth if he wants anyone to trust him. This sure looks bad at this point. I'm waiting to see that video he promised in the next day or two, but at this point I am doubtful we are going to be getting a new gameplay video at all.
He probably means that the game will use a combination of bought store assets and custom assets that he’ll pay an artist for.
He sure put himself under a lot of pressure.
I’m looking forward to seeing this ‘gameplay’ video, although at this stage it’s going to take some additional work to convince folks.
It looks more like an island survival game than a life sims game from what I can see... the animals they kill to get meat to survive etc... a
lot of first person play, the storm llooks cool but I don't think it's my personal style of game play, not a fan of that much first person.
There’s “a lot” of first person there alright, it’s very distracting... 😂
I personally enjoy the FP play style though. It’s like a lucid dream.
The world looks nice and I like the survival element. It’s a game I could definitely get into it, but I’d rather wait until it’s developed a bit further.
I have to wonder if any of these clips will show up in the Newbery game play video at this point haha
Indeed. Im eagerly waiting for the next sloppy copy situation.
The world is definitely gorgeous haha!! If it wasn't so much first person and I didn't have to violently kill animals I'd probably be interested in this one!
Ah, there’s nothing wrong with hunting down an ‘ol goat and a rabbit or two. I wouldn’t use a hammer though.
On a different note, it’s hilarious that this thread is slowly starting to change into a fashion show. 🤣
Haha yeah, maybe not, but I can't do it myself, even in a game LOL!!!! In real life I can barely kill mosquitos and most the time don't with the exception of if they are after my kid haha!!!
And yep lol!!! I guess it's maybe a wee bit off topic. Thread needs to be renamed... "The Very Stylish People of Newbery" or maybe more accurate "Newbery Island and Some Fancy Dresses".
Sorry, I'll just take that part down then! It's just would be nice if all these life sim games have better clothes. (And I really miss New York City)
No need to apologize! I'm enjoying it too haha
It wasn't meant to be a joke though and I'm puzzled why people would laugh at this? I do realize it WAS off topic though in a game forum but people reacted to it in a way I didn't expect (first time I've ever seen it being made fun of). That's why I took it out. It's not something I'm sharing to be made fun of.
Why so serious? 🤡
Just letting you know I wasn’t making fun of your taste in fashion either. It was only some lighthearted banter about the slight change of topic. Could have been anything. From anyone. Don’t take it personal.
Back on topic, developer is now saying that he 1) Never said game play was 100% done, 2) The game will be using the assets he bought as it'd take 5 years to make his own, so does that mean he's NOT redoing them? But then on another post he says he's gonna pay $2000 (or get his friends to help pay, his words) so he can redo them...
Language may be a barrier but he needs to stop just going back and forth if he wants anyone to trust him. This sure looks bad at this point. I'm waiting to see that video he promised in the next day or two, but at this point I am doubtful we are going to be getting a new gameplay video at all.
He probably means that the game will use a combination of bought store assets and custom assets that he’ll pay an artist for.
He sure put himself under a lot of pressure.
I’m looking forward to seeing this ‘gameplay’ video, although at this stage it’s going to take some additional work to convince folks.
Yes maybe that's it. At this point I think his best bet is to just stay off social media and work on something game play to show and then show it when it's ready.
I'm not liking what I'm hearing on Twitter about this game. Jury's still out on this one...but I'm pretty much convinced it's a scam.
I'm still waiting too. At this point I'm not convinced it's a scam, but I'm also not convinced it's not either. I do think that if it's not, he'd gotten himself in way over his head at this point though.
I'm not liking what I'm hearing on Twitter about this game. Jury's still out on this one...but I'm pretty much convinced it's a scam.
I'm still waiting too. At this point I'm not convinced it's a scam, but I'm also not convinced it's not either. I do think that if it's not, he'd gotten himself in way over his head at this point though.
@SimAlexandria - Best to take a "wait & see" approach at this point. He's not doing himself any favors by blocking people who criticize him. Lends fuel to speculation that it is a scam.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
Hello everyone! I barely if ever use this account, but after coming across this thread due to recent controversy, I felt the need to explain exactly why you should not support this game and why, if you ever desire to be an indie developer, you should not start your game development career with a life simulator of all things.
First, I have a feeling many of you have not heard of what an "asset flip" is. An asset flip is/was a huge problem on the indie scene. Here is an exact definition:
"Asset flipping” is a contentious term for video game fans, who often use it to refer to bad games that are cobbled together using pre made assets. On Steam, asset flipping has been a genuine problem in the past due to a lack of safety measures for preventing garbage from getting on the storefront."
Right now, People of the Newberry is the definition of an asset flip. It's not uncommon for indie devs to use the asset store. That is why it exists. I've seen at least one pre made asset in Paralives because it is a common practice. It's totally legal and there's nothing wrong with it.
But that is NOT what the People of the Newberry is doing. ALL the assets, ALL the systems, EVERYTHING is a pre made asset he purchased from the store. I saw some people ask, "Why would he spend $1500 on pre made assets if he wasn't going to make a game?" My friends, this is common with asset flippers because they can make their money back easily by selling their game on Steam and tricking enough people to purchase it or support them on Patreon.
In the future, all of you should be on the look out for games that pop out of the woodwork with ONLY pre made assets promising they're replace them with real assets soon. He.has.not.shown.his.own.work. He has only opened up the assets he bought in the Unreal store and screen captured his screen. I can do that. You can do that. Anyone can do that. That is not game development. That is not progress. This is buying stuff and claiming it as your own work. This is not what the Unreal/Unity store is for. That is not how you're supposed to use the assets available to you.
What makes Paralives different from People of the Newberry is even when Alex was the only dev developing the game, most of the assets were of his own OR he had fellow devs (Lea, for example) assisting him before they were officially hired on the team. The first thing Alex showed off when he opened his $1 Patreon was not pre made assets from the store, it was a build mode and the tools he made himself. It was the only thing he had at the time as a single dev and he offered to do more if he got the Patreon support he needed to realize a full life sim.
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Next, I'd like to discuss the art style. Anyone expecting an indie life simulator to pop out of the woodwork with graphics like these? Don't place those expectations on any indie developer. That is just not doable. You may not like the art style of Paralives, but that art style lends itself to easier development and less time working on complex assets.
If you want a realistic sim game, you're going to have to wait for Sims 5, or maybe the Paradox game if that's going to be a thing.
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Let's review the basics of game development. Right now, Paralives is in pre alpha. In pre alpha, developers are deciding what will and won't be in the game. They are forming the skeleton of each game feature as they decide if each feature is doable for the team and how much time it will take to polish.
Next is the alpha stage. Generally in this stage, they are piecing together all those individual features and polishing them up. There may be many bugs and it won't look super pretty most of the time, but at this stage, there is an actual playable game. At least, playable for the developers, this is not typically a point where customers get their hands on a game.
After alpha, there is beta. At this point, the game is nearly complete, but not yet "gold". This is usually when they hire beta testers or open an open beta so that future customers or professional game testers can get their hands on it and dig up bugs and what works and what doesn't work. You'll see a lot of games on Steam Greenlight in beta (the good ones anyway).
Finally, you get "gold" or a complete game. There may still be a FEW kinks, but at this point, there should be barely any. The game should be completely functional for anyone to play.
Can you spot the issue with People of the Newberry and why so many people are skeptical? People of the Newberry are claiming they're already in the alpha/beta stage. "40% of the game is complete." "100% of the gameplay is complete." "We have to redo the whole game". None of that makes sense for game development. You don't speak that way if your game is legitimate. You should be able to precisely state where you are in game development.
Paralives announced their game a year ago and have consistently reminded people they are in pre alpha. People of the Newberry said they started their game 7 months ago and are already ready to release next year? At this point, your "something is off" sensors should be blaring in your ears.
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If you need a list on why People of the Newberry is not trustworthy: - Everything is a pre made asset and I believe the artist he hired is 14 years old - He opened a Patreon asking for money BEFORE he has shown any of his own work, any at all - A singular dev or an indie studio with a small team, such as Paralives, cannot release a fully functional game in a year. It is impossible - The dev has no idea what stage of development his game is in and changes the status on a whim
In conclusion, I think the dev of People of the Newberry is in WAY over his head. You do not start your journey into game development with a super complex life simulator. You're setting yourself up for failure, anxiety, and failure again. Imagine you're 10 want to be an astronaut and you think your first class should involve taking a trip to Neptune in person.
A sim game is like three games in one. It's a character creator, a build simulator, and lastly, it's a life simulator. If this developer is serious about wanting to create a life sim someday, he needs to start from the bottom, start with something simple and easier to manage.
There's no way you'll be able to get by by hiring a 14 year old to help you with art and buying everything else on the store. Eventually, you'll need to actually code something.
To the people who are still supporting this dev who has bitten off more than he can chew, you should stop. You are not helping him and you are not helping yourself. In fact, you are threatening the legitimacy of other life simulator indie games currently in development.
You cannot jump on every single bandwagon. You must look carefully at each and every case and decide whether it's someone trying to make a quick buck, someone who is underestimating how much it takes to make a life simulator, or if it's someone who is legitimately on the right track to making a game.
For every Paralives or Little Sim World, there will be dozens of "Project Vie's". Never forget that. You should be skeptical. If you want, you can still be skeptical of Paralives and Little Sim World. But notice the difference between how Paralives has been running for the past year and how People of Newberry has been running for about a week or two.
@shikirabook - I appreciate your concern, but all that you've posted has already been posted before.
It's perfectly fine if no one here wants to support the game. I will continue to support the game and report back if there is a beta-test next year. If there isn't one, I'll report that too. If there is one, I'll let you guys know what features have been completed and the quality of those features.
You could say that I'm "taking the bullet" so none of you would have to!
The address of the page says "taplink" so I would think it's just so he can quickly post all the links for this game so far. Did he announce that this is his official website?
>> To the people who are still supporting this dev who has bitten off more than he can chew, you should stop. You are not helping him and you are not helping yourself. In fact, you are threatening the legitimacy of other life simulator indie games currently in development.
>> To the people who are still supporting this dev who has bitten off more than he can chew, you should stop. You are not helping him and you are not helping yourself. In fact, you are threatening the legitimacy of other life simulator indie games currently in development.
I wouldn't worry about this game affecting other crowdfunded indie games, especially if they present their games more fully, which all pretty much have.
As I have said, I'll take the bullet for you. I'll report back if and when there's a beta-test.
I know I said I was done here but since I was already part of their discord I still remain in the server to see what new developments may be taken place. In the discord the dev have agreed to let mods manage his social media (I don't know how exactly.) Many in the discord are willing to translate for him also since his English can send the wrong message.
.plus he is trying to get the strike removed from the youtubers channel. He said he is only one against many who are constantly attacking him so he gets frustrated. I thought that was interesting. Even though I still don't believe the game is real I liked that he was able to accept feedback and modify his behavior accordingly.
I know I said I was done here but since I was already part of their discord I still remain in the server to see what new developments may be taken place. In the discord the dev have agreed to let mods manage his social media (I don't know how exactly.) Many in the discord are willing to translate for him also since his English can send the wrong message.
.plus he is trying to get the strike removed from the youtubers channel. He said he is only one against many who are constantly attacking him so he gets frustrated. I thought that was interesting. Even though I still don't believe the game is real I liked that he was able to accept feedback and modify his behavior accordingly.
Saying "you'll take the bullet" isn't helping anyone either. And yes, this will affect the perception of other indie games. Project Vie happened years ago and yet it's the first thing simmers think about when they think about indie simulation games. Don't brush this off like it's not a big deal.
Here's what you should do if you want this game to actually be a reality.
- Tell him to stop and scrap almost everything he has that isn't his. Keep the people/animal models if he has to. Especially if they're already rigged. Everything else needs to go because it is not useful for anything other than promotion. How can you make a build mode off a pre made house? You can't.
He should have a serious discussion with his fans. He should post all his past experiences in coding and be truthful with what he can and cannot do as a programmer. Vague answers won't work. If he hasn't already, he should provide direct links to his past work.
Next, he should go through the list of features he has promised and cross off things he knows he cannot do on his own. He needs to either eliminate those features entirely, or put them on his "wishlist" for if a more experienced programmer decides to join his project.
He needs to divide his game into three portions. Build mode. Characters. And then, live mode.
He needs to make a list of what exactly you can do in build mode. Here's an easy list: - Build walls - Paint walls - Lay floring - Buy and move furniture
All of this entirely depends on his own coding capabilities. If he can't make a fully fleshed out build mode, then his only option is to have a bunch of premade housing for players to choose from and maybe decorate.
With characters, again, he needs to make a list of what kind of characters you can create, how you can customize them whether its their color or their shape, and how character development, genetics, etc will go. Here's another easy list to get started: - Basic traits - Can change skin color - Can change gender
If he cannot figure out how to make different ages or how to pass down genetics, then he needs to be honest with himself and admit this game will be focused on adults only. Unfortunately for him, he's not going to find a bunch of kid related Unreal store assets, let alone stuff related to passing down genetics or aging.
Lastly, with live mode, one of the most important modes, he needs to straight up be .... EXTREMELY honest with himself on how this is going to go. He has a lot to consider, stuff even EA struggles with. Routing, relationships, multitasking, events, all the other aspects of life. This stuff is not simple. He cannot just purchase these assets off the store. This is going to be the most difficult part of the game.
If he cannot make live mode himself, among other things, then he needs to say as much and be clear to his new followers.
If you read my post, you'll realize he's been entirely dishonest through this entire process. It's not just a language barrier that is the issue, which I completely understand. It's that this guy has no idea what he's doing. He clearly does not actually know how to put a game together. If he were asked where his game design document is, he probably would have to google it because he has no idea what that is and hasn't made one. He's blasted himself into the unknown and he's scrambling for dear life and all you really have to contribute is, "I'm going to throw my money at this dumpster fire and see what happens. If he fails and ruins his life oopsie doopsie I had nothing to do with it."
If you really want this game to be a thing, if you really care that much, then you need to step up, be stern, and demand transparency or even help him along with this process. That goes for everyone who is still donating their money to this collapsing project. Sucking up to him, being overly kind? That's not helping. There is money being exchanged, however small. He could be ruining his entire future in game development if this continues, and I'm not just talking about his awkward social media interactions. As someone who does little small private projects on my own, it's extremely cringey watching what appears to be a newbie making such a huge mistake.
Who will hire a game dev that acts like that? What self respecting developer would want to join him on the project if they behave like this? Who would trust any project he puts out in the future even if he does get his act together? No one.
So get serious about it. Tell him he's in over his head and he needs to slow his roll. Tell him there's no way he's going to get a game done mostly by himself in 2021. Tell him buying assets from the store is not game development and that he actually has to do something with those assets, not post screenshots and videos of stuff he purchased. Stop hiding his progress, he needs to come clean and be truthful. It's blatantly obvious he does not have a working game right now. He'll never get anywhere if he keeps pretending.
If he cannot achieve the life simulator he wants to make at this point in his career, he needs to shelve this project and come back to it after working on smaller games and gaining more experience.
I hope he doesn’t end up swindling or stealing from anybody. But even if the assets are available to all, I certainly cannot cobble them together into a game so it might be worth a few bucks to try it out if it’s ever released.
Don't be deceived. I'm not saying it's not legit, but it looks like he's still trying to misguide us with optical illusions.
He's not showing us any build mode. The house was not created with any complex tools he developed. He is merely showing us a floor level stop motion and a variation of camera positions.
I also believe that the ivy brush may be part of a foliage tool that's available from the store.
He still hasn't shown enough to convince me anyway.
Don't be deceived. I'm not saying it's not legit, but it looks like he's still trying to misguide us with optical illusions.
He's not showing us any build mode. The house was not created with any complex tools he developed. He is merely showing us a floor level stop motion and a variation of camera positions.
I also believe that the ivy brush may be part of a foliage tool that's available from the store.
He still hasn't shown enough to convince me anyway.
Well, I do see him painting with ivy, and a mouse cursor. Looking it up I don't think you can use the tool like that.
Comments
It wasn't meant to be a joke though and I'm puzzled why people would laugh at this? I do realize it WAS off topic though in a game forum but people reacted to it in a way I didn't expect (first time I've ever seen it being made fun of). That's why I took it out. It's not something I'm sharing to be made fun of.
No one was making fun of your posts. Not myself nor @CAPTAIN_NXR7 that I can see from these quotes? If you are talking about my comments saying the thread should be renamed? that was some light hearted joking meant to make you smile, not making fun of you or the fashions.... If you want to remove the posts to keep this on topic, go for it. Sometimes conversations stray a bit with the natural flow of conversation, but we weren't making fun of the fashions you like.
Language may be a barrier but he needs to stop just going back and forth if he wants anyone to trust him. This sure looks bad at this point. I'm waiting to see that video he promised in the next day or two, but at this point I am doubtful we are going to be getting a new gameplay video at all.
Why so serious? 🤡
Just letting you know I wasn’t making fun of your taste in fashion either. It was only some lighthearted banter about the slight change of topic. Could have been anything. From anyone. Don’t take it personal.
He probably means that the game will use a combination of bought store assets and custom assets that he’ll pay an artist for.
He sure put himself under a lot of pressure.
I’m looking forward to seeing this ‘gameplay’ video, although at this stage it’s going to take some additional work to convince folks.
Yes maybe that's it. At this point I think his best bet is to just stay off social media and work on something game play to show and then show it when it's ready.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
I'm still waiting too. At this point I'm not convinced it's a scam, but I'm also not convinced it's not either. I do think that if it's not, he'd gotten himself in way over his head at this point though.
@SimAlexandria - Best to take a "wait & see" approach at this point. He's not doing himself any favors by blocking people who criticize him. Lends fuel to speculation that it is a scam.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
First, I have a feeling many of you have not heard of what an "asset flip" is. An asset flip is/was a huge problem on the indie scene. Here is an exact definition:
"Asset flipping” is a contentious term for video game fans, who often use it to refer to bad games that are cobbled together using pre made assets. On Steam, asset flipping has been a genuine problem in the past due to a lack of safety measures for preventing garbage from getting on the storefront."
Right now, People of the Newberry is the definition of an asset flip. It's not uncommon for indie devs to use the asset store. That is why it exists. I've seen at least one pre made asset in Paralives because it is a common practice. It's totally legal and there's nothing wrong with it.
But that is NOT what the People of the Newberry is doing. ALL the assets, ALL the systems, EVERYTHING is a pre made asset he purchased from the store. I saw some people ask, "Why would he spend $1500 on pre made assets if he wasn't going to make a game?" My friends, this is common with asset flippers because they can make their money back easily by selling their game on Steam and tricking enough people to purchase it or support them on Patreon.
In the future, all of you should be on the look out for games that pop out of the woodwork with ONLY pre made assets promising they're replace them with real assets soon. He.has.not.shown.his.own.work. He has only opened up the assets he bought in the Unreal store and screen captured his screen. I can do that. You can do that. Anyone can do that. That is not game development. That is not progress. This is buying stuff and claiming it as your own work. This is not what the Unreal/Unity store is for. That is not how you're supposed to use the assets available to you.
What makes Paralives different from People of the Newberry is even when Alex was the only dev developing the game, most of the assets were of his own OR he had fellow devs (Lea, for example) assisting him before they were officially hired on the team. The first thing Alex showed off when he opened his $1 Patreon was not pre made assets from the store, it was a build mode and the tools he made himself. It was the only thing he had at the time as a single dev and he offered to do more if he got the Patreon support he needed to realize a full life sim.
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Next, I'd like to discuss the art style. Anyone expecting an indie life simulator to pop out of the woodwork with graphics like these? Don't place those expectations on any indie developer. That is just not doable. You may not like the art style of Paralives, but that art style lends itself to easier development and less time working on complex assets.
If you want a realistic sim game, you're going to have to wait for Sims 5, or maybe the Paradox game if that's going to be a thing.
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Let's review the basics of game development. Right now, Paralives is in pre alpha. In pre alpha, developers are deciding what will and won't be in the game. They are forming the skeleton of each game feature as they decide if each feature is doable for the team and how much time it will take to polish.
Next is the alpha stage. Generally in this stage, they are piecing together all those individual features and polishing them up. There may be many bugs and it won't look super pretty most of the time, but at this stage, there is an actual playable game. At least, playable for the developers, this is not typically a point where customers get their hands on a game.
After alpha, there is beta. At this point, the game is nearly complete, but not yet "gold". This is usually when they hire beta testers or open an open beta so that future customers or professional game testers can get their hands on it and dig up bugs and what works and what doesn't work. You'll see a lot of games on Steam Greenlight in beta (the good ones anyway).
Finally, you get "gold" or a complete game. There may still be a FEW kinks, but at this point, there should be barely any. The game should be completely functional for anyone to play.
Can you spot the issue with People of the Newberry and why so many people are skeptical? People of the Newberry are claiming they're already in the alpha/beta stage. "40% of the game is complete." "100% of the gameplay is complete." "We have to redo the whole game". None of that makes sense for game development. You don't speak that way if your game is legitimate. You should be able to precisely state where you are in game development.
Paralives announced their game a year ago and have consistently reminded people they are in pre alpha. People of the Newberry said they started their game 7 months ago and are already ready to release next year? At this point, your "something is off" sensors should be blaring in your ears.
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If you need a list on why People of the Newberry is not trustworthy:
- Everything is a pre made asset and I believe the artist he hired is 14 years old
- He opened a Patreon asking for money BEFORE he has shown any of his own work, any at all
- A singular dev or an indie studio with a small team, such as Paralives, cannot release a fully functional game in a year. It is impossible
- The dev has no idea what stage of development his game is in and changes the status on a whim
In conclusion, I think the dev of People of the Newberry is in WAY over his head. You do not start your journey into game development with a super complex life simulator. You're setting yourself up for failure, anxiety, and failure again. Imagine you're 10 want to be an astronaut and you think your first class should involve taking a trip to Neptune in person.
A sim game is like three games in one. It's a character creator, a build simulator, and lastly, it's a life simulator. If this developer is serious about wanting to create a life sim someday, he needs to start from the bottom, start with something simple and easier to manage.
There's no way you'll be able to get by by hiring a 14 year old to help you with art and buying everything else on the store. Eventually, you'll need to actually code something.
To the people who are still supporting this dev who has bitten off more than he can chew, you should stop. You are not helping him and you are not helping yourself. In fact, you are threatening the legitimacy of other life simulator indie games currently in development.
You cannot jump on every single bandwagon. You must look carefully at each and every case and decide whether it's someone trying to make a quick buck, someone who is underestimating how much it takes to make a life simulator, or if it's someone who is legitimately on the right track to making a game.
For every Paralives or Little Sim World, there will be dozens of "Project Vie's". Never forget that. You should be skeptical. If you want, you can still be skeptical of Paralives and Little Sim World. But notice the difference between how Paralives has been running for the past year and how People of Newberry has been running for about a week or two.
It's perfectly fine if no one here wants to support the game. I will continue to support the game and report back if there is a beta-test next year. If there isn't one, I'll report that too. If there is one, I'll let you guys know what features have been completed and the quality of those features.
You could say that I'm "taking the bullet" so none of you would have to!
Also website is up. No info just links to social media sites.
https://taplink.cc/newberygame
The address of the page says "taplink" so I would think it's just so he can quickly post all the links for this game so far. Did he announce that this is his official website?
I wouldn't worry about this game affecting other crowdfunded indie games, especially if they present their games more fully, which all pretty much have.
As I have said, I'll take the bullet for you. I'll report back if and when there's a beta-test.
.plus he is trying to get the strike removed from the youtubers channel. He said he is only one against many who are constantly attacking him so he gets frustrated. I thought that was interesting. Even though I still don't believe the game is real I liked that he was able to accept feedback and modify his behavior accordingly.
I like that about him too!
Here's what you should do if you want this game to actually be a reality.
- Tell him to stop and scrap almost everything he has that isn't his. Keep the people/animal models if he has to. Especially if they're already rigged. Everything else needs to go because it is not useful for anything other than promotion. How can you make a build mode off a pre made house? You can't.
He should have a serious discussion with his fans. He should post all his past experiences in coding and be truthful with what he can and cannot do as a programmer. Vague answers won't work. If he hasn't already, he should provide direct links to his past work.
Next, he should go through the list of features he has promised and cross off things he knows he cannot do on his own. He needs to either eliminate those features entirely, or put them on his "wishlist" for if a more experienced programmer decides to join his project.
He needs to divide his game into three portions. Build mode. Characters. And then, live mode.
He needs to make a list of what exactly you can do in build mode. Here's an easy list:
- Build walls
- Paint walls
- Lay floring
- Buy and move furniture
All of this entirely depends on his own coding capabilities. If he can't make a fully fleshed out build mode, then his only option is to have a bunch of premade housing for players to choose from and maybe decorate.
With characters, again, he needs to make a list of what kind of characters you can create, how you can customize them whether its their color or their shape, and how character development, genetics, etc will go. Here's another easy list to get started:
- Basic traits
- Can change skin color
- Can change gender
If he cannot figure out how to make different ages or how to pass down genetics, then he needs to be honest with himself and admit this game will be focused on adults only. Unfortunately for him, he's not going to find a bunch of kid related Unreal store assets, let alone stuff related to passing down genetics or aging.
Lastly, with live mode, one of the most important modes, he needs to straight up be .... EXTREMELY honest with himself on how this is going to go. He has a lot to consider, stuff even EA struggles with. Routing, relationships, multitasking, events, all the other aspects of life. This stuff is not simple. He cannot just purchase these assets off the store. This is going to be the most difficult part of the game.
If he cannot make live mode himself, among other things, then he needs to say as much and be clear to his new followers.
If you read my post, you'll realize he's been entirely dishonest through this entire process. It's not just a language barrier that is the issue, which I completely understand. It's that this guy has no idea what he's doing. He clearly does not actually know how to put a game together. If he were asked where his game design document is, he probably would have to google it because he has no idea what that is and hasn't made one. He's blasted himself into the unknown and he's scrambling for dear life and all you really have to contribute is, "I'm going to throw my money at this dumpster fire and see what happens. If he fails and ruins his life oopsie doopsie I had nothing to do with it."
If you really want this game to be a thing, if you really care that much, then you need to step up, be stern, and demand transparency or even help him along with this process. That goes for everyone who is still donating their money to this collapsing project. Sucking up to him, being overly kind? That's not helping. There is money being exchanged, however small. He could be ruining his entire future in game development if this continues, and I'm not just talking about his awkward social media interactions. As someone who does little small private projects on my own, it's extremely cringey watching what appears to be a newbie making such a huge mistake.
Who will hire a game dev that acts like that? What self respecting developer would want to join him on the project if they behave like this? Who would trust any project he puts out in the future even if he does get his act together? No one.
So get serious about it. Tell him he's in over his head and he needs to slow his roll. Tell him there's no way he's going to get a game done mostly by himself in 2021. Tell him buying assets from the store is not game development and that he actually has to do something with those assets, not post screenshots and videos of stuff he purchased. Stop hiding his progress, he needs to come clean and be truthful. It's blatantly obvious he does not have a working game right now. He'll never get anywhere if he keeps pretending.
If he cannot achieve the life simulator he wants to make at this point in his career, he needs to shelve this project and come back to it after working on smaller games and gaining more experience.
Yeah, I read that too!
@Babykittyjade
The reason it's showing us some gameplay. I do not think there is any pre-software . Where you can change a house , and decorate it.
Don't be deceived. I'm not saying it's not legit, but it looks like he's still trying to misguide us with optical illusions.
He's not showing us any build mode. The house was not created with any complex tools he developed. He is merely showing us a floor level stop motion and a variation of camera positions.
I also believe that the ivy brush may be part of a foliage tool that's available from the store.
He still hasn't shown enough to convince me anyway.
Well, I do see him painting with ivy, and a mouse cursor. Looking it up I don't think you can use the tool like that.
https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/Engine/Foliage/index.html
I do see your point as well.