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4 Years Later

  • Koi
  • 04/17/2021 11:42 PM
  • 5143 views
The Kickstarter failed, backers were refunded, and Qui Domi has gone into a state of indefinite hiatus. However some interest has come back to it from my current audience in other fandoms. I'm releasing the current full copy of the game, including the alpha carnival world. There are unfinished assets, incomplete game mechanics, but, you are free to test it out.

Keep in mind there are a few hours of gameplay before that, as the carnival is the 4th world, there are three others to traverse. I hope you enjoy!

Posts

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Corfaisus
"It's frustrating because - as much as Corf is otherwise an irredeemable person - his 2k/3 mapping is on point." ~ psy_wombats
7874
I went back and looked at the Kickstarter which was successfully funded and one thing came up.

Question: if the goal was just to pay for the music, why didn't you factor in the rest of the costs in the goal? Were you ever unclear to the backers that this was the case?

With this game bubbling back up to the top of my consciousness, that makes two titles I'm familiar with that lived and died with a cash grab and that have spent longer out of development than in it. You could've finished by now. This other game I'm talking about I just want to see get done for the sake of it being done, but it appears that once there was no money in it, that translated to the developer taking their ball and going home. There's been no money in this community for longer than some have been alive, yet some of us have kept at it regardless of Kickstarters and GoFundMes (were those also refunded?) to find a ship come in and an opportunity to fund ourselves into professional game development - say, the English RPG Maker 2003.
author=Corfaisus
I went back and looked at the Kickstarter which was successfully funded and one thing came up.

The Kickstarter states clearly that the money was for music. Besides the soundtrack, it's a solo project where I was writing, coding, and creating every asset on my own. This game was a very ambitious project and sadly life got in the way with work and injuries. I now have a full time job as a content creator and I don't have time to make this a priority, especially when I have no financial incentive since the game is free and the music has already been commissioned and paid for.

"Died with a cash grab," are you insinuating I was making a cash grab? When I came to grips with the fact that I had failed my Kickstarter, I contacted each of the 47 backers individually and offered them refunds. Most accepted, some were very kind and rejected the refund with the understanding that sometimes solo projects fall through. I did the right thing, if they wanted their money back, they got it back.

I prefer having this project on the sidelines now, with no expectations or obligations. I'm proud to start working on it again, regardless of how far it will go. I don't need someone coming in telling me I could have had it finished by now without knowing anything about my life.
Corfaisus
"It's frustrating because - as much as Corf is otherwise an irredeemable person - his 2k/3 mapping is on point." ~ psy_wombats
7874
author=Koi
author=Corfaisus
I went back and looked at the Kickstarter which was successfully funded and one thing came up.
The Kickstarter states clearly that the money was for music. Besides the soundtrack, it's a solo project where I was writing, coding, and creating every asset on my own. This game was a very ambitious project and sadly life got in the way with work and injuries. I now have a full time job as a content creator and I don't have time to make this a priority, especially when I have no financial incentive since the game is free and the music has already been commissioned and paid for.

"Died with a cash grab," are you insinuating I was making a cash grab? When I came to grips with the fact that I had failed my Kickstarter, I contacted each of the 47 backers individually and offered them refunds. Most accepted, some were very kind and rejected the refund with the understanding that sometimes solo projects fall through. I did the right thing, if they wanted their money back, they got it back.

I prefer having this project on the sidelines now, with no expectations or obligations. I'm proud to start working on it again, regardless of how far it will go. I don't need someone coming in telling me I could have had it finished by now without knowing anything about my life.

You can have your excuses, but this?

author=Koi
I don't need someone coming in telling me I could have had it finished by now without knowing anything about my life.

I don't need to know you because I've been there and accomplished it myself using the "Don't Break The Chain" method.
https://blog.doist.com/dont-break-the-chain/

My first goal (finish the core game) was wrapped up in a year. You'd be surprised how little I got done each day in order to reach that goal, but I told myself that if I did literally anything on it that day, that's a day. Some days I'd just put an NPC in there or add a door event. It gets done, and I know that - by experience - four years later, it would absolutely be done by now. You could've easily gotten your Kickstarter money back by becoming a Steamworks partner and putting your game on there for the $100 submission fee.

All I'm saying is you could have. I'm not saying anything about the quality of your game, only that you could have.
@Corf: What works for you isn't going to work for everyone, kind of common knowledge... Insisting your lifestyle on others isn't very persuasive either.
OzzyTheOne
Future Ruler of Gam Mak
4676
Well, while I am sad to hear that all sorts of things got in the way of the project, I am glad to see that you've picked it up again. I don't know when I'll see it finished, but I'll make sure to give this new alpha a look, I quit enjoyed the demo version a few years back and am looking forward to what else is in store for us.

I wish you the best in your future endeavours and hope that you can manage to finish this game at some point!

Wish you a nice day! :D
Corfaisus
"It's frustrating because - as much as Corf is otherwise an irredeemable person - his 2k/3 mapping is on point." ~ psy_wombats
7874
author=Darken
@Corf: What works for you isn't going to work for everyone, kind of common knowledge... Insisting your lifestyle on others isn't very persuasive either.

There being so little requested here astounds me that there's any room for debate. It's the same as literally any other obligation, though it's the easiest to submit to. That your post shows no desire to adhere to a schedule is concerning, though this is something that anyone with any manner of employment already does, which Koi has. If you so much as draw a circle, you've done something for the day. An artist - whether by passion or responsibility - wouldn't call this unreasonable.

And I know you make games, too, if even just as a hobby. But here's the kicker: the ideas I'm positing produces results while your lack of a call to action towards one thing or another produces nothing. Are you going to tell Koi to make this game? If not, I don't see why you're here. For me? That would've served better as a private message.

author=OzzyTheOne
I wish you the best in your future endeavours and hope that you can manage to finish this game at some point!

With this, your contemporaries are giving a gentle call to action, which is 'get it finished'. We want people to be making, which is why I addressed the other game developer as I have. It seems a mighty shame that projects die for reasons other than the death of the author.

I came seeking answers based on the history of this project, yet I've concluded by putting forth the idea of 'get it finished'.
Mirak
Stand back. Artist at work. I paint with enthusiasm if not with talent.
9300
Simply amazing, I have been waiting for news on this project, and now there is a Release for me to enjoy. I am very saddened to hear of the negatives of the path to getting this release, however,

Thank you.
CashmereCat
Self-proclaimed Puzzle Snob
11638
Usually I would let drama slide, but when it comes to things where I feel users should be protected and cared for, I think a reply is necessary. I'm going to try to be as objective as possible, while recognising subjectivity is unavoidable and perhaps necessary. I want to reply to this by replying to certain points in turn. Here we go.

author=Corfaisus
"I went back and looked at the Kickstarter which was successfully funded and one thing came up. Question: if the goal was just to pay for the music, why didn't you factor in the rest of the costs in the goal? Were you ever unclear to the backers that this was the case?"
As in Koi's reply, there's no reason to assume that money was paid for anything but music.

author=Corfaisus
"that lived and died with a cash grab"
I think reducing this to a cash grab is highly unfair and reductive.

author=Corfaisus
"You could've finished by now."
They don't have to have finished.

author=Corfaisus
"yet some of us have kept at it regardless of Kickstarters and GoFundMes (were those also refunded?) to find a ship come in and an opportunity to fund ourselves into professional game development - say, the English RPG Maker 2003."
Why is this relevant? This is the page for Koi's game Qui Domi, it's not really about other games.

author=Corfaisus
"All I'm saying is you could have. I'm not saying anything about the quality of your game, only that you could have."
Koi isn't saying that they couldn't have, either. It's just that they didn't. Everyone has a choice.

author=Corfaisus
"My first goal (finish the core game) was wrapped up in a year."
This isn't about you.

author=Corfaisus
"That your post shows no desire to adhere to a schedule is concerning"
Why is it concerning? It shouldn't be. It's Koi's project, not yours.

author=Corfaisus
"If you so much as draw a circle, you've done something for the day. An artist - whether by passion or responsibility - wouldn't call this unreasonable."
It's not unreasonable to draw a circle, sure. But you're putting your own assumption that Koi should draw a circle. They don't need to. This seems to be more about you than them.

author=Corfaisus
"But here's the kicker: the ideas I'm positing produces results while your lack of a call to action towards one thing or another produces nothing."
No. This is simply false. Koi has simply been producing things you don't care about, and thus they meaning nothing to you. But since your opinion dictates reality, Koi's existence doesn't matter to you.

author=Corfaisus
"Are you going to tell Koi to make this game? If not, I don't see why you're here. For me? That would've served better as a private message."
There is no prerogative for this blog post to only necessitate replies that tell Koi to make their game. That was never a part of the contract of this website. Thus, I think it's very illogical of you to tell someone to go away or to use private messaging if they don't adhere to your specific needs.

author=Corfaisus
"We want people to be making, which is why I addressed the other game developer as I have."
False again. You assume everyone wants people to be making. You use the royal "we", but I don't think as many people agree with you as you think. From my experience, we want people to be happy, first and foremost. Then we want them to be creating, but only if it makes them happy. You've clearly discarded Koi's desire for happiness in favour of a motive of game making, which is an illogical assumption to make.

author=Corfaisus
"It seems a mighty shame that projects die for reasons other than the death of the author."
It's not. This is false too. It's not a shame if projects die. It's a shame if the author suffers. The fact you favour a game's success more than an author's life is concerning. And I'd suggest you take *that* to private messages.

author=Corfaisus
"I came seeking answers based on the history of this project, yet I've concluded by putting forth the idea of 'get it finished'."
That's not in any way your call to make. Why do you think it's in your authority to command people to make games? That seems simply ludicrous to me.

Corfaisus, it is my personal opinion that you were putting unjust pressure on Koi. I don't think anyone should be pressured to finish a game, unless someone has paid them to do so. Koi was, however they found themselves unable to deliver, therefore they refunded and every backer was happy. Now that all said, I still wonder why you are so intent on Koi's game being finished when they have said they don't want to complete it. They have no obligation to do so. You have no authority to tell them to do so. And if you wanted to encourage them to do something that would be best for them - the way you delivered it was, in my opinion, way off. I would consider first examining whether they actually want to finish their game before trying to convince them to do something they clearly don't want to do.

In love,
Cash.
I am gonna break my silence that I maintained for the last three years on this website just for this message.

Go fuck yourself corfaisus.

Feel free to report this message, warn me, ban me, whatever. Sounds like you didn't get the feedback enough because this type of speech is discouraged at work, in social settings or online so I'll bite the bullet for the team so you get the memo here.

Are you aware that the people across the screen are real and you can use empathy to connect with them? I am a pretty tolerant and open minded person, plenty of people, even on this site, annoy the fuck out of me, but I have never quite encountered something like you. We've never interacted directly but every time I read something you've written it's always some hateful, toxic, backhanded stupidity wrapped around empty wisdoms and insincere concerns.

I highly doubt you are playing some troll character with such dedication so I'll assume you are also like this irl. This will fall of deaf ears but I suggest you take a bit of a look inwards and maybe practice some of that do unto others golden rule.

TLDR: Fuck you corfaisus, go fuck yourself

EDIT: Typo and clarification, didn't remove anything I stand by what I said unless you have a medical condition that makes it difficult to empathize. I posted this here instead of as a PM so Koi can see that you are not to be taken seriously.

EDIT2: Yes this warning is wholly deserved, I am not a good role model kids, be a positive influence to the community.
User was warned for this post
idk about you people but i love being interrogated over obligations I've washed my hands of and would like to move on from and then getting a condescending lecture on how to complete projects

(this is sarcasm)
author=Corfaisus
You could've easily gotten your Kickstarter money back by becoming a Steamworks partner and putting your game on there for the $100 submission fee.


Have you ever actually put a game on Steam, Corf? Because I can assure you that putting a game on Steam isn't a guarantee that you'll see a return, and hasn't been the case for a number of years now. You're making some pretty big assumptions here.
unity
You're magical to me.
12540
As one of the kickstarter backers, I just want to say that I don't regret my pledge at all. Koi is a very talented developer and unfortunately real life got in the way and made completing the game just about impossible.

I still very much respect Koi's talent and drive. Koi's not some fraud who took the money and ran, but is a struggling artist like many of us, and I'm glad she's found success elsewhere and it's awesome to see more of the game available for people to experience :D
Corfaisus
"It's frustrating because - as much as Corf is otherwise an irredeemable person - his 2k/3 mapping is on point." ~ psy_wombats
7874
author=Sgt M
author=Corfaisus
You could've easily gotten your Kickstarter money back by becoming a Steamworks partner and putting your game on there for the $100 submission fee.
Have you ever actually put a game on Steam, Corf? Because I can assure you that putting a game on Steam isn't a guarantee that you'll see a return, and hasn't been the case for a number of years now. You're making some pretty big assumptions here.

Yes. I'm not asking anyone to do something I haven't already done myself. You all are welcome to disagree - that's up to you.

author=CashmereCat
You have no authority to tell them to do so. And if you wanted to encourage them to do something that would be best for them - the way you delivered it was, in my opinion, way off. I would consider first examining whether they actually want to finish their game before trying to convince them to do something they clearly don't want to do.

In love,
Cash.

In response to this very blog:

author=Koi
I prefer having this project on the sidelines now, with no expectations or obligations. I'm proud to start working on it again, regardless of how far it will go.

Perhaps holding out hope for completion was a step too far? Was Ozzy as wrong as I was? Aside from this, all we've been told is that it's a matter of how much interest is garnered. There's room to speak for "striking while the iron is hot" and that years on the back burner has caused it to grow cold, but I'm also aware of the concept of the illusory "die-hard fan".

author=CashmereCat
Usually I would let drama slide, but when it comes to things where I feel users should be protected and cared for, I think a reply is necessary.

And before anyone forgets this: the intent behind this was not to cause drama. An inquiry into the business dealings and ultimately a push towards not using time or what-have-you as a crutch to not get something done. On the opposite side of the coin, we have:

author=Superstroke
TLDR: Fuck you corfaisus, go fuck yourself

Which does what for the community exactly? This is what we should be discouraging, not honest to goodness game development discussion, if not a bit uncomfortable. I understand the desire to coddle and play it safe, but I've seen how that doesn't always result in growth.

This will be my last response to this matter because we've moved away from Koi's game development towards, well, this. You all are more than welcome to send me a private message and I'll take time to read over them all. If anything came from this, it's put Qui Domi in the trending part of the main page, which - ideally - should translate to more traffic and, thus, more productive discussion.

author=Superstroke
This will fall of deaf ears but I suggest you take a bit of a look inwards and maybe practice some of that do unto others golden rule.

Do unto others as you would have done unto you? I have and do. Accountability is paramount to success. I'm putting this at the bottom as an example of the world using the Bible to override responsibility. Having read the Bible, what is said around it is this:

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets."

If no one admonishes you from bad behavior and allows you to continue in it, do they love you? We are told to "love your neighbor as yourself". Do you actively harm yourself? If so, do you also harm others in that way? Why do parents always tell their children "do as I say, not as I do?" Because they're trying to provide for their needs and - perhaps - instruct them into a better life than they had ("if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children"). Let's continue to the following verses.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it."

What seems good might not be good. What this says to the Christian in their walk is to follow God's discipline, not rely on their own sense of good. The narrow gate is single file, not two at a time. This goes back to shepherds counting their sheep under their staff, protecting them. If you'd like to take this into the secular world, you might consider this saying "if all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?" Or perhaps more apt "nothing worth doing came easy."

Now you - as one quoting the Law for justification - ask "and who is my neighbor?"
User was warned for this post
CashmereCat
Self-proclaimed Puzzle Snob
11638
author=Corfaisus
This will be my last response to this matter because we've moved away from Koi's game development towards, well, this. You all are more than welcome to send me a private message and I'll take time to read over them all.

Okay. To clarify my intent, please know that I felt a user (Koi) was being unjustly harassed/attacked and I wanted to come to their defense publicly so they felt less alone. That is the reason I posted publicly. The happiness of users should rank far above our perceived notion of their productivity.
1- So we're clear, I don't disagree with the tough love part of the golden rule, but not finishing a game and being a humongous dick to everyone for at least the past 5, 6 or more years are not on the same scale of "bad behavior"

2- If I am a barbarian of the northern steppes who believes that there is no greater honor than to die in combat, it doesn't give me the right to go around murdering people because I am under the delusion that I would appreciate it if it happened to me.

But good point overall, let's not derail this blog post further.
Well this blew up.

author=Corfaisus
And before anyone forgets this: the intent behind this was not to cause drama. An inquiry into the business dealings and ultimately a push towards not using time or what-have-you as a crutch to not get something done. On the opposite side of the coin, we have:

Business dealings? Yo, the business dealings are over. Refunds were sent, backers have their answers. What more do you want from me, you weren't even a backer to the project! Why do you care this much?

This incessant self-promotion of how you're so high and mighty because you have projects finished is not only condescending and narcissistic, but also presumptuous and lacking in any form of empathy. You think I'm using a "crutch" by saying that I just haven't had time? What do you assume I've been doing with my time? Sitting in a dark room eating doritos like the stereotypical jobless sloth? Well I'll tell you if you're so interested in why Qui Domi was never finished.

In college I developed chronic tendonitis after over-working my hands on an animated short film. I've now had this injury for 5 years, and that significantly reduces my abilities to work. Let alone have any time for myself to do things like draw, play video games, cook, or anything that involves my hands.

After doing videos in my spare time as a hobby while working retail, I suddenly grew an audience and the demand for more videos took up more of my time until eventually I could monetize my work and quit customer service. When I'm not nursing my injuries with my plethora of icepacks and pain killers, I stream multiple times a week for hours, and need to push out several videos a month to my YouTube audience and Patreon community to stay relevant and keep a steady source of revenue. These videos take days to months to plan, edit, animate, etc. That's my job, that's how I pay my bills. I can barely find a moment to do something I enjoy on my own in between either working tirelessly on videos and art, or staying completely still in a hot compress to soothe my ever-exacerbated injuries through the nature of my work.

How dare you come and make assumptions about my life, insinuate that I'm lazy, call my Kickstarter a cash grab, and blatantly shill your own work in proclamation that just because you did it everyone who doesn't is making excuses.

(Oh and don't you dare say "just get medical attention" I have been in physical therapy, tendonitis is incredibly hard to treat especially for someone like me with hypermobile hands)

EDIT: Since you love talking about your own success so much, here's my main source of income.
author=Corfaisus
I understand the desire to coddle and play it safe, but I've seen how that doesn't always result in growth.

I mean the community is letting you know that you're out of line, what's playing it safe is being in your own bubble and not being able to read the room and just... quoting the bible nonstop. Just sayin
Corf, it is absolutely out of line to attack someone over something like this, especially when you're not someone who was affected by it and know nothing about Koi's life and the reasons behind their choices. They are not beholden to explain or defend themselves for this decision to you since it didn't affect you at all and is none of your business.

Sometimes things fail. They fall through. It is what it is. I don't think anyone in this thread has ever not had something dropped or cancelled or flopped at some point, even if they wanted it to go forward. Sometimes things just happen and you go "Okay, well fuck. Lemme salvage what I can and move on from here." That's fucking fine. It is.

Not everything is about growth. Sometimes it's about looking at where you were going to grow and trimming that branch before it takes more out of you than you can handle. Sometimes you have to cut things short for your own health and so you can grow in other ways. Just because a blackberry bush enjoys sprawling out and is healthier for it, doesn't mean it works for a bonsai. What works for you doesn't necessarily work for others. People learn in different ways, from different things. You cannot tell someone that an opportunity was wasted on them, by them, just because it was something you think would have done them well. It's not up to you to say shit like that or to make that choice for them.


It's not a nefarious, malicious thing to have something fail - whether by circumstances or your own choice. Koi did a wonderful job of getting in contact with the people who backed them and refunding them. They did a great job in sharing what they needed to so that people who want to know about the project understand what happened. They did a good job in handling this whole thread, tbh.

Thank you for letting us know, Koi, and here's hoping things go well for the game and what you're choosing to do with it. Good luck with it!

author=Liberty
Koi did a wonderful job of getting in contact with the people who backed them and refunding them. They did a great job in sharing what they needed to so that people who want to know about the project understand what happened. They did a good job in handling this whole thread, tbh.

Thank you for letting us know, Koi, and here's hoping things go well for the game and what you're choosing to do with it. Good luck with it!


Thank you for this. I didn't want to be another statistic in the amount of people that run off with their Kickstarter money. I should have offered refunds earlier but it took so long to really come to grips with the fact that I failed my promises. The only way to keep my integrity was to do what was right and admit what happened, and offer refunds to each of the 47 backers. To my surprise many people declined with the sentiment that sometimes projects just fall through, and they were happy to help a solo creator.
I don’t really like to get involved in conversations like this but....

@Corfaisus

Being disappointed in a game not being finished or asking about its progress without checking its other social media/it obviously being gone for a while is one thing. I’ve seen non offensive comments that mean well from people on various hiatus/in progress games just on this site.

Some devs are toxic: they scam people, they refuse to take criticism, attack their fans. From what I’ve seen and heard from others, Koi is not one of those people. They addressed the concerns you had in a polite and patient manner, they made a blog talking about the game’s hiatus, they even released the current build. And if they didn’t, that wouldn’t matter.

Indie devs are people, they’re more than their games. They have lives, they have many different problems and often don’t get enough support. Their games/art don’t determine their worth. I have to agree with others, everything you’ve said up until now reeks of entitlement and hypocrisy, especially considering the replies to criticism on one of your own games. Being this concerned over a game not being finished and being mindlessly condescending to the dev is not a hill worth dying on.
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